PlanetCatfish.com

Oi. Came across this site today: http://snopes.com/photos/noodling.asp

Methinks some people have WAY too much time on their hands LOL

I believe those pictures were posted here some time ago. Why snopes has pictures of wels in a story about noodling, or hand fishing for Ictalurids, beats me.

There was actually a NY Times article on noodling a while back. I think it's more for the thrills than the fish

Rusty

Heh, being a NYer myself I read the NYT on a fairly regular basis, but I musta missed that one!

I'm just glad the tank is in the other room; I'd hate for my lipo to get any ideas! LOL

The preferred (only?) catfish species caught by noodling is the flathead cat (<i>Pylodictis olivaris</i>).

Beleive it or not they have made noodling illegal in some states along the mississippi river basin. Cant recall but i think missouri is one. Dont know why its illegal its probibally easier on the fish than hook and line fishing. Personally I think Id pass on wrestling flatheads underwater.

Noodling is illegal because it is: a. considered dangerous and more importantly, b. it depletes natural stocks of catfish faster than hook-and-line fishing. The main target of noodlers are nesting catfishes. Once the guarding parent is captured, this exposes the eggs/fry to predation.

Those are the biggest catfish I have ever seen, I would be scared to try that

Shawn,'

That's only the beginning. There are giant South American and some Asian catfish which are terribly awesome.

Regards,
Mike D.

Shawn they dont really noodle for the catfish in the pics, those are wels from europe. Flatheads are big bot not nearly AS big.

really the ones in south america get bigger? thats crazy have you ever seen one in person