The next time you go fishing, you may want to consider what bait to use. There is a lot of debate on whether or not anglers should fish with crickets or worms. In this article, you’ll find tips for choosing one over the other.
Crickets
Insects can be used as an alternative bait for fishing in many countries worldwide, including America and Australia. Many bugs are used for fishing bait, including crickets from outdoors and bugs from your own home. In some areas, you can also buy crickets directly from a bait shop. Crickets do not live long when they are out in the wild, but they are easy to raise so that you can keep them at home. When they come into the house, they reproduce quickly. So instead of buying store-bought crickets to use as fishing bait, you should consider raising your kind of cricket for this purpose.
Worms
Compared to crickets, worms are regarded as more suitable for fishing bait. People can purchase worms from a fish store or fish farm. The worms you buy are probably kept in a container that prevents them from escaping. However, some worms can still escape from the bait stores and live in the wild when they reproduce in the open air. You may also find worms in the wild by digging. They live in the soil, and they can be found by searching in a patch of grass or yard. When you see them around your yard, it is likely used for fishing bait because some people sell them to catch fish.
You may have been told that crickets are suitable for fishing bait and that worms are not as good, but bait types can catch fish. It is just a slight preference between the two.
Do Crickets make good natural bait?
Crickets make excellent fishing bait for catching fish such as panfish, bass, trout, and even pike. When fishing for panfish like bluegill and crappie, it is best to use a bobber rig with crickets and nightcrawlers. For bigger fish like walleye, a slip sinker rig with just nightcrawlers work the best. However, worms on a bobber rig roll around and are hard to catch.
Do worms make good fishing bait?
You can fish worms with a bobber rig as well. That is where you use wooden dowels instead of lines to create the bobber rig. This rig lasts longer than just using line and hooks because the worm can crawl over the dowels and get caught by the hook several times before it eventually dies. However, worms tend to roll around the bobber and make for a tough time catching fish. It is among the most significant disadvantages to using worms as bait.
Another benefit of crickets over worms is that crickets can live in your freezer for up to a year. That means you can catch a lot of nightcrawlers during the night and then save them in your freezer until you go fishing again, perhaps months from now.
Types of worms used in fishing
Worms are used for a variety of purposes, including fishing. Some of the more popular ones include:
Red Wiggler Worms
Also called the “nightcrawler,” You can catch this in most areas that have dirt. They make great bait and live up to their name by crawling around at night. The red wiggler is probably one of the most common species of earthworm used for bait. This type of worm is usually found in damp soil so if you find them out in your yard, try fishing there to see if you can catch anything.
Redworm
The redworm is one of the most common worms used for fishing. It is a type of earthworm found in most soil types and often lives in damp soils. Redworms are usually red (or pink) in color and make ideal fishing bait.
Fireworm
The fireworm can be found in saltwater areas and is often referred to as the “pirate worm.” This worm has a bright red body which makes it easy to spot. They are considered to be one of the top species of earthworm for fishing. You can catch fish like catfish, rainbow trout, and bass using fireworms as bait.
Mixing worms and crickets can make a bad combination for fishing. The worm ends up getting tangled up with the hook, which could cause your fishing line to break. Also, the hook can get stuck in the worm if it is not caught correctly on the bobber (also known as “live bait”).
Why should you not mix worms and crickets?
Mixing crickets and worms can be very bad for your fishing or, even worse, cause you to lose your line completely. That is because worms and crickets are not always compatible. Worms crawl around while crickets hop around. It means that the crickets are likely to jump on the worm and try to eat it. The twisted-up hook from this combination can cause your line to break or, even worse, lose your fish (or worm).
If you find crickets in your home or yard, they may be there because they were used as fishing bait by someone else who caught them with a wire hook and line. You can also find them in other types of food, such as in dog biscuits. If your crickets seem to be learning tricks from their friends, these may be escapees from a pet store.
What type of fishing hook should I use for crickets and worms?
There are several different types of fishing hooks that you can use for crickets and worms. Some of these include:
Shrimp & Crawfish Hooks
It is similar to a regular hook, but it has a large gap between the eye and the barb. That helps your bait to escape.
Quiver Hooks
The quiver is a type of hook with small barbed hooks on it and barbless hooks. It allows you to use fewer hooks while catching more fish.
Worm Hooks
These hooks are also known as an “earthworm hook.” This style is similar to a typical fishing hook, but it has a long wire with barbs. The barbs work just like regular hooks and allow you to catch fish.
Baitholder Hook
These hooks like this one are similar to worm hooks, except that they have barbs on both ends. That allows you to use two hooks at once.
Finger Hook
This hook is a type of hook that has a small loop on the end of the hook. That allows you to move the bait around without tangled up in other parts of your bait rig. The loop will also allow you to hand-feed your fish, so they don’t have to be caught with a rod and reel.
Treble Hooks
This hook is a hook with a small barbed hook at the top, but then there is another small loop at the bottom that you can use for bait.
Aberdeen Hooks
Aberdeen hooks are a type of hook that is shaped like a large needle. Barbs are connected to the hook by wire, but their points are much longer than the hook itself. These hooks may be used by fishing professionals, such as big-game, fly-fishing, and bass anglers.
Commonly used baits for nightcrawlers.
There are several types of fish baits that you can use with “nightcrawlers” or worms. These include:
- Cheese and bread (bait)
- Flower Petals or wilted vegetables
- Fresh Vegetables and fruit – check to make sure the fruit is not rotten before using it as bait!
- Meat scraps – raw or cooked, but do not use meat that is slimy or smelly! Instead, use only fish-based baits like salmon, mackerel, herring, shrimp, etc. You can also use leftover pet food from dinner if you have a pet cat or dog.
- Bread chunks or slices – seal the bait in a Ziploc bag to prevent it from getting stale.
You can use live worms and crickets for both baits and live food. We recommend that you do not use roaches as live bait, however. These are common pests and will smell foul or leave a bad odor on your fishing line if they escape after being caught by a fish.
Conclusion
Crickets and worms are two of the most common live bait options used by fishermen around the world. They are particularly effective when fishing for carp, pike, catfish, and redfish.
Whether you prefer crickets or worms as fishing bait is debatable. It can depend on the kind of fish you are trying to catch and your personal preference. However, many will swear that worms work better than crickets when it comes to catching fish. Only by trying them both will you be able to determine which one works best for you.