Shannon's Solution:

1. Worms: One way to bait a hook with a smaller worm is to threat the barb through the end of the worm, so its body runs the entire length of the hook and its tail hangs slightly off the tip. You can also use a number of worms on the same hook, threading each through its center, allowing both ends of each worm to dangle for attraction. For bigger worms, you should run the hook through numbers points along the body, weaving it from left to right until it is secure.

2. Insects: Use insects (crickets, grasshoppers, beetles) in a somewhat similar way to how you’d use worms and grubs as bait by threading the body lengthwise through the hook. But if you’re looking to keep your bait alive longer, hook your insects through their abdomens or fashion a thin wire around their bodies, not piercing their exoskeletons, and then attach it to your hook.

3. Minnows: How you hook this type of bait is all dependent on how you plan on fishing with it. If you’re doing some trolling, it’s recommended you hook the minnow at the head, threading the barb through the lower than the upper lip of the fish. This will make the minnow appear to be swimming through the water as you troll. This type of bating also works for cast, so use the same technique to bait your hook. With float-and-sinker, try baiting your hook at the top of the minnow by threading it through the back while making sure to avoid its spine—you don’t want to paralyze your bait. For game, feed your hook through the tail of the minnow. This will allow the minnow to swim and attract other fish.