The name noodling is just one of many monikers for this type of fishing.
In Mississippi, Alabama, and North Carolina it is called grabbling, while
in Arkansas and Missouri it is called hogging. Tickling or dogging is what
it is known as in Kentucky and stumping in Nebraska. Its official name,
according to many state wildlife regulations, is hand fishing. The origins
of the name noodling are unknown, but it is speculated that it comes from
the slippery nature of the catfish, which can feel like a wet noodle.
Noodling is legal in only a handful of states, most of them being in the
southern United States, where catfish can weigh over 100 pounds.
The first written documentation of noodling in America was by a
trader-historian named James Adair, who wrote of southern Indians diving
under the rock where the cat-fish lie to shelter, offering their hand as
bait to a fish that immediately seize it with the greatest violencethen
is the time for the diver seize the voracious fish by his tender parts,
hath a sharp struggle with it against the crevices of the rock, and at last
brings it safe ashore.
The story of noodling on the American frontier became intertwined with the
legends associated with catfish, such as their supposed gargantuan size and
propensity to eat small children. For example, in Mark Twains Life on the
Mississippi, a catfish six foot long and weighing 250 pounds is claimed to
have been seen.
Another factor contributing to the development of noodling was that it has
the very practical aspect of being able to put a lot of meat on the table
in a short amount of time, as most specimens taken this way are quite large.
Shelter for a nesting catfish, such as along submerged highways, under
rocks or mud banks, hollow logs, or inside of abandoned drums.
Once favorite nesting sites have been found for a body of water, catfish
are likely to be in the same spots year after year.
This is not a consideration to be taken lightly because people have drowned
while participating in this form of fishing!
A noodler should be a good swimmer.
An inexperienced noodler should fish with a partner. There is a danger of
not being able to surface because a catfish is too strong, and also the
possibility of getting trapped in falling logs or other debris.
Wear as little clothing as possible, to avoid getting snagged on sticks or
branches, and to make it easier to resurface after a deep dive.
The advice on wearing gloves is conflicting. Some noodlers say gloves will
help protect the skin on ones hands, for catfish do have strong jaws and
teeth like rough sandpaper. Catfish also have leading rays on dorsal and
pectoral fins that can cause cuts or puncture wounds. Others say gloves
will only increase the chances of getting snagged on surrounding materials
in the holes. Some noodlers eliminate the question altogether by using a
hook, usually about 6 inches long, instead of fingers, to grab the
fish.There are other animals that could occupy that dark hole being reached
into, such as dangerous snapping turtles, poisonous snakes, or beavers. For
this reason, some noodlers probe the holes with a cane or stick first: if
it feels rough, its a snake, if it feels like a rock, its a turtle, and
if it feels smooth, its probably a catfish.
-- Jay DeLong Olympia, WA /----------------------------------------------------------------------------- /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes / Association" / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead. / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org </x-flowed>