Noodling

@AmbiePam (127578)
United States
August 6, 2026 12:45pm CST
Some of you may have heard of noodling, but probably not most of you. It’s when you fish for catfish by sticking your hand in the holes they usually hide in. It’s mainly something done in the southern United States, but no, neither me nor me family had ever done it. Basically, you stick your hand in the hole, and wait for the catfish to try to grab on, and you pull it up with your hand, catching yourself a catfish (which are delicious fried). Anyway, our morning weather anchor, who was born in the country, went noodling this week, and this picture is the results. The fish got away. Anyone for noodling? Photo courtesy of Lacey Swopes on FB
22 people like this
25 responses
Four Walls
@FourWalls (87837)
• United States
6 Aug
NO. Sure, catfish might be in there, but so might water moccasins or any other load of nasty things that you DON’T want to grab your hand. I’ll just count my blessings that I’m allergic to seafood and pass this southern hobby right on by.
6 people like this
Amber
@AmbiePam (127578)
• United States
6 Aug
That’s an excellent point.
5 people like this
Four Walls
@FourWalls (87837)
• United States
6 Aug
@AmbiePam — I also read that a lot of people drown when they get into a fight with the catfish (they tend to be big ones) and get pulled under, or hit their head on the bottom of shallow water. No, stick to the safe stuff. The card game.
3 people like this
Amber
@AmbiePam (127578)
• United States
6 Aug
3 people like this
Eva James
@wolfgirl569 (140730)
• Marion, Ohio
6 Aug
I am not going to try it.
5 people like this
Amber
@AmbiePam (127578)
• United States
6 Aug
I want to see you do it, Eva! I know you have it in you!
4 people like this
Eva James
@wolfgirl569 (140730)
• Marion, Ohio
6 Aug
@AmbiePam I might but I can't eat fish anyways. So nope
4 people like this
Juliaacv
@Juliaacv (57564)
• Canada
6 Aug
That looks awful, I am sure that he won't be doing that anytime soon again. It isn't worth it. Catfish can grow quite large and you don't mess with them.
2 people like this
Amber
@AmbiePam (127578)
• United States
7 Aug
She’s quite a country girl!
2 people like this
rakski
@rakski (161792)
• Philippines
7 Aug
No, thank you They are slippery. And possibly there are more there than catfish
2 people like this
Amber
@AmbiePam (127578)
• United States
7 Aug
So true!
2 people like this
rakski
@rakski (161792)
• Philippines
9 Aug
1 person likes this
Loretta
@noni1959 (13190)
• United States
7 Aug
I've heard of fishing like this. It's brave going for catfish this way. They have those sharp whiskers or whatever it's called.
2 people like this
Amber
@AmbiePam (127578)
• United States
7 Aug
They sure are ugly, aren’t they.
1 person likes this
Loretta
@noni1959 (13190)
• United States
9 Aug
@AmbiePam They sure are. My ex-husband would get cut up by them when he fished.
1 person likes this
Courtney Dutton
@MommyOfEli2013 (93456)
• Rupert, Idaho
6 Aug
I have never heard of it....but would not do that either...sounds painful for one!
2 people like this
Amber
@AmbiePam (127578)
• United States
6 Aug
C’mon, Courtney. You and me, let’s go noodling!
1 person likes this
Courtney Dutton
@MommyOfEli2013 (93456)
• Rupert, Idaho
6 Aug
@AmbiePam I think I would have to pass on that haha
2 people like this
Heather Echola
@GardenGerty (170653)
• United States
6 Aug
Nope, it would creep me out, but I love fried catfish.
2 people like this
snowy
@snowy22315 (213054)
• United States
6 Aug
Not for me .especially if my arm would get bruised like that!
2 people like this
Amber
@AmbiePam (127578)
• United States
6 Aug
That bruising isn’t normal, and it would sure put me off of it. Normally, if you actually got it, you aren’t left with any marks at all. She missed badly.
2 people like this
Toni
@toniganzon (81245)
• Philippines
7 Aug
Definitely not for me!
2 people like this
Max Crisp
@Orson_Kart (8797)
• United Kingdom
6 Aug
“Anyone for noodling?” No, I prefer canoodling. And that isn’t noodles in a can.
2 people like this
RasmaSandra
@RasmaSandra (101089)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
6 Aug
No thank you just the same. I use a term called "unnoodling," which to me means lying back in my bed and relaxing all my nerves,
2 people like this
MARILYN
@Marilynda1225 (92220)
• United States
6 Aug
Count me out catfish might be delicious but I think I'd rather pass on the actual catching it myself
2 people like this
Traceyjayne
@Traceyjayne (13930)
• United Kingdom
6 Aug
No thanks ….. I’d never heard of that ……not surprisingly really, given where I live !
2 people like this
Michael
@Wrexxo (7815)
•
6 Aug
I wouldn't do that ..you can get injured
2 people like this
luisadannointed
@luisadannointed (13164)
• Philippines
9 Aug
Oh no! I hope it does not hurt much. But I bet you really enjoyed it. God bless.
1 person likes this
CrimsonSpork
@Manasha (2972)
• Pondicherry, India
7 Aug
You mean neither they nor their family has tried it and shares a story about a local weather anchor who recently went noodling but ended up with an injured hand after the catfish escaped.
1 person likes this
Amber
@AmbiePam (127578)
• United States
7 Aug
No, the weather anchor does it all the time. This time she got a big bite. The news didn’t cover the story; she posted about it on Facebook. She has noodled before, but this time it “went wrong”.
1 person likes this
Judy Story
@jstory07 (149736)
• Roseburg, Oregon
6 Aug
No I would be scared a man eating fish would eat my finger.
2 people like this
Anne Marie Guyer
@LeaPea2417 (40022)
• Toccoa, Georgia
7 Aug
I live in the South and have never heard of noodling.
1 person likes this
Amber
@AmbiePam (127578)
• United States
7 Aug
I’ve heard about it for years now done in Oklahoma. It’s really popular in Lake Eufala.
1 person likes this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (388638)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Aug
That's a nasty-looking bruise. In the coin-collecting world, noodling is sifting through a bundle of coin looking for anything a bit special.
1 person likes this
Amber
@AmbiePam (127578)
• United States
7 Aug
That I did not know!
1 person likes this
Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (63191)
•
9 Aug
Years ago, a friend of my youngest daughter and her brother would go noodling. The brother ended up with a hand much like the one in your picture, it swelled up so much he couldn't use it. His doctor recommended he give up his noodling!
1 person likes this
Amber
@AmbiePam (127578)
• United States
9 Aug
I definitely would never want to end up that way.
1 person likes this
Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (63191)
•
9 Aug
@AmbiePam I just couldn't try it. I would be afraid I would grab a snake!
1 person likes this