Noodlers unite

Noodling... shucks, I thought the alternate method was using dynamite or a telephone. Now your telling me its noodling? LOL

 

veteran catfish noodler here, I like reading the quotes from the anti-noodlers, most of them are ridiculous. Noodling during the spawn is the best time to go, when else are you gonna noodle them, during the winter? I think it is great getting two big catfish out of the same hole. I enjoy fishing with rod and reel and jugs, but that is just to pass the time till the water warms enough for noodling, which is any day now, I personally start around memorial weekend.
:big_smile:

 

Yes if you go back and read their post over time,many brag of their fish caught.All types caught in the pre-spawn times where their weight will be more due to eggs.They use every advantage that they can afford to BUY to catch these fish.Yep they brag and are proud of this equipment.Even the ones that are caught and released have a higher mortality and abortion rate.They enter things and compete where they are "PAID" for catching fish!

Yet these folk cry "Un sportsmanship" when someone uses their hands or a hand and box to catch a fish.Who is the Real "commercial fisherman" here?Who is the real sportsman?What hypocrites we often are if we honestly look at ourselves!But,most just spend a lifetime denying the truth.

I have spent a lifetime buying and using what I could afford to catch fish.I do not lie to myself and the world about it while condemning others.

It sort of puts them in the same type class with Hillary Clinton,"a Philogynist who's failures are all caused by Misogynist".

I challenge anyone to find a more sporting method of catching catfish than the Georgia legal method of "Noodling or Grabbling".Very little to no pre spawn and you get to sort out the Gators,Snappers,Cottonmouths and worse of all the little "Stink Pot or Musk Turtles" who will bite a 13 foot Gator.I know this to be a fact as I saw one crawl out to sun with one attached to the Gators toe claw.After a while it turned loose and crawled back into the water.Funny and amazing!All of this is due to our water temperatures in our March 1-July 15 season.

And yes,Cottonmouths can bite underwater.

We will always have those who condemn everything but their choices in life.These type folk are "PETA's good friends".

I have had folk who have been offended for my reasons for not trophy fishing or hunting though I do not condemn it.I understand none who are offended by folk who do not see or do things their way.

I love you Brothers and Sisters.alfred

 

i could not agree more pee wee. some of the condemers, about 17 have dissapeared from my right to use the ignore list. adgenda pushers i just get rid of. i love the debates and opinions. but rude ones pushing there holy im better than you ways because they can afford custom rods and new boats i give about three chances and then they go bye bye. and if there offended. ill never know nore care.

i do not noodle. i have hogged turtles. ONLY when i can see them, lol. i dont put my hands where i cannot see under water,lol.

i set bank lines and jugs. and i was thinking discrimination at first. but now am glad we have this area. and if some dont like it. oh well. i never go to the tournement threads i dont cpr all my fish. some ya. but i eat quite a few. and they can share opinions here too. fine. but at least when a hater comes here to judge. well have our forces in order,lol. this has never been a crp only board as some think. pee wee. you have been reped my friend.:wink:

 

thanks for starting this thread bill, we need our own place here to brag a little.. I love noodling and there's no bigger rush than doing it..

my only hicup for this years noodling season is my first kid is due the 13th of june!! gonna have to find some spots alot closer to home now..

 

I got no problem with it...............other than the fact you haven't posted any videos yet.



Richard

 

I have always found it to be fascinating. I've always thought I'd like to try it, but I'm not sure I have the nerve. My hats off to those who do.

 

YOU GUYS ARE CRAZY!!!!

Mik

:wink:

 

Fellas, my hats off to you guys! I had my Uncle Johnny Mac lose his finger to a turtle in 88 back in NE Texas. Glad you guys have your own area here, don't get mad if i drop in from time to time to say hey!

 

If any of ya'll ever noodle grand lake, i would sure like the opportunity to watch. Ummmm, watch i said, i need all my fingers.

 

Now don't go gettin mad and hittin any ignore features on me please, I just wanna learn more about this... All I know about it is from a short bit of TV I watched one day and when I found out that people reach into the NESTS to grab them my first thought was pretty normal, I think. Now if you do it in an area where they are overpopulating or such, my viewpoint is "more poiwer to ya!", but having no way of knowing if that's the case, all I can do is ask. I mean, I don't imagine there are a whole lotta ppl willing to risk doing this so I don't suppose the number of fish prevented from spawning can be high enough to have any great impact on the fishery, right? Personally, in my area, the fishing seems to be best mid summer through fall, where I throw a line at least, and I've never hauled in any egg laden monsters, so aside from comparing this to the bad things anglers do, what are the arguments in favor of, or supporting the validity of this methiod? Just honest questions here guys, hope no ones gets offended.

 

The validity of this method in okla is that it is a legal means of fishing. Also there is a 3 flathead daily noodling limit with a minimum size of 20 inches. As far as taking fish from there spawning beds I really don't see what the big deal is, any catfish that is caught and kept will never spawn again no matter what the means of fishing. I'm sure a lot of anti-noodlers on this site have caught and cleaned fish with bellies full of eggs. I'm sure they believe in their minds that the fish they catch don't spawn, just the ones that noodlers catch are allowed to spawn. I'm sure that rod and reel fisherman have a much greater effect on the catfish population than the few noodlers in this country.

 

I am an old noodler, gave it up though. I live in Pauls Valley, where they have the big noodling tournament each year. Hopefully next year I will be able to make the weigh in. As I understand it this year there was to much water to hold it.

I think a lot of people dont understand what noodling is about. I fish year round with rod and reel. No different than noodling.

Most noodlers I know only noodle, and rarely fish with rod and reel. So what is the difference of noodling a couple times a year or fishing all year round to fill up the freezer.

Noodlers are a small crowd, not number in the millions. If that were the case there would not be a catfish left in Oklahoma....

Good luck

 

Hey Bill,
Thanks for the thread bro. Our year is well under way over here on the east coast. We got a pb three weeks ago. A big thick 46 lb male cleaning out. We snapped a few pics and let him go to get bigger My biggest to date. I know y'all get a lot bigger out there in Okie. Hope to visit the tourney next year. Good luck and grapple on fellas.

Todd

 

forgot to post the pic.......

 

You guys rock. I watched a show on the documentry channel about the tourney they have in Oklahoma and I was glued to the tv. I'm amazed that someone would willingly stick thier hand in a hole and grab or wait for a giant fish to bite it. I don't have the nerve to do it, but I think you guys that do are pretty cool.

 

hey todd i dont have enough posts to pm you back, but yes the 2 blues i caught were caught noodling. i grew up going with my dad and my brothers and now i am hooked. there is nothing like the natural rush you get when you find a big fish in a hole.

 

I SAW THE DIRTY JOBS PART OF NOODLING AND THEN THE OKIE NOODLEING

I WOULD LOVE TO TRY IT BUT IS ILLEGAL

 

LeRoy, is it illegal or just not mentioned in the Az. laws? I cant get a straight answer from the wardens here, then again most of them thought a carp was a game fish, sad that I can stump most of them and they get paid to know the laws. :tounge_out: