Catapla worms...

Hey fish,

You finding many worms up your way? About half my trees had worms. Got probably 2500 or so in the freezer and about half that waiting to get a little bigger. Last year I ended up having a pretty good second crop, too. First time in 7 or 8 years that I had a bunch late in the year.

Just waiting for the river to come down a little more. Hopefully by early next week, it should be back down under 50,000. I've been catching a few in some back water, but only got a couple hundred hooks out now.

Jerry Dean

send me some worms, mane... honeslty i have never used them, but wanted to give them a shot.. you got a few to spare???

i know where some of them trees are, but they never have any of the worms on them!!!

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Originally Posted by LA yard dog

Hey fish,

You finding many worms up your way? About half my trees had worms. Got probably 2500 or so in the freezer and about half that waiting to get a little bigger. Last year I ended up having a pretty good second crop, too. First time in 7 or 8 years that I had a bunch late in the year.

Just waiting for the river to come down a little more. Hopefully by early next week, it should be back down under 50,000. I've been catching a few in some back water, but only got a couple hundred hooks out now.

Jerry Dean

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WC,

Catapla worms are the shiznit here in the river. My pound per fish and number of fish will just about double this time of year using them instead of shad.

You just ain't riding enough roads if you ain't finding trees that's got worms!! I'll see 100 trees and only about an average of 10 of those will have worms. Ya just gotta knock on some doors and be the first to ask. Most people don't use 'em that's got trees, and want them gone cause they're crapin' on their ole lady's car or their dog is eating 'em and are getting sick and throwing up in the house.

Holla if you get close to exit 157 on I-40. I'll hook a brutha up.

I have them by the thousands, hate using them. If you are in the Ward area, let me know and you can have all you want!

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Originally Posted by Midsouth Man

I have them by the thousands, hate using them. If you are in the Ward area, let me know and you can have all you want!

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I got dibs!! I can be in Ward @ 5pm this afternoon if ya want to get rid of 'em.

Don't get home till 6 but you are more than welcome to come get 'em as long as I don't have to help ya! LOL.........

Call if you want to.....501-231-3374.

Timing is everything on those worms...

Ours hatched out and were about the size of a pencil lead and eating the leaves when we left on vacation for 9 days... came back and the leaves were stripped bare and they had done gone to ground! Not a worm left!

You gotta keep checking trees daily, once you noticethe leaves are starting to get eaten, it'll be time to pick them soon or you will miss out.

I got a good second crop last year too.

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Originally Posted by LA yard dog

I got dibs!! I can be in Ward @ 5pm this afternoon if ya want to get rid of 'em.

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then overnight me some.. i'll send a few dollaz for the shipping!!! :D

wish i could find some close. my parents have 2 trees that quit producing worms several years ago:mad:. used to climb those trees and bounce on the limbs,nothing like rainin worms.

cotton, those things are a catfishes crack,aint no lie!!

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Originally Posted by Midsouth Man

Don't get home till 6 but you are more than welcome to come get 'em as long as I don't have to help ya! LOL.........

Call if you want to.....501-231-3374.

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Mane don't be giving away our local worms!!!! (I'm a Ward guy too) I gots 2 trees I keep an eye on. They are not on my property, but both places gave me permission to get em. My son and I had been pickin them last year and when we stopped to ask this old-timer if we could raid his tree. Of course we already had the "juice" all over us. Old timer looked at me and said,"Man - you got worm s**t all over you". My son nearly fell out on the ground laughing.

LA - how do you freeze yours? Do you put something in with them? Water?

Arkie - Sorry, didn't realize you were so close! I usually have two batches every year. Keep my number and you can some of the second batch. This one is gone already.

Again, - Sorry.

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Originally Posted by Arkieman

LA - how do you freeze yours? Do you put something in with them? Water?

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I use freezer bags and water. I've tried every way possible to keep 'em and freezing them in water is the only way to go!! 50 in a pint bag and 100 in a quart bag.

Just make sure you mark the bags. Last year I wound up 1 bag short of worms and 1 bag over of okra. I was wondering why that last batch of gumbo tasted kinda funny.:eek: (Note to self: don't drank so much Turkey 101 next time you make gumbo.)

Should Try Crank Phone It Works Just As Good....

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Originally Posted by JJONES53

Should Try Crank Phone It Works A Whole Lot Better....

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FIFY...

Midsouth Man and Arkieman...

Ya'll 2 get together on them worms. I'll back off on this batch and catch ya on the second run if ya get some before fall.

Local worms are for local boys!!! I more than understand how it is!!! I don't want folks knocking on the doors of my worm ladies, myself!!

Now if ya'll don't end up getting together on 'em, let me know. They won't stay on very much longer once they get to eating.

Midsouth....I'll give ya a shout around 5:15 to see if you and Arkieman got hooked up.

