Noodling

A story in Field & Stream went like this: "Matt had woken up and reluctantly told his mother that he'd ruined a new set of sheets on the guest bed thanks to the open, oozing catfish bite on his arm. That fish was worth a beating, though. It was an 80-pound flathead that Matt wrestled out by hand from underneath a shallow rock at the mouth of the river. It took two of us to lift the behemoth out of the water for a photo, and only after we released it did Matt say, "Dang, I'm bleeding." We caught that fish four summers ago, and it's still the biggest flathead we've ever encountered.

Cut off some jeans, round up the family, and head for the water. Because nothing beats the summer heat –and brings family together—like wrassling a giant catfish. From how to find them safely to what to wear for the big event, hunting editor Will Brantley and his wife and kids will ensure that you and yours are 100% prepared for this adventure

Most newcomers are afraid of encountering some foreign creature hiding in a hole, like a snake, turtle, or beaver. Avoiding those problems is easy enough because all of those critters must breathe air. Never reach into a hole that's not completely underwater, and you'll probably be just fine.