Catfish Noodling

by john on April 23, 2003

catfish

It’s hard to imagine anything dumber than wading out into a muddy river, reaching down deep underwater into a dark hole and wiggling your fingers as bait hoping that a giant catfish will clamp down on your hand so you can pull it out of the hole, without getting pulled in yourself. That’s a basic description of catfish Noodling, or the sport of fishing for catfish by hand.

It’s a dangerous sport that kills a few people every year and injures many more. There is more than cats that lurk in those holes – snapping turtles or snakes can do damage, not to mention that giant catfish that could just as well drag you down into the hole.

The term Noodling is used in Oklahoma; depending on what southern state you hail from you may call it grabbling, stumping, hogging or dogging. But it’s all the same thing – putting on your overalls, wading into some murky body of water, and taking your life into your hands (or at least the life of your hands) all in the name of a little sport.

ESPN Outdoors has done a story on Noodling. Okie Noodling premiered at the 2001 South by Southwest film festival. Noodling For Flatheads: Moonshine, Monster Catfish and Other Southern Comforts includes Noodling and other odd Southern traditions.

As always, Google is your friend if you want to know more.

You can also learn how to hypnotize a chicken, or tickle trout.

NEW – Visit my Catfish Noodling Store where you can buy all sorts of things related to the great sport of Catfish Noodling! Through trusted vendor Amazon.com.

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Technorati Tags: catfish, catfish noodling, fishing, noodler, noodling, okie

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{ 180 comments }

Ellen May 1, 2003 at 5:42 pm

Hello there! We linked your catfish noodling to our website!

My father-in-law used to raise catfish in his ponds for food. (one of those quick, get you rich kind of things) Those fish are huge! But not like the ones you noodle!

I would think, if you got killed by a giant catfish noodling, you would get a Darwin Award for it. :)

STEVE May 14, 2003 at 9:02 pm

I would like to invite everybody to visit our site where we have info on a new noodling video by Blacktimber Productions called NOODLING! ARE YOU CRAZY? Its 90 minutes long and has 23 cats being caught. Nothing but action!

SilurusGlanis May 19, 2003 at 12:27 pm

When to copy photos from other web sites, it could be CORRECT to mention where these photos are from and also check the copyright …

SilurusGlanis May 19, 2003 at 12:30 pm

When you copy & publish photos from other web sites, it could be CORRECT to mention where these photos are from and also check the copyright …

You can check & visit these web sites :
http://xvella.free.fr
http://www.pescare.com/siluro

John Haughton May 19, 2003 at 1:21 pm

yes, i have recently become obsessed with the sport of noodling, i have been looking for a hobby after i retire, how can i get more information on the great sport of noodling, ps, i only have 9 fingers, is that okay for noodlers

JT Borah May 19, 2003 at 1:32 pm

sometimes maw likes me to nodle fer dinner, she sometyms likes slaw wit da catfish

siluro May 19, 2003 at 1:47 pm

Hi anglers,
My name is Yuri Grisendi and the photo are my picture
The catfish is a wels catfish, the big European catfishe, and the picture come from the river Po in Italy.
This is my personal album put in my web site:
http://www.pescare.com/siluro/Album/AlbumY…/albumyuri1.htm
Talk to you soon,
Yuri.

siluro May 19, 2003 at 1:56 pm
john May 20, 2003 at 7:51 pm

I would have attributed the photo if I knew where it had come from – I just copied it from an email. However, I’m pleased to see that siluro has stopped by and claimed ownership of the picture and provided links to others. Thanks!

Jessica May 24, 2003 at 7:55 pm

hi,
i’m kinda scared of catfish so i think ur brave to do that and god bless you i just hope u don’t get hurt

Donny May 27, 2003 at 3:41 pm

With Regards to Yuri and the wels catfish.

I am from Oklahoma and have been noodling for several years. We have catfish that grow to over 100lbs, and I have noodled several over 50lbs. We catch them out of holes in the banks of rivers and creeks when they begin to spawn. Is the Wels Catfish captured in the same way? The fish here are also very aggressive and bite the blood out of your hands almost every time you catch one. I also noticed that all of the fish were being held up out of the water with no stringers or anything else. How in the world can a person control a fish over a hundred pounds in open water?

Thanks
dchacker

Wingnut June 4, 2003 at 10:11 am

…might be a redneck if?

And rednecks wonder so many jokes are made about them. gee I wonder..

