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catalpa worms
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GiddyUpGo
Senior Member
You froze them and they thawed out and were still alive??????
GiddyUpGo
Senior Member
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".
paddlin samurai
Senior Member
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.
Money man
Senior Member
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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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.
Money man
Senior Member
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.
I might opt for a nice clean cut with a knife myself....but I am funny that way.
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.
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.
cotton top
Senior Member
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.
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.
SGADawg
Senior Member
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.
bassboy08
Senior Member
we put them in a bag and freeze them!
sljones
Senior Member
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.
ps: Take the ice out of the water before you put the worms in or they will stick to the ice cubes.
GiddyUpGo
Senior Member
Gather round the good stuff!!
kevincox
Senior Member
They are on my tree's right now. I got about 50 and froze them last Friday
DrewDennis
Senior Member
Where can I get a bag or 2? Would love to get some seed also...
little rascal
Senior Member
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!!!!
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!!!!
backwoodsjoe
Senior Member
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.
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.
