How to Center Hook a Plastic Worm

wide gap worm hooks on white background image by sasha from Fotolia.com

The day is young, but the fish are not biting. You have tried everything in your tackle box with little luck. Instead of giving up, try keeping it simple. Slow things down and show the fish something new. Fish see lots of plastic worms hooked at the head, so change it up and center hook or wacky rig a plastic worm. Hang onto your rod because you might be surprised at the results.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Fish hook (various size depending on fish species)
Plastic worm

Step 1

Choose a hook with a wide gap. Hooks designed for bass fishing might be designated extra wide gap (EWG) to signify that the gap between the shank and point is wider than normal. The extra room will be necessary to hooking the bait.

Step 2

Hold a plastic worm near the center of the body. Bend the worm in half so that the head is even with the tail. The length of the worm does not matter as this rig will work with various lengths.

Step 3

Place the point of the hook 3/4 to 1 inch below the bend in the worm. Insert the point of the hook at a 90 degree angle so that it goes through one side of the worm toward the other.

Step 4

Push the point of the hook through the other side of the worm. Allow the point to go completely through the second half of the worm. There should be equal parts of the worm hanging on both sides from the hook.

Step 5

Arrange the worm on the hook by slightly separating the two halves of the worm. The point of the hook can be pulled back just under the surface of the worm to make the rig weedless.

Tips & Warnings

Fish the center hook or wacky rig by casting the bait and allowing it to slowly sink and move with the current in the water.

Article Written By Keith Dooley

Keith Dooley has a degree in outdoor education and sports management. He has worked as an assistant athletic director, head coach and assistant coach in various sports including football, softball and golf. Dooley has worked for various websites in the past, contributing instructional articles on a wide variety of topics.

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