Just got this in my inbox. Thought I'd share it with you. I didn't write it, so don't biatch to me about the words "idiot" and "redneck". Although, personally, it's kinda fitting!

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I don't know if you are familiar with "noodling", but it is the term for the way Oklahoma guys catch their fish.
These guys wade out into the river and feel for holes or logs on the river floor. When they find a
catfish hole, they stick their hands in there wiggle their fingers, the cats latch on and the 'idiots' pull out these monsters.
Many people lose their lives each year because of this. Some fish are so big they literally pull the 'idiot' under. Snapping turtles and snakes claim their fair share of rednecks too.
Here are some pictures of what they come out with. Think about these monsters the next time you order a catfish dinner!











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Ok, who's with me? I'm just enough of an "idiot minus the redneck part" to go try this at least once!

Ok, but answer me this parker, how did them "idiots" wrassle up them catfish without gettin' their hair wet?

4salt,
LOL, they are the elite and use hair dryer & before the picture

I watched it on Olin? channel couple years ago. It was amazing. I think it was in mississippi.

Are you kidding???? Would *YOU* stick your head in that water knowing what's down there????

Up to the chin, sure, but no dunking for this "idiot"!

ok next time I am in OKC I am going to make sure my swim trunks are on really tight!

could you imagine!!!!

I believe they call that kind of "cat fishing" "noodling." Not my idea of fishing.

hey zaxxon
- look to those monter fishes!. those guys are crazy! i bet most die by wearing neoprene waders that deep in the water. one good day noodiling and you got fish sticks for a year

Hey... What about our cherished NW mantra, you know the "Fear no Fish" thing?

Why draw the line at some toothless slimer. I would love the chance to wrestle a fish... hand to hand... mono e' mono. Put me in coach!
If we had anything like that I would be in there, call me crazy/stupid or whatever, just lemme at 'em.

why dont they just plunk? Seems rather stupid really.

Because then they would be labeled as a 'plunker'...and who the Hell would want to be known as a 'plunker'???

...well I do know of one person!

Better take the bearings out of your reels....gonna need some steel balls to grab one of those beasts!

One of my clients "was" a noodler from way back. He had a couple close calls. They used to tie lines to their legs - to the boat.


I guess it really separated the men rednecks from the boy rednecks.

And Parker, who says your neck aint red?

I gotta say, I'd be game to give that a go.
Talk about mano y mano.......

Im originally from sw missouri and Ive known quite a few people who noodle, they arent idiots, they are just friggin crazy. Ive heard stories of people sticking their hand into a den of a spawning flathead and the fish latched on to their arm and dragged them under, drowning them.

Heck give me a shark suit and a place to "noodle" with sturgeon and I could show them rednecks a thing or two. Or we could show them a neet little trick up on the Snake called the Gator Glide

A 'down South' cousin of mine is missing 2 (or was it 3? Haven't seen him in years) fingers off his hand due to an encounter with an irate snapping turtle while noodling. IMHO, it's a sport for the terminally stupid.

Come on now guys. Who is going to be the first to "noodle" an oversize sturgeon? I look forward to the pictures! Seriously, do the sturgeon ever come in shallow enough to do this? Would it be legal even if you released them?

Hmmmm, noodling huh?

Just think of all the $ I could save by not having to buy G Loomis', Chronarchs, sand shrimp, DR's, black boxes and PowerPro. But then after hearing about dudes drowning and losing fingers and all, I can see why Parker is all decked out in scuba gear repleat with chain mail gloves. Bet that's gotta be expensive too.

Oh well, guess it's back to hand lining with bread dough.

I once traveled with my brother and some of his biker friends way out in the everglads of florida and met some of his other friends, they lived on a Commune, spoke with a cajin accent we watched them catch catfish by swimming a canoe on its side down the bank while poking broom sticks up under the bank, they would startel the cats and they would come flying out and jump right into the canoe...on the broom stick about 2 feet from the end there was this big nail sticking out When I asked what it was for, they replyed when the water moccisins poke there head up between you and the bank if you push the stick at them while twisting the nail pulls the snakes head under and about the 3rd dunk the snake well retreat....I said what the worst thing that ever happened while fishing this way....the guy tells me ask gimp when you get back to camp...so I find this old guy they call gimp what was the worst thing that he ever seen and hes kicks off his shoe and is missing 3 out of 5 toes (assuming he started with 5) and I asked what the world did that a Gator? he said no it was his brother....I asked how? he replayed he hit me with the axe while trying to cut off the snapping turtle that was chomping on his new sneakers and foot....Now remember these were a bunch of rough biker sorts...Im not sure If I was getting my leg pulled or not about the toes but seen the canoe thing....the other things I noted. was dental work/ teeth seemed to be optional and they made some GREAT home made rum...5 shots and I felt like getting in and fishing with them...thank god looks out for Idiots I passed out before I had the chance...sorry for the long post...DJ

Noodling Sturgeon.

I looked into this a few years ago. Wanted to freedive and try to handcatch 'em.
ET..Yes they come in pretty shallow, but they do not hold under and in structure like cats do...They just scour along the bottom.
From what I have read and been told by the enforcement types, it ain't legal. I was told that they would fall back on the spearfishing regs for noodling, and spearfishing sturgeon is not legal. Really bummed me out.




Don't judge me by how many fingers I have...