how to catch a fish with your bare hands

Do you want to catch fish with your hands? It's been done for centuries. "Tickling" trout was the poacher's favorite fishing method. Charlie Murphy described it as a "sensuous and extraordinary technique for catching fish that involves hypnotic predation by seduction." With "noodling," you seek out the fish rather than wait for the fish to come to you. Read on to learn how, then get your frying pan ready.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Tickling Trout

   • 1
     Learn the fishing regulations concerning trout in your area. This can be done by going to city hall or checking online.
   • 2
     Go to a river or brook where trout can be found. You may learn this by asking people who fish or the owners of bait shops or by going to sites such as Wild Trout Streams (see Resources below).
   • 3
     Observe where the trout are feeding. Lie down on the bank and extend your arm into the water. You'll probably be most comfortable and able to move quickly if you are on your side.
   • 4
     Wiggle your fingers slowly. Be aware: if the water is cold, your arm may go numb.
   • 5
     Move your hand slowly--very slowly--closer to the fish when it draws near, wiggling your fingers all the while.
   • 6
     Tickle the fish's belly with your fingers when it is near enough. Quickly scoop the fish out of the water and land it on the bank.

   Noodling

   • 1
     Learn the fishing regulations for noodling in your area. In some states, the practice is illegal or limited. The information can be found either at your town office or online.
   • 2
     Find out when catfish spawn and where they might be found. You can find this information online at such sites as Catfish World or by talking with biologists, local fishermen, or bait purveyors. When catfish spawn, the female lays eggs in a hole, then the male moves into the hole to guard it. You need to find these holes.
   • 3
     Get into the water where you think catfish might be found and start feeling around for likely holes. Hold your breath while doing this and consider wearing goggles to help you see better underwater.
   • 4
     Feel in the hole carefully. Make certain there's a catfish in residence and not a snapping turtle.
   • 5
     Grab the catfish by the mouth or gill cover and pull it quickly from the hole and to the surface.

Tips & Warnings

• When noodling, be very careful. The male catfish may try to bite you as he's defending the nest.

Skin a Fish

You can skin fish before or after you cook it. Use this technique for round and flat fish fillets.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Fish Fillets
• Cutting Boards
• Knife

1. • 1
     Skin a raw fillet by placing it on a cutting board with the skin against the board.
   • 2
     Feel for any remaining bones and cut them away or pull them out with tweezers or needle-nose pliers; this is easiest while the skin's still attached.
   • 3
     If desired, use a little coarse salt on your fingers or a paper towel to get a better grip.
   • 4
     

     Starting at the bottom by the tail, cut through fillet to skin, and turn the knife so the blade is flat. The knife should now be between the skin and the flesh.
   • 5
     

     Angle the knife very slightly down so the edge points toward the skin. This will ensure that you cut only the skin away and little flesh.
   • 6
     

     Hold skin tightly and carefully slide the knife all the way down the fillet, using a gentle back-and-forth sawing motion. This should cut all of the flesh from the skin.
   • 7
     Skin a cooked fillet by grabbing the skin at the tail end with tongs as soon as the fish is done; the skin of most fish will easily peel away once cooked.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to choose a knife with a long, flexible, sharp blade - the sharper the better.
• If you're planning to remove the skin after you cook the fillet, it's still a good idea to scale the fish when it's raw. Scales will fall off during cooking and can find their way into your finished dish. (See "How to Clean a Fish" for instructions.)
• Always be careful when using sharp knives.

how to clean a fish

Clean a Fish

You've played, now you must pay. Before you enjoy the sublime taste of fresh-caught fish, you have to clean and prepare it. It's an easy process, and a necessary one.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Fish
• Boning Knives
• Cutting Boards
• Fish Scalers

1. • 1
     Wash the fish using fresh tap water. Avoid cleaning fish with lake or stream water, as it can sometimes contain contaminants.
   • 2
     

     Remove scales by scraping the fish with a fish scaler or the dull edge of a knife. Use short strokes from tail to head. If you plan to skin the fish before cooking, this step is not necessary.
   • 3
     

     Make a cut from the gills to the vent.
   • 4
     

     Remove the entrails with your fingers. Check the cavity carefully to make sure everything's been removed.
   • 5
     Rinse the cavity well.
   • 6
     If cooking the fish whole, remove the dorsal fin by cutting along each side of it and carefully pulling the fin out with pliers.
   • 7
     Wash the fish inside and out with cold, fresh water. Store the fish covered with clean ice that can drain from the container as it melts

Tips & Warnings

• It's best to clean fish as soon as possible after they come out of the water.
• When storing cleaned fish on ice, don't allow melted water to touch the fish. Drain or discard the excess water as the ice melts.
• Store the fish with the cavity facing down, so that water doesn't pool in the cavity.
• Don't trim the fins before removing them, because bones at the base of the fins could be left inside the fish.

