Okie Noodling is a film by Austin-based filmmaker Bradley Beesley about the art of “noodling” in the state of Oklahoma. For those who may not know, noodling can best be described as handfishing. You jump in the water and start feeling around with your hands and feet for holes, logs, and other structure that may hold catfish. When one bites down on your fingers or toes you’ve got it, and its got you. Grab on and rip that fish to the surface. Now, you can show off your fish and battlescars. The chicks will be all over you.
There’s nothing quite like the thrill of catching 60-pound catfish with your bare hands, and that’s just what Oklahoma fishermen have been doing for hundreds of years. Diving into creeks, rivers, and lakes in search of bank-dwelling catfish, the tradition of “noodling” originated as a Native American hunting practice, but has survived as a rural sport with a unique and colorful subculture. OKIE NOODLING is a one-hour documentary which catches the excitement and sense of community that has hooked three Oklahoma families on handfishing.
Watch the trailer.
Cabelas has a great field guide article on the tactics of catfish noodling and what its like to be a “Noodler”.
Well, granted, you have to be two McNuggets short of a Happy Meal to try this stuff, but for the sake of journalistic integrity, I felt it was my duty to participate–at least once–so I could write a realistic account. And so, one day I found myself taking a deep breath, diving underwater in a lake and reaching into a dark hole while several noodling enthusiasts cheered me on topside. A catfish was home. And when I realized it was indeed a catfish–not some critter that might bite off my fingers–I was, at least initially, happy.
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