Keith Gibson has spent a lifetime hunting and fishing. Fishing, for most of his life, was spent in the traditional sense with a pole or rod and some kind of bait.

Then he got introduced to noodling.

“I tried it, and I will tell you I was a little apprehensive the first time, but once you figure out what you’re doing and how you’re doing it and you take all of the necessary precautions, it’s a blast,” Gibson said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Noodling, for those who don’t know, is a style of fishing where you induce a catfish to bite your arm and hand, thus enabling you to seize the fish and pull it up out of the water for a catch.

Gibson retired from Alabama Power earlier this year after more than 38 years with the company. Now that hunting season is over, you’re likely to find him on an Alabama lake or river fishing. He just probably won’t have a rod and reel with him.

Noodling for catfish in Alabama from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

(Courtesy of Alabama NewsCenter)