how to catch a fish

Catching fish for food or pleasure is a timeless activity. For many, following a passed on tradition, catching fish is just an easy activity they are used to. There is some level of skill required and these useful tips to help you catch fish would be dependent on the type of fish desired and the fishing site. However, here are some basic guidelines and tips to guide both the new and experienced fisherman to be more successful in catching fish.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Fishing rod and reel (able to hold weight of fish)
• Appropriate bait
• Bucket or stringer
• Gloves (to hold slippery fish and protect hands from sharp fish fins)
• Bobber or float (for use when using worms as bait)
• Local fishing laws
• Pliers (to unhook caught fish)
• Comfortable clothes (not easily snared by hooks)

1. • 1
     Locate the ideal place to fish. Some fish are only found in certain waters and at different part of the day and year. Be aware of the fishing schedule of the type of fish you seek. When you locate the right waters and time be sure to fish around rocks or under over-head trees. Fish tend to stay or group themselves in the shade.
   • 2
     Select appropriate bait. Choose the right bait to use to lure fish. Ideal items include worms, locust, grasshoppers and lure. Check fish bait and tackle shop for supplies. The bait used would determine the kind of fish attracted so be sure to know the right bait to lure the type of fish you desire
   • 3
     Bait the hook. Affix your bait onto the hook. This is an important step because fishes are not exactly dumb animals. If you bait and hook is too obvious it would be ignored. Set baits to look as natural as possible and try to disguise the hook. Using two types of bait might help.
   • 4
     Cast your reel. Make sure the area around you is clear to avoid accidents. Push and hold in the button on your reel. Draw back the pole behind you over your shoulders and snap the pole end like a whip. This would propel the hook straight into the water. As the hook shoots forward into water release the button. A bit of practice may be necessary.
   • 5
     Reeling in the fish. When there is a catch, you have to reel in the fish skillfully to avoid losing it. When the line suddenly goes out or the bobber jerks under you should draw in the line slowly until it is tight. This secures hook in the fish’s mouth. Draw back on the pole and begin to reel in the fish. Do not drag or force it; try to tire the fish before reeling it in completely.
   • 6
     Unhook the fish. Using gloves to hold the slippery fish, you can decide to unhook the fish using either your bare hands or pliers. Pliers make it safer for you and the fish. Squeeze the sides of the fish head to open the mouth. Observe how the hook is attached and then gently unhook. Place fish in bucket of water or use a stringer for large fishes.

Tips & Warnings

• Always check on your line before you begin fishing and after a catch. Some good catches have been lost because of a weak line.
• Always be on the lookout for tips from other fishermen, especially when fishing in a new location.
• Be careful and alert as accidents do happen when fishing.

how to keep fishing worms alive for fishing

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• worms,bedding

1. • 1
     I would suggest that you use red or night crawlers worms. They are also called fishing worms, earth worms.
     You can start with some shredded newspaper, moistened,or any paper similar to newspaper. Use the black and white pages do not use any paper with color ink. Add a couple of handfuls of garden soil or fine dirt not clay its to hard and lumpy, not potting soil, and a couple of crushed egg shells. Keep the bedding wet but not soaked. The moisture helps them to breathe, but too much water will drown the worms,just practice with the dampness until you get it right.
     You can feed your worms fruit and vegetable scraps and starchy scraps, like bread, oatmeal, and pasta. Do not feed them too much acidic foods, like citric fruits, coffee ground and tea bags. They do best with a pH between 7 and 8. You can use egg shells to balance the effects of coffee grounds, orange and lemon peels. Make sure that the eggshells are cooked before giving them to the worms.
     Never feed your worms meat, poultry, dairy products, or salty food , like potato chips. These will create odors and bring in bugs and insects,fly's and such.
     Your fishing worms should eat about half their body weight each day. Take this into consideration when you are deciding how much food to add to the fishing worm box or container.
   • 2
     Worms require oxygen so keep the lid partially open to allow air to circulate.If you have a garage keep them over in one of the corners near the door for good ventilation do not put them in direct sunlight.Earthworms have the ability to replace or replicate lost segments.
     Do not over feed the worms. Overfeeding can lead to odor problems. As your worm population increases, you can add more food per day. Burying the food in the damp newspaper will keep mold from growing in the fishing worm farm.
     Remember not to get the fishing worm bedding too wet, add some dry bedding, leave the cover off for a few days, or carefully drain the water off. If it is too dry, add some cool water and leave the fishing worm farm loosely covered. The fishing worm long, slender body helps it move through moist bedding. The fishing worm eats and digests the food you put in the soil as it moves through it.
   • 3
     Fishing worm

     You can go out at night when the grass is wet and pull some worms for your worm farm.Remember these fishing worm will last for awhile but you need to take them fishing before they get to old and start dieing

Tips & Warnings

• Finally, don't beat up your live fishing worms by fishing them too fast.Let them bounce along the bottom slowly for best results when using live fishing worm .