Noodling around OKC?

[dennishoddy]

Between the bodies, snapping turtles, and cottonmouths you guys are making me rethink this one

Lots of folks noodle. You can even get a guide. Lots of urban legends out there about that sport.
Don’t poke hands into holes where fresh cut limbs are around. (Beaver den),you will see snakes, they are more scared of you than you are of them. Snakes don’t attack unless provoked.
The biggest thing to fear is a blue cat on a nest.
They are aggressive and will bite. My first blue was taken from the fender well of an old car in the Arkansas river. When it bit, I hurt myself much more than the scrape the cat left when I trashed my arm on the rusty metal of that car.
Some heavy duty rated latex gloves from harbor freight would be what I’d wear when noodling.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Finding a body will mess you up more than a turtle and snake.

Rivers inside the metro would be where I wouldn't be surprised for one to turn up.

 

[Dorkus]

they are more scared of you than you are of them.

I would have to disagree on this one. Snakes really freak me out for some reason.

 

[Hangfire]

The biggest thing to fear is a blue cat on a nest.
They are aggressive and will bite. My first blue was taken from the fender well of an old car in the Arkansas river.

The very first time I went we were working rip rap that still had rebar in it along the bank and the fella I went with knew that I was wound up pretty tight because of it being my first time......he came back up and said, I found one just follow my arm down with your hand and grab him.

I did as I was told and the second I got my hand in the hole I got hammered twice really fast before I could get my hand out and it scared the crap out of me, my mentor knew exactly what was going to happened and he was laughing his a$$ off and said that blues will always bite......after your second or third noodling trip you learn to expect it and just push through the anxiety.

@Familyguy the area I told you about in post #5 about 150 yds. west from where you enter the water there is / was a car in the water that slid in the water from the junk yard straight up the bank......The cars hood is on the bank with the passenger door facing up current and is silted in on that side, go to the front passenger side door and dive down (it's in about 5'-6' of water) and feel around under the door and there's normally a hole under there big enough that you can get your hand and arm in that will normally hold a flathead. If you feel a nice fish you may have to go down a couple of times to remove the sand and silt from under the rocker panel to make a hole big enough to get the fish out......I've pulled several nice flatheads out from under that old car.

Flatheads normally aren't as aggressive as blues and if you find one in a hole facing away from you you can sometimes actually gently and very slowly put your hand on it and guide it around to where it's facing you so you can get your hand in it's mouth.