Catfish Grabbin?

It was called noodlin' in the Missouri Ozarks
back in the '40's-'50's when I was still a kid. Scary business noodlin'. Against the law too in most places.
I saw too many skinned up hands for me to try it, let alone the thought of a big ole
Snapper back in one of those holes. I can only imagine that a startled beaver would be a heck of a surprise too!

Grabbin' was done with large treble hooks for
rough fish like Suckers, and is still legal
in most places for Suckers or the prehistoric
Spoonbill (Paddlefish).
They are caught by grabbin' (snagging), because they don't bite any kind of bait
readily.

Hey friends... Keep both hands and all ten fingers for fly fishing. Noodlin' isn't worth it!

[beadleech]

Fellows - along the Ohio River it's called "hoggin". I did it when I was young and really dumb!

Don't use those chicken gizzards either! Deep fry them with lots and lots of pepper.

[Eight Thumbs]

BA-04,

I notice you said snapping turtles usually go into the holes head first. I would sure hate to run into that one in a hundred that either backs in or turns around once he's in the hole. It could make fly tying a much more challenging undertaking. 8T (I wouldn't want to become 6T or 4T)

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You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it's a real short camping season.

[RG/AR]

Used to noodle when I was young, spry, and dumb....now I'm older, and those big cats can whip my a@@...I leave 'em alone now.

[Soup]

do a search for "Okie Noodlin"

They now have a statewide tourny in Oklahoma every summer just for this. I bought the dvd of the show that was mentioned on PBS. Hilarious

[LadyFisher]

You folks must have missed the Old Rupe stories in Old Flies; Here's a goodie: [url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/oldflies/part14.html:6d9de]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/oldflies/part14.html[/url:6d9de]

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LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL

[Gnu Bee Flyer]

When I was a Kid Many moons ago , the Sockeye salmon in a local Creek would lie in the shelter of a cutbank in the Shade , We would sit in the water up to our waists reach under the bank and wait till we felt one , You'd slowly run your hand down the belly ,which never spooked them suprisingly enough , back to the thinest spot at the tail and grab on . It was cold as heck and lots of times You had to quit and go warm by the fire , but it was still more successful than fishing for them . I don't think I'd want to noodle a big ole gater by mistake .