SilurusGlanis June 9, 2003 at 12:32 pm

to Donny ,

No, the European Wels Catfish is not captured the very same way you describe it.
If you are more interested how we catch them, you can download free mpg videos in our web site:
http://xvella.free.fr/photos-eng.php?size=0&sub=42&nickname=XAVIER%20VIDEO&rank=1

best regards,
Xavier

india June 13, 2003 at 1:16 pm

I would just like to know what river or lakes that these GIANT fish are in. Please respond back and my God blessings to you all.

k.williams June 22, 2003 at 7:10 pm

Hi,We wonder what they do with all the catfish they catch?Sell them?Is that how they make a living?Wish we had some of the good catfish,thanks,kw

SilurusGlanis June 24, 2003 at 5:58 pm

india:
The biggest ones are caught in Spain, France and Italy, in Europe :-) .

k.williams:
These big wels catfish are caught with the spirit of “CATCH & RELEASE”. After the photos, these monsters went back into the river. This is only a hobby (except for fishing guides).

Zach July 9, 2003 at 1:07 pm

Hey i would like to know how to make a box out of wood to go hogging in

ty August 12, 2003 at 12:14 pm

how much catfish have u caut

ty August 12, 2003 at 12:19 pm

my first time i went nooling i went to a place in purcell and it was but still fun cat fish with a friend

Buck Brown August 18, 2003 at 6:06 am

i HAVE SOME FREINDS THAT WANT TO COME TO OKLAHOMA TO NOODLE,THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN AND WOULD LIKE TO HIRE SOMEONE TO GUIDE THEM AND TEACH THEM. IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED PLEASE CONTACT ME.
E-MAIL THE_BUCKSTER@HOTMAIL.COM

Abby September 1, 2003 at 2:27 am

Just curious.. if the fresh water catfish that y’all noodle poke their whiskers or whatever, does it cause a sickness like the salt water ones do? Thanks.

Chris September 1, 2003 at 6:05 pm

stupid

levi September 23, 2003 at 5:40 pm

first time i went noodlin i stuck my hand down there something moved and that was it for a while now i like to take my buddies out and watch them try it

bubba September 27, 2003 at 12:42 am

have ya’ll ever tried noodlin with your penis, now you talk about a good time.

Billie_Joes_Basket_Case October 1, 2003 at 8:09 am

he he he………..Green Day go Catfish Noodling……

Em.

I hate avril lavigne October 1, 2003 at 12:14 pm

WOO! CATFISH! YEAH MAN. I mean originally i heard about this from Mike Dirnt but after having thought this through.. maybe i will give it a go. I went to Bali once and there was 2 catfishes in a pond. Okay better get back to cat fish wrestling ( a new programme on MTV) catch y’all ( CATCH! GET IT?! CATCH THE CATFISH! HARGH HARGH) laterzzzzzz good luck fishing

Alice

Charlieeeeeeeeee October 1, 2003 at 12:53 pm

catfish are BIG

Rosie October 1, 2003 at 2:14 pm

I heard this from Mike Dirnt, coooolio Green Day noodling…hehe sounds furnie….okily check back soon………
Later.

green day fan October 1, 2003 at 5:48 pm

green day you fricken kick az

Greenday fuckin rawks!! October 1, 2003 at 7:58 pm

Greeday fuckin rawks..if u guys read this email me, sk8boardin_isnota_cr1me@hotmail.com

Greenday rawks!! October 1, 2003 at 7:59 pm

Greeday rawks..if u guys read this email me, sk8boardin_isnota_cr1me@hotmail.com

Greenday Fan October 1, 2003 at 8:07 pm

greenday..email me at sk8boardin_isnota_cr1me@hotmail.com

Kelly October 1, 2003 at 8:44 pm

Hey!
Just waqnt to mention that GreenDay kicks ass! And also thanx to Mike Dirnt on giving us this up date on CatFish Noodling.
E-mail me guys.
lunafreak1@juno.com
`Kel

Mikel October 1, 2003 at 9:49 pm

Green Day fuckin kicks ass. Thanks to Mr.Dirnt for the info on noodling. kick asssss!!!!!!!!!

Dan October 2, 2003 at 7:22 am

I LOVE GREENDAY! ONE DAY I WILL MEET THEASE GUYS AND THEN…WELL I DUNNO WHAT THEN BUT THAT WOULD RULE! I GUESS THIS IS HOW IM GUNNA MEET THEM…K WELL FIRST IM GUNNA TAKE MY BAND (D.A.) http://WWW.OFFICIALDA.COM AND GO TO MEXICO THEIR WE WILL START DANCEING AND DRINKING TILL WE POO OUR SELFS. THEN IM MOVING TO NEW…MEXICO…THEN WE WILL PLAY A SHOW IN A BACEMENT INFRONT OF A WHOLE 3 PEOPLE THAT ARE DEATH..THEN WE WILL WODDLE OVER TO A CAFE DOWN THE STREET IN WASHINGTON..THATS WHEERE I WILL GET A HUGE ASS RECORD DEAL AND THEN PLAY EVERY SHOW FOR THE REST OF MY LIKE WITH GREENDAY AND WELLL JUST THEM…WELL HAVE A HUMPERDEDUPER NIGHT KIDDIES! I LOVE YOU GREENDAY! CHECK OUT OUR WEB SITE http://WWW.OFFICIALDA.COM! LATER!

