Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Catalpa Worms

Why do some tree have them and some never do? I've have a thirty footer I infect with worms every year and nothing year after year. Tried it at work and had twelve trees and had a big crop of worms but a bigger crop of wasps that laid eggs on them. They never came back. What's the secret? I know my seed trees came from trees that produce every year so it's not that. Got two five gallon buckets full in the garage for a fishing trip and one more try on my back yard virgin tree this week end

In our area, you find worms on younger trees. I know a fellow that about every 4-5 years will cut his trees back to stumps. They will put out from the roots and he has young trees and lots of worms. He wont cut all the trees at one time. Spreads it out so he has younger and older trees.

I've never seen one of these creatures, but I remember reading a short story by the late, great southern writer, Havilla Babcock, about them.

I used to use them to fish in beaver ponds

Cut them back every winter.And you’ll only have worms if the moth makes it back to the tree…

They are top notch fish bait. We used to have a main toad in town lined with Catalpa trees. They widned the.road and cut them all. Mosquito spraying gets most of the moths for the trees left. Buddy in the country planted 2 so he would have the.worms. He picks them and freezes in wax paper.

Just planted 8 around my to be pond and 4 more on the hunting lease.

Hoping for a bunch of worms in a few years.

have seen them a couple of times on the neighbor's oak tree.

In-laws have a tree by the old dairy barn that has had worms since I was a kid (50 plus years ago). Also have a tree by an old homestead that’s probably 150 years old. Tree is the biggest ass catalpa tree I’ve ever seen. Not one dam worm ever. Anyone I can send a pic to post?

Bee larva in wasp nests is just as good

I had a whole toothpaste tube of catalpa worm squeezins in my tacklebox. And dayummm…was it some good stuff.

Smelled like total asspuke tho

I think you can transfer some of them to a tree that doesn't ever have them and start a colony. The "tobbie"worms usually hit here in early July. The state highway department planted several trees along the state highway many years ago. There were two trees in my uncle's yard. We made good use of the worms. They are great for bluegill and catfish.

Here it is!

The gentleman that sold me the trees told me to transfer some of the worms from producing trees to those that look like they may be barren to help in starting new colonies.

In the past I’ve taken live worms, put them in a plastic container with cornmeal in it, seal it up and freeze them. When thawed they’re just like when they were live as far as size and texture. That didn’t work well when freezing them in a container with water.

Catalpa are much better than any larva I’ve ever used. You have much lower chance on losing bait on a missed strike, a pretty big deal when trying to really trying to load up on catfish for a big fry. While I’ve caught maybe 50 fish in the 25-50lb range the only 2 over that were 2 that went 70lb and 72lb. Both using single Catalpa worms on Pickwick lake and on noodle left over night in the rivers main channel.
Just my 2 cents.

LOL!

Want catalpa trees, this is the way to get them....

Decide where you want a fence and cut catalpa trees for post. Dry them really good, so they wont sprout. Build your fence bull strong, pig tight, and horse high. Wait till next spring and watch the 'post' green out with leaves. In 4 or 5 years your fence will be no good..... but you'll have the the best stand of catalpa trees around.

^^^

Never heard that before!

There's some voodoo in getting trees to produce worms. The tree I got worms from today was a 60 foot tree and right next to it was a twin likely planted at the same time and not a worm on it. You can try to infect a tree but in my experience so far it's not a sure thing and has not worked at home or at a stand i planted 15 years ago at work expect one year and wasps killed all the worms that year. I did see one worm today that had the white wasp larva all over it but just that one worm At work every worm was covered in wasps eggs.

the worms make insane catfish and bream bait

it's clear to me you need to take a chainsaw to the top every few years and go for bushes and not tall trees to maximize leaf production and what worms you can reach

They do better when they’re planted in some loose soil.The worms need to be able to burrow in the ground after they mature.
I don’t freeze any,but I’ll put them in a brown paper grocery bag,with some leaves off the tree,in a refrigerator.I’ve kept them up to a week like that,till I can get back on the river…

Love catalpa worms for bream down here. They are most effective if you bite the head off and turn them inside out on the hook. No kidding.