Corn Borers

[Michigan Crappie Angler]

I was Ice Fishing with my dad the other day when he said, "remember when we used to get Corn Borers and the fish we used to catch with them". I do remember,but I can't find any. Does anybody know where I can get them in Michigan(Flint area) or mail order them?

Rick

[CrappiePappy]

I believe what you are referring to is a "seasonal" insect larvae (worm) ... usually found in the July to August period. I don't know of any company that sells them.
My Grandparents and I used to cut, what my GrandPa called "horseweed", to get worms. Smaller, immature worms were a coppery brown/white striped grub ... while a fully mature one was almost solid white. He called them "Horseweed worms". What the "Horseweeds" actually were, was "Giant Ragweed" plants. They used to grow 6-8ft tall, along the fence lines of backroad farms, that just happened to be on the way to the lake we fished. Here's a link to the "horseweed worm" that I know ... which is actually a "Common Stalk Borer" (first picture). The second picture (Dectes Stem Borer) looks something like the adult "horseweed worm" (common stalk borer) that I remember ... except they had the larger, copper colored head like the larvae in the first picture.
http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/bulletin/art...rticleNumber=8


Another worm (European Corn Borer) is known to bore into Giant Ragweed, when corn isn't present or is present in close proximity. Here's a link with some pics - telling about the European Corn Borer --

http://www.btny.purdue.edu/weedscien...ECBonGRW04.pdf

And here's another link, showing the Southwestern Corn Borer.

http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entom...rops/ef108.htm

Any of these larvae could have been what I grew up calling "horseweed worms" ....... and all I can tell you about them, is --- they will flat catch fish !! Channel Catfish, Bass, Bluegill, & Crappie would all eagerly take these worms. Good thing too ... since you stood a real good chance of getting quite a few "chiggers" on you, while cutting down the Ragweed stalks to find them !! ...........luck2ya ..........cp

[Michigan Crappie Angler]

Crappiepappy,

Thank you for response, The Corn Borer I was refering to is the one that bores into the corn stock. But will all the hybread corn seed out there now it has pretty much eradicated the Corn Borer. I remember my dad and I would go into a corn field in the wintertime and get dozens of these worms to go fishing with, And just like you said the fish can't resist them. I just wish I could get ahold of some.

Thanks Again
Rick
Fish-On!

I believe what you are referring to is a "seasonal" insect larvae (worm) ... usually found in the July to August period. I don't know of any company that sells them.
My Grandparents and I used to cut, what my GrandPa called "horseweed", to get worms. Smaller, immature worms were a coppery brown/white striped grub ... while a fully mature one was almost solid white. He called them "Horseweed worms". What the "Horseweeds" actually were, was "Giant Ragweed" plants. They used to grow 6-8ft tall, along the fence lines of backroad farms, that just happened to be on the way to the lake we fished. Here's a link to the "horseweed worm" that I know ... which is actually a "Common Stalk Borer" (first picture). The second picture (Dectes Stem Borer) looks something like the adult "horseweed worm" (common stalk borer) that I remember ... except they had the larger, copper colored head like the larvae in the first picture.
http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/bulletin/art...rticleNumber=8


Another worm (European Corn Borer) is known to bore into Giant Ragweed, when corn isn't present or is present in close proximity. Here's a link with some pics - telling about the European Corn Borer --

http://www.btny.purdue.edu/weedscien...ECBonGRW04.pdf

And here's another link, showing the Southwestern Corn Borer.

http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/Entom...rops/ef108.htm

Any of these larvae could have been what I grew up calling "horseweed worms" ....... and all I can tell you about them, is --- they will flat catch fish !! Channel Catfish, Bass, Bluegill, & Crappie would all eagerly take these worms. Good thing too ... since you stood a real good chance of getting quite a few "chiggers" on you, while cutting down the Ragweed stalks to find them !! ...........luck2ya ..........cp

[Roberta]

" --- they will flat catch fish !"

Last summer, we collected stalk borers around our place and they're great. They're so tough, we caught as many as three bluegill on one worm.

Be sure to look for squash vine borers, tomato worms, and green cabbage loopers, too. It helps if you know an organic gardener like me, because commercially grown crops are heavily treated and may not hold much natural bait. - Roberta

[Pooch]

When I was a kid, we would find large wasp nests and knock them down to use. The wasp larvae was the best we had ever used. You had to use it that day, though, because it didn't take long for the larvae to turn to mature wasp. I don't mess with them now days. I'm not nearly as fast as I used to be.---Pooch

[Getthenet]

Corn Borers were sold by Grubco for years. They now sell spikes which are very similar. The term corn borer,as it relates to fish bait, was also coined by Grubco. Years ago, when first marketed through the mail, corn borer sounded better than maggots, therefore they were more "accepted" in the ol fridge. There is a larvae that infests sweet corn that is called corn borer but it is not the same "corn borer" used in fishing. Now you know the rest of the story.

[Moose1am]

You guys know about GRUBCO Baits. They sell bee moths and wax worms. I bet that they will work as well as those corn borers. I think that the fish like those small white and red worms this time of the year. It's what they eat during the long winter months when regular insects are not available to them. I have read about the crappie feeding on small worms in the muck during certain winter months.