How many on here have fished with catalpa worms? Been finding a good many already. Bout time to catch some catfish I suppose

I believe the U-boat skippers had a phrase that fits. The happy time.

Never seen them up here, might be around but I've not seem 'em.

Never used them but find the fish I’m sure they’ll eat them

Catalpa worms were my favorite and best bait, back when I had easy access to them. I want to plant some catalpa trees here in hopes that they will get catalpa worms on them to harvest.

Keith

Used em many times back in Louisiana in my mis-spent youth. Not many around here in Central Tx.

Worked great when I was a kid. Some old line commercial fishermen used to buy em from us kids back in the day.

Only used them for bream. Do you turn yours inside out?

I was waiting to see if anyone really knew how to fish these! Turning them inside out is the only real effective way of utilizing the "cigar tree" worm.

Yup, pinch the head place the point of the hook on the hard spot on the tail and thread it on inside out, green goo be danged.

Everything that swims can be caught on catalpa worms. The only bait I regularly caught carp on. I didn't mind because those got chunked and put back out on the line. I called it my magic trick turning carp into blue cats.

Right side out or inside out, either way works. One is just more messy. They are on the trees here now but won't be much longer with all the rain and wind we are getting. They can be refrigerated in a paper bag, box, cooler, etc for several weeks. Just add a few leaves for them to eat on. The cold slows them down but doesn't kill them unless they freeze. Freezing is another option too. We put 15 to 20 in a sandwich baggie and freeze them for later. Used some a few weeks ago that were 3 or 4 years old and the fish didn't complain at all. Don't plant the trees close to your house unless you like wading thru worm poop. They are about as bad as geese, eat-poop-repeat.

and dont wear anything that you dont want ruined when getting them off of the tree. I have fished them both ways. it doesnt matter down here that I could ever tell. they get hammered shortly after hitting the water.

Back when I could find them they were my go to summertime panfish bait.
Dog days of summer and deep water Gills.
Only harvested the smaller worms usually clustered on a leaf.
About leaf worm size just shorter.

The bigger worm's got a pass.
Didn't have a need for them.

Best bait I have ever found. I made an old man cry one day fishing right beside me. He brought small shiners, red wigglers and night crawlers. He never got one bite and I was steadily bailing them in.
He asked me, "What are you using for bait?"
I mumbled something to him, and he said, "What's that you say?'
I made like I was spitting out a catalpa worm and said, "Catalpa worms, but you have to keep them warm for them to really work well."
I did tell him about turning them inside out, but not before you put them in your mouth...

Does anyone check them daily and gather them between daylight and sunup when they come down the trees to enter the ground. Planning on going out in the morning to check a tree I found loaded today.

If you have more than you need for that week and want to keep them. Mix them with corn meal in a zip lock and freeze them. After frozen you can pick them out and put them together in a bag.

TrapperKent

That's the way I got mine. About the only way to get enough to bait up 300 hook trotlines. Let them come down to you rather than trying to handpick them later in the day.

Is there any way to predict when they will come down? Other than just going to check everyday? Do you have much luck after the sun comes up?

Eyeball them for size as they grow. When they look to be fully grown start checking at first light is the only way I know.

They only come down at sun up so later in the day you need a ladder or hook to pull down limbs. Alot of folks that plant the trees for them cut the tree off about waist high as a sapling so it branches like a peach tree then regularly prune to try to keep branches within reach.

The trees I had branched about head high.

Just had my first crop defoliate the 2 trees I have in the yard

Caught many a catfish and bream on them when I was a kid