Noodlers or Violators?
By SGW Jay Harvey, Choctaw Co.

On June 2, 2002 I, SGW Jay Harvey, was working Lake Texoma. Near the Willow Springs area. I was glassing fishermen when I saw a boat with three men aboard. Further glassing revealed all three men were shirtless and wearing gloves. Since they weren't water skiing, I deduced they were probably noodling. As I watched through my spotting scope, they boated to a rocky point and got out of the boat and began noodling. Two of the men stayed in one spot as the third man walked down the shoreline. I knew by watching the two men they had found a fish because they kept going down together at the same rock numerous times. Soon the third man joined them and all three concentrated on the one spot.

Since I was on the other side of the lake, I needed some help. I radioed SGW Bob Wingo who wasn't too far away. He began working his way to the area. I also found two men unloading their boat who said they'd give me a ride over.

While waiting for Bob to get into the area, I saw the noodlers get into their boat and get out a blue pole and a large black & white fishing rod. They were feverishly working on the poles and I figured they were tying on hooks. Soon the men re-entered the water, and they positioned their poles in a way I could see the large hooks on the ends of the poles.

With the help of the two good samaritans, I met Bob in a cove near the noodlers but out of sight. We snuck up to within 15 yards of the men and could hear them talking about the fish they were trying to catch. One man said the fish was "too big to get out of the @#?*% hole!" Soon one of the men climbed up the bank and saw me. Bob and I identified ourselves as Game Wardens and contacted the others. The two in the water came up with no poles, and all three denied having poles (with hooks attached) in their possession.

I told the men I had seen their poles with hooks attached, and Bob and I issued them citations for illegal possession of a hook while noodling. After they posted bond the men left. I told Bob I was going to find their poles I knew they left in the water. I stripped down to my t-shirt and shorts and entered the water. I immediately found the two poles with hooks attached lying on top of a large flat rock in about 5' of water. I gave them to Bob and decided to check the hole they were noodling. On the second dive, I found the hole and also the fish in it. I went back down again and caught a large flathead catfish that was in the 30 lb range. It had numerous hook marks all over its body, and one was severe enough the fish probably would not have survived.

Bob and I photographed the evidence, filed the tickets and soon after, two of the men pled guilty and paid their fines. The third man failed to appear and a bench warrant was issued. Further investigation revealed the same three men were cited in 2001 for noodling with hooks. Obviously the men weren't deterred by their previous arrests. I hope the second time around they learned their lesson.