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In This Tiny Town in Florida's Panhandle, Fishermen Are Hooked on 'Worm Grunting,' and the Worms Are Still Taking the Bait

Smithsonian Magazine·Stephanie Castellano·about 1 month ago
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Luring earthworms out of the soil to use as live bait is a long-running tradition in Sopchoppy, home to the annual Worm Gruntin’ Festival A festivalgoer shows a child how to "grunt" for earthworms. Stephanie Castellano Snap Revell knelt on the ground and gripped his rooping iron with both hands. “Funnel cakes,” he muttered under his breath. He pinched some dirt from the ground and rubbed it on his hands before regripping the iron, a stubby paddle with a handle made slippery by festival-food grease. Traction restored to the iron, Revell bent over his stob, a short wooden stake that he’d hammered into the ground. With steady strokes, he began to run the iron back and forth across the top of the stob, producing a long, flatulence-like sound that sent vibrations deep into the soil. Around us, the air filled with similar ripping sounds, followed by giggles and excited chatter. Children and adults bent with irons in hand, cheerfully sawing away at their own stobs.…

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