ok, i've been worm fishing a lot recently and i've had some trouble getting fish in the boat, even though i know there has been a "bite" or at least a "nibble" on the end of my line. it is starting to become very frustrating and i'm really not sure if i am worm fishing correctly.

here's my question: when exactly do i set the hook? of course i know i should yank it in whenever i see my line zooming off in one direction or there is a clear and definite and hard "tug" on my line. but my question is more for those situations when there is simple a "twitch", a small "nibble", a barely noticeable and quick "pull" of the line. should i just set the hook right after feeling anything, even the slightest "twitch"???? or should i wait for something a little bit more, like 2 small pulls or a heavier-feeling "tug" on my line???????

what do you guys do? thanks for any help...

When Carolina rigging :

You get the twitch, bump -> reel down and hammer it

When T-Rigging:

Get a twitch,bump -> drop your rod tip, when it takes out the slack-> hammer it.


Least this is the way i was taught and have always done it. Not many problems at all

You may feel just taps from bluegill or sunfish. Most of the time you may feel a thump or two, pull your rod tip up slowly at an angle and if you feel resistance or movement then set it hard.

Try giving the fish a little slack line after you get bit and watch the line, if it swims off set the hook. If nothing happens wait a couple of seconds and SLOWLY pick the worm back up, if you feel any weight, set the hook.

Good question. when I started worm fishing I had problems with the fish inhaling the worm which was not good for the fish. I am still learning and I use the when in doubt; set the hook. I will definitly use some of the previous tips.

Best advice about worm fishing I ever read was right here on the TFF. While in the boat cast your line out and let it hit the bottom. Do that a few times so you know what that feels like. That is how it feels when a fish is not on your line. After that ANY variation of that feeling and you need to go ahead and set the hook. Not to be a smart arse but it really is that simple.

Bill Dance....always said that fish don't have no hands and that they don't have no pockets....only one place it can be...

I think the trick is just to practice on one of those days when they are biting anything you throw. (seldom fished farm ponds are good for this). Learn to feel/imagine what the fish is doing with your worm. You'll learn to feel when the fish has actually picked up the bait and you can set the hook.
This may sound crazy, but if you ever get the chance put some bluegill or something similar into an aquarium and feed them worms (real ones) Watch how they can just inhale the entire thing once they decide to do so, but also how they might spit it right back out after a couple of seconds. Watching this really helped me to better imagine what bass were doing with my baits and helped me to better interpret what I was feeling through my line/rod.

If you sense a bass take your worm 99% of the time he's got it so the next thing you're probably going to feel is the fish spit it. Notice I said "sense". You wont always feel a tap, sometimes a bass will catch it on the way down and you just notice your bait stopped falling before it hit bottom. Sometimes you just get a mushy feeling. Experience will teach you to recognize when you have a bite, the point is, SET THE HOOK NOW. If you are feeling a lot of hard tap, tap ,tap, tap type bites those are sunsish trying to break a piece of your worm off.

Good answer! Short version....set the hook just before you feel him.

If you think you might have a bite, set the hook! I cant tell you how many big fish I have caught that felt like nothing more than a small twitch or a little resistance! To me, the worst feeling in the world is missing a fish, then you will never get the chance to know how big it might have been!

Now, this doesnt mean to go swinging every time you run up into a snag, or have grass on the line, the more you fish the more you will be able to tell the difference between these things. It just takes some practice to tell what is definatly a stickup or rock, and what may be a fish! When you get to this point, and you just cant tell, then set the hook!!

This being said, I set the hook as soon as I feel that tale tale TICK, TAP TAP, OR BUMP BUMP!! That is the sign of a fish inhaling your bait, they got it, so set it fast. Dont wait for you to fell them start moveing. I like to drop my rod tip down, giveing a little slack, then set the hook. Works pretty good for me!

If you have ever sight fished in clear water, notice that you can see the fish pick up your bait way before you feel anything, most of the time! This tells you something? Set the hook fast after you feel anything, because that fish has had the bait longer than that! Some people like to give it a few seconds before they set the hook, to give the fish time, but I am certain that most fish have already had that bait long before we've detected it!

There are also many other bite feelings other than the: tick, tap tap, or bump bump! These range from short fast pulls, to long hard pulls, to just a hanging resistance. It is kinda hard to tell you what to do with these without having been the person at the other end of the line! You will learn how to handle these through practice. After time, you will know how to handle each situation through second nature!

Good Luck!

As what Mark said above, anything that feels sluggish, a couple pecks, etc., set the hook. It doesn't cost a dime to jerk. When you think it's a weed, it'll be a fish and vice versa. Worm fishing, just like anything, takes practice.
Good luck.

Texas rig- after the bump, I reel down and take all the slack out of the line, then lift my rod tip, if I feel any pressure I set the hook.

C-Rig- After the initial bump, I immediately set the hook, I seem to catch more fish that way. I think its because on a C-Rig the bait is back behind the weight and may float a little off the bottom, when you feel the bump...well they dont have hands, so its got to be in the mouth.

Lots of good answers posted. So many varibles that change things up. If you feel something different, SET the hook! One other thing, do not use the Gamakatsu g-lock hook. Bad design and you will loss fish. When fishing a Texas rig I seem to have better luck with a regular worm hook. However, you will have to glue the worm to the hook or it will just keep sliding down. Good Luck.

also when fishing weightless you can allow a little more time to feel the fish as they'll hang on a little longer