Hand Fishing Anyone ?

[mudmagnet63]

Are their any noodelers out there ? It's very popular here in Ok. I've heard it's illegal in some states. We have tournaments here every summer. Large Flathead are the one's were after, it's not uncommon to pull out a 35 - 45 pound fish at a good spot. We'll form chains of people to go under brush piles and back into holes under the bank. first one goes under, second grabs his ankles third grabs his. when first man runs out of breath,or land a fish he kicks his feet to be pulled out. We start teaching our kids @ 6-7 years old how to swim brush piles then start moving them up to holes under the bank. Their's no bigger rush than being in a hole with a 45# flathead, skinned knuckles, scrapes from all the roots and limbs sticking ya. Man I cain't wait till summertime!!!

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

Never noodled fish but have been known to grab a turtle or 2.

 

[mudmagnet63]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

Ya know i've never encountered a turtle and I've been doin this for 30+ years. Sticking my hands where you cant see, murky water. I have came across a few beavers and lot's of snakes. My uncle had a boat load of stitches from a beaver bite on his chest. Man you shoulda seen him come out of that hole. Us kids was runnin for the hills he was screamin and thrashing we abondened him and run. Almost didnt go back after that one I was only about 10.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

Oh yea, them beavers are mean critters for sure.
They do not like anything/anyone around their den.
Heck, they don't like anything/anyone around, period.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

mudmagnet63 I watched a documentary on the documentary channel about Noodling, I couldn't do it myself but I find it interesting to watch. I was however crazy enough to stick my hand in this catfish's mouth

which my whole hand fit right up in there. I was trying to get a hook undone lol, not very smart on my part.

Check this cat out that a couple of guys caught in Spain.
"http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17876321/displaymode/1107//s/2/framenumber/10"

 

[mudmagnet63]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

I'll bet i've taken well over 100 people for their first trip about 1/2 will actualy reach into a hole their's probably only 10 -12 still fishin with us. A good pair of leather gloves helps on the big uns. but we dont mention that to the newbees. part of gettin broke in. a big ole blue is a fericious SOB they attack as soon as you get close and will rip you a new one if ya let um. Im tryin to find some pics of some of the big uns I'll post as soon as i find them.

 

[watermellonI]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

I ve seen lots of video on noodlin, but it aint for me!!, I ll stick with the pole and line deal, but I d be happy to call ya an ambulance when that turtle gets ya he he he

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

Yeah me saw that documentary on noodling too, ya'll are nuts. What are some of the horror stories that you have heard of, beside the beaver bite? Have anyone heard of the bit Jeff Foxworthy did about one of his cousin got his nipple bitten off by a beaver? that was funny.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

You noodlers have big nads! I love to fish for big cats but i'm staying in the boat! I would love to go and watch.I bet you get some great videos!

We have a lake here that divers refuse to go in anymore to inspect the dam.The huge cats got them scared.They caught a 76 pounder there a few years ago.
I hooked one late one night that pulled the boat around anchor and all before it snapped the 50 pound test line.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

Nothing like being neck deep up against a muddy bank and run your whole arm back in a hole slowly till you feel that shell and then work your way down the side to see which end is where.

 

[wildmaninal]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

We have a lake here that divers refuse to go in anymore to inspect the dam.The huge cats got them scared.They caught a 76 pounder there a few years ago.
I hooked one late one night that pulled the boat around anchor and all before it snapped the 50 pound test line.

Gary that is a funny coincidence we have the same problem with the local river and lake. A local radio station was going to do an under water broadcast in a diving bell and the divers had to go down one time to check on something. When they came back up they said never again will they dive down in that water. There were several different times were divers refused to go back into the local river.

I can't remember what Iboats member didn't believe the tails of big/huge catfish but we were discussing this on another thread. The one noodler was bitten by a cotton mouth on the documentary that I seen. It makes me cringe just to see a snake swim across the water, especially when you are swimming in the same water with the snake .

 

[mudmagnet63]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

You guys are making this out to be alot worse than it is. Most of the people I Handfish with have been doing it for years with no turtle, snake or other critter bites. Once you get past the initial shock it's quite the adrenaline rush, it dont matter if it's a 3# or 30# it's still a blast.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

You guys are making this out to be alot worse than it is. Most of the people I Handfish with have been doing it for years with no turtle, snake or other critter bites. Once you get past the initial shock it's quite the adrenaline rush, it dont matter if it's a 3# or 30# it's still a blast.

Yea, all the yeras I did it, have not been bitten but one time when my hand went to the wrong end.

 

[mudmagnet63]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

Best time I ever had was when I took my younger cousin he had been buggin me for over a year. I put him on some good fish which he just couldnt find?? So I went to a hole full of small cats I went downstream to spook a few his way. Man you could not believe all the thrashing around, cussin and the like. well he finally comes with his first catch. He's screamin I got the #$%*&^@#$#@! WHEN HE STANDS UP ALL YOU COULD SEE WAS THE HEAD AND THE TAIL stickin out of his right hand, poor little fish must have weighed 1/4 pound. woulda given a million dollars to have had a camera.

 

[tjl76evinrude]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

id never try that down here. you would end up with a snake on your hand and a gator eating the rest of you.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

Those stories of divers refusing to go back to inspect a dam is one of the oldest urban ledgends going. Every where you go you here this story. I know a guy that dives for a living. He been down in some huge lakes including mead. The stories of man eating fish are hogwash.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

Don't know if this would do it but it certainly big enough to swallow a man whole.

 

[ddennis]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

Hope the ones on here that do noodle release the big ones. Cat's that big (in my opinion) aren't the best to eat. Besides, being that big they deserve to be turned back out to spawn again....gotta keep the numbers up!

On top of that.. I am originally from Louisiana...down there you DO NOT stick you hand in a hole under water....you may not get it back!

 

[mudmagnet63]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

Hope the ones on here that do noodle release the big ones. Cat's that big (in my opinion) aren't the best to eat. Besides, being that big they deserve to be turned back out to spawn again....gotta keep the numbers up!

On top of that.. I am originally from Louisiana...down there you DO NOT stick you hand in a hole under water....you may not get it back!

we have been pulling fish from the same holes for over 20 years and they were showed to me by previous noodelers that have done the same. I havent seen any decline in the number or size of fish we catch. some years are good some bad depending on the amount of rain. we usualy take 2-3 40# each year we arn't greedy but sometimes u gotta keep a big un. and BTW YUM

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Hand Fishing Anyone ?

actually there hve been reports of man eating catfish,well boy eating anyway.
was a story in the Ft Worth paper back in the late 80s about an 8 year old water skier on lake texoma.
seems the grandpa had the kid by the arms and the catfish had a leg.
lucky for the boy the life vest kept bobbing him back up until grandpa could grab him.
article stated the boy recieved stitches at a local hospital but as treated and released.
I lived in Cleburne TX at the time and I am pretty sure it was the star telegram that ran the article.