I guess it’s a bit of a morbid question, but one you might soon find yourself asking if you head off fishing on a hot day and forget your cooler. Do fish like dead worms? Can you fish with dead worms for fishing? Or how about, why on earth do fish like worms in the first place?
Dead worms do work for fishing, and while you can use them, I think you’ll wish you kept the worms alive. Granted, there are some species, like bullhead, that enjoy really stinky bait and probably won’t care if the worms are dead, but I’ve found that I catch more fish and use less bait when the worms are alive and well.
Let’s explore this topic a little further to understand why it’s better to fish with live worms, troubleshoot why your worms keep dying, and then discuss what you can do about it. I’ll also touch base a bit on what worms are best for fishing, and share a few resources that will help you rig them correctly.
Why You Should Fish With Worms
Before we go any further, let’s just spend a moment and talk about why you should fish with worms in the first place. My website primarily deals with helping families learn to fish, and one of the maxims I live by is that you want to pursue quantity over quality when you’re getting started. This helps keep kids interested and engaged.
The bottom line is that fish really like worms. They can’t keep their lips off of them. So if you want to catch a lot of fish with your kids, nightcrawlers and other worms are a great choice.
Another great reason to fish with worms is that they help keep fishing inexpensive. I wrote an article where I tried to help people keep their new fishing hobby affordable. One of the main arguments I made was that bait, and specifically worms, can be free. All you have to do is go dig them up!
If you’re just getting started, or are trying to help a young child get started, I suggest that you bring some nightcrawlers along for your trip. Nighcrawlers are inexpensive, easy to use, and don’t bite. They’re the perfect bait for kids.
What Fish Bite Nightcrawlers?
I’m convinced you could catch any carnivorous fish in the world with a nightcrawler. Everything from largemouth bass to mud fish bite nightcrawlers routinely on my fishing trips. I’ve caught brown trout with a spinner and worm, sucker fish, northern pike, chain pickerel and everything in-between on a nightcrawler. Catfish and bullhead especially are great fish to go for with nightcrawlers, as they’ll bit them single or in giant clusters on the same hook. And of course, all the kid favorites like bluegill, yellow perch, pumpkinseeds, rockbass, and crappie love eating worms. In short, every fish in the sea will bite a nightcrawler – you can’t go wrong!
But Why Do Fish LIKE Worms?
In a sea full of artificial lures and danger, worms are the real thing. To fish, worms smell good, taste good, feel good, and look good. They have a natural smell that is better than any fish attractant. Their taste, apparently, is better than plastic or wood (I’ll have to take the fish’s word on this). They have a natural feeling that lets a fish know they’ve hit the real deal and not some imitation. Finally, they have enticing little wriggles that work better than any twitch of a jerkbait. When a fish sees a worm, they know that they’re staring at a nutritious meal, so if nothing spooks them, they’re more apt to bite.
Why You Should Use Live Worms vs. Dead Worms
I’m not going to tell you that dead worms never work, as many fish will eat them, but I will say that they don’t seem to work as well as live ones for many species that you might target with your kids (chiefly panfish and bass).
First, let’s define what exactly I mean by “dead worms.” I’m not suggesting that you take a pulse, but you do need to understand that nightcrawlers go through a few stages during a fishing trip: (1) Alive; (2) Possibly Alive but in Poor Condition and; (3) Dead.
Stage 1: Fully Alive Worms
When you first open up a box of nightcrawlers that has been properly stored in a fridge, you will notice that they are plump and juicy. If you touch them, they quickly pull back and try to escape. These night crawlers are fully alive. They have several advantages:
- They are durable. If you tried to break them into pieces, it would be difficult without a pair of scissors. Worms that are alive stand up better to panfish pecking away at them.
- They are more appealing to fish. When you put them on your hook, you’ll find that they squirm about and put up a fuss. They continue doing this under the water, which makes them look like prey. Fish like eating worms that are moving around enticingly.
- They are larger. This goes hand in hand with being more appealing, but you have a better chance of catching a larger fish. Remember, in nature, life is a game of energy conservation. Predators don’t want to waste energy for petty offerings, but they will spend some energy if they think it will land them a solid meal.
I understand that some of you might question my claim that worms are more durable while they’re alive. You might say, “But John, I just put a plump nightcrawler on my hook, and the bluegill tore it to shreds!”
