# Noodling



## BaitCaster (Jun 13, 2011)

I watched a documentary on National Geographic yesterday about "noodling" for flathead cats. basically, you jump in a muddy river with nothing but your swim shorts. Then you start reaching under rocks and into brush piles in the hope that a big cat bites your hand, or you shove your fist into the fish's mouth - then the fight is on. Hand to hand combat with a 50 lb cat! Sometimes takes two guys to fight the fish.


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## fender66 (Jun 13, 2011)

I've seen it done. Very crazy if you ask me. 

Not long ago, I saw a documentary on it too. They were having a tournament and there weren't any rods or reels. :shock:


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## Waterwings (Jun 13, 2011)

Tinboats has it's own resident noddler..............................Quackrstackr!


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## flatboat (Jun 13, 2011)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRLOQKlzdx8


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## BOB350RX (Jun 13, 2011)

SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FIND A BIG OL SNAPPING TRUTLE?? NO THANKS


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## baseball_guy_99 (Jun 13, 2011)

I went a few years ago with a few of my friends in a big creek that ran through their property. They had sank some 55 gallon drums for the catfish to spawn in. After watching them do it a few times, it was my turn! 

So I knelt down (my mouth barely above the water), reached in and felt a head. She clamped down on my hand and immediately started rolling. She had my arm twisted to where I though it was going to either break my arm or pull my shoulder out of socket. Luckily she let go. It took two of us to get her out the barrel. She ended up weighing 52lbs!

Ended up catching like 10 that day. A couple in the 20lb range but most around 10lbs.


Have not been since but would love to go again!


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## Captain Ahab (Jun 13, 2011)

Plaid shorts !


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## Brine (Jun 13, 2011)

Yah.... "Okie Noodlin"

My favorite part of the entire movie was the size of the CHAW that the weigh-in announcer had in his mouth. Looked like he had a tennis ball lodged in his cheek.


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## bulldog (Jun 13, 2011)

Brine said:


> Yah.... "Okie Noodlin"
> 
> My favorite part of the entire movie was the size of the CHAW that the weigh-in announcer had in his mouth. Looked like he had a tennis ball lodged in his cheek.



Funny you say that about the chaw. I laughed out loud when I saw that part. He was screaming and so darn excited. :LOL2:


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## shamoo (Jun 16, 2011)

That isnt for me :wink:


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## poolie (Jun 16, 2011)

One of the guys here at work has it in his head that I'm into noodling. To him fishing = noodling. I'm pretty sure he does it just to annoy me. There is no way in H E double L that I'm going to stick my hand under a bank and let a catfish bite my hand... who's catching who?


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## fender66 (Jun 16, 2011)

> who's catching who?



:LMFAO:


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## BassGeek54 (Jun 16, 2011)

I saw a show last weekend or the one before where a couple of guys from Arkansas went to Europe somewhere and were doing that. Those guys stuck there feet under there to get them to bite....I'm with you Poolie -- who is catching who???


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## Quackrstackr (Jun 17, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=207991#p207991 said:


> Waterwings » Mon Jun 13, 2011 11:53 am[/url]"]Tinboats has it's own resident noddler..............................Quackrstackr!



:wink: 

A couple from this weekend. The yellow one nearly broke two fingers on my left hand and not 20 minutes later the dark one nearly broke the same two on the right hand. I've been nursing ice packs for 2 days. :x


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Jun 17, 2013)

I have a vid on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4021412927610&set=vb.104621322906308&type=3 along with some pics.

I think we caught about 20 fish last year noodling.


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## bigwave (Jun 19, 2013)

Ok Riverbottom, I have no problem spearfishing with big ole bull sharks.....my .223 will take care of them. I have to say that you guys are absolutely nuts......snakes scare the crap out of me and I could not imagine grabbing a pissed off beaver. Looks like yall have a good time though.


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## Quackrstackr (Jul 1, 2013)

:mrgreen:


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## fender66 (Jul 1, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=320771#p320771 said:


> Quackrstackr » Today, 11:44[/url]"]:mrgreen:



THIS......is an AWESOME photo!


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## BDS05 (Jul 1, 2013)

I wish I had the set to do it!


