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| Fishing 5 |
Fishing 5
"As no man is born an artist, so no man is born an angler," Izaak Walton, author of The Compleat Angler, once bemoaned. But with fly and reel, cricket, worm, and many other options available, not everyone fishes the same way. A few fishing methods tilt the scale to extreme.
Noodling
Consider "noodling," also known as hand-fishing. Noodling is a way to catch fish, specifically catfish, by (you guessed it) hand. Catfish spend most of their time submerged near rocks and logs.
Read more: Fishing 5 - Extreme Fishing: 5 Techniques of the Adventurous Angler
Noodling is straightforward no need for special equipment or bait. A noodler simply wades along the muddy riverbank, sticks his arms in the water and gropes around. Hands slide down the fish's maw when noodlers hit their prey. The noodler then hauls the creature to the surface. Some noodlers wear tight-fitting leather gloves for protection. Others use flat-bottom boats to look for a catfish nest in the middle of a lake or pond. When they find one, the noodler tosses bags of rock overboard to block the escape route of the fish.
Expect to get a workout. Mark Twain once claimed to have seen a catfish that was more than 6 feet tall and 250 pounds. That's probably an exaggeration, but catfish can weigh up to 75 pounds.
Bow-Fishing
Walton loved the tranquility of angling, so it's safe to assume he might disdain aerial bow-fishing, a frenetic sport that pits archer against fish. Riding in boats, bow fishers motor down lakes and rivers aiming their weapons (compound bows) at the Asian silver carp, a high-flying invasive species that jumps wildly when a boat passes above. The bow fishermen position themselves near the rear or side of the vessel and aim quickly as the creatures jump. It's not as easy as shooting fish in a barrel, but a bow-fisherman can land a whopper with a little luck and skill.
The archer's arrow is tethered to a reel mounted on the side of the bow. The line grows taut when the missile hits its mark. That's when "fish on" becomes the most important cry of the day: It signals the captain to stop the boat so the fish can be pulled in. It's a mad, mad way to fish. A missed shot is a missed opportunity. You must then reel in the arrow and quickly take aim again. The key is to watch for a fish that jumps unusually high and hangs in the air.
Skishing
Paul Melnyk is a "skisherman," a fisherman who angles while swimming. He developed the method, known as skishing, in the mid-1990s. The object of skishing is to hook a trophy fish, such as a beefy sea bass, while swimming in the ocean. Once the catch is hooked, the skisherman allows it to tow him through the water. No boat or waders are needed, but fins and wetsuits are recommended.
Skishing has its hazards, including dangerous riptides and currents. You could also get gobsmacked by a passing boat.
Surf-Casting
Australians tend to do everything big. Fishing is no exception. While most fishermen would be content to surf-cast from the beach, many thrill-seeking Australians surf-cast for sharks, paddling a surfboard with a hefty chunk of chum as bait.
Kayak Fishing
"You're gonna need a bigger boat." This famous line from the movie Jaws has no meaning for extreme kayak fishermen. These bold anglers ply the waters in a kayak searching for the meanest, biggest fish—usually shark and marlin. It's dangerous. The kayak can easily tip. You get the idea.
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