The Kingdom of Ozark Tracker

[Delmonico]

One a ya varnmints go fill yer hat up with goose berries and I'll make us a couple a goose berry pies just like grandma used to.

[Ozark Tracker]

my wife says you poor boy,  ought not anybody havta eat hamburger helper.

my wife grew up in calif. and can cook a lot of mexican meals,  her dad was born and raised in Oklahoma, so growing up she got the meat and potatoes from this region of the country,  when we moved to Arkansas, I showed her how to cook wild game, deer, squirell, wild hogs, snakes.

she can cook ya a meal what makes you want to get down and rest when yer done.

[Trinity]

my wife says you poor boy,  ought not anybody havta eat hamburger helper.

my wife grew up in calif. and can cook a lot of mexican meals,  her dad was born and raised in Oklahoma, so growing up she got the meat and potatoes from this region of the country,  when we moved to Arkansas, I showed her how to cook wild game, deer, squirell, wild hogs, snakes.

she can cook ya a meal what makes you want to get down and rest when yer done.

It's all that tryptophan in your turkeys. 

My stepmother is mexican.  She can cook just about anything, but when it comes down to making mexican dishes she breaks out the Old El Paso!   

[Delmonico]

Here, this ain't Old El Paso, Chlii Verde, by Gopher Grease.

Don't drool Trinity, them green pappers and that cilantro floatin' around are veggies, green veggies.

[litl rooster]

Here, this ain't Old El Paso, Chlii Verde, by Gopher Grease.

Don't drool Trinity, them green pappers and that cilantro floatin' around are veggies, green veggies.

Now that's good eatin'

[Ozark Tracker]

that chilli verde is some good stuff,  and that cilantro is one of my favorite.   I just gotta have it in ma salsa.

[Delmonico]

Here, this was on the Homepage at work last night, couldn't post it then though.  BTW Nebraska is a state where this is not allowed although it does happen.

Oklahoma noodlers use 'hands on' approach in annual fishing tourney
2006 winner catches 61-pound catfish in Okie Noodling Tournament
by Lauren Hopkins

July 29, 2006

They'll never believe this fish story.

Oklahoma native Don Brewer took home the biggest fish overall at the Okie Noodling Tournament after using scuba gear to dive underwater and catch a 61-pound catfish with his bare hands.

Brewer took home a $500 prize for the catch along with bragging rights for the biggest fish yet.

The Okie Noodling Tournament saw its seventh turn July 8 in Pauls Valley. The tournament serves as a mecca for Oklahoma noodlers as well as hand fishermen from across the country who practice a unique form of fishing: thrusting an arm into an underwater hole and waiting for a catfish to bite.

The practice of hand fishing, also known as noodling, has found a home in Oklahoma, one of several states where some forms of hand fishing are legal.

Glen Madden, a noodler from Wayne, said he has been noodling since he was about 10 years old. 

NoodlingNoodling is a sport where fishermen attempt to catch catfish with their bare hands. • Takes place annually at Bob's Pig Shop in Pauls Valley• Sponsored by Pauls Valley Tourism and Chesapeake Energy• Winners are awarded $500 for biggest fish overall or $300 for Biggest Stringers.
"It's exciting. You get bit, but they're just bites," he said, gesturing toward the scars and scabs on his right wrist and arm.

"You've got more and more people getting into it. You can't pull in to a river anymore and there aren't 15 to 20 trucks," Madden said. "It's a lot more of a younger generation."

Phil Henderson, owner of Bob's Pig Shop in Pauls Valley, the tournament's official venue, said the event has grown in participants and results since its beginning in 1999.

"Every year has brought out bigger fish," Henderson said.

Noodlers are allowed to fish any Oklahoma waters that fall under state wildlife regulations, and only flathead catfish are eligible for hand fishing.

Henderson said the sport of noodling is not for the faint of heart; it often requires a lengthy wrestling match with catfish weighing roughly 50 pounds.

"Noodling is a pretty simple situation," Henderson said. "It all boils down to just you against the fish."

Heath Osborne started noodling when he was 14. The now 24-year-old competitor said when he was growing up, noodling was a necessity.

"Well when I was about 7 or 8 years old, my daddy always noodled. And he took me noodling, and I just learned how from him. I mean, that's how we caught fish for supper, that's how we ate," Osborne said.

While veteran noodlers mixed with first-timers, some spectators watched in amazement and vowed never to participate.

