Noodling

[Road Runner]

I just read an artical in Outdoor life about this and was wondering if anyone has ever tried it? It sounds like a hoot but I dont think Id have the nads for it:CZ: For those of you that dont know noodling is fishing for Cats with your bare hands

[Trapper77]

My great grandfather used to do it all the time back in Arkansas. They used to catch a ton of them doing it. I am like you I don't think I would want to mistakenly stick my arm in the mouth of a 50 pounder. They said that they sometimes used to get bit. Ouch.

[skb20]

Noodlin? Yep, been there, done that, got the scuffmarks on my forearms. Well, sortof. Did noodle up a !5# flathead (ok, maybe 10#, tops). They do bite down (hard!). You can actually hear their jaws pop from several yards away... above water!!! One trick is that your should not pull your hand back when they bite down --- only serves to "sand" the skin off your paws.

My nephew and his buddies do the noodling thing all the time (June - August, actually) in western Oklahoma. Lots of fish in the 30-40# range, a few up toward 50. Hard to imagine, for me anyway, dealing with one of these bigger fish -- cause the 15, er..10 pounder about gave me all I wanted to deal with. Flatheads only are legal for noodling in OK --- also, blues and channels are more aggressivef in terms of biting your mitts. I would tend to worry less about the fish, though, than about some of the other potential hazards... like getting tangled up in old barbed wire, trotline hooks, beavers, etc, etc.

Mostly, though, the locals don't seem too concerned about the stuff that us "furriners" get so obsessed about. Same deal here in Montana......... with Grizzly bears. Yes, you could get in trouble, but if you use a little common sense there are alot of other everyday things that are more likely to do you in. Heck, I may even go noodling again some day.

[honker getter]

My dad does it.I tryed it the first time i stuck my hand in a hole he took just about all my skin off my hand and i havent did it sense.I still go and watch and swim and when my dad does get one i put it on the stringer.

[keith_scumline]

In southern Illionois and western Kentucky --- Noodlin' is also called Hog-in'. To many snakes and sleepy eyed muskrats in them holes for most folk...

[Woods and Water]

I have seen it done on the outdoor network,the guys guiding the crew were fearless!! I have met a guy that told the stories when he was young,about the 50 #er's they would wrestle to the boat.He used to duct tape a meat hook on his hand when he was young.....said he was about drug under if it wasnt for a couple by standers.:JW: :tn:

[kygoose]

Oh yea, noodlin, hoggin, dippin alot of fun& you never know what you'll catch. It's amazing how those big cats & carp will lay still until you go for the gills. Pulled a few snappers out of their holes also, a lot of guys now use a gaft.

[caseman]

How do you find the fish? I assume the water is muddy and you cant see. Once you touch the fish, dont they just take off? When you do somehow get your hand in their mouth, dont they have teeth that tear you up?

Heck, I would buy 2 shoulder length kevlar gloves....man, that takes some nads.

[MARK MORELAND]

I think in some instances they make wooden boxes and sink them,or they just know the holes in the bank that the fish like to use.....

[kygoose]

What we'd do is go to the deep holes in the creek from 3 to 6 ft. find big rocks, root wads or holes in the bank & just run your hand real slow in those areas, you'll feel em & can actually have another person run his hand down your arm & help you pull em up. I helped a guy once pull up a 30 lb. carp we were in 4 ft. of water but we both had to go under to get him out & yea they could jerk your arm out of socket. Only thing I would worry about is barb wire , broken bottles, muskrats, snakes & snappers.

[Southern Boy]

Only thing I would worry about is barb wire , broken bottles, muskrats, snakes & snappers.

:LAF:

When the things you have to worry about number that many, its not something I'm going to do.

[MNHonker]

Oh like jerking your arm out of place is nothing to worry about! I just think some dynomite would get the same job done.

My luck it would be me with my hand wrapped in barb wire, a big piece of glass in my palm, with a snapper attached to my forearm and a snake up my pantsleg!

[Road Runner]

I think you have the same kind of luck I do:VC: