Fishing Forum

Today I learned about "Noodling", which goes on down south mostly in the murky waters or the rivers that are home to huge catfish. They basically go into these rivers walking around looking for holes, stumps and other "tuck-aways" that these male cats protect after the female lays her eggs.

These guys will put their hand down in the hole, using the fingers to agitate the fish and also look like a worm and such, and wait for the bite. As the cat bites they reach in their mouth, grab them by the gills and bring them up...crazy I know! They say it feels like a vice clamping down. Also, that bite could be a cat, or a snapping turtle, venomous water snake, etc.

Here is a video from YouTube that is a segment from the VS network:

[url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biL-QcviQGk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biL-QcviQGk[/url]

Check it out, [url "http://www.burlingtonboatyard.com/"]let me know your thoughts! [/url]
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im in the noodling state never tried it though
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None of my friends ever want to go and I deffinetly want to try it sometime! I need to get a full body suit and just try it sometime with a friend. That'd be soooo much fun, minus the snapping turtles. They need to make armor plate gloves for the turtles and snakes lol.
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Yep, a snapping turtle is probably the last thing I want to grab my hand. I know in South Carolina, they put old tires in the water, and apparently the catfish go inside the tires to make nests or whatever. They go back a month or so later, and kinda noodle around for the tires. When they find one, they lift it up out of the water and it's full of catfish lol.
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Some people noodle specifically for catfish. They feel around, determine which end is which, grab it by the tail, and voila!

I once new an eye surgeon that did this. It was his favorite sport. I told him I thought he was crazy. I mean, if I lose a finger it's an inconvenience. If he lost one, his whole life is down the tubes.

"That's what makes it exciting," he said. Me, I can do without that kind of excitment.

Brook
http://www.the-outdoor-sports-advisor.com
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I have seen videos about noodling, but they never explained how they do it. that was a really cool video. I would love to do that someday, but I don't want to run into a snapping turtle...
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On the first episode of wreckreation nation on discovery they did a segment about it. It was 3 women that did it and the host kinda hung out in the back cause he was afraid of the fish. I probably would be too.

Jason
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You guys definately need to check out I do this every year with the Jenkins and there is nothing like it. I have been doing it on my own now for 5 years and there is nothing more in this world I love more than to lock onto a 50 lber!!! Like here in my new upload.
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You shoud see the one of the Girl Noodlers. Pretty Fun Stuff
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That's who taught me. I work with several of the ladies in the vid. They released GirlsGoneGrabblin 2 last summer and it is awesome!!!!
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that is one of the wildest and most dangerous fishing stunts I have seen.

sory I have to edit the links out of your post, we do have a stirct rule about having a minimum of 15 post before you are allowed to post links.

[url "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOCgcRcGO5o"][#63626b]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOCgcRcGO5o[/#63626b][/url]

I paisted this one for you, but the other one was something that could be deemed as advertising for another site. we dont allow that at all, unless you wish to buy advertising space, then in that case check out the links at the bottom of every one of our pages.
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I find noodling very interesting. I have heard that the noodler tickles the catfish's belly, which makes it open it's mouth so the noodler can stick his hand in there, and wrestle the fish out of the hole. I have never done this and frankly I probably never will, but I admire those folks who can do it.
Happy Fishing!
Catfishchic

I agree, there's no way my skinny ass is going to swim down and reach into a tree trunk or hole and wiggle my fingers for a 50lb catfish to bite down on! Not to mention the risks of huge 25lb snapping turtles or snakes.

I'll stick to the good ole' rod n' reel for my catfish dinner! lol.
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we just recently put in some hollow logs and old trash cans into our famly pond so our cats will spawn. I cant wait to give it a try, is there a time of year or water temp that is a better time than another?
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[quote jigs]we just recently put in some hollow logs and old trash cans into our famly pond so our cats will spawn. I cant wait to give it a try, is there a time of year or water temp that is a better time than another?[/quote]
The only two months of the year they are on here in Tn is July and June. Typicall water temps 70-78
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our water usualy isnt that warm until lake july and stays that way tell mid august. Some years it may not even get there. Will they spawn anyway? Or will they just not spawn if the water doesnt get warm enough?
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