Now here's a question for the ages. This one could spark a hotter debate than whether of not we should be fighting a war in Iraq! There are thousands of different options as far as lures go and if you would factor in diffent sizes the number would easily be in the millions. Then you have all of the various live baits. I wouldn't even want to venture a guess as to the total number of options that are available for fishing bait. Let's just agree its ALOT. So, which is the best?

I think Hank Hill from King of the Hill said it best, "The Good old American worm!" I would have to agree with Hank. For my money, it doesn't get much better than a live worm. And if fish were able to cast a vote, I think they would agree as well. At the end of the day, I would have to say that the best bait is live bait. And on most waters a live worm is as good as it gets.

Think about it. When you were a kid, did your fishing mentor take you out to throw around a 3/4 oz. chartreuse jig or a #14 hopper pattern? No, they took you out to the local pond or river to drown a worm. Sure you may have only caught some little perch, bluegill, or trout, but it was fun, and very well could have been what hooked you on fishing? Yep, the good old earthworm was probably the first bait that you ever used to catch a fish.

And there are some people, myself included, who never stop using worms. We just vary our techniques. The old "worm ball" under a red and white bobber have been retired, and things such as gang hooks and jigs with trailer hooks have been employed. A natural presentation is the key. You want it to look as natural as is possible. For me, a worm, properly presented, is poetry. Much like many "flea flickers" see what they do as an art, I see what I do as a form of poetry. Poetry in motion if you will. And an integral part of my poem is the worm.

So if you haven't used a worm in awhile, give it a try. Do some research, and figure out some new ways to use the old standby. Because, as we all know, fish (especially trout) love wormsand in my humble opinion, the worm is the most effective bait ever created.