KIMT News 3 – Hand fishing, or noodling, is a popular past time in the southern states, but Iowa DNR conservation officers are growing concerned about the trend heading north.
Noodling is illegal throughout the Hawkeye state, but according to incident reports on the Iowa DNR’s website, there have been several issues of people hand fishing in southern parts of the state.
North Iowa conservation officer, Matt Washburn tell us that even though no issues have been seen in the north, the concern is still there.
“When catfish spawn, they become more susceptible to hand fishing or noodling,” he explains, “and it can negatively impact the population of the fish. That’s why it’s so restricted in Iowa.”
Washburn explains that when catfish are spawning, they congregate together and hide themselves in holes, or rotted out tree trunks, making them more susceptible to being caught.
DNR officials are working on reminding folks of the importance of not hand fishing, and are warning folks to remember the consequences of noodling in Iowa.