Noodling is fishing for catfish using one's bare hands or feet, and is practiced primarily in the southern United States. The noodler places their hand or foot inside a discovered catfish hole in order to catch the fish. Other names for the same activity are used in different regions, primarily in the South and Midwest, and include hogging, dogging, grappling, grabbling, and tickling. [1]
The term "noodling", although today used primarily towards the capture of flathead catfish, can and has been applied to all hand fishing methods, regardless of the method or species of fish sought. The origin of the term is unknown. [2] Noodling as a term has also been applied to various unconventional methods of fishing, such as any which do not use bait, rod and reel, speargun, etc., but this usage is much less common. The term has also been applied to the similar capture of snapping turtles. [3]
Due to concerns over the safety of noodlers and sustainability of fish populations, the technique is illegal in some states where it was once traditionally practiced. As of 2002 [update] , it was legal in some form in fourteen states, sometimes with restrictions on the species or sizes of fish, and on the specific methods that may be employed: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, [4] Maryland, [5] Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. [6] It has since been legalized in Texas [7] and West Virginia. [8]
Although the concept of catching fish with only the use of the arm or foot in the water is simple, the process of noodling is more complicated. The choice of catfish as the prey is not arbitrary, but comes from the circumstances of their habitat. During the spawn, catfish will dig or enter a hole underneath a structure submerged in the water. The female will lay the eggs in the hole and the male will guard the eggs. [9] [10] When the eggs become fry, they will leave and the male will also leave the hole. To begin, a noodler goes underwater to depths ranging from only a few feet to twenty feet (6 m) and places their hand inside a discovered catfish hole. If all goes as planned, the catfish will swim forward and latch onto the fisherman's hand, usually as a defensive maneuver, in order to try to escape the hole. If the fish is particularly large, the noodler can hook the hand around its gills. [11]
Noodlers often have spotters who help them bring the catfish in, either to shore or to their boat; noodling in pairs is considered important for safety, and also makes it a more social activity, with noodling partners often forming long-term partnerships. [6]
The Oklahoma lake record catfish that was caught by noodling weighed 87.85 pounds (39.85 kg), was 53+3⁄4 inches (137 cm) long, and 38+1⁄4 inches (97 cm) in girth. [12] A typical weight for a flathead catfish caught by noodling is 40 lb (18 kg). [6]
Noodling is just one name used for fishing with your hands or feet, but there are other names for it that are derived from different cultures. The activity is most common in the southern and midwestern United States.
The sport of noodling in popular culture has been featured or referred to in various television programs, including Late Night with David Letterman (1989), Okie Noodling , which was televised in two-parts on PBS (2001), Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel (2003), River Monsters on Animal Planet (2012), and Mudcats (2012) on the History Channel. [13] It also received media attention in the American sitcom Cougar Town , and in the animated sitcoms, King of the Hill episode "The Redneck on Rainey Street", and the 12th episode of Ben 10: Omniverse , "Gone Fishin". An episode of Bon Appétit 's YouTube series titled "It's Alive" (2019) featured Brad Leone and Matty Matheson noodling. [14]
Noodling was also featured in the 2009 movie Leaves of Grass with Keri Russell as a noodler, in the 2009 film Fish Tank , and in the 2016 movie Deepwater Horizon . [15] [16]
The Noodler's brand of fountain pen ink was named in reference to noodling, described as "a southern sport that attempts to equalize the struggle between man and animal in the quest for a sense of fair play", and included bottles of ink with images of catfish on the label. [17]
Other than drowning, or being injured by underwater hazards, noodlers face other physical threats, including the potential for fatal injury caused by other forms of aquatic life that may be residing in the abandoned holes of cavity spawning catfish, such as snapping turtles, snakes, beavers, and alligators. [18] [19] [20] Loose fitting clothes may get tangled or snagged on roots or rocks, and various physical injuries may be incurred while underwater, ranging anywhere from superficial wounds to losing fingers. Several articles suggest precautionary measures, such as using the buddy system, wearing tight clothing that hugs the skin, and inspecting potential holes with a stick. [21] Other recommendations include noodling shirtless or while wearing a short sleeve shirt, to wear gloves that offer some level of protection for one's hands, and to not wear any jewelry. [22]
The mortality rate per capita for noodling indicates that it is extremely dangerous in comparison to other forms of fishing. [23] Noodling related deaths have been reported. [19]
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish.
