Noodling in its purest form is the practice of catching catfish with bare hands. No rods, reels, hooks or lines are used. Noodling was used by Native Americans and perhaps other earlier people.
One of the earliest accounts of noodling was written in 1775 by trader-historian James Adair, who described Indians grabbing for catfish.
Hand-grabbing for catfish in the southern U.S. is called noodling, while in other parts of the country it’s called grabbling, hogging, dogging, tickling, graveling, catfisting, and stumping.
Conventional practitioners of this sport wade into shallow water and probe suspected catfish holes with their bare hands, waiting for a catfish to chomp down on one of their hands, so the fish can be grabbed and lifted from the water.
Innovative noodlers employ scuba gear and build their own catfish boxes where they grab for catfish.
Noodling is legal in only a small number of states. Regulations and license requirements vary from state to state. Would-be noodlers should check with their local authorities before engaging in this activity.
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