How to bait a hook

A badly baited hook either loses the bait on the cast or hides the point when the fish takes. The rule is simple and slightly contradictory: the bait should look natural and alive, and the point should still be free.

1. 01

   Size the hook to the bait

   Choose the hook first and the bait second. A hook that swallows a maggot is too big; a bait that hangs off the bend is too small. Match the hook to the mouth you're aiming at and the bait to the hook.

2. 02

   Thread worms along the hook

   Pass the point through the tough collar near the head and run the hook down inside the bait, so the bait lies straight along the hook shank with the point either just showing or buried in the last few millimetres of flesh. A worm threaded higgledy-piggledy spins and sheds.

3. 03

   Hook maggots through the hard shell

   Maggots have a tough outer shell at one end. Pass the point through it and out the side, or use a baiting needle for two or three on one hook. A maggot hooked through the soft body falls off in one cast.

4. 04

   Thread casters through the tougher skin

   Casters are held the same way — through the hard end, or pinned so the hook is hidden inside the case. Handle them little and often; they soften fast.

5. 05

   Leave the point free unless weed demands otherwise

   In open water, an exposed point means more fish hooked and fewer lost. Bury it only when you're fishing weed, snags or a hair rig.

6. 06

   Check it before every cast

   Ten seconds with wet hands. A bait that is torn, waterlogged or hanging loosely will not survive the cast, and casting a bare hook is how you lose a fish you never see.