This might sound like a simple proposition; after all you can just carry the container you buy the worms in with you while fishing, right? Of course you can, but my point to this article is that there is a much more effective and efficient way of doing it. As a matter of fact, transporting live worms while fishing doesn't have to involve the container they are purchased in at all (other than for storage). With a very simple yet effective solution, you can have your live worms right at your fingertips at all times.

This very simple yet extremely effective solution is a called a bat bag. A bait bag simply hangs off of your fishing vest, shirt, or belt and carries your worms while you are fishing. The process works like this: You buy your live worms, just like you normally would. When you get to your fishing area, you simply pull the worms out of the container that you purchased them in and place them into the bait bag. The worms simply "ball" up and wait to be used. They don't crawl out or anything! If it's hot outside, simply dip the bait bag into the water, to cool the worms off. This keeps them fresh and lively. Not only is a bait bag the best way to transport live worms while fishing, it also eliminates the need to take the bulky container on the water with you, thus eliminating the possibility that the container gets left behind.

A bait bag will change the way you fish with worms. It makes live worms so much easier to fish with you won't believe it. So how do you get a hold of one of these bait bags? Simple, you can make one yourself or you can purchase a bait bag, the choice is yours. What's important is that you begin using one sooner rather than later. Another cool aspect to using a bait bag, is that when your done fishing, you simply return the unused worms to the container that you bought them in until the next time you go fishing. If you're like me, there are a couple of containers partially full of worms in my fridge thanks to the fact that I use a bait bag. The money a bait bag saves you in not wasting worms is worth any price that you pay for it, whether that price is in money or time.

Before I even begin, let me clarify something. I'm not talking about rubber worms that come in a thousand different colors. I'm referring to what Hank Hill calls "The good old American worm". When I say do you fish with worms, I'm of course referring to the live variety that we all learned how to fish with. I'm not sure of the reasons behind it, but I am sure of the fact that fish of all kind like worms. So how do you fish with and carry your worms while fishing?

Let's start with taking your worms fishing with you. Do you just carry the worm container with you to the area that you're going to fish? This is fine as long as you don't move around much. If you move around or wade (like me) carrying a container of worms is a pain in the butt! So I began using a bait bag, and would suggest that you do the same. It's really convenient. You can make one yourself or buy one, it makes no difference. The important thing is that you begin using a bait bag to carry your worms. The live worms are simply transferred into the bait bag, and then they are right there at your fingertips ready to be used as bait.

Now, how do you fish with live worms? Do you simply "thread" a worm onto your hook and call that worm fishing? If this is what you do to fish with worms, it's a mistake. That's how a ten year old fishes with live worms. The way to fish with live worms is through the use of a set of gang hooks. A set of gang hooks is simply two small hooks tied in tandem, thus enabling you to present the worm in a completely natural manner. You see, when a live worm is used as bait, it should look as if it were just thrown into the water. If you just threw a live worm into the water, what would it look like?

By employing a set of gang hooks, the live worm looks just like it would if you simply threw said worm into the water. This natural presentation is extremely effective, especially in the moving water of rivers and streams. If you like wading and fishing in rivers and streams, for fish like smallmouth bass, walleye, or trout, you need to begin using gang hooks. They are fairly simple to tie yourself or you can buy them, it make no difference, the point is that gang hooks should be used.

If you fish with live worms, these two tips will make you a much more effective and efficient angler. Remember what Steven Wright said about us anglers, "There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore looking like an idiot." I couldn't agree more, and just want to help everyone avoid the 'looking like an idiot' part of the equation.

If you're anything like me, you like to fish with live worms. Carrying live worms can be a pain in the butt. You have to carry that bulky Styrofoam container around with you the entire time you're fishing. In my case, I walk two or three miles every time I go fishing, crossing the river four or five times in the process. Because of all of this moving around, I would have to put the Styrofoam worm container inside a pocket of my fishing vest. This always resulted in the Styrofoam container breaking, plus pulling out the container every time I needed a worm was a complete hassle.

On one fishing trip I came up with an idea. What if I could take my worms fishing with me, and not have to take the container they come in? I came up with the idea of a little pouch. What if I had a little pouch or bag that I could attach to myself that would hold my fishing worms? So I did exactly that. Once I saw the "bait bag", I liked it, but then wondered if it would actually work? It seemed like the worms would crawl out, if they were just transferred to the bag for the day of fishing? So I tried it. I transferred the live worms into the bag.

Can you guess what happened? The little buggers didn't move. They just sat there waiting to be used. The worms nestled in the bottom of the "bag", like a baby kangaroo in its mothers pouch. It was amazing. Now the worms were hanging right on the front of my vest for easy access. My worms were literally "at my fingertips".

That was nearly 20 years ago, since then the bag has gotten a little bigger and looks better, but the technique of carrying my worms has remained the same. To me, Styrofoam containers are just what I buy the worms in, and then as soon as I get to my fishing area, the worms are transferred into my bait bag, so my worms are at my fingertips ready to be used. I would suggest that you get your hands on a bait bag, whether you make it yourself or buy it, so you too will never have to worry about those stupid Styrofoam containers again. Once you begin employing a bait bag to carry your live worms, you will never fish without it.

There are many anglers out there that fish with live bait, including myself. There are some tips and techniques that can help the average angler use live bait more effectively. I'm going to discuss those tips and techniques which will help you become a much more successful live bait angler. Live bait obviously includes bait that is living. The category of live bait includes, but is not limited to, minnows, crickets, grasshoppers, leeches, hellgrammites, maggots, grubs, and of course worms. Let's discuss some of the tips and techniques for fishing with live bait:

-Fishes Sense of Smell - Many people don't realize how sensitive a fishes sense of smell is. If you have engaged in an activity (such as smoking) that makes your hands smell, it will affect your catch. Use a hand sanitizer or at least grab a handful of grass and rubs it in your hands to remove any unnatural smells. This may sound strange, but it's true. I always grab handfuls of grass or dirt periodically during my fishing trips and rub my hands. This helps remove all of those unnatural smells.

-Natural Presentation - When fishing with live bait, natural presentation is a key. You want your bait to look as natural as possible in the water. A set of gang hooks is perfect for helping to present bait as naturally as possible. The bottom line is that if the live bait doesn't look like what the fish is used to eating, it will affect your catch; it's as simple as that.

-Carrying Live Bait - There are many ways to carry live bait and with baits such as minnows, leeches, and other water dwelling live bait a minnow bucket is your best bet. If you're out fishing for a long period of time you're going to need an aerator or you're going to have to change the water frequently. Remember the "live" part of the bait is the most important part. Dead bait usually isn't nearly as effective. For worms, maggots, and grubs I would suggest a bait bag for carrying your live bait. A bait Bag is much more effective than carrying those bulky Styrofoam containers around.

- Hook Size - While fishing with live bait, you want your hooks to be as small as possible. Remember, we want our bait to look natural. A great way to employ small hooks and still get effective hook sets is again a set of gang hooks. I personally use gang hooks tied with size 10 hooks. For those of you who don't know, size 10 hooks are quite small. The bottom line is that when fishing with live bait you want your hook or hooks to be as small as possible so they are less visible.

Start employing one or all of these tips and you will become a more effective live bait angler. Fishing with live bait is a fun and effective way to fish, and can be taken more seriously than a twelve year old at the Bluegill pond. Just threading a worm onto a hook isn't good enough if you really want to start catching fish.