[Free Trapper]

For years I've caught different kinds of critters for a living and spent many a day and night on the bottoms of lakes and rivers diving for mussels,etc.

Even a 30 or 40 pound flathead or bluecat can move you around pretty good when you're in the water and they bump you or you grab them.They would spook most people out of the water and even moreso at night or if you're very deep in most freshwater without a light,working blind.

Nearly every body of water I've spent time on has a story of divers being spooked out of the water by giant fish.Sometimes the diver calls topside about one and his safety man pulls his airline up but the line's bit off and no diver.

Most of the working divers I've known would be back with shark hunting gear in a flash if they believed there was a chance to get a giant catfish and most noodlers,me included,would probably volunteer to be the bait.:)

I've been in camp several times with my wife and kids and someone would stop to visit and end up warning me about the giant fish when they found out I was diving.Each time it gets harder for my outfit not to bust out laughing,they've heard it so many different places and know we'd be after it if it was there.

There are some mighty big fish out there but not the size of cars and trucks.About two weeks ago IIRC,my oldest kid was at the weighin of a 180 pound alligator gar that I believe was right at 7 feet long and two to four years back friends of ours had a 174 pounder that was pictured in one of the sport magazines IIRC.Both were caught in the Red.

[Free Vulcan]

As big around no probably not, but as long, I don't doubt. Most of these stories are from along the dam, alot of cat is caught there because of the amount of food coming to rest just above the dam. They just sit there and feed all day long. That's where the biggest ones have been caught.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

Don't believe in big fish? Check out the Mekong Giant Catfish.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/science/12/01/cambodia.catfish.ap/

650 lbs and up to 10 feet long!

[winodog]

I grew up in Vegas so I have not done much fishing. Last night on Hank Hill it showed them in a river. They put stink bait on their hands and reached into the river untill a big cat grabbed ahold of their hand. Now you mention noodling. Does this really work? Do the cats just bite your finger and then you "hook" them? Or will they try to swallow your fist? Do you actually catch many fish this way?