The best actual way to hook any earthworm is just once in the middle. Let the head and tail ends move and wiggle. We've watched hundreds of large Bluegill and other panfish (crappie included) and they pretty much just suck in the whole worm. Big nightcrawler are sometimes grabbed by the tail though, especially by smaller fish. For red worms I would use a #8 hook, and it would be an Eagle Claw Lazar Sharp Circle Hook, so as to not gut hook the fish. Fantastic hooks.