Live worm fishing is one of the most popular and least understood types of fishing. Many anglers believe that buying a container of live worms, tying on a singles hook, and then "threading" a worm onto that hook constitutes worm fishing? While this might be technically true, in reality it's the most sophomoric and least effective way to fish with a live worm. Will the method mentioned above catch a few fish? Sure, but that doesn't mean it's as effective as it could be. And larger/more experienced fish won't bite such an offering.

The best and most effective way to present a live worm as fishing bait is naturally. That means the worms needs to look like it would occur in nature. Does a worm that's been "threaded" onto a hook look the least bit natural? I would have to say no. A worm that’s been "threaded" quite frankly ends up looking like a worm ball, and a worm ball isn't natural. The only method that I've ever found to present a live worm naturally is a set of gang hooks.

A set of gang hooks are simply two small hooks tied in tandem, thus enabling the angler to present a live worm outstretched the way God intended. As a matter of fact, with a set of size 8 or 10 gang hooks, it's hard to tell there are hooks in the worm at all. Don't you think this would be an advantage to the angler? Of course it would. The bottom line is that if live worms are going to be used as bait, gang hooks should be employed. They will increase a person's bite/hook-up rate by at least 25%!

Not only do gang hooks give an advantage to the angler because of the way they enable them to present a worm in a natural manner, gang hooks also help with those 'short striking' fish. Short striking fish arte the fish that bite just the tail end of the worm. Because there is a second hook on a set of gang hooks, many of these 'short striking' fish are hooked. I emphasize the word "hooked" because gang hooks won't help you fight and land any fish, that part is up to you. However, gang hooks will help any angler hook a lot more fish.

At the end of the day the point is that live worm fishing is the most popular way to catch a fish and through the use of gang hooks, we can all come out of the dark ages and have a lot more success. Honestly, we don't eat the same kinds of foods that we did when we were 12 years old, so why do we fish with live worms the same way we did when we were 12? Probably because you never realized there was a better way, until now that is. We all advanced physically since we were 12 and now I think it's time that our fishing techniques grew up as well.