Could Noodling Become Iowa’s Next Big Fishing Craze?

The topics that our lawmakers have to tackle sometimes amaze me. This week at the Iowa Statehouse they're discussing a sport that to this day is illegal in Iowa. Should Iowa lawmakers make 'noodling' legal?

If you've never heard of noodling, don't Google it and expect to see a pasta recipe. Noodling is fishing for catfish without the use of a fishing pole. So what do you use? Your bare hands or feet. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that noodling is legal in multiple states along the Mississippi River including Illinois and Wisconsin. It is most popular in the Southern United States.

The Gazette reports that Iowa lawmakers are looking to make the sport legal in Iowa. The proposed bill would establish a noodling permit that would allow a person to catch up to three catfish per license that are at least 10 inches long. Noodling would have to take place during daylight hours, and the use of any scuba equipment is prohibited.

The Gazette reports that conservation groups are against noodling in Iowa, saying that it can harm and disrupt the catfish population. Noodles generally don't keep the large fish they catch, and some argue that releasing these fish after they have been traumatized damages the gene pool.

The Gazette reports that lawmakers continue to be split on the issue of noodling as well. The noodling bill passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee by a vote of 14-7 in late March.

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