photo #71187

The scorching hot late spring and early summer sun of America's bountiful bread basket brings about opportunity and abundance in many forms. Just a little after the spring spawn and rains, catfish begin to nest. It is at this time when noodling (aka grappling, hand fishing, bulldogging) is at its prime. While the fish pictured was not even close to my largest, due to the circumstances of the trip, it remains one of my top favorites. Its one of those, you had to be there, times most just can't understand. While it is a very dangerous practice, it is also very fun and as you can see, it can be rewarding as well. 1. My #1 rule is never noodle alone.2. Always let people close to you know where you will be going. 3. Have a verbal and nonverbal communication system in place ahead of time. When one person gets in trouble under the water, you have to know when they need you to intervene or help out. 4. Leave some for our children. When you clean an area out, it may take years or even decades to recover. Selectively harvest so you have a spot to come back to year after year.