DAN
http://WWW.OFFFICIALDA.COM

Georgina October 2, 2003 at 12:59 pm

Another Green Day fan here. I would like to know, has Mike ever tried it? Or Billie or Tre for that matter. Dan, you’re a fool for thinking that anybody into catfish noodling gives two hoots about your band. Punk rock rules, but here, it’s all about the noodling…

shmedly October 2, 2003 at 4:54 pm

dude……wut the fuck r these peoples problems………….

Kristen October 2, 2003 at 8:02 pm

Hey lauren, i was on green day.com, and if ure reading this, what the hell man? what’s up with this cat fish thing? hahaha whatever, im going to try this dam noodling thing… im going to noodle around in my creek and see if i catch anything….

Cheezy Chaz October 2, 2003 at 8:14 pm

OK, oh my gosh yeah, green day, dont ever do this u guys ecspecially in the nude cuz like yeah there was this lake like in this place i use to live and yeah this guy went who also lived in this place lived by the lake in this place, right? well anyways, this dude went swimming in this lake, and him and these other people that lived by the lake were with this guy, and he went in the lake like totally in the buff, right? and like he wasnt even noodling but like this big ass fish thing, it was in the lake, it like grabbed his noodle, you know what im like saying right? and dragged him down and he disappeared forever, and everytime like at this place i use to live like by this lake, when people go skinny dipping in this lake, someone gets dragged under and almost dies, from like noodling around there noodle, and this cat fish like bites u or something and sometimesu can die and i dont want u guys to like die cuz u guys are the shit and i dont want anything to happen to u when ure noodling for these catfish things, ecspecially if ure naked, cuz u like die, seriously, and being dragged down penis first, is not like coool u know what im saying? yeah? so dont do it

Technodaddy October 2, 2003 at 10:35 pm

Before there was NASCAR

Rednecks still needed ways to entertain themselves, and, perhaps, separate themselves from their miscellaneous bodily extremeties. I was over at John’s Jottings, today, and found this article on Catfish Noodling, the act of fishing for giant catfish by…

dave October 3, 2003 at 7:24 pm

im confused
but
GREEN DAY RULES

That Guy October 4, 2003 at 4:48 pm

hey greenday i would appreciate an e-mail whats going on with “the network” and their connections to you and the rumors going on ??? i would appreciate a reply ! we gota know ! dont go changing the band ye guys kick ass ! WOAHHHH !! greenday ! yeah… ehh.. umm………….. YEAH !

Tom October 4, 2003 at 6:06 pm

HANG OUT WITH YOUR WANG OUT….WHEN YOUR CATFISH NOODLING!

jon October 4, 2003 at 10:20 pm

greenday rocks!

Meghan October 5, 2003 at 12:11 pm

Found this via greenday.com and wow! I think it’s kinda cool that the guys are doing this shit. My friend Justin does it *sometimes* naked and it’s fucking funny to watch. Anyway, there’s no way I’m tying this shit, it scares me. But it’s entertaining to watch, nonetheless. Later, and good luck with the noodling -and such-. *I wanna be Billie’s dominated love slave*

~Meghan

inagreendaze@hotmail.com

http://anomaly.50megs.com

basket_case6 October 5, 2003 at 1:13 pm

Green Day!! Why did mike tell us to go here tho? confusing. catfish noodlin? lame as hell. i don’t even wanna no. the darkness fuckin rule! not as much as green day obviously. hmmmmmmmmmm….

u no who i am.... October 5, 2003 at 1:17 pm

Green day rock!!! and Tre is just the fittest guy in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i have nothing 2 say about catfish noodling…it’s random….

basket_case6 October 5, 2003 at 1:19 pm

Got your number!!! r green day gonna read this? if so hi to them! cya 4 now m8s i luv you all

That Guy October 5, 2003 at 2:32 pm

yeah Me and me girflfriend love greenday YEAHH !! GREENDAY !!! GO GREENDAY !
still waiting on the next album… !!!! =)

I AM JOE(!!!!!!) October 5, 2003 at 4:52 pm

i got here from greenday.com, and i just wanted to say DUDES!!!!!!!!!!!! DONT JUST WASTE THESE PEOPLE’S COMMENTS ON SAYINg “GREEN DAY RAWKS!” dudes, yall are the lame ones, but anyway GREEN DAY DOES FREAKIN ROCK!!!

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