# FINALLY!



## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

I had to share this, I’ve been trying to get Catawba trees/worms for a few years, I had one on my property that’s in decent shape, I’ve got a small one I dug and planted that’s doing ok, and a few in containers that I will plant this winter. This has been a quest for me, I got some caterpillars a few years ago and seeded the one tree, but nothing after that. This morning I was walking the dogs and I see this, I’m pretty happy, I don’t even know how they got there, never had them before other than the few I seeded with, but I’m not complaining.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

I’ve been told to put a light close to the tree. The moth that lays the eggs will be drawn to the tree and do her thing. I need to get a light put on mine. I’ve got one planted over by the septic tank that has grown about 5’ this summer.


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## kingfish501 (Oct 7, 2007)

Bream candy!


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## Ecarus (Jan 20, 2021)

Awesome. Take a few and leave a few for next year.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

Ecarus said:


> Awesome. Take a few and leave a few for next year.


and do what you can to keep the birds and wasp from wiping them out


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

Ecarus said:


> Awesome. Take a few and leave a few for next year.


I think I'm going to leave them alone this year, give them as good a footing as possible, I should have 5 more trees next year and if they stay established I should be good.


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## Bodupp (Oct 3, 2007)

Beware the yellow-billed cuckoo. My Dad called them "rain crows" and a few other choice names when they got on his "bait tree".
The summer I was 15, I ran trotlines on the Tennessee River for an old commercial fishman who had health issues. He provided the bait and I ran the lines One day he showed up with two grocery sacks of catawba worms and I baited 600 hooks with them. Best run we had, but it took over a week for the nasty stain to wear off my hands.


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## Boat-Dude (Sep 24, 2011)

nvm bodupp explained it.


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## jwilson1978 (Mar 23, 2021)

Bodupp said:


> Beware the yellow-billed cuckoo. My Dad called them "rain crows" and a few other choice names when they got on his "bait tree".
> The summer I was 15, I ran trotlines on the Tennessee River for an old commercial fishman who had health issues. He provided the bait and I ran the lines One day he showed up with two grocery sacks of catawba worms and I baited 600 hooks with them. Best run we had, but it took over a week for the nasty stain to wear off my hands.


yep my dad called them the same thing. Got graduated to .22 at a early age (To get rid of them) the OL bb gun was not cutting it


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

congratulations.
you'll also increase your chances of another crop this year and maybe next year if you put a water drip near the tree trunk,.this lets the caterpillar burrow into the soil easier thereby increases it's chances for survival.
joey's right about the light. and...more trees increases the chances, also. i miss mine at the house i sold last year.
i had ten, all producing. 
jack


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## YELLOWCAT (Oct 25, 2017)

I've had producing trees for years. Always keep them cut back with new growth and always leave some on the tree.


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

YELLOWCAT said:


> I've had producing trees for years. Always keep them cut back with new growth and always leave some on the tree.


yep, keep them cut back. my friends always scolded me because they said, "it's a catawba tree, jack, not a catawba bush." lol. but they were always amazed at my worm populations.
jack


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## Corpsman (Oct 3, 2007)

jack2 said:


> yep, keep them cut back. my friends always scolded me because they said, "it's a catawba tree, jack, not a catawba bush." lol. but they were always amazed at my worm populations.
> jack


Added bonus, you can reach them too!


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## Yellow River Cat (May 3, 2008)

jwilson1978 said:


> and do what you can to keep the birds and wasp from wiping them out


Hang pie pans in the tree so the wind can make them move. My wife put an old mechanical owl in our apple tree that seemed to help keep the birds out of the tree


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

Bodupp said:


> Beware the yellow-billed cuckoo. My Dad called them "rain crows" and a few other choice names when they got on his "bait tree".
> The summer I was 15, I ran trotlines on the Tennessee River for an old commercial fishman who had health issues. He provided the bait and I ran the lines One day he showed up with two grocery sacks of catawba worms and I baited 600 hooks with them. Best run we had, but it took over a week for the nasty stain to wear off my hands.


It just wasnt summer unless I heard my Grandmother reporting how she had to watch her “tawber” worms to keep them Rain Crows runned off!!


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Lol ! I thought that If I ever brought up something about fighting in the rain crow wars that nobody else would have a clue....but I see that a bunch of ya'll fought them too.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## Ecarus (Jan 20, 2021)

My uncle in Mississippi had a cage for catlapa worms. It looked like a cricket bucket on steroids. Great catfish bait!


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