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Dec 30th, 2023
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 Catawba worms questions....
#3842271
08/20/09 10:54 PM
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 10,405
Siberman
OP
TFF Guru
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OP
TFF Guru
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 10,405 |
(Yeah, I know the correct spelling is "Catalpa". Blame it on "Hooked on Phonics").
My tree has a nice population of worms this year and I was wondering:
1) at what size to harvest them? Most are around 3" and some of them are still pretty pale.
2) Fresh or frozen ?
3) Any tips on attracting them to / keeping them on the trees ?
I've been told they only show up every 2 years (which seems to be the case on my 4 year old tree) and to always leave a few on the tree to encourage the next cycle. Do they take 2 years to hatch out into worms?
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Re: Catawba worms questions....
[Re: Siberman]
#3843866
08/21/09 05:30 AM
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 11
GKR
Green Horn
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Green Horn
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 11 |
when they're about as big as your pointer finger - done.
fresh is great but we catch a ton of fish on frozen. we tried corn meal but found a much better way. drop them fresh in boiling water (dont use the same pot your wife uses to cook your oatmeal). they dont need but 10-15 seconds. put 25 in a freezer baggie, water, freeze. the boiling toughens the skin and sets the color - makes a big difference.
when you fish them, thaw in a small bowl...keep the water. catch a small fish like a yellow bass, scale it and cut into thin strips. Soak the strips in the juice. you can do this with shrimp on very slow drift days. whatever soaks in the juice - the fish tend to hit it pretty well. some days, the fish will hit soaked strips better than the worms themselves (but not often...)
trees - yes, leave some. if you have several trees, you can transplant. we have worms every year. my dad and I planted about 40 saplings. He keeps them pruned to about 8 ft. the big factors are rain and wasps/ants. If its bone dry - few worms. If the ants/wasps are bad - few worms. be sure to keep the ants away from your tree trunk - kill the mounds.
if you've never made soured grain, it's a blast fishing shallow with fiberglass poles and chumming grain. A quart tossed in an arc near the boat will call them from the other side of the lake. use your worms for bait.
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Re: Catawba worms questions....
[Re: GKR]
#3843951
08/21/09 06:25 AM
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 705
Bigblue or Gaspergoo
Pro Angler
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Pro Angler
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 705 |
when they're about as big as your pointer finger - done.
fresh is great but we catch a ton of fish on frozen. we tried corn meal but found a much better way. drop them fresh in boiling water (dont use the same pot your wife uses to cook your oatmeal). they dont need but 10-15 seconds. put 25 in a freezer baggie, water, freeze. the boiling toughens the skin and sets the color - makes a big difference.
when you fish them, thaw in a small bowl...keep the water. catch a small fish like a yellow bass, scale it and cut into thin strips. Soak the strips in the juice. you can do this with shrimp on very slow drift days. whatever soaks in the juice - the fish tend to hit it pretty well. some days, the fish will hit soaked strips better than the worms themselves (but not often...)
trees - yes, leave some. if you have several trees, you can transplant. we have worms every year. my dad and I planted about 40 saplings. He keeps them pruned to about 8 ft. the big factors are rain and wasps/ants. If its bone dry - few worms. If the ants/wasps are bad - few worms. be sure to keep the ants away from your tree trunk - kill the mounds.
if you've never made soured grain, it's a blast fishing shallow with fiberglass poles and chumming grain. A quart tossed in an arc near the boat will call them from the other side of the lake. use your worms for bait. Pretty sure your not supposed to use yellow bass for bait, I believe they are considered a gamefish...
"The wife said shes gonna leave me if I go fishing one more time"! I'm sure gonna miss her... 
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Re: Catawba worms questions....
[Re: Bigblue or Gaspergoo]
#3844760
08/21/09 02:38 PM
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,130
SoonerDG
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,130 |
when they're about as big as your pointer finger - done.
fresh is great but we catch a ton of fish on frozen. we tried corn meal but found a much better way. drop them fresh in boiling water (dont use the same pot your wife uses to cook your oatmeal). they dont need but 10-15 seconds. put 25 in a freezer baggie, water, freeze. the boiling toughens the skin and sets the color - makes a big difference.
when you fish them, thaw in a small bowl...keep the water. catch a small fish like a yellow bass, scale it and cut into thin strips. Soak the strips in the juice. you can do this with shrimp on very slow drift days. whatever soaks in the juice - the fish tend to hit it pretty well. some days, the fish will hit soaked strips better than the worms themselves (but not often...)
trees - yes, leave some. if you have several trees, you can transplant. we have worms every year. my dad and I planted about 40 saplings. He keeps them pruned to about 8 ft. the big factors are rain and wasps/ants. If its bone dry - few worms. If the ants/wasps are bad - few worms. be sure to keep the ants away from your tree trunk - kill the mounds.
if you've never made soured grain, it's a blast fishing shallow with fiberglass poles and chumming grain. A quart tossed in an arc near the boat will call them from the other side of the lake. use your worms for bait. Pretty sure your not supposed to use yellow bass for bait, I believe they are considered a gamefish... +1 Yellow bass are game fish!