Put them in small plastic tubs with corn meal, keeps them from sticking together, then freeze them. Do not get drunk and fry. Unless you have foreigners over for supper.

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Originally Posted by LA yard dog

I use freezer bags and water. I've tried every way possible to keep 'em and freezing them in water is the only way to go!! 50 in a pint bag and 100 in a quart bag.

Just make sure you mark the bags. Last year I wound up 1 bag short of worms and 1 bag over of okra. I was wondering why that last batch of gumbo tasted kinda funny.:eek: (Note to self: don't drank so much Turkey 101 next time you make gumbo.)

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You ain't right. I froze some catalpas in corn meal one time. I don't remember how that turned out. I might need to borrow one of those bags of "okra" from you some time.

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Originally Posted by Midsouth Man

Arkie - Sorry, didn't realize you were so close! I usually have two batches every year. Keep my number and you can some of the second batch. This one is gone already.

Again, - Sorry.

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Just kiddin MM - I got some left over from last year.... Have at 'em LA

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Originally Posted by Arkieman

Just kiddin MM - I got some left over from last year.... Have at 'em LA

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Word on that Arkieman!!!

I'll give ya a shout this afternoon and hook up on them worms Midsouth.

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Originally Posted by HawgPharm

You ain't right. I froze some catalpas in corn meal one time. I don't remember how that turned out. I might need to borrow one of those bags of "okra" from you some time.

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Hawg,

Can do man. I owe you some flathead on some kind of crazy bet we made earlier too. Let me know when it's good for ya and I'll bring a bag of worms up to the office.

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Originally Posted by Underradar

Put them in small plastic tubs with corn meal, keeps them from sticking together, then freeze them.

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UR,

I've tried that too, and it works, but it seems like they won't last but a month or 2 before they start browning up. If your gonna use 'em on up pretty quick, I figure either way works nicely.

I put some in corn meal and put them in the fridge for a day or so (thinking I was gonna use them). Well ended up not going and froze them in the meal. Later I gave some to my brother who was trotlining on the White. He had some that were frozen in water too. He said the fish seemed to bite both equally, but the ones in the corn meal seemed a whole lot tougher. He said they could even reuse the worms that had been in the cornmeal. Now they will turn brown, but it doesn't seem like it affected their ability to catch fish.

Yard dog , they are spotty here. I catch lots of Channels on those, better than liver. I don't freeze mine as we use them up , just put them in ziplock bags and drop em in the crisper drawer. My women hates that when she sees them in the refridgerator. We have already started baiting catfish holes.

Offer trade Catfish fillets for Catalpa Worms.

You guys that are going to freeze them try this method one time. Dump the live worm into a bucket of ice water before you put them in the freezer bag.
Leave them in the ice water for about 5 minutes. For some reason this will keep them the natural color and they wont turn black. When you thaw them out they will look just like a fresh worm. Good luck.

the worms havent come on yet here I have been checking trees from heavener oklahoma to fort smith

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Originally Posted by BUCKET (0) MOUTH

You guys that are going to freeze them try this method one time. Dump the live worm into a bucket of ice water before you put them in the freezer bag.
Leave them in the ice water for about 5 minutes. For some reason this will keep them the natural color and they wont turn black. When you thaw them out they will look just like a fresh worm. Good luck.

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That's exactly how I do it while I'm getting 'em off the tree. I guess the cold water shocks 'em. They don't spit or anything. They just go to sleep. When I thaw them to use, they're like they just came off the tree.

How you know you are a redneck...

if you have ever put your wife and son in the bucket of the front end loader of the tractor and drove around a tawber tree with them picking worms off the upper branches :D

I'm from up north but visit ARK every winter. The first time I saw the worms I freaked out and wondered if the worm got a fish or a person - ugh!

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Originally Posted by Flyrod Man

I'm from up north but visit ARK every winter. The first time I saw the worms I freaked out and wondered if the worm got a fish or a person - ugh!

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You gotta be careful around live catapla worms. Them stingers they gots carry a dang powerful debilitating poison! It's best to just let ole yard dog take care of all your catapla worm infestations. Let the pro's handle 'em.

Ive got 5 trees in my yard. Seen a few on trees but not too many yet.

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Originally Posted by arkansas slim

How you know you are a redneck...

if you have ever put your wife and son in the bucket of the front end loader of the tractor and drove around a tawber tree with them picking worms off the upper branches :D

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I THOUGHT IT WAS WHEN YOU RUN GOT THE KIDS AND OLDE LADY TO GATHER THEM WHEN YOU FOUND A TREE FULL. LOL LOL :p

Anyvbody ever tried vacuum sealing the worms?

It seems like in the fort smith area it is slow going on the worms, but last year we had some trees that didnt have any worms so we transplanted some and it seems like that they have took but we have not had much luck in this area yet