Catawba worms

[bboswell]

BIL has a good tree in his backyard, I need to transplant some worms!

[Captain39]

My Dad has 4-5 tress in NE Texas, some years there are tons of worms, some not many.

[Jspradley]

We spent one year in Georgia when I was younger near Albany, Georgia and I can remember my Dad having us pick them off the leaves for catfish and bream bait. Good memories there from a long time ago.

That's my hometown!

[Bayouboy]

They were so bad on my trees a few years ago, they killed a couple and stunted the rest. I think we had worms on each tree 4 to 5 times that year. This is the first year since, that I've seen them. I didn't get to harvest any before they disappeared. The last time I froze some, we blanched them. Can't tell that was any better than freezing them in cornmeal.

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Cornmeal helps if you do not put too many in the jar.
Cornmeal keeps them from becoming a frozen brick of worms. And, helps keep them fresh. Coming back alive after being frozen is an old wives tale.

[Muskles]

Cornmeal helps if you do not put too many in the jar.
Cornmeal keeps them from becoming a frozen brick of worms. And, helps keep them fresh. Coming back alive after being frozen is an old wives tale.

I've heard they'd come back alive if not frozen too long, but I haven't tried it. They're going to drown soon after they thaw anyway, so I'm not concerned with them coming back alive. I was told to use the cornmeal because as they thaw, it absorbs the moisture and doesn't make them as tough and black. Even when I blanched them, I still put them in cornmeal. I use freezer bags instead of jars, also.

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[Snowflake Killa]

I'm south of Tyler. Not sure how far you are from me, but I can try to get some for you next time I have them.

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Thanks I thinking about planting on of them trees.

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[McClain]

I'm south of Tyler. Not sure how far you are from me, but I can try to get some for you next time I have them.

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What month would you expect to find them on trees, I can’t recall. I have spotted many catalpa trees driving around Smith and Cherokee counties in the past year, but have never observed one hosting the worms. The main tree we used to find them on as kids is long gone.

[Mertzon Man]

We lived on East Dodge street in Tyler when I was a kid and picked a ton off a tree in our back yard. We caught bass, brim and killed the catfish with them.

[TheHammer]

Best bait you can get for a rod n reel catfish, IMO!

[Muskles]

What month would you expect to find them on trees, I can’t recall. I have spotted many catalpa trees driving around Smith and Cherokee counties in the past year, but have never observed one hosting the worms. The main tree we used to find them on as kids is long gone.

Pretty much any month they have leaves. May thru early August seem to be the best for my place. Not sure if there's any rhyme or reason to it, but I usually see them a week or two after a rain.

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[stevieray54]

Southern Thing.. We used to wear the catfish out on trout lines in great democratic corrupt state of Illinois with those thing's..

[Texas Grown]

Anybody used Webworms for bait? I ran into a couple fellers on Lake Fairfield that were jug-n with web worms. And they had a boat load of cats.


My neighbor has webworms every year eating their pecan tree up. He sprays them, usually later after they've infested before he noticies. I'm sure he'd let someone have all they wanted. They're tree over hangs my yard. And the Webworms get so bad the poop everthing up.

[Hooverfb]

Man... I drank so much I came on here to find some magic worm bait that kills the cats but ain't sold anymore.

[Txbownut]

I've got two trees I keep trimmed back to about 10' tall every year. Worms stripped one of them last week. I had 6 or 8 that I transplanted about 20 years ago. You can't hardly kill the trees once they get started. The worms are hit and miss. Last year they stripped both trees three times. If you find a road ditch somewhere where they are growing, you can dig up the saplings and plant as many as you want to raise. I have a buddy that used to have about 30 trees and would sell the worms for 20 cents a piece. I have caught some catfish over the years on them but it's easier just to buy or dig up nightcrawlers.

[BTLowry]

I've got 2 small trees that are nearly stripped bare right now

Need to find you a catalpa Sphinx moth to get worms going or transplant some worms to your trees