Well, yes. They grabbed its tail and tore it right off. Probably its midsection too. But what about its head – the piece that is directly baited on the hook? I’ll bet that part is still there, and I’ll bet it stays there through several fish before you need to swap it out. In fact, if you’re going with your kids, you might want to just start with a small piece as you’ll catch many more panfish per worm that way.
In contrast, if you were using nightcrawlers or worms that were drying out such as those described below in Stage 2, the fish would be apt to steal the entire bait in one go, because it has lost much of its durability. It would be pretty common to have to change bait after each cast, which can end your day in a hurry.
Stage 2: Possibly Alive, but in Poor Condition
If you’re fishing with worms on a hot day and don’t keep them in a cooler, you will notice that they start to get smaller throughout the day. These worms are doing poorly, and may die before long. As worms enter this stage, they lose some of the characteristics of healthy worms:
- Worms that have been left in the heat are nowhere near as durable. They easily break without the need for any scissors.
- Worms that are nearly dead are less appealing to some species of fish, like largemouth bass. Your best chance of catching a bass on a worm is to use a large one that is lively. You’re much less likely to catch one with a worm that is almost dead.
- They are smaller. Look at the photo below to see a very clear difference between worms that are alive, and worms that are nearly (or already) dead.
Stage 3: Dead Worms
When a worm first dies it will usually look like a worm in Stage 2 discussed above, but will be completely limp and won’t move at all. Fishing with dead worms has several disadvantages:
- Dead worms are not durable in the first stage of death, but will become hard as rocks if left in the sun. Early in death, they are pulled off the hook easily, and late in death, you rarely get bites.
- Dead worms have very little appeal to any species that favors living worms. Nature has very specialized roles for different animals, and fish are no different. There are certain fish that primarily eat the dead, and others that prefer live quarry.
At some point you’re going to leave a bit of a worm on a hook for a spell while you try something else. You’ll come back to it and it’ll look completely dried out. You can try tossing it in and you might even get a bite, but I wouldn’t recommend starting off this way. I usually just replace them with a fresh worm.
Do Any Fish Prefer Dead Worms?
As a general rule, you’re much better off with live worms. One of the main reasons why fish like worms is because they’re plump, juicy and wriggling. Bass especially want a larger, wriggling target and would hesitate to strike a dead worm over a live one.
All the same, dead worms do work for fishing. Indeed, fish that really enjoy stinky foods, such as bullhead and catfish, would enjoy a heaping of dead worms, but the problem of durability discussed above is going to make it hard to keep the worm on the hook long enough for them to bite.
Remember, it’s not so much that a fish won’t bite a dead worm. Rather, the issue is that if they bite it away from the hook, they’re apt to tear the whole offering off of the hook harmlessly.
If you do find yourself in a situation where all your worms are dead, do your best to ball a bunch of them up on the hook so it’s less likely the entire offering will be stolen with one peck.
You can also borrow a trick from catfishermen and place a handful of worms into a little pouch of cheesecloth or old leggings. This will let the scent dissipate without the worms pulling from the hook, but you’ll eliminate most chance of a panfish taking the bait (unless the pouch is very small).
Why Do Worms Die?
Sometimes worms die for unknown reasons in shipping or storage at the tackle shop. You would be well advised to open each worm container and take a look and whiff. A box of dead or dying worms will often have a white mold like substance growing in the container and will smell very bad. What you want is clean, dark soil that smells like soil.
Assuming that you bought them alive and they later died, the most likely reason for their misfortune is that you allowed them to become too hot, as temperatures above 77 °F (25 °C) will cause them to weaken and eventually die. The higher the temperature, the quicker their death.
Nightcrawlers and worms also die when they lose too much moisture. This is why they come packaged in some soil. Ever notice how it is very wet and messy at first? That moisture keeps your bait alive and wriggling. If you’re storing your own worms at home, don’t forget to change the soil out from time to time and moisten it a bit with a sprayer.
Finally, worms die because creatures like fish eat them. That is the only death you’re aiming for.
Is There a Way to Make Fishing Worms More Enticing?
I was recently chatting with a gentleman from Slovenia who spends a lot of time fishing for carp with worms. He advises cutting a small portion of the worm’s tail off, to produce more scent in the water. The concept makes sense and might explain part of the reason why using bits of worms is so effective with panfish. I’d always thought panfish were just dumb, but perhaps the added scent is really what is driving the feeding frenzy. It’s something worth trying!
Will Worms Drown While Fishing?
