Noodling - unusual fishing for the most courageous

Fishing is one of the most popular hobbies in the world. There are many ways to catch fish, and everyone can choose what they like. Many of us tried to catch fish with our bare hands as children. Most often this ended in failure, because we are talking about strong, nimble and slippery prey. But there are people who only fish with their hands. This method of “silent hunting” is called noodling and is popular in the USA.

Noodling is an extreme form of catching catfish with your bare hands. It originated in the southern United States and is now officially permitted in 11 states. It’s worth saying right away that recently noodling has been called any fishing by hand. But catching catfish in a hole is still considered a classic.

To catch a fish this way, you first need to find its hole. This process is not easy and can take much longer than the fishing itself. When the catfish's habitat is discovered, the fisherman sticks his hand there. The predatory fish tries to swallow the limb, but falls into a trap and is brought out into the light.

It all looks very simple, but it only seems so. When a hand ends up in an underwater hole, you can expect anything. In addition to catfish, there may be sharp branches, lost fishing gear, wire and other dangerous objects in the dark passage.

Therefore, experienced noodlers use special protective gloves. It is also customary to go on such fishing together - a partner is nearby and insures in case of unforeseen situations.

The popularity of noodling is growing rapidly. Until recently, this was a hobby of a few, which supporters of traditional fishing looked down on as funny eccentrics. Today, thousands of Americans are fond of noodling, and the new type of fishing has already found fans in other countries.

There are even noodling competitions that attract huge numbers of fans. This is not surprising, because this is a very spectacular action, especially if the catfish is large enough. Increasingly, among fans of such fishing you can find girls, for example Hannah Barron from Illinois. The ladies not only hunt successfully, but even win championships!