Me in 1999 Spain

Probably quite a young catfish.

 

Some of you's have asked me recently if I have ever noodled for Catfish. Noodling is fishing for catfish using one's bare hands, and is practiced primarily in the Southern United States. The noodler places their hand inside a discovered catfish hole. The catfish in an act of aggression attacks their hand. So basically your using your hand as like a bait. Though I know that some American anglers that have been bitten in the past by snakes, alligators, snapping turtles, and even beavers while using this method.

 

I think they mainly catch catfish around 20 to 40Lb using such methods. This is a flat head catfish they fish for I believe. I think the record for that species, and fishing method is just over 80lbs. The catfish I fished for in the past is the Wels Catfish, using rod and line. The Wels Catfish grows much bigger. And I don't advice you trying to catch one with your bare hand as bait.

 

When I fished for them during the years of 1998, and 1999 in countries like Spain. Me and my friends were having them over the 150Lb mark. Some of them same fish we put back are now going over 200Lbs in weight. Some have gone on to grow to 250Lbs in weight since anglers started using the high fat catfish pellets.

 

You need to play the Wels catfish out on a fishing line, if you let one that big lock onto your wrist, there would be a good chance they would dround you. We caught them well over 7 feet long in the past. They can swim backwards as well, dragging you downwards. They are a very powerful catfish.

 

One nearly broke my thumb once, when trying to hand land it. It grabbed my thumb, and threw me over it's back. My thumb was trapped against the back of the bottom of my arm. Luckily for me an old fishing friend Stevie Foo, a body builder was able to prize open it's large mouth releasing my thumb, and hand. That's why when fishing for such big fish, it's best to fish with others.

 

So I definitely wouldn't Noodle for them. A person with confident swimming abilities may be caught off guard by the sudden added strain of trying to bring a large fish to the surface. Clothes may get tangled or snagged on roots or rocks. Also most Wels Catfish live in fast moving muddy rivers.

 

They are found mainly in rivers like in France Germany, Poland, Spain, Italy, Hungry, Czech Republic, Romania, Ukraine, and Russia. The furthest away I fished for them was Kazahstan. Though the biggest ones seem to be being caught in Italy at the moment.

 

They are a very hardy fish they even survived the devastation at lakes near to Chernobyl Power plant. Some say the fish come from prehistoric times, but I have never read any proof of that myself. They rarely attack anglers. Some swimmers have had their ankles grabbed in the past by Wels catfish. Though this probably usually during the time they are protecting their nests around spring or early summer time. Young fry are said to be protected by the male fish, until large enough to fend for themselves.

 

So if a splashing a foot past such a nest, you might get a mouth around your ankle, that would probably scare the life out of you. They have small eyes, but very long barbs that rely on vibrations.

 

I believe they have grown to over 600Lbs in Russia in the past, but over netting in recent years, their weights dropped dramatically fast.

 

Done