Many folks want to know if worms will drown while you’re fishing. People are familar with seeing worms surface on a rainy day and they assume that they’re doing this to get air. Contrary to popular belief, worms don’t surface in the rain because they’re “drowning.” In fact, as long as the water has enough oxygen content for them to breath, nightcrawlers are actually fine completely underwater.
While this is a little bit of an academic question, it has practical use for fishermen, because you can keep your worm plump and juicy longer if you let it rest in the water a bit while you aren’t using it, as opposed to just putting it down on the shore to bake in the sun. Just make sure you use a rod holder in case a big fish comes along!
I’ve heard of some people livening up their worms a bit by putting them into chilled water for thirty minutes or so, and if your worms have started drying out I suppose it stands to reason that this might work. In any event, it’s worth a shot.
Do Nightcrawlers Work For Night Fishing?
Yes, you can fish with nightcrawlers and other worms at night. In fact, the scent that they produce is going to help certain species home in on them and bite them. The only thing to consider is what species you intend to target. You will catch a lot of catfish and bullhead while fishing nightcrawlers and worms at night. Odds are these species will get to the worms long before bass home in on them after it gets dark.
Can You Use Nightcrawlers for Saltwater Fishing?
The salt in saltwater isn’t very good for nightcrawlers. They do tend to break down quickly in these conditions and fall off of the hook. With that said, if a fish gets to your hook before the worm is ruined, nightcrawlers are very effective at catching them. Go ahead and use nightcrawlers in saltwater if that’s your only option, but most folks will tell you to buy blood worms or other dedicated saltwater, hardier baits instead.
Can You Use Worms For Ice Fishing?
There’s no reason you can’t use worms or nightcrawlers for ice fishing. Any fish that will bite a nightcrawler during the summer will bite the same worm in the winter. Using live bait like a worm for ice fishing is a great way to entice bites from fish who might hesitate to chase an artificial lure in the frigid temps. The only trick is finding the worms as many bait shops don’t carry them in the winter. You might need to buy them in bulk, or keep them alive until you have a chance to use the worms on your favorite ice fishing hole.
Where to Buy Live Worms For Fishing?
Many gas stations, sporting goods stores, and almost all baitshops will have various species of worms for sale. They typically are sold by the dozen, and some places carry packages of several dozen. You’ll know an establish sells them because they typically keep a “We Sell Bait” or “Live Bait” sign out front.
Buying worms by the dozen can get expensive. You will get a better deal if you purchase them online. I get my worms from Windsor Wholesale Bait. Buying in bulk allows me to save a ton of money. I prefer Windsor Wholesale Bait because I enjoy fishing with Canadian Nightcrawlers. If you’d prefer smaller worms, you can find specieis such as Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm’s Red Wigglers
How to Catch Your Own Worms
If you don’t want to buy worms, you have two choices: wait for a rainy day to scoop them off your street, or go out in search of nightcrawlers at night. If you go after your own, try and find open fields that get a little moisture from sprinklers or morning dew (some large sports fields at your local school may work well). The only trick is to see if that school uses anything like a pesticide to keep the worms and other critters away. Clearly, those aren’t your best bet.
Here’s a video with some other great tips of how to catch your own worms. I particularly like the idea about using spare cardboard to catch them (we all have plenty of that these days)!
How Can I Keep My Nightcrawlers Alive for Fishing?
In most cases you’re going to purchase a few dozen worms a day or two before your fishing trip. You would do well to keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to use them. This will keep them fresh for up to a few weeks, though I like to use them soon so I don’t forget about them.
It gets trickier to keep them alive when you’re fishing. You will want to bring a cooler and keep them in it when you aren’t using them. This cooler should probably be separate from the one you’re storing your food in, because the lids on worm packages are prone to popping off, especially if your kids keep playing with it.
You could also consider buying a specialty cooler for your worms. What type you choose is going to depend on if you’re fishing from a boat (where you presumably have some room), or if you’re hoofing it on foot and need to pack light.
Some Good Ways to Store Worms and Nightcrawlers
If you’re fishing from a boat, a great option is the Unexcelled Fishing Keep Kool Live Bait Cooler
If you’re fishing from shore and planning to cover much ground, a nifty little product is the Zebco Lil Wormcooler. It’s small (4.5 x 4.5 x 4 inches), light weight at 1.12 ounces, and comes with a handle that you could clip to your belt (you’ll need to buy a clip separately). This means it is one less thing to have to carry in your hands, which is important when you’re walking from spot to spot.
