Catalpa Worms as fish bait

Catalpa worms as fish bait are probably the best fish bait known to man in the last several million years or so. You can find them in the spring on Catalpa trees all over the southern U.S. Here’s what to look for…Catalpa trees grow primarily in the southern portions of the U.S. and are home to some of the ugliest but juiciest worms  that fish absolutely love to eat! They are really not worms but are the caterpillar stage of the brown moth. The tree is easy to distinguish by their large long beans that hang from the branches. Many of the trees grow and flourish around old home sites in the country, as this was a very popular tree to plant in the early days. It seems that many early settlers knew about the advantages of using Catalpa worms as fish bait.Catalpa Beans

In the Spring season the moth larvae turn into large caterpillars that will be only on this tree. They will completely strip a tree of all it’s foliage, but this will not hurt the tree and in fact it seams that Catalpa trees that have the worms are often healthier because of it.Catalpa Worms

You can pick these worms off the tree and put into a jar or container with a few leaves and rest assured that you have in your arsenal the best fish bait  out there. You can also roll them in cornmeal and freeze them in plastic bags for later use throughout the year. The caterpillar cycle does not last long so collect them when you see them. Always be sure to leave a few on the tree to complete the reproductive cycle.

Catalpa Worm

Go out and have fun and bait up your trotlines or jugs and don’t forget that Crappie love these also!