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I have been keeping aquariums all my life (I am in my thirties), and I have fished all my life....you can expect to see my on the water 3-5 times each week, year-round. I am about as nuts about fishing as I am about aquariums (I probably have 25 rods and 30 reels alone), but I am for the most part a catch and release fisherman.

Noodling is illegal in many states (including IN, as my ichthyology prof told us )... generally considered unsporting, and takes massive female catfish out of the environment (ie the ones that breed... which is what they're doing in the undercut banks...)

Plus, even if I managed to catch a large catfish that way (you know, without drowning), I wouldn't want to eat it. A catfish that size could be a good 100 years old, and catfish love turbid water... which means that a lot of mercury and other lovely chemicals have accumulated in their body...

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Noodling isn't a myth though it's mostly done in southern states. Some places it's legal, some not. My understanding is that you feel along undercutbanks and among tree roots. When you feel a cat you grab it by the jaw &amp; it grabs you by the hand. A wrestling match ensues and you either get the fish or drown.

I'd like to try it someday, Mike

From what I understand, 'noodling' is more rural myth than anything, although I would not doubt that it would be all too easy to get a large flathead cat to swallow a baited hand.

I spin/baitcast lures (cranks/spinnerbaits/spinners/jigs) and flyfish (tying my own flies for 20 years now)....none of this 'bait a hook and sit and wait' fishing for me. I have been sorely tempted to turn professional a few times.

Addenum: How bad am I? Lessee...in the past 30 hours, I have purchased 6 crankbaits, 8 spinners, 4 spinnerbaits, and a half-dozen other assorted pieces of terminal tackle....and we are still a couple of weeks away from open-water season here.

Last edited by Toirtis at 30-Mar-2005 17:20

Toirtis, You should try noodling.

For those who don't know. Noodling is where you take a big wooden box with a nice size hole in it. Drop it in waters know to have large catfish in it. Bait the box. Then after a day or so stick your hand in the box to allow the 4 foot catfish to bite down on your arm.

Viola catfish for supper. Minus the missing limb.

I fish as often as I can.
I only occasionally keep fish to eat.

I used to fish alot, even tied my own flies. I don't much any more but not because I keep fish. I think it's time constraints more than anything.

Mike

i love panfish fishing n absolutely love pike n muskie fishing
a 20lb northern pike or 25-30lb st clair muskie is where its at
in the summers im a free lanse fishing guide on a northern lake
but its nice jsut to get out on the water trolling or casting mostly casting for pike n muskie

Sitting on a dock trying to be quiet for hours on end is not my idea of a good time.

You need to learn how to fish properly.....sitting still has very little to do with fishing (no wonder you aren't having fun), and I would be concerned if I went more than 30 minutes without a bite.

Thanks for your response.

I personally find fishing boring unless it's deep-sea fishing. Sitting on a dock trying to be quiet for hours on end is not my idea of a good time.

But fish and sushi are some of my favorite foods. I'm having salmon tonight for dinner.

Do you go Sport Fishing? I used to Fish as a Teenager, and ever since i started keeping fish (Mostly Tetras)I couldn't go Fishing anymore i felt guilty, does any one have this issue? Anyways i feel like going Fishing again, how do you feel about this?Is Fishing a BIG NO NO for fish Keepers?


Thanks i need your advice

Rduran

I cannot remember not ever fishing and I am 67 this year. My Grandfather was a professional fisherman so it must be in the blood.
The fish I mainly target would not fit into the home aquarium any way many are released and only the necessary table fish are kept.

There are many fisherman here on FP I am sure a certain person whose goes by the name Adam is a very keen fisherman.

I fish, and I eat fish regully as well. I will never keep tropical reef fish after diving on the Great Barrier Reef, that is a personal choice.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

Ever since I saw this program on tv about how fish feel pain ive hated fishing , allthough for some reason I eat fish

I go fishing as often as I can. I primarily fly fish for trophy trout (we have some of the best fly fishing in the world here in Idaho), but I never keep a fish. I release all for another day.

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

I have no problems with fishing, and I still do so whenever I get the opportunity. In fact, I went fly fishing in the SF Bay a couple weeks ago (didn't catch anything though).

Catfish are my favorite fish to keep in aquariums, but they are also really good on my dinner plate.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

I used to love going fishing but always hated the cutting up part if I caught anything, I always felt so guilty even though the fish was going to be eaten (by my Dad, could never eat my own catches)which is natural.
I can't anymore because I hand feed most of my fish and it feels exactly the same as it does on the end of a line

But personally I have no problem with other people doing it, as long as they have intentions on eating it or letting it go again

I only keep the fish if I plan on eating the fish myself or giving it to someone who would. For example, I went fishing with my dad. We caught 2 sea bass, a congor eel, and a dogfish. We let the dogfish go becasue nobody wanted to eat that. We kept the sea bass and had one heck of a feast that night. Then we gave the congor eel to the nice gentleman next to us. My belief is that it is ok, as long as you do not waste the animal. I have friends who do not want to kill a fish for dinner. However, that night, they sit down with a nice juicy steak. Either way, animals are killed for us to eat. As long as we make use of the animal, I have no ethical problems with it. The only thing I do not like is when they hang the fish on the wall as a trophy. Then the whole animal is killed for nothing more than a decoration.

- DJ :88)

I like to fish even more now, ive never kept what i caught for food and i dont like to eat fish, but ive gone as far as to put catfish and blue gills ive caught in my home aquariums.

A big nono? Absolutely not. I love going fishing, and fish keeping hasn't changed that one bit for me. IMO, fishing is a recreation - it's as much about getting out on the ocean and spending time either by oneself or with friends/ family than it is about catching fish. I eat what I catch, or I give it to those who will eat it. I'm not dragging a big net along the ocean bottom and destroying structure and habitat. I didn't go striped bass fishing for the longest time because I knew their population was low - it's since bounced back, so now I go again.

Actually, it was my love of schooling behavior in the fish I go fishing for that led me to getting back into the aquarium hobby.

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Back in the saddle!