Catfish noodling? What the [bleep] is that? Well, glad you asked because I had never heard of it either. Catfish noodling is fishing for catfish using only bare hands, practiced primarily in the southern United States. The noodler places his hand inside a discovered catfish hole. Many other names, such as catfisting, grabbling, graveling, hogging, dogging, gurgling, tickling and stumping, are used in different regions for the same activity.
Due to concerns over either the safety of noodlers or sustainability of fish populations, or both, the technique is illegal in some states where it was once traditionally practiced.
The practice poses significant dangers because the noodler can drown while being held underwater by a large Catfish. The fish’s teeth can also tear the skin. And other creatures like beavers and muskrats that also populate underwater holes can easily bite the fingers off fisherman.
Some experts argue that noodling is inhumane because eggs can not hatch after the adult catfish have been removed from the nest.
In an interview published by The New York Times on Sunday, the chairman of the House Budget Committee declared his love for Catfish noodling. It appears that messing around with Medicaid, Medicare and our health insurance just isn’t enough to keep him busy.
“We walk around the banks looking for holes,” Ryan explained to the Times. “And you get your hand inside the fish and they kind of — they come up on your hand. And then you just squeeze where ever you are on that fish and pull it out.”
Ryan’s Wisconsin is the only one of 12 U.S. states where noodling is legal that is not in the South. Last year, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) signed a bill legalizing noodling in his state. Hmmmm… how convenient for Paulie the Noodler.
Ryan does not have much concern for the health care of citizens of the US, so it goes without saying that he could care less about some catfish and their eggs.
Just another power trip sport for an insane power-tripping State Representative. I wonder who he is imagining the fish is when he is throttling it between his hands….
I’d venture to guess Obama. tsk tsk
Here is a video from Animal Planet about Noodling.
Hillbilly Handfishin’ – Kansas Girls Do It Better
References:
Wikipedia: Noodling
The Raw Story: Paul Ryan loves Catfish noodling: ‘Crazy but exhilarating’
Motley News 
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