Annals of Innovation–“Rods, We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Rods!”: Why not? “We’re Okie noodlers!” You’re what? “Noodlers.” OK, this is going to take some ‘splainin. Thanks to reader (and college buddy) Steve Tomlin, TWC can report that there is an eccentric Wetass subculture, centered in Oklahoma, that likes to catch large, ugly catfish by trapping them in the nooks and holes of lakes, and then hooking them in the mouth and gills…by thumb. Possibly a practice that originated with Native Americans, noodling is now a full-fledged pastime, no doubt replete with lots of beer, sitting around, and ridiculous, outrageous stories. Click here to check out a documentary about Okie noodlers, or sign up for the 5th Annual Okie Noodling Tournament and Fish Fry, sponsored by Bob’s Pig Shop. But before you rush off to Oklahoma, assuming noodling is easy, safe and a good excuse to liquor up, here’s an excerpt on the ins and outs of the sport from a feature in Outdoor Life:

“Even if you’re fortunate enough to avoid the turtles, beavers, snakes and alligator gar, that still leaves you with one more big problem—the catfish themselves. Needing only a few feet to accelerate, smaller cats can deliver lung-emptying blows, while bigger ones can knock a man clean off his feet and crack a few ribs in the process.

As far as anyone can tell, the sport’s name derives from the fish’s smooth, scaleless skin. “That son of a gun is like a wet noodle when you try to catch him,” says McFarlin, “just slimy, slippery.” Consequently, a noodler lands a catfish by wedging his thumbs into the corners of its mouth and hooking his fingers up under the gills. So long as you keep your thumbs lodged in the crook of the fish’s maw, McFarlin explains, you’ll avoid the countless minuscule teeth that carpet its jaws.

While no sharper than heavy-grade sandpaper, the legions of inward- facing teeth can spell big trouble for noodlers. If a cat manages to clamp down on your hand—or worse, your arm—the fish metamorphoses into a barbeled buzz saw, gyrating wildly as it attempts to strip the meat from whatever offending appendage it has between its mandibles. At best, you’ll lose a little flesh in the encounter. At worst, McFarlin tells me moments after I’ve agreed to join him on a noodling expedition, you’ll drown.”

Well, then. At least there is the prospect of some good catfish stew after all the bleeding is done…



Gnarly Noodler: “Damn, this thing looks just like my wife…except it has teeth.”

(Photo: Okie Noodling)

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