# Any Noodlers On Here?



## mbw1924 (Feb 15, 2005)

i was just reading an article about noodling. has or does anyone do it? i just dont know if i can go putting my hand into holes i cannot see in.


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## misfit (Apr 5, 2004)

there might be a few,but they most likely don't do it in this state,since it's illegal


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## Joey209 (Oct 17, 2007)

I think noodling is a crock of [email protected]#$!I think its worse than sight fishing for spawning Largemouth.I don't want to stick my hand in a barrel and pull out a fish thats resting or guarding its eggs.Thats not sporting at all.If you want a Flathead you get it when they're on the hunt.With a baitfish a rod and a reel!I hope noodling never becomes legal in Ohio.Just my opinion


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## puterdude (Jan 27, 2006)

I,like many others on here I am sure, agree with Joey 100%.


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## mbw1924 (Feb 15, 2005)

puterdude said:


> I,like many others on here I am sure, agree with Joey 100%.


i dont think it looks fun either, and didnt realize it was illegal in ohio. i just saw the artical and wondered if there were any crazy people here.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

I think it looks like a fun thing to do, but I think the fish should be released almost as soon as you get it.


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## katfish (Apr 7, 2004)

> I think the fish should be released almost as soon as you get it.


Why release it? The damage is done while wading around nests 
and the eggs will be scattered and eaten before you get done 
admiring your catch.

There is a reason Ohio closed season on smallmouth as they spawn.

When the water was pulled down at Piedmont Game and fish 
noted how many barrels were placed in shallow water so they 
would know where to watch the following Spring


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## cantsleep (Jul 25, 2007)

I've never seen it done except on TV, though a guy I knew 10 years ago talked about doing it in Indiana.(legal?) 
I never got the impression that it was done at spawn though. I always assumed it was done summer round. 

Just doesn't seem like something I would want to do, and if it causes havoc with spawning I'm glad it's illegal in Ohio.
/my .02


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## maggot (Apr 12, 2008)

I make the most delicious noodlers you ever tasted from scratch. I prefer the extra wide ones myself. I use them in everything, soup, chicken and noodles I even make a very tasty stroganoff with them. Anyone want my recipe just ask.


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

I've tried it on spawning catfish in a farm pond in Indiana. I thought the catfish would bite my hand and all I had to do was clamp down and bring it out. It wouldn't though.... I was able to grab a hold of it near the tail, but I lost it. It's a lot harder than it looks.


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## Mean Morone (Apr 12, 2004)

If I can't feel it taking drag, then I'm not interested. Looks like a sport for meat fisherman.


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## Joey209 (Oct 17, 2007)

Ain't nothin like a screaming bait clicker


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## Walter Adkins (May 20, 2004)

I must be on of the crazy ones. I have experience the pain of a 20+ flat head clamping down on my hand and the fight that come along with it. Noodling is not easy and is dangerous but also fun. There are other things laying back in those logs besides cats. Tournaments are even held down in the southern states. I do not know anyone, even the tournaments, that does it during the spring. We always did it in late July through August not during the spawn. But we also never kept any because we just were not very good at it. We could go for a whole day and we may find three with only getting one in hand out of those. Yet we could fish the same stretch and catch far more on rod and reel. I will say that if you think you want to try it go with some one that knows what they are doing. It is not for every one but then again nothing is.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

> We always did it in late July through August not during the spawn


 You were doing it during the spawn. Flatheads spawn in July. The only reason it works is because the fish are spawning.


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## Joey209 (Oct 17, 2007)

Walter Adkins said:


> I must be on of the crazy ones. I have experience the pain of a 20+ flat head clamping down on my hand and the fight that come along with it. Noodling is not easy and is dangerous but also fun. There are other things laying back in those logs besides cats. Tournaments are even held down in the southern states. I do not know anyone, even the tournaments, that does it during the spring. We always did it in late July through August not during the spawn. But we also never kept any because we just were not very good at it. We could go for a whole day and we may find three with only getting one in hand out of those. Yet we could fish the same stretch and catch far more on rod and reel. I will say that if you think you want to try it go with some one that knows what they are doing. It is not for every one but then again nothing is.


No thanks.Before you wanna go noodling you gotta think about the damage your doing to there offspring.I'm sure the birth rate of flatheads have dwindled in the south since noodling has become popular the last couple years.Anyone who loves these fish and obsess about them like I do ,and who would want them to flourish in the future for our kids to catch and learn about would say no thanks to noodling


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## williamonica0214 (Aug 1, 2006)

Any of you guys fish in northeast ohio . want to tech someone how to catch a flathead. i have always wanted to catch one. but have no clue how to as i am a bass guy mostly


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## beans (Jan 24, 2008)

I caught a decent flat head tuesday night. just get a stout rod and reel ,catch some blue gill (for bait) and fish on bottom near some structure or near a drop off. youre in for a good fight.


