# catalpa worms



## co5 (May 30, 2009)

what is best way to store catalpa worms?


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## Money man (May 30, 2009)

Apparently frozen: See below from web

Catalpa Worms They are as good frozen as they are fresh off the tree Catalpa Worms come from the Catalpa Tree mostly in the southern regions of the country. These worms infest the tree and eat the leaves several times a year. Some people consider them as pests to the environment, but fisherman will search far and wide to get these prize catfish attractors. I have had two fisherman travel from Ohio to get this legendary Catfish bait. If anyone tells you they don't work, they aren't fishing with them properly or their aren't any fish there. Just here in our store we have had fishermen buy a dozen Catalpa's and catch up to 30 catfish. Then turn around and buy 2-5 more dozen for future fishing trips. Catfish have over 140 taste and smell receptors when Bass only a few dozen. It's the scent of the juices from the Catalpa that make them so appealing to Catfish. The great thing about Catalpa's is that they can be frozen and used when needed. The Catalpa keeps it's freshness even in a frozen state. When their cut and fished on the bottom Catfish go into a feeding frenzy. So stock your freezer up with some of the best cat fishing bait around. One of the biggest misconceptions is that people think of the catalpa as a worm instead of bait. Catfish eat what taste good not what wiggles, the Catalpa tastes good to the catfish and thats why they work. So if your ordering them don't expect them to come back to life, treat them as if they are a dough bait and they will catch catfish if you follow the correct way to fish with them. One of the best way's to fish with Catalpa Worms Setup your pole for bottom fishing Defrost the catalpa completely Cut the Catalpa's head off and turn the worm inside-out using a match or wood twig or Cut in Half to increase the usage Thread the catalpa onto the hook with the Catalpa Juice on the outside of the hook Make sure you fish on the bottom of the lake or river to increase your chances since Catfish are notorious bottom feeders


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## jamrens (May 30, 2009)

we always froze them in ziplock bag with a bunch of korn meal, fill the bag half full with korn meal and then throw in about a dozen or 2 worms and freeze


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## GiddyUpGo (May 30, 2009)

Can anyone post a picture of one of these critters?  I've been told that there are some in the area here, but it would help to know what they look like.  Can't wait to try em!!


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## Old Dead River (May 30, 2009)

last night my friend caught 49 channel cats out of a pond. ranging from 1 lb - 3.5 lbs. most of them were caught on catalpa worms


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## HacksawJimWagons (May 30, 2009)

is it catalpa worm time yet?...have they hatched from under the leaves?....i've been waiting...


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## Money man (May 30, 2009)

Google it Giddy up. They are just moth larvae....caterpillars.
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...worm&hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS318US318&sa=N&um=1


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## boohoo222 (May 30, 2009)




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## boohoo222 (May 30, 2009)

HacksawJimWagons said:


> is it catalpa worm time yet?...have they hatched from under the leaves?....i've been waiting...


i havent seen any on my trees yet


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## HacksawJimWagons (May 30, 2009)

me either....i've got one giant tree, and one baby....i've been checking them twice a week or so for about a month....


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## Dixiesimpleman32 (May 30, 2009)

aint seen any on mine yet.waiting on them.


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## Woodscrew (May 31, 2009)

I been seeing a few around here. Someone robbed my tree I had been watching the day after I found some on it. Boy that will tick you off.


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## SGADawg (May 31, 2009)

They just hatched on my tree this week.  They are about pencil lead size and about 3/4" long.  It won't be long now.  They are also an excellent bait for Alapaha River Redbreast.


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## Fletch_W (May 31, 2009)

One of the greatest fishing memories of my childhood was harvesting the catalpa worms off my friend's uncle's catalpa orchard (yes, he was serious about catalpa worms) and then hiking 2 miles down the dirt road to the farm pond and tearing up the bluegills and shellcracker. That is now the site of two new neighborhoods on Hadaway Rd in Cobb.