The flathead catfish, also called by several common names including mudcat or shovelhead cat, is a large species of North American freshwater catfish in the family Ictaluridae. It is the only species of the genus Pylodictis. Ranging from the lower Great Lakes region to northern Mexico, it has been widely introduced and is an invasive species in some areas. The closest living relative of the flathead catfish is the much smaller widemouth blindcat, Satan eurystomus.
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishers may fish in the open or in heated enclosures, some with bunks and amenities.
Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishing for survival and livelihood.
The Verde River is a major tributary of the Salt River in the U.S. state of Arizona. It is about 170 miles (270 km) long and carries a mean flow of 602 cubic feet per second (17.0 m3/s) at its mouth. It is one of the largest perennial streams in Arizona.
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions. Large-scale commercial fishing is called industrial fishing.
The brown bullhead is a fish of the family Ictaluridae that is widely distributed in North America. It is a species of bullhead catfish and is similar to the black bullhead and yellow bullhead. It was originally described as Pimelodus nebulosus by Charles Alexandre Lesueur in 1819, and is also referred to as Ictalurus nebulosus.
The blue catfish is a large species of North American catfish, reaching a length of 65 in (170 cm) and a weight of 143 lb (65 kg). The continent’s largest, it can live to 20 years, with a typical fish being between 25–46 in (64–117 cm) and 30–70 lb (14–32 kg). Native distribution is primarily in the Mississippi River and Louisiana drainage systems, including the Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Arkansas Rivers, the Des Moines River in south-central Iowa, the Rio Grande, and south along the Gulf Coast to Belize and Guatemala.
Bowfishing is a fishing technique that uses specialized archery equipment to impale and retrieve fish. A bowfisher will use a bow or crossbow to shoot fish through the water surface with a barbed arrow tethered to a line, and then manually retrieve the line and arrow back, in modern times usually with a reel mounted on the bow. Unlike other popular forms of fishing where baiting and exploiting the fish's instinctual behaviors are important, bowfishing is similar to spearfishing and relies purely on the fisherman's own visual perception and marksmanship, and usually do not involve using other tools such as hand net.
Trout tickling is the art of rubbing the underbelly of a trout with fingers. If done properly, the trout will go into a trance after a minute or so, and can then easily be retrieved and thrown onto the nearest bit of dry land.
Okie Noodling is a 2001 documentary film examining the practice of handfishing in rural Oklahoma.
Lake Ellsworth is a lake in Caddo and Comanche counties in the state of Oklahoma in the United States. It was built by the City of Lawton, Oklahoma in 1962, primarily to serve as a water supply source for Lawton and the surrounding area. The nearest community is Elgin, Oklahoma.
The Southern Oklahoma Cosmic Trigger Contest is a soundtrack by The Flaming Lips to the Bradley Beesley fishing documentary Okie Noodling, featuring three country-tinged songs not found elsewhere, two of which are instrumentals.
Ameiurus is a genus of catfishes in the family Ictaluridae. It contains the three common types of bullhead catfish found in waters of the United States, the black bullhead, the brown bullhead, and the yellow bullhead, as well as other species, such as the white catfish, which are not typically called "bullheads".
Fishing techniques are methods for catching fish. The term may also be applied to methods for catching other aquatic animals such as molluscs and edible marine invertebrates.
Sustainable seafood is seafood that is caught or farmed in ways that consider the long-term vitality of harvested species and the well-being of the oceans, as well as the livelihoods of fisheries-dependent communities. It was first promoted through the sustainable seafood movement which began in the 1990s. This operation highlights overfishing and environmentally destructive fishing methods. Through a number of initiatives, the movement has increased awareness and raised concerns over the way our seafood is obtained.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to fishing:
This is a glossary of terms used in fisheries, fisheries management and fisheries science.
Lake Pueblo State Park is a state park located in Pueblo County, Colorado. It includes 60 miles (97 km) of shoreline and 10,000 acres (40 km2) of land. Activities it offers include two full-service marinas, recreational fishing, hiking, camping and swimming at a special swim beach.
Hillbilly Handfishin' is an American reality television show about noodling, the sport of fishing for catfish using only bare hands and feet. The series aired on Animal Planet from August 7, 2011 to August 5, 2013.