Donna Balch of Ada came to see what was going on from down the street.

"I wouldn't want to do that. You might pull out a snake or lose half your fingers," she said. "You'd have to be a little crazy to do it, right?"

[Ozark Tracker]

they are right about it being popular, I lived in Oklahoma for 46 years and I've seen a lot of noodling during that time.  little bitty kids all the way up to real old folks.

[Lucky Irish Tom]

Hey Del, are there a lot of people in that State called Lefty? 

[Ozark Tracker]

I had an uncle who I went Pole fishing with a lot,  since the time I was little, he would show me his arm and just in front of his muscle on his upper arm was a big scar,  he got that noodling, a big snapping turtle.

[Sod Buster]

<<--Arrives from Sodbuster Township.....

Hey OT,  our buddy Trinity never had a Bachelor Party.  Ya think we can get something put together soon and do it on the sly so that his new wife and Mother-In-Law don't find out?  Mebbe we could get some of Mrs. Collingwood's girls to participate.

[Ozark Tracker]

we ourta be able to work something up without him a knowing,  we kin rent the odd fellars lodge and have it there,  it ain't got on windows in it, you know all that secret meeting stuff.

and we'll get a some of them empty lliquor bottles from behind the sallon,  we'll fill em with the home brew, but he'll think we bought some.

and since he's in good standing with miz collinwood,  I bet she'd let a few of the gals come over. we'll get some of them new girls so's Sherlene don't know em.

[Sod Buster]

we ourta be able to work something up without him a knowing,  we kin rent the odd fellars lodge and have it there,  it ain't got on windows in it, you know all that secret meeting stuff.

and we'll get a some of them empty lliquor bottles from behind the sallon,  we'll fill em with the home brew, but he'll think we bought some.

and since he's in good standing with miz collinwood,  I bet she'd let a few of the gals come over. we'll get some of them new girls so's Sherlene don't know em.

Sounds like a plan.

Whom shall we invite?

[Trinity]

<<Disembodied voice eerily calls out... don't forget the fooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood.>>

[Ozark Tracker]

looking around for the voice, Sod Buster and Ozark don't see nothing but both think about food for the party at the same time,

we need to get in touch with litl rooster and see if he can fix a salad bar for the party.

[Sod Buster]

<<Disembodied voice eerily calls out... don't forget the fooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood.>>

Oh yeah......we kain't ferget the viddles.  All I got to offer is veggies, fruits, grain, and nuts (i.e. granola).  
Mebbe we can do some noodling and catch a big catfish to fry....that and a couple kegs of beer to get us started.  <burp>

[Sod Buster]

Sod Buster, who doesn't have much use for small children, wonders if Trinity would mind if'n we tied a rope around litl trinity to teach him how to noodle.

[Trinity]

Just then Trinity walks in and see's OT and Sod Buster standing together.  "Oh, Stranger.  Ah been wantin' ta tawk to ya.  Ah'll be needin' som'mo cone.  That durned heathen mother of Sherlene done chopped two of mah good steels up!  ...  Ah din't know you two fellers knew each other."

[Ozark Tracker]

when Trinity turns and looks out the window  Ozark whispers to Sod Buster.

ok  i guess we could get litl rooster to BBQ up a few steers, that should take care of Trinity and I'll see about getting some of that Smithfield pork maybe a ham or 2,  then that deep fried catfish you mentioned,  hush puppies,  lots of fried potatoes.

we gonna havta telegraph Del too get him to bring down some of them Dutch ovens and help with all this cooking.  I bet he can think of some other things to eat too.

It should't bother Trinity, we'd be like teaching litl trinity  useful  stuff.

[Sod Buster]

when Trinity turns and looks out the window  Ozark whispers to Sod Buster.

ok  i guess we could get litl rooster to BBQ up a few steers, that should take care of Trinity and I'll see about getting some of that Smithfield pork maybe a ham or 2,  then that deep fried catfish you mentioned,  hush puppies,  lots of fried potatoes.

we gonna havta telegraph Del too get him to bring down some of them Dutch ovens and help with all this cooking.  I bet he can think of some other things to eat too.

It should't bother Trinity, we'd be like teaching litl trinity  useful  stuff.

We can't forget Slim and his Wisconsin goodies: Cheese, sausages, Bratwurst, Kringle, etc.  Trinity might wanna try some of the deep fried cheese curls they got up there.