Reply With QuoteMy grandfather would have been proud. He was one of fist "spoggers" in Kentucky to catch cat fish from under rocks, in logs and under ledges. It was first called "spogging", then they started calling it "noodlin." A "spoge hook" was used which was a home made curved hook on a 5 foot wooden handle. This wood handle was used to "feel" for the cats in their nets as well as for a walking stick. Once the cat is found, the hook end would be used to "pen" the cat to the top of the rock, ledge or log to be pulled in arm's length of the spogger. The wooden handle had marks cut on the same side as the hook's point so the distance to cat could be measured when working under water. Spoggers would never roll their long sleeve shirts up to prevent being trap underwater. Back in the 40's people used the term "noodlin" for catching turtles under stream roots and such. Back then it was illegal to harvest cat this way and he had a life-long feud with the local gamewarden trying to catch him. It was a very interesting skill to watch.