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## bigbarrow (May 31, 2009)

we have about 20 trees and havent seen any this year yet..


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## tree daddy 7 (May 31, 2009)

I like to store mine on a hook!!!!!lol


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## jalawson (May 31, 2009)

We have used live and frozen ones from a store.  Find a spot on Sinclair that is 30ft deep.  Sink one to the bottom and you should catch some nice catfish.


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## hunter63john (May 31, 2009)

We use to put them in one gallon buckets and add 4 or 5 big leaves of the tree and just place them in the freezer.  When we would sell them, we would just get a few out and let them set in the shop for a little while and they would return to normal activity.  Be ready to have ur hands stained for a few days though when u gather them.


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## GiddyUpGo (May 31, 2009)

I checked out a few trees in this area and nothing so far.


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## Ihunt (May 31, 2009)

You can keep them in your refrigerator for a couple of weeks.They go into so kind of hibernation  and will wake up within minutes of taking them out.


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## JEG60 (May 31, 2009)

I checked my 4 trees this afternoon. All 4 have small catalpa worms on them.


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## GiddyUpGo (May 31, 2009)

hunter63john said:


> We use to put them in one gallon buckets and add 4 or 5 big leaves of the tree and just place them in the freezer.  When we would sell them, we would just get a few out and let them set in the shop for a little while and they would return to normal activity.  Be ready to have ur hands stained for a few days though when u gather them.



You froze them and they thawed out and were still alive??????


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## GiddyUpGo (May 31, 2009)

Money man said:


> Google it Giddy up. They are just moth larvae....caterpillars.
> http://images.google.com/imgres?img...worm&hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS318US318&sa=N&um=1



Thanks, I've spotted many Catalpa trees here and a friend has shown me a few within a 1/4 mile that have had worms regularly.  Right now all of the trees are bare, but I'm going to start hunting for some that are producing.  From what I've researched, they can be hit or miss from year to year and tree to tree.  So maybe if I keep walking around in the woods here I'll find the "hot spot".


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## paddlin samurai (Jun 1, 2009)

mid june is prime time for catalpa pickin....best childhood memories were fishing the ponds at Fort Gordon and tearin dem cats up -just hooking em like we would a regular worm.  Seems the white fat catalpa worm always caught the biggest catfish though. We caught some big red bellies with them too.


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## Money man (Jun 1, 2009)

GiddyUpGo said:


> Thanks, I've spotted many Catalpa trees here and a friend has shown me a few within a 1/4 mile that have had worms regularly.  Right now all of the trees are bare, but I'm going to start hunting for some that are producing.  From what I've researched, they can be hit or miss from year to year and tree to tree.  So maybe if I keep walking around in the woods here I'll find the "hot spot".



Hey Giddy up, I found this website that sells these things frozen that you may want to consider. The next time my kids ask for a quarter to buy some little prize out of the vending machine by the front door as we leave a restaurant, I am going to remember to keep that little plastic thing to freeze some worms in! See below.


http://www.katawbawormz.com/Tackle Box.htm


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## jicard3 (Jun 2, 2009)

GiddyUpGo said:


> You froze them and they thawed out and were still alive??????



I remember Dad and I fishing with catalpa worms. While reading this I was thinking that he used to keep them in the freezer. I thought I remembered them "waking up" as they thawed out in the boat. I'll have to ask Dad to know for sure I was a little guy. But if my memory serves me right the answer is yes they thawed out and were still alive. Can someone post some instructions for turning one "inside out". I've always heard that was the best way to fish with them. I remember breaking them into two or three pieces but never turning them inside out. Seems like it might be a little tricky.


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## Money man (Jun 2, 2009)

According to the website I posted in my last message, his granny would bite their heads of and then turn them inside out like a sock.

I might opt for a nice clean cut with a knife myself....but I am funny that way.


