oak leaf grub n Also oak leaf bug, ~ worm; abbrs oak(ie), oakleaf [See quots 1962, 2008] chiefly c, cwNY
The larva of a crane fly n, often used as bait.
1950 Democrat & Chron. (Rochester NY) 14 May sec D 6/2, The big fellow [= a trout], measuring 22¾ inches, hit an oak leaf bug. 1958 Ibid 14 Mar 31/8, [Advt:] Bait special: Oak leaf grubs, 40 cents doz. 1962 Conservationist Feb–Mar 45 cwNY, I suspect that Lush . . refers to an aquatic insect which is much used as bait for yellow perch in the Rochester area. The term “oak leaf bug” or “worm” is a local name for the larval stage of a crane fly. While there are several thousand different species of crane flies which live in various habitats, some are found in spring brooks in woodland areas where dead leaves (including oak sometimes) and drift material accumulate. 1973 Cincinnati Enquirer (OH) 2 Feb 33/2, “I used a brass spoon and rooster tail but for the most part took the trout on corn, salmon eggs and oak leaf worms,” he reports. 1998 Star–Gaz. (Elmira NY) 16 May sec B 2/7, Seneca Lake: . . Big perch are hitting oak leaf bugs and Swirl-tail jigs. 2008 in 2020 DARE File—Internet NY, Oakies are the larve of the crane fly. . . they are the bait to use for perch in our deep water lakes here in ny. . . oak leaf grubs live in running water and eat dead, fallen leaves that accumulate around sticks and rocks in the streams. they have no legs to speak of, they kind of slink along. 2010 Ibid cNY, The oaks that come loose from our raking and shoveling will float down stream and get caught in our screen. . . This technique will allow you to get dozens of oak leafs in just a few minutes. 2017 Ibid cwNY, We tried minnows, oak leaf grubs, spikes, earthworms, plastics and hair jigs and had exactly one bite between 5 fishermen. Ibid cwNY, Should be a good weekend out on the ice, we are all stocked up, Oak leaf worms, spikes, waxes [sic] worms, fatheads, Rosie’s, pike minnow and ice gear!