How to Tie Fishing Bait to a Line for Dummies

Always handle hooks with care to avoid getting hooked yourself.

One of the most daunting tasks of the beginning angler is simply getting a baited hook into the water where the fish can find it. Finding an effective way to tie the hook to the fishing line and then attach the bait to the hook can be difficult if no one shows you how it's done. However, with a little instruction you can quickly learn how to tie a solid fishing knot and how to put a worm on a hook in a manner that fish find enticing.

Things You'll Need

• Fishing line
• Fishing hook
• Worm

Instructions

Tying the Hook to the Line with a Clinch Knot

1. Thread the tag end of the fishing line--the end of the line where the knot is tied--through the eye of the hook and pull approximately 6 inches of line through.

2. Wrap the tag end of the line around the main fishing line five to six times.

3. Slide the tag end of the line through the the small loop in the line that has formed at a point just in front of the eye of the hook.

4. Pass the tag end of the line through the larger loop formed between the twisted line and the tag end of the line when the tag end was inserted through the smaller loop in Step 3.

5. Pull the knot tight and trim away any excess line protruding from the knot.

Rigging the Worm

1. Select a worm that is of the appropriate size for the fish you are pursuing. For example, most trout will readily strike a worm between 2 and 4 inches long.

2. Grasp the worm in one hand and the shaft of your hook with the other hand.

3. Press the point of the hook in one side of the worm's body and out the other side at a point near the middle of the worm. This rigging method allows both ends of the worm to dangle and move in a manner that attracts attention.

4. Press the point of the hook completely through the worm's body one more time at a point on the worm's body that is very close to the point where you first inserted the hook in Step 3. This still permits the dangling worm to move actively, but it helps ensure that the worm stays on the hook.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to change your worms frequently in order to ensure that the worm currently on the hook is lively and active.

• Always handle the barbed hook with care to avoid driving the point and barb of the hook into your own skin. Take particular precautions whenever you are releasing a fish; a sudden movement by the fish increases your chance of injury from the hook.

References

• "The Ultimate Guide to Freshwater Fishing"; Dick Sternberg; 1993

Resources

• Animated Knots by Grog: The Improved Clinch Knot