Fiddle up some earthworms

To gather a mess of earthworms for the next fishing trip, break out a worm fiddle.

Worm fiddling, worm charming or worm grunting all refer to a practice some anglers have been using for centuries to get earthworms to come to the surface and show themselves. Simply take a stick that has notches cut along its length and push it into the ground. Then rub another stick along its length to create vibrations.

The vibrations will bring the worms to the surface where they can be picked up and placed in a bait bucket.

The famed geneticist Charles Darwin theorized: “If the ground is beaten or otherwise made to tremble, worms will believe that they are pursued by a mole and leave their burrows.”

A study conducted by Vanderbilt University biological sciences professor Ken Catania in 2008 confirmed Darwin’s theory. The study, held in northern Florida, where the practice of worm grunting was extremely popular, recorded the sounds of real moles digging, versus worm grunters, and compared their effects on the earthworms habit of springing from the ground when in danger.

It doesn’t have to be two sticks making the vibrations, either. An old broom handle driven into the ground rubbed with a hand saw can produce the low vibrations needed. Two lengths of rebar also can be used to charm up some nightcrawlers for bait. Worm charmers will need to keep an eye on the ground for several feet around the fiddling tools and be ready to grab the worms before they can burrow back into the ground.

Anglers also should fiddle where worms are likely to be. Extremely hard ground or sandy soil is not likely to hold worms. Try under trees or in areas where the ground is fertile with lots of deteriorating vegetation. Rake a spot so the ground is bare, then go to fiddling.