Author Topic: oak leaf grubs harvesting (Read 23851 times)

jflood · « **on:** Oct 21, 2007, 08:00 AM »

Seems like the traffic is better over here verses MFF. For those of you that live in the capital region of NY(Saratoga/albany)

Is there a good location to go out and harvest oak leaf grub's

(crane fly larva). Are there any good creeks, streams in the Clifton Park/Saratoga area. Is it to early to be looking

Is there larvae yet

Any help or assistance would be appreciated. If anyone wants to go out with me you more than welcome...send ME pm

BUCKSKI · « **Reply #1 on:** Oct 23, 2007, 10:52 AM »

Yeah its almost that time. I usaully forget and pick em once snow has fallen.

sparkplug · « **Reply #2 on:** Oct 25, 2007, 01:50 PM »

What is the best way you have found to keep them alive and healthy thru the winter?

jflood · « **Reply #3 on:** Oct 25, 2007, 08:24 PM »

Quote from: sparkplug on Oct 25, 2007, 01:50 PM

What is the best way you have found to keep them alive and healthy thru the winter?

\
a bucket with a little bit of water & wet leafs

BUCKSKI · « **Reply #4 on:** Oct 26, 2007, 08:26 AM »

Keep in the basemnet near the wall. In the garrage its too cold.
Plenty of leaves I have found works well!

jockofish · « **Reply #5 on:** Oct 28, 2007, 09:04 PM »

I remember seeing a post like this last year and went out a bit after bow season and tried to fetch a couple dozen. Well, all I came home with was two frozen hands. I searched through all kinds of leaf beds on the side of 3 or 4 small creeks and came up empty handed. What am I missing? I live in the wny {lancaster area}. Could use some help. Thanks Jack

jflood · « **Reply #6 on:** Oct 29, 2007, 11:06 AM »

Quote from: jockofish on Oct 28, 2007, 09:04 PM

I remember seeing a post like this last year and went out a bit after bow season and tried to fetch a couple dozen. Well, all I came home with was two frozen hands. I searched through all kinds of leaf beds on the side of 3 or 4 small creeks and came up empty handed. What am I missing? I live in the wny {lancaster area}. Could use some help. Thanks Jack

I came up up empty handed in 3 out 4 stream last year. Ieven when I found them I didn't find many....think it depends on location but I'm no expert $:-\$ Check with some locals

Nitro_372 · « **Reply #7 on:** Oct 31, 2007, 10:19 AM »

Quote from: jflood on Oct 29, 2007, 11:06 AM

I came up up empty handed in 3 out 4 stream last year. Ieven when I found them I didn't find many....think it depends on location but I'm no expert $:-\$ Check with some locals

Are you looking right in the water? The first few times I tried I couldn't find any then I started pulling clumps of leaves out under the water and I found tons of them. Also the streams cant dry up in the summer or they wont have any.

SPARKYICE · « **Reply #8 on:** Oct 31, 2007, 10:32 AM »

guys that have a good spot to get them usually don't divulge the location.
my buddy stores them in a fridge in his basement, in a burlap sack, hanging from the top shelf.
he'll soak them in water once in a while, to keep them moist but not wet. they don't like standing water.
add some dead hardwood leaves every couple weeks, they'll eat them right up, leaving some really nice soil.

RickTheRock · « **Reply #9 on:** Oct 31, 2007, 05:09 PM »

What do you use oakleaf grubs for? I have never heard of using them before. Just curious as to if I'm missing out on something good.
Thanks in advance.
Rock

jflood · « **Reply #10 on:** Oct 31, 2007, 06:44 PM »

Use them for trout bait,
as far as not divulging a good spot I can understand if you found a primo fishing hole but a place to find bait...come on. $:-\$ I suppose if you don't want to tell the world you could send a pm to someone...but then again isn't this whole forum about sharing ideas, techniques etc. If your not sharing in some way why even be in the IS to begin with...I'm always dissappoint when I get that type of response..I always try to give back the community whenever I can.

