There are countless plastic and metal lures out there, but nothing beats the traditional fishing experience of using live bait worms. Whether you dig them yourself or buy them at a bait store or from a mail-order supplier, live worms are often the best bait in the lake. The best worm choice depends on your location, the season and the appetite of your target fish catch.
European Nightcrawlers
European nightcrawlers (Eisenia hortensis) have tough skins and live a long time without refrigeration, making them an ideal bait worm for toting on long trips in a cooler. They are dull red, segmented earthworms growing to about 3 to 4 inches long. According to Earthworm Works, a live bait dealer in Archer, Florida, the European nightcrawler stays alive and highly active under water, even in brackish water, for a much longer time than the native North American Canadian Nightcrawler. Its modest size means it does not need to be cut up before being stuck on the hook, and makes it more appealing to a wide variety of fish of different sizes.
Bloodworms
Bloodworms (Glycera dibranchiata) are the best bait worm for striped bass, especially when hooked in clumps of multiple worms. Scott's Bait and Tackle in the fishing paradise of Mystic Island, New Jersey, reports that bloodworms are the premier bait for striped bass in the early spring fishing season, but that they are also effective for winter flounder, porgies, weakfish and kingfish as the season progresses. Bloodworms are quite thin, a deep jugular burgundy in color, grow from 2 inches to 18 inches, and require refrigerated storage. Unfortunately, they also do bite, so they need to be handled with care and set on the hook swiftly to avoid the bee-sting-like pain of the bloodworm's four-pronged mouth.
Wax Worms
Wax worms (Galleria mellonella) are fat, grub-like yellow worms that can live several weeks without refrigeration. Knutson's Live Bait of Brooklyn, Michigan advises that wax worms are the most popular bait worm for panfish--bluegill, sunfish and perch-- in the Great Lakes area. It is an effective bait year round, and their stubby bodies are easy to get on the hook. Unlike most bait worms, wax worms are actually caterpillars which metamorphose into the Pyralidae or wax moth--if not eaten by a panfish first.
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