Noodling, the practice of catching catfish by hand and also known as “Hillbilly Hand Fishing,” has been motioned by the Texas legislature to be made legal.
Noodling is currently illegal in Texas, and noodlers are subject to a fine of up to $500.
“I personally don’t noodle, but I would defend to the death your right to do so,” said State Senator Bob Duell to Texas lawmakers. On Thursday, they approved legislation to make the practice legal according to Yahoo News.
The age-old Southern tradition has been banned in most states based on beliefs of animal cruelty, but is legal in 17 states. Matt Jenkins, who runs the Web site, “Catfish Grabbers dot Com,” says noodling is no worse than using a fish hook.
"It can be a family sport,” Jenkins said. “We get out there and laugh at each other, see who can get the fish out of the water, see who can get the fish without losing it," he said.
The Flathead Catfish is one of the most vicious game fish in the country and is also the fish most commonly noodled.
"The fish will bite your hand to tell you, 'hey, get out of my hole,'" Jenkins said. "You can try to grab hold of the jaw of the fish if you're quick enough."
State Senator Deuell also encouraged lawmakers to make noodling legal. "It's a Southern tradition, it's done in a lot of states, I've seen people do it," he said. "They seem to enjoy it, and we want to afford that enjoyment to Texans who want to participate."
The bill will now pass to Governor Rick Perry for consideration.
