Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Sign up

Catalpa Worms in Ohio?

Jackalope

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
39,223
274
It's no secret to anyone who loves catfishing that the Catalpa worm is like crack for a catfish. Back home we would always go collect them about this time of year. A quick blanch in boiling water and then freeze them for use all summer. Now I have seen a ton on Catalpa trees here but never any worms. A quick search online shows that some catfishermen here have found them so they must grow here too. Have any of you guys ever found a tree with them?

catalpasphinx2.jpg
download (9).jpeg
 
Tomato worm? Or do they not have the black? Can’t remember, but I do remember the horn. Which I’ve heard them called horn worms. Seems like I’ve seen these around, just never paid any attention.
 
giles said:
Tomato worm? Or do they not have the black? Can’t remember, but I do remember the horn. Which I’ve heard them called horn worms. Seems like I’ve seen these around, just never paid any attention.
Click to expand...

Similar but these are only found on Catalpa trees.
 
My experience with catalpa worms was awesome.. I used them on a bare hook with no weight and slayed huge bluegills on them.
I have found them in a few grooves that farmers had. Growning up we had a tree that was lousy thick with them, and one year it stopped getting them.
I usually started finding them in about the middle to late June.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MoonLab, tracker 6 and Jackalope
oopsagain said:
My experience with catalpa worms was awesome.. I used them on a bare hook with no weight and slayed huge bluegills on them.
I have found them in a few grooves that farmers had. Growning up we had a tree that was lousy thick with them, and one year it stopped getting them.
I usually started finding them in about the middle to late June.
Click to expand...

Was this here in Ohio? We would pinch their heads off and put the hook in their rear then roll them inside out up the hook.
 
They should be showing up soon if not already here. The guy behind the pizza joint has a bunch of trees. I've collected a few worms there in the past but haven't checked them this year.
 
I've seen plenty of catalpa trees but can't say I've ever seen one of those caterpillars. Interesting.

Up here near Sandusky Bay, you don't mess around with fancy baits for catfish. They're so thick, it really doesn't matter what you throw at them. Nightcrawlers, chicken livers, cut bait, hot dogs, jigs, crankbaits, weight-forward spinners, fished on the bottom, fished under a bobber, in the rocks, in the deep water... They're literally everywhere. I've been telling myself for the past couple years I wanna go out and target some trophy sized fish near the mouth of the river. There's a good population of flatheads building in there now too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dustinb80
Jackalope said:
Was this here in Ohio? We would pinch their heads off and put the hook in their rear then roll them inside out up the hook.
Click to expand...

Yep, Auglaize county. I would use a number 8 snelled baitholder with a live worm hooked in the middle and just pitch them out. I was amazed that the fish could get that whole worm down. I did catch bass, crappie and cats as well.
 
One of the Dad's on my son's soccer team is a worm farmer. At the tournament today I asked him if he sold them. Said he tried growing them. No success. Just need to find the trees and manually grab them. I'll ask tomorrow if he knows of anyone who actually sells them.
 
Looks like I need to check the trees by my house. Never knew what they were till now. Also never knew the worms were that great of a bait. But I have three catalpa trees right beside my house


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
oopsagain said:
Catalpa typically were grown for shade and farmers would plant small groves of them for fence posts.. It's not a very common tree in the woods.
Click to expand...
Most of the farms I hunt were dairy farms and I have about 7 miles of fence rows total. Never paid much attention to any of the small groves of trees other then the apple trees they had planted in the pastures.
 
Never used them... but had a niebhor who told me about them and said hands down best catfish bait u could ever use.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.