"Life is a matter of luck and the odds of success are in no way enhanced by extreme caution." - Erich Topp, German U-boat Commander, 1943.
When in doubt, set the hook.
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Re: Catawba worms questions....
[Re: GKR]
#3845488
08/21/09 05:04 PM
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 11
GKR
Green Horn
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Green Horn
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 11 |
yep - my bad. "small fish like bream". keep us legal...
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Re: Catawba worms questions....
[Re: GKR]
#3847076
08/21/09 10:47 PM
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 69
Fishman101592
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 69 |
What trees do you normally find these worms in?
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Re: Catawba worms questions....
[Re: Fishman101592]
#3847695
08/22/09 01:56 AM
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Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 11
GKR
Green Horn
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Green Horn
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 11 |
its actually a catalpa tree (we pronounce it cuhtawbuh but we cant say anything correctly in east texas anyway). the tree is an ornamental (no fruit, nuts, etc) originally grown as a shade tree (it has big leaves). the "worms" are a stage of the sphynx moth if I remember right. they love those big leaves...will strip them down to nothing but limbs and veins.
i've met people who absolutely hate the worms and have no clue they're good for anything. One lady told us - "oh, i wish you'd come get those nasty things off my tree. They're crawling all over my driveway, on the side of my garage, all over the place. When I see 'em, I kill 'em but there's just too many of them." We nearly died on the spot...catfish gold and she's running over them with the car.
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Re: Catawba worms questions....
[Re: GKR]
#3849404
08/22/09 04:59 PM
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 69
Fishman101592
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 69 |
What are the worms or whatever they are that seem to attack and destroy my red bud tree every year they seem to leave like these silk sacks or something.
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Re: Catawba worms questions....
[Re: Siberman]
#3849612
08/22/09 06:36 PM
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 15,657
C T
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 15,657 |
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Re: Catawba worms questions....
[Re: Fishman101592]
#3849968
08/22/09 09:24 PM
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 10,405
Siberman
OP
TFF Guru
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OP
TFF Guru
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 10,405 |
What trees do you normally find these worms in?
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Re: Catawba worms questions....
[Re: Fishman101592]
#3849971
08/22/09 09:26 PM
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 10,405
Siberman
OP
TFF Guru
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OP
TFF Guru
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 10,405 |
What are the worms or whatever they are that seem to attack and destroy my red bud tree every year they seem to leave like these silk sacks or something.
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Re: Catawba worms questions....
[Re: SoonerDG]
#3849979
08/22/09 09:29 PM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,859
Keystone
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,859 |
when they're about as big as your pointer finger - done.
fresh is great but we catch a ton of fish on frozen. we tried corn meal but found a much better way. drop them fresh in boiling water (dont use the same pot your wife uses to cook your oatmeal). they dont need but 10-15 seconds. put 25 in a freezer baggie, water, freeze. the boiling toughens the skin and sets the color - makes a big difference.
when you fish them, thaw in a small bowl...keep the water. catch a small fish like a yellow bass, scale it and cut into thin strips. Soak the strips in the juice. you can do this with shrimp on very slow drift days. whatever soaks in the juice - the fish tend to hit it pretty well. some days, the fish will hit soaked strips better than the worms themselves (but not often...)
trees - yes, leave some. if you have several trees, you can transplant. we have worms every year. my dad and I planted about 40 saplings. He keeps them pruned to about 8 ft. the big factors are rain and wasps/ants. If its bone dry - few worms. If the ants/wasps are bad - few worms. be sure to keep the ants away from your tree trunk - kill the mounds.
if you've never made soured grain, it's a blast fishing shallow with fiberglass poles and chumming grain. A quart tossed in an arc near the boat will call them from the other side of the lake. use your worms for bait. Pretty sure your not supposed to use yellow bass for bait, I believe they are considered a gamefish... +1 Yellow bass are game fish! Game Fish?? Yes for now they are not legal for bait.. Question? How do Yellow Bass get into our lakes? Stocked? NO! Same way Gar,Carp,Drum,Bowfin....Via rivers,creeks,, I dont understand laws on Barr fish,No limits,keep as many as you want,No size limits,most dont get big anyway,,,all that and we can't use them for bait---Kinna silly. I once has a small barr fish on,and took my time,like 10 minutes to reel it in,never got to reel it in before a huge blue cat swallowed the yellow 
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