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Jul 22, 2013)

Couple pics from me and my brother's noodling trip.


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## fender66 (Jul 22, 2013)

AWESOME!


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## Loggerhead Mike (Jul 23, 2013)

Id love to go with somebody who knew what they were doing. Not much noodling goin on in the mountains

Awsome pictures fellers


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## lbursell (Jul 25, 2013)

Just my two cents here - Not trying to hate on any one for having fun but, my understanding is that those big cats are the primary breeders in most bodies of water. If we start taking too many of them out, how long until that impacts the fishery? My admittedly non-expert opinion is that the big cats don't make the best eating anyway, so why not get your pictures and release the big ones for another day?

Secondly, here in Texas, noodling was illegal until a few years ago, due to the fact that back in the 50's and 60's too many people were actually drowning when the fish they "caught" got them in water over their heads and wouldn't let go. There's a risk aspect to this type of fishing that no one is talking about, yet. I'm predicting that within a couple of years we'll be reading news stories about people (probably young teenagers) drowning while noodling.

Again, only my opinion.


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## Quackrstackr (Jul 26, 2013)

Time for a bit of myth debunking.

Firstly, we release over 95% of the fish that we catch. We keep the occasional small fish or one that accidentally got a gill busted in the fight. That's not many. I think it was one fish this year out of the 70 or so that we caught. We did keep some in the 15 lb range but even the big flatheads are great eating.

Next, after catching who knows how many of these things over the years.... trust me, there isn't a catfish out there that's going to hold you down and drown you. I don't care how big it is. They hit to kill what is invading their hole and retreat. It's a lot tougher to get your hands on one of them than you think. They will grab your hand, shake and be gone in a second and a half or less. They're not sharks. :lol: If people drowned because a fish held them under, it's because they wouldn't let go of the fish and the fish was stuck in a hole. Trust me... when you grab ahold of one, the last thing that fish wants is to hang on and fight something 3 times bigger than it is. They fight to get away, nothing more. All you have to do is let go.

Don't believe all of the hype pumped out by these "reality" shows of people doing it.


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Jul 26, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=323684#p323684 said:


> Quackrstackr » Today, 7:51 am[/url]"]Time for a bit of myth debunking.
> 
> Firstly, we release over 95% of the fish that we catch. We keep the occasional small fish or one that accidentally got a gill busted in the fight. That's not many. I think it was one fish this year out of the 70 or so that we caught. We did keep some in the 15 lb range but even the big flatheads are great eating.
> 
> ...



Well said, Quacks. 

Get the fish out of the hole, take a picture...put the fish back in the hole. That's how we do it. Probably release 99% of the fish we catch...big and small.

There is some risk involved....but it is minimal, nothing even close to the over-dramatized stuff on TV.


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## bigwave (Jul 26, 2013)

Hey River, I still want to see a pic of the beaver........or big snake. You guys are nuts..... :mrgreen: Keep the pics coming, they are awesome.


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## Quackrstackr (Jul 26, 2013)

The yellow one was 60 lbs on the money. I'm 6'5 @ 260 so you'll have to trust me on the weight. It kinda throws things out of perspective. :lol:


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## jethro (Aug 1, 2013)

I think I'll stick with a rod and reel.


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Aug 1, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=323774#p323774 said:


> Quackrstackr » July 26th, 2013, 7:15 pm[/url]"]The yellow one was 60 lbs on the money. I'm 6'5 @ 260 so you'll have to trust me on the weight. It kinda throws things out of perspective. :lol:



I can tell by that pretty mouf!!!


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## Paul Marx (Aug 2, 2013)

I've got some in a pond that are about 20 lbs. each . Are they big enough to grab ? Can I sink some pipe or something they will go into so i can let freinds and family try it ? Do they only do this a certain time of year ? Like posted earlier this is new to Texas . We don't have many large turtles , but lots of water mocasins .Will they be a problem ? Or will they run ?


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## Quackrstackr (Aug 3, 2013)

20 lbers are perfect starter fish. They'll get in the holes when they are nesting. That usually runs June/July here in Kentucky.


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## RiverBottomOutdoors (Aug 11, 2013)

Few more for 2013


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