Bummer, I only saw the first photo when I looked and started marking it up. Should have gone for the last photo. I would offer the following, non expert, far-sighted advice:

Start by trimming away all those roots and rat tail tuber end roots, and the stems so you can work with the clump more easily.
-Cut off any teeny little skinny tubers-to-be to get them out of your way.
-Cut off any fatter tubers with broken or very skinny necks (which will likely break.) You'll learn which ones are too skinny after you break a few and learn not to waste your time on them.

Trim off anything with rotten spots, or big gashes, or deep splits that look brown- which might rot. In photo 3, clockwise from the right stalk: That tuber is too gashed to save.
The "mother" tuber (I'm guessing that's what it is) sometimes will go on to bloom next year, but more often not. This one looks to be rotting on the lower half. You could try to cut it from the stem, cut off and discard the rotten half and store it that way, but likely a waste of time. Be sure to trim away any brown tissue on the cut end of this, or any trimmed tuber. Lysol spray or a little 10 minute 10% bleach water soak wouldn't hurt any to kill remnans of rotten spots.

Are all those photos of this same first clump shown or different clumps?

I put little yellow squares above where I thought eyes might be, but a photo and my old tired eyes are no match for daylight and the real thing. Anyway, look for a little hint of pink on the eye bumps, sometimes visible, or not. More visible in spring, especially on some of the purple and pink varieties.

The best bet is to eyeball all the tubers, try to pick out the best candidates and get them off first. Those would be firm, strong-necked tubers with visible eyes and no rot or wounds.

Cut/stab into/ or sever at the green lines approximately. Then fine trim later when separated from the clump and easier to handle.
I can't see an eye on what I labelled "5," Maybe move the "5" over to the right one tuber and try for that one! It has that suspicious bump but is far away from stem material, so am not sure.

I don't know that I would have left the clump in a bucket of water overnight. You could have covered it with a towel or newspaper pages if you were worried about them shriveling. But they should be okay. Good Luck!
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Poochella you are wonderful!!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this for me.

For you -

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Hi Poochella,Jackie-
I would like to mention that I've been advised Not to save the mother tuber as its been "used" already. Wouldn't be as good for next time.

Jackie-
Could you tell me what is in the flower arrangement? It is simply GEORGEOUS! I want whatever it is! :-)

Poochella-
Could you send me the link for photobucket? Then I could put some pics in here too.
Thanks
tcgreene7

Jackie, I have to admit that opera is one of my more egregious vices and when I read your page was surprised to learn that you were an opera singer. As a matter of curiosity, what were your favorite composers,roles and arias?

tcgreene7 thanks! The arrangement has dahlia Carribbean Fantasy and three types of coleus I've got going in my garden.

Bernie hi. I am (well was I just can't hit the high "F" anymore - a colluratura soprano. My favorite composer would have to be Puccini. Turandot is my favorite Opera.
Funny when you ask for favorite arias I always think more of the male ones. I love Vesti la giubba, Nessun Dorma (although I think they may have actually knocked that one down because its all you ever hear anymore), Una Furtiva lagrima, to name just a few).

Jackie, that arrangement is tops! Beautiful colors and foliage- you are going to sell me on that Carribean Fantasy very soon.
I dug and washed my first clumps today and they are just as hard to visualize in person as in a photo on GardenWeb.

I have white bumps on a clump pretty much tuber wide and stem wide, I think someone asked about such a phenomena before here. It's one that I've not seen before. Doesn't look like crown gall. So may try to post a photo of them Sunday.

TCGreene: photobucket.com Just sign up and get started, very easy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Photobucket link

Thanks again Poochella.
Carribbean Fantasy is only the second dahlia I've grown (other than all the ones from seed). The other one I grew at my old house in pretty much the same conditions as CF. It was a big pink cactus (I think it was called Park Princess). It got really tall and wide, but I only got a few blooms out of it and had some buds that just stayed in the bud stage forever. With CF it is LOADED with buds and blooms. It's been blooming like crazy since the beginning of September.
Is CF just a bloom machine of a cultivar? Are there certain ones that bloom better than others?

I don't know CF personally, but yes; some bloom more prolifically than others. Some are stingy, slow monsters when it comes to blooming, and some just spit out new buds overnight. I am finding it very tough to cut down the dahlias still blooming. Forced myself to cut another 6-7 tonight. BOO! It will be hard to decide who goes next as each day passes.