Only ever really hear about buzzbaits, jigs etc for catching bass. Will bass go for nightcrawlers? If so what is the best way to rig up a worm to catch some bass? Thanks for the info! :)

yes Brian, they do...although, being an artificial bait addict, I would say that the best way to rig it would be the same way you rig a plastic work....wouldn't stay on there as good but would certainly look natural, I would probably fish it on a bobber or sling it out a bit away from the boat a little bit with  just the worm and hook and troll you boat away from it with you bail open and just let it drop naturally...the more natural you make it, the better it will work, if you don't know what a natural worm look is in the water, just drop one in the water and watch it for as long as you can before it dissappears. That's what i would try anyways. Hope this gives you an idea even if it's not the same as what I said...something's gotta work.

How are you, Brian?  And welcome to the Forums.  Yes, ol' bucketmouth will hit a nightcrawler.  Most of my largemouth catches on 'crawlers, though, were accidental... I was targeting a different species altogether when the bass hit.

 

Evvguy's right on-the-money when he said to rig it like a plastic worm.  I did a lot of drift fishing with nightcrawlers on a Carolina Rig (a classic plastic worm rig... sliding bullet-shaped sinker, plastic bead, swivel & a 3' clear monofilament leader to the hook).  My target species for this is walleye.  I had the worm on a three-hook harness (a hook at the tip of the nose, one in the middle, & one at the tail) so it could still wiggle while being pulled along, & I was picking up largemouths (& even a smallmouth or two) as well as walleyes & saugers.

 

I've also picked up largemouths with the worm under a float... targeting panfish.  I casted out, let it sit for a little bit, then pulled slowly on the rod.  This brought the float toward me.  After another pause, I'd pull it a little again, then let it rest, repeating this until I brought the rig in.  The last time I did this, I don't think I caught one bluegill, but I caught bucketmouths left &  right!

 

I also use them on just a hook (no weight, no bobber) like Evvguy, but I don't troll it.  I cast it out with my ultralight or light rod & reel set, then let it fall slowly down in the water.  In case you haven't tried this yet, it's deadly for trout & panfish.  Well, turns out it works for bass, too... caught a number of them this way as well.

 

Hope I helped you out.

Keep the line fresh, the hooks sharp, and have fun fishing. God bless you. -Sonny, Life Member since 2002

Hey brian. evvguy and jigfisher are both right on. I have had a lot of success using crawlers for bass, fished em exactly as these guys said.  Usually under a bobber.

I also use live leeches a lot. Bass and walleye both seem to love em. Make sure you use only ribbon leeches though. There is also a species called tiger leeches (yep, they have very subtle stripes) they work well also. You just want to stay away from the bloodsucking type, the fish know the difference and wont touch them. If you do try the leeches keep em in a tupperware container with water and a few ice cubes. They will roll up into a ball but once they are on the hook and you cast them into the warmer water they will swim like crazy and the bass and walleye will come runnin. I usually hook em right through the sucker.

Thanks everyone! Going to give it a shot tomorrow. Hopefully I will have lots of luck!