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The technique sometimes goes by other names. Worm fiddling is also called worm charming or worm grunting.

The basic action is to poke a stick in the ground then work another stick on it to create vibrations. This brings worms to the surface so you grab then and keep them in a container for fishing outings, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

It is an ancient practice but one with scientific connections. The renowned Charles Darwin said long ago, “If the ground is beaten or otherwise made to tremble, worms will believe that they are pursued by a mole and leave their burrows.”

Nearly any Arkansas angler from very young to very old knows worms can be found by digging in dirt, by raking through accumulated leaves and by poking through compost piles in addition to paying money for a supply at a bait outlet.

The fiddling method can produce a lot of worms in a short period of time, say its practitioners. Options are abundant in worm fiddling.

One suggestion is to take an old broom handle or garden tool handle and drive it well into the ground with a hammer. Then take a hand saw and stroke the top of the stick in the ground. This produces the needed vibrations, and you can hear them – a low sound. Look carefully because worms may pop up several feet around your site. Then grab quickly before the worms can burrow back into the ground.

A variation is to use two lengths of metal rebar. Once is driven into the ground, and the other is used to rub across the top. The sound will be a little different, but it’s the vibrations into the ground that are the key to bringing up worms.

Still another avenue is to set a chain saw on the ground and start it up. Again, it’s the vibrations that produce the action.

Naturally, you want to do this fiddling where worms are likely to be. Extremely hard ground or sandy soil is not likely to have worms. Try under trees. Rake a spot so the ground is bare, then go to fiddling.