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## snapdog (Jun 2, 2009)

*Catalpa worms*

Are from the sphinx moth. Some trees have multiple crops each summer and some none or less. Since lots of areas now spray for mosquitos and home owners use lawn chemicals to control insects and other pests there seems to be less and less on the trees in my area. My dad has had these trees in his yard for forty years and we fished with them every year.  In recent years with the increase in spraying we are seeing less and less  in each hatch.


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## cotton top (Jun 4, 2009)

My trees  mostly have worms on them the full moon in May every year.
They were right on time this year. All of my trees had them at the same time.

I have never had any worms that came back alive after they were frozen hard for vey long time. You can turn the worm on the hook, if you tear him in half and put the hook point at an angle instead of pushing it straight in. Start at the end of the head or tail. Try it, it works. Little ones will pick the turned worms clean if they find it.

 Good luck and I hope you all find some trees that nobody else has been spieing on, they will pick them off for you.


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## SGADawg (Jun 4, 2009)

jicard3 said:


> Can someone post some instructions for turning one "inside out". I've always heard that was the best way to fish with them. I remember breaking them into two or three pieces but never turning them inside out. Seems like it might be a little tricky.



Turning them inside out is easy but messy.  I use 1/2 worm per hook.  Cut or tear them in half then use a matchstick or small twig to push on the head or tail end turning them inside out, hook 'em up and go fishing.

I have never had them come back active after freezing, but who cares?  I'm gonna cut 'em in half and turn 'em inside out anyway.  I do agree that they don't seem to be quite as tough after freezing (don't stay on the hook as well) so I try to use them fresh when I can get 'em.


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## bassboy08 (Jun 5, 2009)

we put them in a bag and freeze them!


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## sljones (Jun 5, 2009)

This works. Take the worms from the tree & place them in ice water for a few minutes. Get the water cold as you can.  Placing them in the ice water locks the color in. Take them out & pat down with paper towels to dry them off. Place them in ziploc freezer bag in corn meal & freeze them immediately. The corn meal keeps them from sticking together & also protects from freezer burn. You can take out as many as you think you will need at a time & not thaw out the entire bag. Also you can add new ones to the bag at anytime to continue using the same bag & meal. I use a gallon bag. They will thaw in a few minutes & will have the color as if they just came off the tree. 

ps: Take the ice out of the water before you put the worms in or they will stick to the ice cubes.


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## GiddyUpGo (Jul 5, 2009)

Gather round the good stuff!!


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## kevincox (Jul 5, 2009)

They are on my tree's right now. I got about 50 and froze them last Friday


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## DrewDennis (Jul 5, 2009)

Where can I get a bag or 2? Would love to get some seed also...


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## little rascal (Jul 5, 2009)

*easiest*

way to turn'em inside out, is on the hook.
Cut 1 worm in half, start with one of the halves, place the head end or tail end(doesn't matter, tail end has a perfect notch though) against the bottom bend of the hook, and then just roll the worm up on the hook inside out. Works great with a #4,#6, or #8 hook .
You don't have to have the barb stick thru, because , simply, it just won't be on there long enough to matter!!!
Good luck!!!!


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## backwoodsjoe (Jul 5, 2009)

I have two big trees and already have a crop of worms on both.  This dry weather seems to hurt them the most. They don't seem to like the tough leaves as much as the tender small ones after it gets dry.  My biggest problem over the years have been the birds eating them. Them dad burn rain crows and the brown thrashers will clean a tree off in a hurry ! 

As for freezing them, I have never had one to come to life after freezing them. I have a friend in Robbinsville N.C. who blanches them (like green beans) before freezing them. He drops them in super hot water for a few seconds and then into ice cold water and then in bags in the freezer. They come out of the freezer looking as fresh as the day they were put in. All I have ever put in the freezer live in cornmeal turned brown after taking them out.

I fish mine inside out.  I pinch off the head and turn them inside out with a small stick about the size of a kitchen match then hook them up.


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