Your anticipation is running high. You have planned an afternoon of relaxing fishing for weeks and now the time has come. You make your way to the bank of the river or pond, slap an artificial worm on your hook, rare back and suddenly notice that the guys beside you are chuckling. You stop in mid-cast and ask what is funny. The older fisherman of the two wipes the smirk off his face and says, “Well, that’s one way to rig a hook.” Dejected, you pack up and leave.
Don’t let this happen to you. Learn to rig an artificial worm like the pros and fish happily ever after.
Things You’ll Need:
- 3/0 or 4/0 EWG (extra-wide gap) hook
- Mono-filament fishing line
- Artificial worm
Instructions
Step 1
Tie a 3/0 or 4/0 EWG (extra-wide gap) hook to your mono-filament fishing line with an “improved clinch” knot. Follow the link in the resource section below for detailed information on tying this kind of knot. Make sure to slightly moisten the knot with water before tightening, and trim excess line with a pair of scissors.
Step 2
Hold the hook by the long section, or “shank.” Position the point of the hook at the nose of the artificial worm and insert.
Step 3
Push the point of the hook about 1 inch into the body of the worm. Turn the point downward so that it comes back out the bottom of the worm.
Step 4
Turn the point of the hook back toward the worm body. Slightly bend the worm down and insert the point of the hook through the body of the worm.
Step 5
Straighten the worm on the hook and insert the point just below the surface of the artificial worm to make the rig weedless.
Wacky Rig
Step 1
Tie a 3/0 or 4/0 EWG hook to your line as described in the first step of section one. Make sure the knot is securely tightened around the hook.
Step 2
Hold your artificial worm in one hand and your hook in the other. Bend the worm so that both ends touch together.
Step 3
Insert the point of the EWG hook so that it passes through both sections of the worm just below the point where it is doubled.
Step 4
Arrange the artificial worm on the hook by slightly spreading the two halves apart.
Tips & Warnings
- Both of these types of rigs can be used with “stick” or “trick” type artificial worms.
- To make your Texas rig weighted, add a bullet weight to the line before attaching the hook.
