The first time I experienced the fear and excitement watching someone noodle for catfish, it scared the heck out of me. Noodling grabblin or as they say in some circles, is fishing for large catfish with nothing but hands and maybe a glass of Jack Daniels. It is a dangerous sport!
That day I was fishing on the Tennessee River for anything that would bite. About a hundred yards downstream from where I sat, there were two men looking up and down the bank looking for something. As I watched, one of them waded into the water with his clothes on and began slowly walking down the embankment, the sense of something on the river bottom. His head began to gradually disappear under the now-muddy water.
In less than a minute shot the man to the surface in an explosion of water, his arm in the mouth of a giant catfish, which was wriggling and squirming, fully put to intent escape. From my perspective, I could not tell you who to win the battle, the fishermen or the fish! The fisherman was trying to stand in water up to his neck, was the fish was near his body, while trying to move the bank.
If Drowning man clutching the gills of the fish by the fish in his mouth, was part of his escape plan, the catfish appeared to be win the fight. The man went back under again and stayed to fight price.
Again, it exploded on the surface with water spraying everywhere as the man and the fish fought for all her life. I was sure that the fish would win because the man kept slipping on wet rocks and falls back into the water, but depend on fish for their lives. The Man kept in the water yelling for his partner to help him! Finally, the other fishermen waded carefully into the water and tried his buddy, who completely at this time was worn to help.
When the second Fischer finally figured you where you keep the catfish from pulling out of his buddy's hands fall, they were both in able to bring the fish in and dump him on the bank far enough away from the water for him to roll back in and.
Raising his right arm was scratched and bleeding from eroded as the Fish, the conquest Fischer had a screaming Rebel Yell. "Oooooowahhoooo!" Later I learned that this is a semi-official cry every was sultry southern noodles.
I ran to the two guys and the catfish and expressed my congratulations! This was a humongous fish! Grin from ear to ear, she told me that this was a little lost about 45 pounds! It may have been small by their standards, but for me it was outrageous!
I have fishing most of my life, but I must admit that despite not living with a completely clean and virtuous life, I still have most of my Brain cells. I will even confess that I've never had the desire, stick my hand into a dark and creepy hole under water, where it could be a catfish. It could also a snake or snapping turtle, not content with sticking an uninvited visitor at their hands where they do not belong!
In the late spring and Early summer spawning catfish. The females find a suitable place in the water 3 -20 feet deep where they can lay their eggs undisturbed. Sometimes an old tree, a brush or pile a hole under submerged rocks near the shore, may be enough cover for the mother to keep to lay their eggs. After they are deposited in the bed, the great Man fish come and guard the eggs until they hatch. This is the time of the year find Noodlers big fish!
The sport, if you can call it that, has attracted a number of participants, in recent years. There is even a video that has a catchy title of "Girls Gone Grabblin. There are actually women, go out and wrestle this giant fish from their nests, apparently do not care about if they have an arm or even a finger to lose this monster.
I have heard even rumors of noodlin an Olympic event. If that ever happens, I have a word of advice for anyone crazy enough to also to get in the water. The advice is this: You get no points for pulling a water moccasin in his hole!
Bob Alexander is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and leisure living. Bob is also the author and owner of this article. Visit his sites at: [http://www.bluemarlinbob.com] [http://www.redfishbob.com]
Oklahoma Catfish Noodlers
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Okie Noodling: A Documentary by Bradley Beesley $14.98 What the hell is Noodling? According to Oklahoma State Law, Title 29: The method of fishing by Hand Only. Any use of hooks, bait, rods or reels is deemed illegal. Hand Fishing – aka Noodling, Grabbling, and Hogging is only legal in 4 U.S. States: Oklahoma, Louisiana, Tennessee and Mississippi. Noodling is the lost art of using your hands as bait to catch fish. There is nothing quite like t… |
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Okie Noodling (no hooks, no bait, no fear) This is a 59 minute, color VHS Film, with Closed Captioning…. |
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Say Hello to My Little Friend $1.99 … |
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Catfish are Wicked Cute $1.99 … |
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Hillbilly Handfishin’ $1.99 … |