Check out this photo of a sizeable catfish:

http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/1236.jpg

A friend e-mailed that shot to me, but he's not a fisherman, so he had no idea where the fish was caught.

Attachment #1, (.jpg file)

IFISH say's,

YIKES !!! That thing is the size of a friggin' Buick! Heck, a Cadillac even ! :o :o :o

IFISH

Oh my fish god! It looks like it could eat a skinny guy like you Andy! ;-)

Geez, would love to know where when and how big!

Todd

Not skinny, Todd. Lean. Rangey. Hungry. Ready for victory this Saturday with Fred "The Enforcer" Church.

The e-mail said the photos were of catfish from Oklahoma. That is a monster, that's for sure.

Here are 3 more shots: (I guess they catch these suckers *by hand* -- a technique they call "noodling." I think they were all caught in Oklahoma).


http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/1237.jpg


http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/1238.jpg


http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/1239.jpg

- jeff

-----------------------
Every day Congress convenes, we lose a little more of our LIBERTY!!!

(-- Mark Levin, radio-show host/KSFO 3-6pm)

Monster!
Swimming in those waters could mean your part of the food chain?

That’s A Big VW Bus Jaw Crushing Catfish
Looks like it could take a fin, foot, leg, Tuber! :7 ?

IFISH say's,

I hear they were catchin' them catfish on Fish JC plugs ! :+ }( I'd feel kinda weird knowing there's a catfish underneath me that big. I wouldn't wanna put my feet in the water.

IFISH

Actually, all these pics are of the European Wels catfish. The current WR is 202lbs.
Here's some more pics.

Edit: here's a link to a lot more pics.
http://xvella.free.fr/photos-eng.php?size=0&sub=22&rank=1

http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/1242.jpg

Kinda scary looking
http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/1243.jpg


a BIG limit
http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/1246.jpg


one of my favorites
http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/1247.jpg


And the best for last
http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/1248.jpg

Attachment #1, (.jpg file)
Attachment #2, (.jpg file)
Attachment #3, (.jpg file)
Attachment #4, (.jpg file)
Attachment #5, (.jpg file)

I was board and looked up som information on Euorpean Wels Catfish and thier perfered way of feeding is to ambush smaller (then them) fish on top. Sounds like a perfect place to try some really BIG swimbaits! :)

Check out this site:

http://www.okienoodling.com/

I caught this movie, "Okie Noodling" on public television last year and bought the DVD as a gift for my father. I highly recommend the flick. Its a documentary about Oklahoma, their culture, and fishing.

It makes a great gift because you can enjoy it as well.

Mike F

Ya, we have big catfish but you all have the big bass. :( Noodling is fun, in it's own way. Always get skinned ripped off and never know if you are going to find snakes, turtles or catfish. It's extreme redneck fishing, besides dynomite of course. hahaha

Hey, Thorbolter, have you ever heard of any float tube clubs in OK? A few years ago, BASSMASTER printed a letter from a guy who was complaining about how dangerous float tubes were (he said you could flip over & drown, etc.). Anyhow, he mentioned there were some float tube clubs in I think the Tulsa area that held tournaments. Have you ever heard of anything like that? If they're out there, we'd like to get in touch with them & set up links to their websites if available.

Hey Andy,

Below is the link to the club I gave some advise to about getting started as a Federation Club. He never did tell me that they got federated but they are!

Lewy Fryer is the prez and they reportedly have 65 members...

http://www.angelfire.com/ok5/backwater/

Todd

Thanks, Todd. I'll get in touch with that guy & see if they want to exchange links.

We have 3 here in OKC area that I am familiar with, I am in the one mentioned. We have quite a few members, 65 sounds right, and we have from 30-40+ come to each tournament. I am not sure about the Tulsa area, but I do plan to check them out next time I am up there for business. I'll stop by a few sporting goods stores and see what is happening up there in the way of float tube clubs.

Thanks, Thorbolter. I sent Lewy an e-mail last night to see if he wants to exchange links on our websites. It would be cool to expand the networking of float tube clubs. If the other clubs in the Oklahoma City area have sites, could you post their URL's & I'll get in touch with them?

Here is a smaller club, they allow mini-boats in theirs too though as does the other club, we have the only tube only club in area. Maybe why it is so big...

http://www.biggreenfish.com/littleslastcast/id20.html

I will see if I can find the other clubs web page, they may not have one, not sure...

This brings back one helluva memory! I was visiting my Grandparents near Pocahontas, Arkansas when I was 12 and their neighbor's kid who was 14 took me Noodling where Dry Creek runs into the 11 Point River. I thought it was going to be another joke, like when he took my brother Snipe hunting. 32#s of ticked off Flathead Cat, and a BLOODY hand later I learned this really does work but, you should wear gloves if you're dumb enough to ever do it again. So far, I haven't been that Dumb!
Tight lines,
Wade

I have actually seen that pic before, and if I remember correctly, it was caught in one of the southern states by hand! I forgot what they call it down there, but these crazy guys swim around looking in holes and whatnot and actually wrestle the fish into submission.....