Noodlers are people who like to go fishing for 'cat.' Catfish, to be precise. They lower themselves into shallow rivers and get their fishing gear ready — that's their bare hands, in this case. Take Howard Ramsey, a noodler from Paris, Missouri.
Once he locates a hole in the [river] bank, he will hold his breath and go underwater. Then, while a friend holds his ankles, he will swim into the hole headfirst. The catfish often meets him at the door, as he puts it. That's when things can get interesting. "When I grab that catfish by the jaw, I'll kick my legs to tell my buddy that it's time to pull me out," Ramsey said. "I've caught catfish as big as 62 pounds that way." Ramsey takes pride in the fact that he comes from a long line of noodlers. His dad was a noodler, and his grandfather was, too.
Problem is, in Missouri and Kansas, boasting that you're from a long line of noodlers is like saying your family has been in the moonshine business for generations. While no one will probably go running to the cops, it's been a vaguely disreputable activity since Missouri lawmakers made noodling illegal back in 1919.
If the legislators were trying to outlaw risky behavior, the measure missed any effect on Ramsey, who's been fined as much as 500 dollars for his brand of catfish-catching.
"I have a lot of scars from where big flatheads have bit me," Ramsey said. "When you swim into one of their holes, they aren't too happy to see you. I've had them clamp down so tight on my arm that I didn't know if they'd ever let go. They have rows of tiny teeth, and when you try to pull your arm out of their mouth, they'll just skin you. I even had one fish that tore my tennis shoe right off my foot. I couldn't walk for a couple days. But that's all part of it. It can be a dangerous sport, but it's worth it. When you pull a 50-, 60-pound flathead out of a hole by hand and your heart starts thumping, you know it's worth it."
Thanks to Ramsey and other enthusiasts who united under the 'Noodlers Anonymous' banner, the Missouri law is now undergoing some changes.
In December, the Missouri Conservation Commission approved an experimental season that will allow noodling in stretches of three Missouri rivers — the Mississippi, the St. Francis and the Fabius — for a limited time this summer. But fishermen such as Ramsey and the 200 men and women who belong to his Noodlers Anonymous group aren't satisfied. They think it's time for Missouri to have a statewide season. They have brought their fight to the General Assembly, lobbying state legislators for their help. In the process, noodling has become an unusual issue in this year's session.
If you want to see with your own eyes how these guys wrestle huge ugly fish to the surface, check out the "Okie Noodling" DVD.
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