Other Ways to Store Nightcrawlers
If you don’t have two coolers and don’t want to put your worms and food in the same one, you can make their own container a cooler of sorts by putting an ice cube or two in a plastic bag and then burying it in the worm container.
Some people forget the dirt altogether and just put their nightcrawlers into a bucket of ice. Believe it or not, this actually keeps them well. Just make sure the ice is wet before you add the worms or the moist worms will stick to the ice and tear. This is a great solution for people who don’t want worm dirt all over their boats and hands.
As we’ve discussed, worms can stay alive in water for great lengths of time, so even if the ice melts, they’ll still be alive and usable.
What Can I Feed My Worms?
If you’re going to keep worms for an extended period of time, you’re going to need to figure out something to feed them. You’ll want to feed them about once a week.
There are several manufactured worm foods out there on the market. These are advertised as having numerous different minerals and nutrients that will help your worms grow while you’re waiting to use them. I fish often enough that I’ve never had need of these, but I have no reason to doubt the claims as others seem to love the product. A popular choice is Frabill Fat and Sassy Worm Food
When I’m keeping worms it’s usually not going to be for more than 3-4 weeks, so I just use my coffee grounds. It’s a byproduct that I already own, so I don’t need to go buy something new, and it’s even recommended by the worm experts.
What’s the Best Way to Fish With Nightcrawlers?
You can rig worms in several ways, but the three easiest for newer fishermen to try plain hooks, drop shots, and bobbers.
Fishing a Worm on a Plain Hook
Fishing a worm on a plain hook is as simple as it sounds. You just pierce the worm with the hook and toss it in the water. There are several theories about how to put the worm on the hook. Some people thread the hook through the worms head and leave its tail dangling. Others kind of bunch the squirming worm up on the hook without much rhyme or reason. Either works, but bear in mind that anything a fish can snag without touching the hook will be quickly stolen.
Bass seem to prefer nightcrawlers that are rigged so that their tails are off the hook, dangling enticingly in the water. A largemouth bass is a large enough fish that they can grab the entire worm in one gulp, but if panfish get to a worm rigged this way first, that tail is disappearing with nothing to show for it.
The Drop Shot
I’ve written extensively about how to rig drop shots and why I love them on another article. I won’t repeat the information, but I will give you the basic theory: a dropshot has the hook tied 6-12″ inches above a sinker. The sinker falls to the bottom and keeps the worm suspended up above slightly where fish are more likely to see it. This is a great technique for fishing (especially with kids) and I suggest you try it.
Fishing Nightcrawlers with a Bobber
I am not a fan of bobbers, but many people are. They do allow you to keep a bait up off the bottom, much like a drop shot, but they also tend to encourage people to put their rod down and wait for something to bite. This is boring, and also can be counterproductive as many bites will go undetected. You should probably bring a few along in case you need to keep your bait above some obstruction, but I wouldn’t start with them.
In Conclusion: Keep Your Worms Alive
If you want to have the best chance for success, you should do what you can to keep your worms alive. While you can fish with dead worms, from my experience, live worms work better than dead ones.
Even if fish didn’t have a preference one way or another, the sheer durability of the bait while alive and moist is going to mean that you’ll get more use out of it, and have less frustration.
It’s not fun for you (or your kids) to constantly feel nibbles and never have something to reel in. I know from experience that this can happen if you have dead worms that tear off the hook easily. It becomes very frustrating on days where not much is biting, as you need to land the few fish that do.
Simple Steps to Make Worms and Nightcrawlers Last Longer
In sum, follow these simple steps to make your worms last longer for your fishing trip:
- Check the worm container at the store to make sure the worms are alive. The container should smell like dirt as opposed to decomposing flesh;
- Store the worms in a cool, dark place where they and their soil won’t dry out;
- Feed them coffee grounds about once a week if you need to store them indefinitely;
- If you need to put the rod down for a long time in the heat, keep the worm dangling in the water so it doesn’t dry out.
One of the main maxims I teach about fishing with kids is to control what you can, when you can. Keeping worms alive before and during your fishing trip is an achievable goal. Make every effort to do so, as it will help you have a better time out there on the water with your kids.
Thanks,
John Paxton
I always fish with live bait. No matter where I go fishing. Live bait is my go-to. Simply because it’s more effective. Fish are likely to eat a work or a fish that is moving around not just hanging on the hook doing nothing. So I don’t take chances with dead bait that has little chances. I recently installed a Livewell pump on my boart so that I can keep my bait alive as well as the fish I catch.