Why noodle catfish

Another reason that may be behind catfish being the main target of noodling is that across the South, it is a common item on restaurant menus and can be found frequently at the fish counters in grocery stores. And because there are no rods , reels or any other equipment required for noodling, catching catfish can be one way of obtaining free food for your family.

Noodling is thought to have been used as a method of catching fish long before European settlers arrived in America, with Native Americans mastering this handfishing technique to catch food. It is then thought to have become a way of catching food in the Deep South during the Great Depression, when money was tight and noodling was free.

Today, while it may not be a particularly common tactic for catching fish, it is still practised in some rural areas of the South and in some states in the Midwest where it is legal.

And in recent years there may have been a jump in popularity because of the various television shows that have shown noodling. Noodling can be dangerous, as many of the catfish that are targeted can often be very large and very strong. This means there is a risk of you being pulled under the water by the fish or becoming trapped or even swept away by a strong current, all of which could cause drowning.

As well as this, there are various other critters hiding in the water that could injure you, including snapping turtles, water moccasins and even alligators.

It is important to have others with you in case you get into trouble. Noodle fishing is not legal everywhere. There are only a few states, in the South and Midwest, that currently allow noodling.

One of the main reasons why noodling is illegal in most states is because of the way in which the fish are targeted , as well as the sizes of fish that are caught. Noodle fishing can have a negative effect on fish numbers. By removing the large male catfish from the nest, it not only affects the survival of the eggs in the nest but also removes a successful breeding fish from the water, which can have a significant impact on the numbers of fish.

As of Sep - Check local authorities for up-to-date information. After the catfish is removed from the nest, research has shown that the eggs will not survive, with a fungus forming on them in just 12 hours. We also just released a new video showing how to noodle huge catfish with underwater footage! Feel free to subscribe to our channel to see more river catfish noodling videos!

The first step to noodling catfish is actually finding the catfish. Learning to spot locations where catfish may hide or finding catfish holes in a river is both a skill and an art. When you first start trying to find catfish holes you may have a difficult time actually deciding whether an area looks promising or not.

But if you are in it just for the fun and the food, it is hard to go wrong with a passive fishing method like trotlining, jug lining and noodling. Each method calls for securing a line to a stationary or floating object, suspending one or more baited hooks beneath the surface, then waiting for a spell to see if you get any takers.

While all three can be super productive, none will keep you busier out there when the catfish are on a tear than a couple of dozen noodles will. Not surprisingly, the Braggs also catch a lot of fish in the process. In fact, they are usually able to stock their freezer with enough channel cat for multiple family fish fries.

Not to be confused with hand fishing for catfish, setting and running noodles is more akin to fishing with jug lines.

The main difference is the style of the floating device used to suspend the bait. Just tie on your baited line, drop your Noodle into the water and get ready. The Noodle floats on its side until a fish takes the bait. Then, the Noodle will pop straight up letting you know you have caught a fish. These are great ways to help introduce kids to fishing because the excitement of seeing the noodle pop up gets them pumped up. An added feature is that it glows in the dark, making things conventient especially as the catfish bite often goes to night in the summer.

The typical jug line is made by tying a length of heavy line to a one-gallon anti-freeze jug or a liter Coke bottle with several hooks spaced out to cover the water column. The noodle serves the same purpose, but is generally built for applications in fairly shallow water with only one hook. Not only are noodles inherently easier to manage than jugs, but they are also way less cumbersome to store when not in use. For storage or transport, wrap the line and stab the hook into the foam to keep everything tangle free.

You an easily fit more than a dozen catfish noodles neatly into the same space it takes to hold jug lines. Another neat thing about catfish noodles is they are relatively easy and inexpensive to build, or you can purchase them already assembled.

One of the most popular manufactured catfish noodles on the market is made by Little Stinker, which also offers all sort of hooks, baits, jugs and other gear designed especially for the whiskered fish connoisseur.