Hand Fishing for Cats

[Danny W]

I know it's illegal in Missouri to hand fish for cats but it is legal one state over in OK. What's the reason for this? Is it a moral thing, unfair for the fish? Is it a risk thing safety for fisherman? I just don't get how some guys can run a trot line, and not check them for a month at time and the catfish has a dime sized hole wollered in it's heads when you look at it compared to building a box and grabbing it with your hand. If the fish gets away no harm is done when the other way around the cat is dead via starving to death, or turtle bait. Just curious not trying to raise a stink over anything.

[beagle man]

Mo. use to let us noodle, then stopped it, just not enough interest in it, them low flat lakes in ok,tex and sippie. are best suited for it, try hand fishing on one of our deep lakes and it may be your last dip...... I did it a lot with my Dad, it was pretty scary at times, most nearly drowned on the spring river when I was 15, haven't liked going swimming much since

[perchplucker]

Can you imagine trying to hand fish for cats on the Missouri.

[MOfishmgr]

Missouri is known as the stream state but unfortunately many of those streams have been altered over the years. The most coveted streams for handfishing are the north Missouri streams that have been the most impacted. The biggest issue with handfishing is removing the fish from a spawning cavity. Once the fish is removed the entire egg mass it is protecting dies. Allowing this practice in streams with limited habitat would only magnify the impacts. In many of the states that allow handfishing, the catfish is not considered a sportfish. In Missouri, catfish usually rank tops among anglers. For more info on handfishing in Missouri see: Why "No" to Noodling? | Missouri Department of Conservation

[Danny W]

Missouri is known as the stream state but unfortunately many of those streams have been altered over the years. The most coveted streams for handfishing are the north Missouri streams that have been the most impacted. The biggest issue with handfishing is removing the fish from a spawning cavity. Once the fish is removed the entire egg mass it is protecting dies. Allowing this practice in streams with limited habitat would only magnify the impacts. In many of the states that allow handfishing, the catfish is not considered a sportfish. In Missouri, catfish usually rank tops among anglers. For more info on handfishing in Missouri see: Why "No" to Noodling? | Missouri Department of Conservation

This is why I love this board. Thanks for shedding some light on the subject. I love the television show mud cats and it's got me wanting to go to OK just to give it a shot. Maybe they could amend the law to lakes only?

[Danny W]

Mo. use to let us noodle, then stopped it, just not enough interest in it, them low flat lakes in ok,tex and sippie. are best suited for it, try hand fishing on one of our deep lakes and it may be your last dip...... I did it a lot with my Dad, it was pretty scary at times, most nearly drowned on the spring river when I was 15, haven't liked going swimming much since

Thats wild Michael I had no idea you were a noodler at one point. I guess you just put those boxes on mud flats in the lake?

[beagle man]

no on the boxes, we noodled tree root balls, rocks, nothing hand made, now down in Mississippi, I seen lots of them boxes guess it's legal down there. the conservation agency tried it on some rivers here but like I said it did not go over to well, to many reg. and not enough places it was legal to do. Now days I just buzz and buzz and tell how it use to was.

[day dreamer]

Now tell them the truth beagle that you pee your pants just a little when they bite sometimes scares the heck out of ya or so a guy told me once.

[LOZ Targa]

I don't know when it became illegal to noodle in MO. My grandpa and his brothers and brother inlaw used to tell stories about noodling for flatheads in the Niangua and Gasconade rivers and getting fish that were 70 lbs. and bigger.

[old fuzzy]

When i was a youngster u could sit around the feed store and tell who the noodlers were by just looking at their forarms and wrist,, (all skinned up)

The Glaize Creek up past PB-1 to the Swinging Bridge and then to Rt.A ,was a popular place