SPARKYICE · « **Reply #11 on:** Nov 01, 2007, 10:32 AM »

they sell for about $3.75 a doz. around here.
thats a little more than .30 cents apiece.
an ambitious guy can get 1000 or more ($300) a day, in a good spot.
but, then they're gone.

i told a good friend about a spot once, he told a friend, he told a friend,etc.
i went back there, and the place looked like a bulldozer had gone down through.
i had to pound the pavement and find a new spot.
i'm not telling the whole world where i dig them.

get a topo,go for a ride,make a day of it, find your own spot. a nice ride in the country can reveal lots of new things

molsonport · « **Reply #12 on:** Nov 01, 2007, 05:25 PM »

Quote from: RickTheRock on Oct 31, 2007, 05:09 PM

What do you use oakleaf grubs for? I have never heard of using them before. Just curious as to if I'm missing out on something good.
Thanks in advance.
Rock
they are good for perch,bass,trout and walleye even panfish!!they are worth the trouble of getting them out of the stream. just be-careful of what stream you get them from, no trout tribs. good luck.

jflood · « **Reply #13 on:** Nov 01, 2007, 07:25 PM »

Quote from: SPARKYICE on Nov 01, 2007, 10:32 AM

they sell for about $3.75 a doz. around here.
thats a little more than .30 cents apiece.
an ambitious guy can get 1000 or more ($300) a day, in a good spot.
but, then they're gone.

i told a good friend about a spot once, he told a friend, he told a friend,etc.
i went back there, and the place looked like a bulldozer had gone down through.
i had to pound the pavement and find a new spot.
i'm not telling the whole world where i dig them.

get a topo,go for a ride,make a day of it, find your own spot. a nice ride in the country can reveal lots of new things

brother I feel your pain. If someone had done you wrong like that I appreciate your perspective

On the other had i have no problem going out and putting in a little effort, in fact I just went out and picked 5 doz crayfish

Additinally i have searched in 5 different steams last year and had very slim pickens when it came to oak leafs $:-\$ Honestly I would much rather buy them and not freeze my hands off

If only there was a bait store in the albany that sold them
Peace

SPARKYICE · « **Reply #14 on:** Nov 02, 2007, 09:46 AM »

peace.
they are hard to come by.

BUCKSKI · « **Reply #15 on:** Nov 02, 2007, 11:32 AM »

Stream that don't flood too much or dry out is the ticket.
A creek from the spill over of a pond is where I get mine.
Some spots are better than others and remeber you should not take em from a trout stream! I believe its illegal.
USe a rake and pull up the leaves to the shore and then sort, your back will get sore.
I use rubber gloves, yes your hands will get cold. Once I searched for em with snow on the ground and my hands were blue.

I hate buying them ya never get a fair count.

jflood · « **Reply #16 on:** Nov 10, 2007, 03:54 PM »

went out today and only found a few tha were realy small..Is it to early to pick them

pro50guy · « **Reply #17 on:** Nov 11, 2007, 06:41 PM »

when im splitting wood i find large maggot like worms with pinchers,they are in the pine logs what are they? and are they good bait?

jflood · « **Reply #18 on:** Nov 14, 2007, 06:30 PM »

Proguy I dont know what type of insect your tallking about grab a few and throw them on hook...ya never know

On another note I havent been to succesful going out and getting my own..where in the state can I buy these right now???

IceReaver · « **Reply #19 on:** Nov 15, 2007, 09:09 AM »

jflood,

Just a thought on your lack of success...I spent 2 hours searching dried out stream beds with my 3 year old son in tow about 2 weeks ago and found nothing. My neighbor, also an avid fisherman, approached me earlier this week and showed me a plastic container full of oak leaf grubs he had found in his yard under the maple tree between our houses. I went out that evening and collected 13 dozen for myself in about 30 minutes!! My point...expand your search areas to include oak/maple forests that have recently become saturated by the wet weather (assuming you area received the rains that passed through NY). I live in close proximity to a lake, which may have also had an impact the large numbers of oak leaf grubs around.

