I have and do use waxies, spikes, weed worms, and acorn grubs,but has anyone used grubs from Hickory nuts and had any luck with them? I plan on saving some this year from nut collecting to see how they work. They’re about as big around and 1/2″ to 3/4″ as long as a waxie. I’m finding a couple of dozen grubs at the bottom of the 5gal. pails I’m storing the hickorys with the husks still on them.
I have used them in the past for perch. There were days they worked ok. Other days that they seemed to not work at all. I stick to mousies, waxies, and spikes now if using bait at all. By weed worms do you mean mealworms? Otherwise I’ve not heard of them before!
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I have used them in the past for perch. There were days they worked ok. Other days that they seemed to not work at all. I stick to mousies, waxies, and spikes now if using bait at all. By weed worms do you mean mealworms? Otherwise I’ve not heard of them before!
What I’m calling a weed worm is the grub out of the stalk of the Blackeyed Susan Plant that grows in the wild. Matter of fact I picked a winters supply of them yesterday. They work great on panfish sometimes better that the other winter grubs.
Are these the same as golden rod grubs? I use them sometimes and see some guys use them exclusively. You will see the split bulbs on the ice.
Nope goldenrods are exclusive to the bulb of the plant. Black eyed Susan’s, or as he’s calling them weed worms live in the stalk of the Black-eyed Susan plant. They don’t make a bulb either.
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I have and do use waxies, spikes, weed worms, and acorn grubs,but has anyone used grubs from Hickory nuts and had any luck with them? I plan on saving some this year from nut collecting to see how they work. They’re about as big around and 1/2″ to 3/4″ as long as a waxie. I’m finding a couple of dozen grubs at the bottom of the 5gal. pails I’m storing the hickorys with the husks still on them.
Very cool discussion. I’ve seen both the weed worms and those hickory grubs, but never thought of using them.
In the past, I’ve kept the goldenrod grubs, and really appreciated how small they were in comparison to waxies and even spikes. The problem is that you need a very fine wire hook that’s small just to be able to use them. I prefer plastics for the most part, but I feel there are days when live bait of some kind can be preferred. We used to keep them in a small jar of corn meal and they’d last forever in the fridge. A real pain to get out of the goldenrod bulbs however!
Joel
I’ll second that Golden rod worms are hard to get out of the bulb. I saw the post about them 2 yrs ago and thought. Oh I’ll try that can’t be all that hard. YEAH RIGHT! 
What a PITA. 
Well how about these huge grubs i find while cutting wood. They are about 1.5-2″s long and close to a 1/2″ wide. Any one ever try them for eyes?
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Well how about these huge grubs i find while cutting wood. They are about 1.5-2″s long and close to a 1/2″ wide. Any one ever try them for eyes?
No but the skunks seem to love them if the holes in my yard are any indication.
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In the past, I’ve kept the goldenrod grubs, and really appreciated how small they were in comparison to waxies and even spikes. The problem is that you need a very fine wire hook that’s small just to be able to use them. I prefer plastics for the most part, but I feel there are days when live bait of some kind can be preferred. We used to keep them in a small jar of corn meal and they’d last forever in the fridge. A real pain to get out of the goldenrod bulbs however!
Joel
Now Joel we all know you have nothing but time on your hands for extracting goldenrod grubs. Keeps your fingers occupied.
During my deer hunting I’ll take a mid-day walk out of the stand and spend an hour collecting the galls on goldenrod. When I get a t-shirt bag full I quit and bring them home that night and put them in a five gallon pail in the garage. I usually try to get 2 pails full of clean galls each fall. The grubs have a natural anti-freeze compound in them and super cold doesn’t bother them in the least.
Like Joel I prefer plastics but when some meat is needed these bb sized grubs can be added and hardly noticed and to top it all off they are free.
Instead of using Goldenrod grubs when you need to downsize on bait get yourself a 5 gal. bucket full of acorns. You need to pick the acorns up before the grubs burrows his way out of the acorn shell. Just put the acorns in a 5 gal. bucket and in a couple of weeks you’ll find the bottom of the bucket loaded with acorn grubs about or a little larger than Goldenrod grubs. They work great during midwinter.
Joel, or anyone else for that matter. Do you use live bait together with plastics? Normally if I can’t get fish to bite on just a jig and plastic I throw a spike on the hook and bang the tentative fish will start biting. The plastic gives it the profile look and the spike adds the scent and taste element.
For me if I have already switched plastics a few times and still can’t get any commitment out of the fish. Than often times I will grab a spike or a waxie and tip my jig and plastic with it. Sometimes that’s what it takes to seal the deal!
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Joel, or anyone else for that matter. Do you use live bait together with plastics? Normally if I can’t get fish to bite on just a jig and plastic I throw a spike on the hook and bang the tentative fish will start biting. The plastic gives it the profile look and the spike adds the scent and taste element.
Every once in awhile you’ll get gills that like to just grab the back-end of the plastic and not get hooks in their mouths. Usually this can be accounted for by letting them “double-clutch” the bait, or giving them a bit more time before hookset. At the same time, a bit of meat doesn’t seem to hurt, especially with these smaller grubs or spikes. A waxie would kill the action, and they like to disintegrate way too easily.
Tom – You’ll have to show me the trick for getting them out easier. A sharp knife and some time are typically what it takes. Like the acorn grub idea, especially if they crawl out of the shell for you. 
Joel
hey guys, could you post some pictures of these goldenrod grubs and acorn grubs. i read these posts this weekend and figured…why not, i’ll see if i can find some goldenrod galls….sure i found some, but every one that i had opened had nothing in it. any thoughts?? maybe too early??
I was setting next to a field of goldenrods on Saturday waiting for pheasant season to open, so I cut a green one open and I did find a grub in it. Unfortunately I didn’t take a picture. But they were in there!
Google it .
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