Pierce through several smaller worms or cut up worm halves to hide the hook in a mass of wriggling worms. Some hooks come with smaller hooks attached to the side for this purpose. For large worms, thread a single worm along the hook until the hook is mostly or completely hidden. For very large worms, pierce the hook through several points of the body. Leave a length at the end to wriggle and attract fish.
If you are dragging the bait behind you in a moving boat (trolling), hook the fish under its jaw and exit through the top, or just through its upper jaw for especially large bait fish. Alternatively, you can hook it through both nostrils. Any of these hook methods will maximize the fish’s ability to swim with a natural motion to attract predator fish. [2] X Research source For fishing while still or moving slowly, hook the bait fish on its back just in front of the dorsal fin. Hook it underneath the spine to avoid paralyzing it. This forces the fish to swim more frantically and head-downwards, attracting attention. You can fine tune the depth by placing it further ahead of the dorsal fin; this causes it to swim at a shallower downward angle. If you are freelining (fishing while stationary, using no floats or weights), you can hook the bait near the tail to make it swim forward. To force it to swim downward instead, hook into the mouth and exit through the gills. [3] X Research source
Thread the hook shallowly through the back or front of the crayfish, pushing it out again on the same side. Don’t go any deeper than necessary to get under the main shell segment, or you may kill the crayfish. Alternatively, thread the hook through the meaty tail. This can hide most of the hook and will not hit any of the crayfish’s vital organs. Start at the end of the tail and push the hook out just before the body.
Hook shallowly through the body or through the meat of the tail. Remove a few segments of shell so the shrimp scent is stronger.
Insects should be handled carefully, as they area easily killed while baiting. Tie a flexible thin wire to the shank of the hook, then wrap it carefully around the insect to affix it to the hooked section. If you can’t affix it with wire, hook through the rear section of the body. The vital organs are mostly in the front and should be avoided. It doesn’t matter which direction the insect is facing.
If you are fishing from one spot (still fishing), cut the fish into chunks thick enough to hide most of the hook. If you are dragging the fishing line behind a moving boat (trolling), cut the fish into long, thin V-shaped strips. Pierce the hook through the thicker end so the moving strip imitates a swimming fish.
Form the paste into a ball over the entire hook. Press it into place so the hook is hidden completely. Some hooks include wire springs to help keep the doughball in place.
Once the meat is hardened, pierce the hook through it in as many different places as possible. Hide the end of the hook in the meat. If it still won’t adhere to the hook or you suspect a fish could peel it right off, use fine thread or wire to tie it on.
In order to hook a standard artificial “grub,” thread the hook through the mouth of the bait until the front reaches the eye of the hook. Push the end of the hook out through the grub’s stomach.
Bridling is most often used in saltwater fishing to catch larger fish, since the proportionally larger bait fish is less replaceable and more easily manipulated.
Pull your loop as hard as you can to make sure it doesn’t come apart.
The knot end should be positioned a short distance above the bottom of the hook’s “J” shape (or the base of the “O” for a circle hook), with the rest of the bridle passing underneath the hook and extending below the J.
Make a second “hitch” like this if you want to make it extra secure.
Have a more experienced fisher make a bridle for you, or follow the instructions for Making a Bridle to create your own.
You can use an open eye live bait needle instead of a crochet needle.
Keep hold of the loop so the fish’s wriggling doesn’t pull it back out again.
