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Random Quote: You can't save people from themselves
Saw Mike Rowe of "Dirty Jobs" doing it with some southern noodlers... How counter-intuitive is it to stick your hand in a log or rock crevice underwater with zero visabilty?! Is it true that snapping turtles won't let go even if you cut their heads off? Yes? I rest my case....
__________________ Kencraft Buxton 25 PH
Jones Brothers Cape Fisherman CC
Pro line 251 WA
Catfish get in holes like this when spawning. Female catfish lay their eggs, then a male cat moves in to guard the eggs. The noodler feels for these holes because he knows when he reaches in, if a cat is on guard, it'll bite him. Then he can grab the fish--maybe--and pull it out.
Back when I was a kid, I had some uncles that had done it all their life. I was just a little kid but I remember that every one of my uncles on my dad's side was missing a digit somewhere.
I'm way too much of a wussy for that! To be honest I don't even like touching the bottom of the "bayou" with my shoes on! No way I'm gonna stick my hand in some freakin hole looking for a catfish.
Hey guys...Was just looking around and ran across your forum...I'm one of the guys from Okie Noodling...I appreciate your honesty and thoughts..Actually it's not as bad as it seems..You just have to get over the fear of the unknown..It's a tough one to do,so I've heard many times from guys that wanted to try it with me...Anyway FYI there will be Okie Noodling part 2 coming out around March of 2008,also I done a show called Glutton For Punishment for the food network that should air in January...The host,Bob Blumer,came and got ahold of his first fish...Ought to be a interesting show as we got a couple of near 60 pounder's...and those fish really worked on him.....Keep on fishing!!!
It's something you get used too, and after you've encountered a turtle, you will be able to tell the difference instantly from then on. You use a stick to feel with and that usually eliminates the snappers getting your hand, but I had one bite through a sack and took a chuck out of my back before. I had a burlap sack full of em thrown over my shoulder. But hey, turtle stew is pretty dang good. We never called it "Noodling", we called it "grapplin". North Georgia term. A couple of burlap sacks, jon boat, and an old hand crank telephone was all the fishing gear we had when I was young. We also used shotguns when bass were on the beds. The "black and tans" in the pic were very useful in putting food on the table too.
I grew up in south Mississippi and we call it grapplin as well, as a good friend of minedescribes grapplin in lake Washington..."Mike old buddy, it's like pickin apples"...We make our own boxes as well as old bathtubs staked upside down, all kinds of crap rigged up to work. I personally have never encountered a turtle...yet. It's a blast. About getting "stung", once they get bigger their pectoral fins are rubbed blunt so as not to stick you. They do bite when you stick your arm in there.
Noodling 
