Okie Noodling (2001)

Director:

Bradley Beesley

Release Date:

10 March 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Tagline:

No Hooks, No Bait, No Fear

Plot:

For centuries, a unique breed of fishermen has been catching monster catfish with their bare hands in the rivers and lakes of Oklahoma...

Plot Keywords:

Handfishing | Lake | River | Catfish | Oklahoma

Runtime:

57 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Little League Pictures

Movie Connections:

Followed by Okie Noodling II (2008)

Some really strange folks who are worth getting to know

After the documentary OKIE NOODLING debuted, the public's knowledge of fishing for monster catfish by hand has become widespread--even though up until this film practically no one outside of Oklahoma and a few other Southern states had ever heard of this bizarre practice. As a result of OKIE NOODLING, shows like "Dirty Jobs" and other documentaries on the topic have emerged--and people all across America are mesmerized by these odd fishermen! Unlike boring normal fishing, a 'noodler' is a guy who likes swimming and diving in reservoirs for giant catfish with no rod. Instead, the goal is to get the monster fish to bite the noodlers and then the noodler wrestles the fish to the shore or a waiting boat. Pretty macho and crazy stuff, as noodlers are occasionally drowned in the process and I sure as heck would not want to catch a flathead or blue cat this way!! In addition to a very interesting topic, the film excels by creating excitement and interest in this bizarre subculture without mocking these people. Instead, it's like a visit to new friends who take you out for a day's fun. Amazing.