JEBADIAH · « **Reply #20 on:** Nov 15, 2007, 01:27 PM »

I just got back from the creek with about 15dz. oakleaf bugs.It was a good day for it as in not to cold.Find a creek that flows all year and look for a log jam or back wash where the leafs have piled up,the more leafs and the longer th eve been there the better. I wear hip boots and use a pitchfork to dig down in the leafs and mud then flip the leafs onto the shore. Now you have to pick thru this stuff to find the bugs. Sifting thru these leafs can be a tedious job especially if its cold.If you find one there will be more,keep digging. I'm sure guys do have there honey holes for these things but Ive been able to find them in the same creek in differant spots for the last 5 years. Ive had some unbelievable perch catches with these things and you wont catch me with out them.GOOD LUCK.

jflood · « **Reply #21 on:** Nov 15, 2007, 07:47 PM »

Ok you have re energized me to back out

I try my yard...I have 7 oak trees.

On an unrelated note I know I am going to catch some hellgratmites by accicent when I hit the creek looking for oak leaf grubs. Whats the best way to keep them alive

wnybassman · « **Reply #22 on:** Nov 17, 2007, 08:56 AM »

I went out to the stream behind my house yesterday for about 45 minutes and collected 6 or 8 dozen, probably more. The stream was extremely low compared to what it is normally, so the submerged leaves have not been flushed out of the water and piled up on the up current sides of rocks and logs. The leaves were everywhere which made finding them a little tougher. I found if I grabbed a handful of leaves where there was current, like the necked down area between rocks, I have better results. I could tell right away if a particular handful was going to have grubs, because there was evidence of the leaves being eaten.

I also found a wide variety of sizes. Some were as small as spikes, and some were the normal medium to large size. I collected all sizes because they grow in the container I keep them in. They will be just right later in the season.

"My" stream......

GAMBELL · « **Reply #23 on:** Nov 17, 2007, 08:59 AM »

I might have to try the creek behind my house. It looks similar to the one in wnybassmans pic. I

jflood · « **Reply #24 on:** Nov 17, 2007, 09:29 AM »

wnybassman, i have many creeks around me that look like that too. i'll give them a try. I will find these little buggers

That looks like a creek that would dry up during the summer. Does is it? A few post have suggested stay away from those

I'm so confused

wnybassman · « **Reply #25 on:** Nov 17, 2007, 03:43 PM »

Quote from: jflood on Nov 17, 2007, 09:29 AM

That looks like a creek that would dry up during the summer. Does is it?

If it was going to dry up during any summer, it would have been this one. It normally has flow all summer long, and this is about as low as I have seen it. Normally, at this time, just the tips of the bigger rocks are sticking out of the water and there is only a couple places I can cross without high boots of some sort.

I still find it very interesting that these things have been found in the leaves in the yard. I kinda thought they were an aquatic larvae, which common sense tells you they might be found in the water

kirkwooders · « **Reply #26 on:** Nov 23, 2007, 11:03 AM »

I have heard that if you throw a bale of straw into a stream, especially one that has been dammed by beavers, and leave it there for a couple weeks, that they will be all through it when you pull it out. Has any one ever heard this or tried it themselves?

jflood · « **Reply #27 on:** Nov 23, 2007, 03:18 PM »

dont know about the straw thing

Try and report back

Just went out and found about a dozen. I've got to say they can be real easy to miss in the mud and the muck when you pull them out of the leaves. I've hit about 8 streams and have yet to hit the jackpot like others claim to

I must be doing something wrong

C.C. · « **Reply #28 on:** Nov 23, 2007, 03:24 PM »

Somebody tell me again how you can keep these things over winter. I get them all the time when seining minnows and have never kept any.
Thanks
Jim

kirkwooders · « **Reply #29 on:** Nov 23, 2007, 05:27 PM »

Quote from: C.C. on Nov 23, 2007, 03:24 PM

Somebody tell me again how you can keep these things over winter. I get them all the time when seining minnows and have never kept any.
Thanks
Jim

A 5 gallon bucket about half full of very wet leaves works for me. Just remember to keep it in a cool place, but don't let them freeze.

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Author Topic: oak leaf grubs harvesting (Read 23851 times)