Would you walk into a pitch-black cave not knowing what lurks inside? Once inside, would you blindly feel around the walls for nooks and holes? Would you reach inside those holes and grab whatever creature may be living inside? If you answered yes, then I have a sport for you. It's most commonly referred to as "Noodling."

Noodling is the art of catching catfish using nothing but your bare hands. That's right, you offer your bare hands as fish bait. No rods, line, or hooks. Just hands. Noodling can also be referred to as hogging, tickling, grabbling, or dogging.

To begin noodling you must first scout out the terrain. You do this by wading through lakes and river bottoms, looking for underwater hot spots where catfish would likely be hiding. These hot spots are hard to see, this is largely due to the fact that they are covered with water. To find them you must reach underneath the water and feel for holes in the bank, in logs, beneath rocks and so forth. When spawning the male catfish will move into holes like these to protect the female catfish eggs. The noodler will then stick a hand into the hole offering it as bait. If the noodler is lucky there will be a male catfish on guard, it will chomp down on the hand, and the noodler will grab it and wrestle it to the surface.

Catfish however are not the only creatures that occupy these underwater lairs. The stink of it is, the noodler doesn't know exactly what's in the hole. Many noodlers have encountered such unfriendly creatures such as beavers, copperhead snakes, water moccasins, and snapping turtles. None of which are known for their friendly hospitality. Hands, fingers, and arms have been reported being gnawed off by unhappy beavers and snappers. This however, according to many noodlers, is what makes the sport so exciting.

Noodling can be dangerous and even fatal at times. Almost every noodling adventure involves minor wounds. The whole using your "hand-as-bait" method probably has a little something to do with it. Other dangers like drowning and being bitten by poisonous snakes do exist. Some of the more advanced noodlers will poke a stick inside the black hole first. If it feels rough, it's a snake, if it feels like a rock, it's a turtle, and if it feels smooth, it's more than likely a catfish. Only good experienced swimmers should attempt to noodle. It is common practice to wear as little clothing as possible when noodling, it eliminates the chances of being snagged on a rock or log, and being trapped underwater. Always noodle with a partner, sometimes it takes two people to free the noodler's arm from the catfish's mouth. Catfish of 50-60 pounds have been wrestled to shore, it requires great strength and multiple people to surface the beasts.

Noodlers will argue the case that noodling is the only way to fish. I myself have grown quite fond of all ten of my fingers and prefer the more traditional way of fishing. I'll leave it up for you to decide, but you should know that the Oxford English Dictionary, defines noodling as "a stupid person."

Learn more about this author, Clinton Germain.
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