How do I bait a hook and set up a fishing rig?

How to bait a hook

Worms (nightcrawlers, red wigglers). Pinch off a one-inch piece. Push the hook point through the cut end, run it down inside the worm for about half an inch, then push it out the side. About half an inch of free worm should hang off the hook bend. Don't thread the whole worm onto the hook; bluegill steal it without getting hooked.

Crickets. Hook through the back of the thorax (the hard plate just behind the head) and out the bottom. The cricket stays alive and kicks for a long time.

Live minnows. Through both lips for casting (under the bottom lip up through the top, careful not to hit the brain). Through the back just below the dorsal fin for a free-swimming presentation under a bobber.

Cut bait (shad, hot dog, chicken liver). Push the hook through the chunk twice so it doesn't fly off on the cast. The point should be exposed. For chicken liver specifically, use a small treble hook because liver doesn't hold otherwise; thread it onto the trebles like wrapping a present.

Soft plastic worms (artificial). Two ways:

• Texas-rig: push the hook point into the head about half an inch, push it out the side, slide the worm up the hook so the eye is buried, then rotate the hook and bury the point back into the body so it's weedless.
• Wacky-rig: hook the worm through the middle so both ends dangle. Easier for beginners and catches plenty of bass.

The bobber rig (bluegill, crappie, small bass)

1. Tie a #6 hook to the end of the line with an Improved Clinch knot (see fishing knots).
2. Pinch a single split shot onto the line about 12 inches above the hook.
3. Slide a red-and-white bobber onto the line above the split shot.
4. Position the bobber so the hook hangs at the depth you want, usually 3 to 5 ft under the bobber for a dock or brush pile.

Cast next to a dock post, a laydown, or visible cover. Watch the bobber. When it goes under, set the hook (see casting and hookset).

The bottom rig (catfish)

1. Slide a 1-ounce egg sinker onto the main line.
2. Slide a small plastic bead onto the line below the sinker (protects the knot).
3. Tie the line to a small barrel swivel.
4. Tie 18 inches of leader from the other end of the swivel to a #2 or 1/0 circle hook.
5. Bait the hook, cast out, prop the rod against a rail or in a holder, wait.

The egg sinker slides on the line, so a fish can pick up the bait without immediately feeling the weight. Circle hooks set themselves in the corner of the mouth; don't yank a hookset on a circle hook, just keep tightening the line and let the hook do its job.

The vertical jig (crappie under docks)

1. Tie a 1/16 oz or 1/8 oz jig head to the line. White, chartreuse, or black-chartreuse work in stained Watts Bar water.
2. Push a small soft plastic body (Bobby Garland Baby Shad or similar) onto the jig head.
3. Tip with a live minnow for higher strike rates, especially in stained water.
4. Drop straight down next to a dock piling or anchor cable in 8 to 14 ft.
5. Lift the rod tip about a foot, slowly. Let the jig fall back on a tight line. Repeat.

Crappie hit on the fall, not the lift. Subtle motion catches more than a violent jerk.

Hook sizes for Watts Bar

• Bluegill, crappie, small bass: #6 or #8 long-shank Aberdeen
• Larger crappie, white bass, walleye: #4
• Big bass, hybrids: #2 or 1/0
• Catfish: 1/0 to 4/0 circle hook

Long-shank hooks are easier to remove from a fish (and from a finger). Treble hooks are common on lures but rough on fish; switch to single hooks when possible.

Watch on YouTube

If you have signal, these search-result links pull current beginner demos:

• How to bait a hook with a worm
• How to hook a live minnow
• Bobber rig setup
• Bottom rig (Carolina-style) for catfish
• Texas-rig a soft plastic worm
• Vertical jigging crappie under docks

Related guides

• Fishing knots for tying anything
• Casting and hookset for using the rig
• Handling fish safely for when you actually catch one
• Fishing with kids for the trip plan