Ok i have a buddy that wants to give me 3 or 4 Catalpa trees that are about 4ft, he said the warms that are in the trees are one of the best baits you can get for catfish. How hard is is to harvest the worms? How do the worms get in the tree do you need to put them there then let them reproduce . trees this small have catalpa worms in in this spring and summer. wold it be worth it to take these trees . I have never seen these trees or every fishing with the worms but i have read sever times on there they are one of the best baits you can use. and help on this wold be great. oh how many worms will they produce in a season I read there would be there from april to november

I would take the trees, and plant them to where they get full sun. To get the cycle started it would be best to transplant some worms to your new trees. The sphinx moth lays eggs on the leaves, and the worms hatch to eat the leaves, then they go into the ground. The last batch of worms in the late summer or fall, go into the ground and stay all winter, emerging as sphinx moths in the spring, to repeat the cycle again. Don't pick all of the first or last batches or you may break the cycle. Most of the time there will be 2 or 3 batches a year.

To harvest, I just pick them off the leaves. When the worms are ready to go into the ground, you can also catch them coming down the tree trunk, with a flashlight, just before dawn.

Out of four ten foot tall trees, I put up over 2000 worms last year. I freeze mine (about 30),in quart ziplock bags of water. Just enough that you have about 1 inch thick when laying down flat.

I trim my trees back in the winter to keep the height and harvesting manageable. They will put on new limbs in the spring.

I used to just shake the tree in the spring and pick up enough worms for that days fishing trip.

just leave them at his house and go pick what you need when you go fishing. Those tree develop large pods that burst and spread seeds everywhere to start new trees.

how do the worms get there do you have to buy some and put them in the tree or will they just show up on there own I am am thinking of getting them for the the hell of it they are in nice large pots and i was going to ut them on the paved patio in the back yard

I heard they were a mess as well.

I do not think you are going to get very many worms unless you plant the trees in the ground.

Great bait for C. Cats.

I have used them over the years....I know out in east texas it is common however I have not ever seen them outside of east texas. I have caught a lot of fish on them but nothing major. I guess its better than going and buying worms and they can be nice and fat, juicy so that probably a plus. I am sure they put off a better smell than a worm you buy in the store from the leaves they eat.

I used to shoot the worms out of the trees with my bb gun as a kid.

I had catalpa trees in Marsshall but never any worms. Was told the damn fire ants eatem., the larva

I bought me a Catalpa Tree from the Arbor Day Foundation about 7-8 years ago. I did not transfer any worms from another tree. I have quite a few worms on my tree every year. I should get plenty this year because of all the rain we got. They are real good for catfish. I freeze mine in hot water and also some in corn meal. When I fish with them, I cut one end of the worm off, take a match stick and push it's insides out so that all the juices is flowing/oozing from the worm, put on the hook and get ready to bring the fish in. The fish Loves the green juice from the worm. Good luck...

I have catalpa all up my drivway and around my house and you have got some great info. The one thing I have noticed the worms like the new growth that comes as you trim them back in the late fall and if you trim them back every year it keeps the pods/beans way down. If you don't trim them back you get alot more beans that will split open in late winter and the wind will carry the beans to your neighbors and little catalpas will be coming up where the seed stops. I had one small catalpa to start growing in my rain gutter last year. They are good bait,this time of the year through june is the season of the year that I do well with them.In years past I used them for trotline bait they worked well one morning I started running my lines and noticed a 5/6LB channel that had half a water snake hanging out of his mouth the other half was in the catfishs gut and he still bit a catalpa worm.