Do Carp Eat Worms? – Method, Tips & Tricks

Summer is in full swing, and commercial carp fisheries are open and packed with anglers. Once the football fever dies down, most people will grab their fishing rods and head out for some fun-filled coarse fishing adventures. The most popular coarse fish among British anglers is the carp.

The carp is famous among most anglers because of its fight and all the techniques that one can utilize to catch the carp. It also takes a variety of different baits. One such bait is worms.

So, do carp eat worms? If so, when can you fish with worms? How can you set up a worm rig? Do you want all of these questions and more answered? Let’s dive in, then!

Do Carp Eat Worms?

Yes, carp do eat worms. In fact, carp find worms quite irresistible. Their wriggling movements combined with their sharp smell attract the carp, which leads them to feed on worms in the water frequently. This irresistible quality is why worms are such an excellent basic bait for carp fishing.

When some anglers get tired of store-bought bait such as boilies and pellets, they go back to the basics with worms and sweetcorn as bait. They’re also relatively cheap and an excellent option for natural bait.

The three main types of worms that most tackle shops sell are the Dendrobaenas, the red worms, and the Lob worms. The Lob worms are also known as Canadian Nightcrawlers. Their bright colours and rapid movements make them quite a favorite among carp.

Carp feed on various other naturally occurring organisms such as crustaceans, crawfish, insect larvae, snails, fish eggs, and some parts of aquatic vegetation. This diverse, omnivorous diet ensures the carp’s survival in any climate and environment. This diet is why carp proliferate so well and have become a big problem as an invasive fish in so many parts of the world.

When Should You Use Worms As Bait?

Some bright baits are better-suited to murky, wintry waters, whereas some neutral baits are more suitable for summers. An efficient angler knows when and where to use a particular bait to utilize it to its best advantage. So, what about worms? When should an angler use them? Let’s find out!

Worms are generally excellent for catching carp in all seasons. However, many anglers report seeing better results when using worms to catch carp in the winter months. One possible reason for this may be because food sources usually dry up in the winters. This situation leads carp to actively feed on bright worms and the nutrition that they provide.

However, if you were hoping to beat the July heat by fishing for carp with worms, don’t be disappointed! Worms are pretty effective in the summers too. You just need to know how to tie a worm rig properly. That leads us quite neatly to our next section.

How To Set Up A Worm Rig

Like all things related to carp fishing, setting up a worm rig also requires a certain degree of technique. Most newbie anglers shy away from using worms as bait because they do not want to learn how to tie a worm rig. All you need is some time to learn the technique and then just practice it! Let us tell you — it is not as hard as it seems.

So, what are some things that you’ll need to tie a popped-up worm rig? Pick up a pen and paper because it’s time to go shopping.

You will need:

1. A Size 6 hook
2. Some 6.4 lb fluorocarbon for the hooklink
3. 1 oz weight to use as the lead
4. A running rig kit
5. A single AAA shot
6. A syringe
7. A pair of scissors
8. Some worms

So, what are the steps to tying a popped-up worm rig? Let’s find out.

1. Attach your running rig kit to your mainline by slipping the run rig and buffer bead onto the mainline.
2. Afterward, secure the swivel with a knot of your choice.
3. After that, pick up your preferred lead and attach it to the running rig clip. We used a 31g lead.
4. Then take out your preferred type of hooklink and trim it to a length of around 24-25 inches. We tend to use fluorocarbon hooklinks for their strength and transparent quality.
5. Attach your hook to your hooklink by tying any knot you like. Make sure to cut off the tag end to avoid any tangles.
6. Keep in mind that you’ll need a suitable anti-tangle sleeve for this particular setup, which you’ll find in your running rig kit. Pass the anti-tangle sleeve through your hooklink and secure it with a figure of eight loop knot.
7. After that, attach the anti-tangle sleeve with your running rig.
8. Then, press your shot onto the hooklink and make sure it is secure.
9. Now, we’re moving to where the action is. Pick up a worm of your choice and pass the hook through it.
10. Fill a syringe with air by pulling back the plunger.
11. Pick up your worm and pierce it through the middle with the syringe, injecting air into its body in the process.

That wasn’t so hard, was it? Practice the steps mentioned above a couple of times, and you’ll be an expert at fishing with worms in no time. All you’ll need are the necessary equipment and a little patience.

When Should You Not Use Worms As Bait?

Like all types of bait, worms also have a limit to how well they work in certain types of situations. Most experienced anglers know that there are some situations in which you shouldn’t use worms as bait to catch carp.

If you’re new to this, don’t worry! Let’s dive in! We’ve got the inside scoop for you.

First and foremost, only use worms when you’re sure there are no nuisance fish in the water, unless you don’t mind catching them of course. While many fish prefer boilies and pellets, others will gobble up your worms long before they reach the carp.

This situation will cause a lot of disruption in the water, which will scare away most of the carp you wish to catch. In addition, you’ll get a lot of false alarms when tench, bream, and other coarse species. This situation will cause you to get no sleep at all if you are night fishing and have an unsuccessful carp fishing trip.

However, if you’re a newbie angler who wishes to catch whichever fish they can get their hands on, worms will be your best friends. Use them and get ready for a swarm of different fish to advance on your hookbait.

If you’re sure that the reservoir or lake you’re fishing in only stocks carp, by all means, use worms as bait. Their attractive scent will be sure to make you very popular among the fish.

Tips for Fishing with Worms

When you learn a new technique, the first thing you need to do is try it practically. Doing so will allow you to see how it works in real life and how well you’ve grasped its concept. In addition, many friendly anglers will tell you a lot of valuable tips related to your new method that will help you perfect your technique.

We’ve indeed learned a lot of new tips and tricks from neighboring anglers. Let’s share them with you!

• Use European Nightcrawlers for fishing for carp in the winters. You can either cut them into small pieces or use them whole. They survive very well in the cold and will help you score a big day on the water.
• Use red worms to catch smaller fish as they are pretty small themselves.
• If you want to attract fish with the worm’s wriggling motion, use them whole.
• If you want to attract faraway carp with the worm’s scent, cut off a small part of the worm’s tail. Don’t worry; this will not stop the wriggling as the worm doesn’t immediately die if you cut off the tail.
• Cover your worms in something sweet to attract the carp in the winters. Doing so will ensure that you attract a lot of carp in wintertime.
• If you’re pre-baiting the area, make sure to add some chopped-up worms to your pre-baiting mixture so the next time you’re fishing with worms, the carp will happily bite into them.
• Make sure that your hook is not visible near the worm as carp have excellent eyesight. The carp will immediately discard the bait and move away if it sees something suspicious.
• Use smaller hooks. Since worms are not very big, using a bigger hook than the bait can be problematic as the carp will easily spot it.
• Ensure that you store live worms in an airy box that isn’t too hot or closed off, as this will cause the worms to die.

So, what do you think? Are you going to use any of these tips out on the water?

That’s All!

Since we’ve established that carp readily eat worms, all you need to do is find situations in which using worms as bait will increase your bites, and you’re good to go. Make sure that you don’t reel in any nuisance fish while you’re at it, though.

So, are you ready to impress the other anglers with your ability to tie a worm rig? Let us know!