this post was submitted on 27 Feb 2026
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Science Memes

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[–] Thedogdrinkscoffee@lemmy.ca 39 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Ok hear me out. There is a real local fishing technique for carp when you wade into the water near the end of a dock and hold your fist underwater with worms sticking out between your fingers. You just sit very very still, holing your wormy fist a few inches off the bottom. A carp will eventually try to gobble your fist whole. Then you quickly lift the fish out of water and slam it on the dock to stun/kill it.

They have no teeth to speak of, so no injury to you.

[–] tetris11@feddit.uk 17 points 1 month ago

They have no teeth to speak of, so no injury to you.

So it doesnt need to be your hand then, interesting... 🤔

[–] Sunsofold@lemmings.world 17 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's probably what the original image was about. The southern US has 'catfisting' which is pretty much the same thing.

[–] Pirat@lemmy.org 13 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's called noodling. The fisherman doesn't hold worms in his hand. He gets in the river, reaches up under the undercut bank to feel if there is a catfish (or turtle) there. If there is, he just grabs it by the jaw and yanks it out (if catfish). Turtles require a bit more finesse. If you feel smooth shell, don't grab. That's the front and it will grab you back with a mouth made of basically scissor blades. It the shell is jagged, that's the back end. Feel for a tail and yank it out.

[–] W98BSoD@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] MrShankles@reddthat.com 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I don't have the balls to put my hands into water I can't see, especially in the US southeast. Between the snapping turtles, snakes, leeches, giant water bugs, alligators, and whatever else... "no thank you" indeed

[–] W98BSoD@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It’s not “I don’t have the balls to put…” it’s “I have the comment sense to not put…”

[–] MrShankles@reddthat.com 2 points 1 month ago

Ngl, common sense sometimes escapes me in the moment. But the fear of losing digits or limbs is pretty strong... makes my common sense kick-in occasionally

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

similar with catfish, but you can get bit with those. i think it's called noodling

[–] Thedogdrinkscoffee@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 month ago

Yes! That's the term I was forgetting. I love to fish, but only do a very limted # of types. Spinner reels, baitcasters and icefishing. A friend I used to go Muskey fishing with used to do this who is the guy who introduced me to it. Not my thing, but funny.

[–] BreadOven@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Just don't put your noodle in there.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

i ain't kanye

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

I live in Florida there is a swamp near me I will try this tomorrow!

[–] Thedogdrinkscoffee@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 month ago

That's the most Florida thing you could do, except for doing it on meth.

[–] NottaLottaOcelot@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 month ago

The last time I went to Florida I wanted to go hiking. We went to a local trail that had signs for alligators and pythons all over the place, and warning to avoid getting leprosy from armadillos. I don’t know how common these issues would be, but it made Canadian trails look like a walk in the park.

[–] FundMECFS@piefed.zip 10 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Is this real? Like do people do this?

[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

It's not that different than the way some people hunt bottom feeding fish like catfish, I guess it's the same if you're just bad at the catching part. In some places you're just going to end up feeding leeches and mosquitoes though.

[–] FundMECFS@piefed.zip 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Aren’t catfish venemous? I was told never to handle a live one. Especially it’s back.

[–] I_am_10_squirrels@beehaw.org 4 points 1 month ago

https://www.catfishedge.com/how-to-hold-catfish/

Apparently it's mostly the small ones to watch out for. Don't hold a baby catfish.

IIRC, this is from the worst case scenario survival handbook, but has been edited. This is a method of fishing, and you're supposed to hook the gills like that.

[–] seathru@quokk.au 3 points 1 month ago

Yeah, but here in the south we skip that finger foreplay and go straight to fisting fish.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noodling

[–] Psythik@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Yes, you can go fishing with just your bare hands if you're skilled enough.

[–] Zerush@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 month ago
[–] NottaLottaOcelot@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago

Personally I’d prefer not to lose my fingers to gar and muskies…