WORM FIDDLIN'

The only store bought fishing worms I have ever seen were what we called "Georgia Wigglers". They were small, red and wiggled like crazy. They were hard to put on a fish hook, but worked fairly well for catching perch.

The real deal for worm bait was a good ole East Texas earthworm. Them puppies might be a foot long, big around as a pencil, and good and tough to stay on the hook for catfish.

Only trouble was the only way to get them, we thought, was to get a shovel and dig in the ground wherever one found worm sign (round pellets of dirt on top of the ground secreted by the worms as they dug/ate their way into the earth). Being on the business end of that shovel was not exactly a pleasurable experience and it tended to leave holes that were problematic (especially if I did it in Dad's yard)?

One day Dad accidently spilled some gasoline on the ground near some worm sign. In a few minutes we noticed that giant worms were coming out of the ground everywhere (INSTANT FISH BAIT). We used this expeditious method for a term, but in truth the gasoline fumes tended to drastically shorten the life of Mr. Worm.

Dad decided the trick was to pour any liquid on the ground that had strong "fumes" (Dad pronounced this word as "fooms") that would irritate the worms into "abandoning ship", but would not cause their premature demise.

Enter Chlorox bleach. Dad sprinkled a bit full strength near some "worm sign" and sure nuff, them puppies near leaped out of the ground and would live as long as needed for that day's fishing trip.

Now, here's the real blog treat. The most genuine fisherman in the family was Buddy. Dad swore Buddy's first marriage went bust because Buddy chose fishing over wife/kids/work (hell anything). There was a time when he fished every waking moment, and some while asleep.

We were talking about harvesting earth worms one day and Buddy declared that he just "fiddled" them up???? I would report that him and Dad were drinking beer at the time, but that would be superfluous comment as they were always drinking beer.

Not to be "hooraahed" unduly, Buddy produce some strong nylon twine, a piece of iron rod, and a hammer. He then proceeded to drive the iron rod in the ground in the middle of a bunch of worm sign and then tied one end of the string to the iron rod. He tied the other end of the string to a tree limb with the string drawn tight.

Ole Bud Drawers then began to "pluck" the string like a musical instrument. Took all of 15 minutes of "plucking" but them dang worms started stampeding from the ground like rented mules.

Buddy's explanation was that the vibrations of the iron rod, caused by plucking the tight string was the trick. (Several more beers drank now) Budreaux then allowed as how he could also just squat down near worm sign and "thump" on the ground with an appropriate size limb and achieve the same results as with the "fiddle".

Bets were made and Alvin Louis squatted on his haunches and commenced to "thumping" on the ground with a dang pecan tree limb. Took longer this time, but once again, the pied piper of earthworms called them forth??

Don't know why any of this works, but I witnessed it all so that is all the proof I need.

Probably ought get me one them worm fiddles and see if I can make my fortune???