I think AP probably meant to say Sherry, gently consumed to the hypnotic rhythm of the banjo. I wonder if they caught those fish in Brazoria County?

But seriously, even as I diehard fisherman, I would have no desire to fry up any part of those monster cats. Catfish that big, old and nasty deserve to keep on living, imho. Just trying to clean one of those dagnasty fish would be taking nasty to a new level, and no telling what you would find in their innards. Catfish eat all sorts of varmits and critters that fall in the water.

Greg, Speaking of lunch for those big galoots, I think I know where Jimmy Hoffa might have ended up, maybe those two guys will discover his left-overs when they open those things up.

I wonder how much a taxidermist would charge to stuff and mount fish that size????

There is an actual HBO documentary on the subject of noodling. Called "Okie Noodling." Might want to check it out. For those of you with Netflix, it is available, but only after I return my copy.

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Originally posted by John Bradley:
There is an actual HBO documentary on the subject of noodling. Called "Okie Noodling." Might want to check it out. For those of you with Netflix, it is available, but only after I return my copy.

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I've got the movie at the top of my queue at netflix and they must have more than one copy! Probably a lot of people out there interested in the sport of noodling.

I would like to see Lindsey Roberts introduce the sport of noodling as a part of the next annual in September. Just a demonstration, mind you. I don't think it would be too difficult to analogize it to some of the work we do. What do you say, Lindsey?

Who in the criminal justice system would serve as the catfish?

I definitely hear banjo music guys. Kinda like I hear when folks in my area go hog-dog hunting to catch wild hogs with their bare hands. Of course, they normally hail from the northern reaches of Grimes County, like Bedias, otherwise known as the child molester capital of Grimes County. I bet there are plenty noodlers who hail from Bedias TX. I know A.P. has to be familiar with that little noodler/hog-dog haven.

I'll have to see the documentary before passing judgment on the noodlers. Noodling may just be an underappreciated sport like curling was until the it became an olympic sport.

Ah, the mention of hog/dog hunting brings back fond memories of Leg session not so long ago, when some Harris County rep thought he would ban it. You should have heard the tesimony and seen the visitors:

But John, that attempted legislation was all pork anyway. BTW, nice photo, I would ask though, why is the truck bed nearly touching the ground (or is it simply bogged down in Grimes County sod?) -- either those hogs were heavyweights or the fellows piled into the back of the truck were healthy-eaters. And what is that dog looking for at the rear portal of the middle porker?

This fish is 58 inches long, 44 inches around, and reportedly has been kept alive to be displayed at the Cabella's Outfitter Store in Kansas City, Kansas. The fish is expected to be certified as a new world record by the International Game Fish Association.

HOOKED! Not Noodled? What a Wimp.

I once dated a girl that looked just like that.

Man drowns while noodling in Oklahoma

EDMOND, OKLA. - A man died while noodling in a creek east of Edmond, police said.
The victim's name wasn't released, but he is described as a Hispanic male in his 30s, Edmond police officer Randy Payne said.

The man and five friends were noodling - trying to catch catfish with their hands - in a creek about 150 yards north of State Highway 66, police said.

The men split up for a while, then found the victim submerged around 3 p.m.

He was taken to an Edmond hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

I'll have to hand it to the noodling topic alert service--I hadn't seen this topic in over a year and yet received an email alert once someone had posted. I was in the gym the other day and someone told me that growing up in Oklahoma they noodled and wondered without laughing whether I did that as well growing up in St. Louis. I guess once noodling gets in your blood you can't stop and you think everyone is doing it.

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Originally posted by JFowler:
Man drowns while noodling in Oklahoma

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Oklahoma man dies in noodling accident near Idabel

FROM STAFF REPORTS
Published: August 9, 2009

IDABEL � Authorities this morning recovered the body of a man who was swept over a dam in the Little River near Idabel while he and two others were noodling, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported.

Christopher Dale Chapman, 27, of Idabel and a companion were caught in a current and swept over a low-water dam about 4 p.m. Friday, troopers said. They had been hand-fishing for catfish west of the dam on the river's south bank.

For the full story: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-man-dies-in-noodling-accident-near-idabel/article/3391625

Call me old fashioned, but I still fish with a rod and reel.

All things considered, it's still safer than canoodling with one.

*Cue the banjo*

Mike Leggett at the AAS has an article and a short video about his recent noodling experience on the Sabine with some river rats who've been doing it all of their lives. The video is short but one can see the obvious pain on the noodler's hand as he is bringing the medium sized (40lbs or so) cat out of the water and into the boat.

Mike Leggett's Using the old noodle catching catfish by hand

I'm still going to have to go with the old more fashioned methods of rod and reel or trotline for my catfishing.