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## WISH IT WAS YOU (Jul 25, 2006)

umm i have never done it for flat heads but at a friends of mine has privete club he belongs to and channels will go in to in to these areas the muskrats distroyed you can do the same thing i am not sure if that would make it legal or not since its privete but we did it anyways here is a couple pics
i cant even tell you how bad just channels hurt the first time i did it i had blood just dripping down my hannd i cant even imagin a flat


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## Walter Adkins (May 20, 2004)

As I said we did not do it during the spawn. An old timer showed, he was the best turtle sheller that ever lived, us what cats are like while spawning or guarding the fry. They crush your hand as soon as it gets near them. Once they are done doing both you have to get them to open their mouth by almost tickling them to open up before they get away. We never came across cats during their spawn while we were out. Because we started after the spawn on purpose. Just wondering but do you guys stop fishing during the spawn? MMagis probably does from his post but I do not know about the others. As for noodling just becoming popular. Noodling has been around for a long time. Indians first did it then settlers and so on. It is neither new or just becoming popular. Noodling is still not popular just a popular topic for people to either be against or for it. It is different, strange and has strong opinion for or against so you get to see it on TV a little now. Heck Dirtiest Jobs, on discovery channel, did a show on it. If you think that it is something that you want to try once then try it.


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## Fishers of Men (Jul 29, 2005)

It has and still is a big thing down south.


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## mbw1924 (Feb 15, 2005)

did not want to start an argument here by this thread, just wanted to know the crazy (not the bad crazy, the fun crazy) folks on here. it takes some nerves ill bet.


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## Walter Adkins (May 20, 2004)

mbw1924 you did not start an agument. Things just needed to be clarified that is all. They thought that I was going and taking cats off the bed or while they were protecting their fry. They are 100&#37; correct in thier willing to challenge anyone, ie me, that they think is killing the next generation of cats. I just did not clarifie well enough in my first post about bedding cats. 

Like I said if you want to try go for it. The exzillerating felling of what is in here every time you stick your hand in is wild. The first time a cat locks down on your hand you will be hooked. I see some photos of guys catching 40 lbers by hand. I just wonder how the heck they can rangle those beasts. It must be one wild fight.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Walter, I think you may misunderstand the spawning routine of flatheads. They do not spawn in the spring, but rather the summer. The reason the flatheads are in the barrels is to spawn. Once the female lays the eggs she is driven off by the male and he stays there and guards the eggs, then the fry. The reason that noodling is so effective is that the males are very protective and will not leave the nest, often clamping down on any intruder, (someones hand). While the barrels do provide a nice daytime hangout for flatheads at times other than spawning, the odds of getting your hands on one would be slim if it werent for their paternal instincts. So, when someone is noodling, they are almost always doing it during the spawn. To try it at any time other that the spawn is not worth the effort or risk. As far as fishing during the spawn, theres really no reason to worry about flatheads like there is with other species. As long as that male is on the nest, he wont leave and he wont feed.


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## Walter Adkins (May 20, 2004)

Mmagis you are correct that I do not know cat spawning routine very well, especially in bigger water. But I did know the water we were in. This was water that we wade fished weekly for every thing that swam and here is a bit of advice to those that think that they want to try this. Know the water that you are doing this in like the back of your hand. And do not charge into big water like you see on youtube but stick to the smaller rivers that you can wade fish.

So I knew when the cats were done by one very good reason. You could see tiny fry along the bank when they moved off the nest. We would usually spot them up in the roots at night first while frogging. Kind of neat seeing a little black cloud hiding under a tree root. Other species seemed to migrate to the sandy grassy areas but the cats would set up under the tree roots out of the main current and in the shade of the tree during the day. We would only see them for as little as a few days and then sometimes they would hang out there for a week just growing. As soon as our shadow came across them man they would retreat under those roots to where you would not know that they were even there. I guess it was a way of hiding from King Fishers and other birds. In August you could spot little inch to three inch cats in the ripples while wade fishing at night. It is amazing how quick they grow those first few months. 

We hit smaller rivers that one could wade with ease. Like Deer Creek below Madison Lake or the LMR north section and no we did not do it in Ohio. We also knew where the cat holes were and also where turtles usually sunned them self so we stayed clear of those turtle sections. I am sure that we could have found more during the spawn but we just never went after them at that time. It was not that we were being great stewards of the streams instead we were there for the experience not the numbers. Now that did not mean that we did not kid the guy that let one get away or poke fun at the guy who had his skin tore from some cats mouth. 

If you really want to try noddling then you will have to head down south for it. I think Kentucky still allows it but I am not sure about that. If they do I can direct you to a few small rivers that you can get wet in. But do not blame me if you come back with one less finger. Those turtles can be rough on ones shaking hand.


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## BigCatDaddy (Feb 12, 2008)

Some of the biggest flatheads i have ever seen and caught have come from mud banks, old muskrat holes are ideal for big flattys! Done alot of this on the licking river near falmouth , ky! It is an awesome rush!:B 






WISH IT WAS YOU said:


> umm i have never done it for flat heads but at a friends of mine has privete club he belongs to and channels will go in to in to these areas the muskrats distroyed you can do the same thing i am not sure if that would make it legal or not since its privete but we did it anyways here is a couple pics
> i cant even tell you how bad just channels hurt the first time i did it i had blood just dripping down my hannd i cant even imagin a flat


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## bttmline (Apr 7, 2004)

If Noodling Is Only For Spawning Cats, Then We Should Also Close All Types Of Flatheading During This Time Period. Like Done On The Smallmouth.


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