Years ago the wife and I went to Southern Illinois to visit her folks.
While there her Dad says "Jhooaan(southern Illinois for John), tomorrow we'll get some catfish".
The next day as we're getting in the car, I said "wait, I'll get my rod".
He said "don't need none, I got all we'll need".
We pull up to the Ohio river, jump out, open the trunk and he hands me
a pair of hip waders and a gunny sack. Then he jumps in the river and says
com'on Jhooaan, I got one. Then he throws a 20 lb cat up on the shore.
Doing as I was told I get in the river and kinda stand there wondering what
in hell we are doing. He says "it's called hawgin, just feel along the bank for
holes and stick your hand in and pull out the catfish". Well, that seemed
simple enough. So we're hunched over walking along the bank pulling out
cat from 3-30lb. After a while we stop for a smoke. I notice his ring finger
and little finger on his left hand are gone. I said "John (his name also), what
in the world happened to your fingers"? "I guess I shoudda told ya he says,
but sometimes instead of a catfish there's a big ol snapping turtle in the
hole in the bank and that's what happens".I said "tell ya what John, I'll
be the gunny sack man and gather up the cats you throw on shore.
He mumbled something about "damn yankees" and I haven't hawged or
noodled since!!!!
Crappiekiller3
Sittin here wishin I was out fishin!!!
YouTube has several videos of "noodling" and "grabbing"...
Interesting to watch but I'll stick to pole fishin.....
www.podunkideas.com <--Click here
Please be very careful when noodling. I have 2 insane uncles who have found snapping turtles and snakes in those holes! One uncle has rows of scars from his hand to his elbow from where an 80 pound flathead clamped down!
Pass me a minner :D
First and also the last time I went, pulled out a 10lb snapper!:D
Last time I saw a mouth like that it had a hook in it!
I've heard it called "grappling" also. Thanks, but I'll watch. Saw a video of a couple of guys throwing a 45lber in a waiting jon boat. Shredded a new pair of pretty tough lookin gloves. Don't have the inclination.
Wake me up early,
Be good to my dogs,
and teach my children to pray.
The bear trap joke sounded safer.
Quit complaining about the color, just pull up your skirt and fish! -- snagged
I know a man that took some 55 gal. drums and cut the side out of them
and filled them 1/2 full with gravel he sunk these in the lake and said the catfish
used them to spawn in . he swam down to them but he used an ole
hook thing that looked like what they used to get block ice a long time ago
it was a heavy wire hook with a wood cross handle
l
he would stick that in the fishes gills and bring them out