# Telephoning catfish



## T.P. (Apr 13, 2012)

Anyone ever did this?


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## rydert (Apr 13, 2012)

I have.......got to be quick though.......them things will start to "wake up" pretty quick after you "call em".......


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## j_seph (Apr 13, 2012)

I've telephoned doodleflop several times about catfish


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## Nugefan (Apr 13, 2012)

Is that kinda like callin' ET ...


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## Lukikus2 (Apr 13, 2012)

If you ever do it don't do it in a leaky aluminum boat barefooted. I was told.


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## eman1885 (Apr 13, 2012)

telephoned myself once. a quarter turn will give you a pretty good pop, i can only imagine what cranking on it would do.


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## T.P. (Apr 13, 2012)

eman1885 said:


> telephoned myself once. a quarter turn will give you a pretty good pop, i can only imagine what cranking on it would do.



I've been told if you tell a buddy to hold one in each hand and carry them to the middle of a creek then do a power crank...... when he comes to his senses, he gets real mad..


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## Worley (Apr 13, 2012)

*Ring*

Been told it was hair raising at times...


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## sinclair1 (Apr 13, 2012)

I seen some ole timers do it in Iowa, they telephoned their worms too. Around here all I have seen is the DNR shock boat


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## KyDawg (Apr 13, 2012)

This thread is shocking, just shocking.


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## Joel (Apr 13, 2012)

Is this thread about some local swimbait or do I have them mixed up???


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## Lawnmowerman (Apr 13, 2012)

*telephoning*

We HAD one, nailed to a board.
Get up on a rock, in the middle of the River, drop the cables, and everyone around had a net to scoop em up with.
I'm 50 years old now, and "back in the day, as a teenager, my folks and a lot of their friends, and out Family would go to the River and fill up croaker sacks of catfish. Tons of fun. Then stay up half the night cleaning them kitty's.
Wouldn't do it today for the life of me.
A GW told me the reason it was illegal was that it sterilized the catfish.

Some of yall are still trying to figure out "croaker sack", aint ya,,??


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## Nicodemus (Apr 13, 2012)

Lawnmowerman said:


> We HAD one, nailed to a board.
> Get up on a rock, in the middle of the River, drop the cables, and everyone around had a net to scoop em up with.
> I'm 50 years old now, and "back in the day, as a teenager, my folks and a lot of their friends, and out Family would go to the River and fill up croaker sacks of catfish. Tons of fun. Then stay up half the night cleaning them kitty's.
> Wouldn't do it today for the life of me.
> ...




Not only do I now what they are, I now how to spell it too.     I always keep 3 or 4 in my truck to put rattlers, possums, and dillers in.


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## Showman (Apr 13, 2012)

UUmmm, Yep.  My Grandfather showed me how it was done many many moon ago.  He also showed me how to Noodle but I didn't have the, hmmm, testicles to try it myself when I saw him get bit by a Snapping Turtle.  Done the Worm trick also.  Don't do it standing on wet ground with bare feet.


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## j_seph (Apr 13, 2012)

Croaker sack would be a burlap bag?


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## NCHillbilly (Apr 13, 2012)

j_seph said:


> Croaker sack would be a burlap bag?



Nope, it's just an old tow sack that's in the possession of somebody living way down south. 

And 'lectrocuting catfish with a telephone is still legal to some extent in NC.


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## j_seph (Apr 13, 2012)

NCHillbilly said:


> And 'lectrocuting catfish with a telephone is still legal to some extent in NC.


How's that? ................................You just don't get caught?


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## Nicodemus (Apr 13, 2012)

Telephone, rotenone, green walnut hulls, seine, bust a beaver dam and mud the water. Lots of ways to get a quick mess of fish. Ain`t hardly worth it though, especially if you get caught.


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## rydert (Apr 13, 2012)

You can also get a quick mess of fish with two cinder blocks and a stick of dynamite ........


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## shakey gizzard (Apr 13, 2012)

I use a kroger sack!


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## jigman29 (Apr 13, 2012)

When I was a kid almost everybody had a telephone and would go once a year and get a big mess for a reunion.We had a ball and would usually be horse from yelling all day lol.The best part is when somebody steps on one of the  bolts bare footed lol they will do some quick stepping.I never knew it was illegal when I was a kid but it has been about 25 years since I took part in one.


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## Big L (Apr 13, 2012)

Where do you find them now?  Can't say, "Watch this........." without one in hand!


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## Nastytater (Apr 13, 2012)

Yea,from what I understand,you can get into some serious trouble by dnr if they find you with one. But then again,I've never had one so I wouldn't know.


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## Sultan of Slime (Apr 13, 2012)

I call them all the time on my gizzard shad smart phone


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## breampole (Apr 13, 2012)

*telephoning Catfish*

A few years ago there was a guy who had somehow rigged an electric trolling motor where it would shock catfish and he was working the Altamaha.  The DNR caught him and I was curious and asked how he rigged his trolling motor.  Even though I was the Judge they just smiled and wouldn't tell me.  It was illegal for sure then and now.


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## Showman (Apr 13, 2012)

IF you have an older brother, you know how sadistic they can be to the younger sibling.  Well, I got one of those and he rigged an old crank telephone to a door knob and went to twisting that crank when I had my hand on the door knob.  Yep, I danced a jig and a half, yelled, screamed, said nasty words, pee'd myself.  I was determined to pay him back so I rigged the toilet seat.  My brother couldn't poop for a week afterwards, TEE-HEEEEEEEE!


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## Showman (Apr 13, 2012)

Showman said:


> IF you have an older brother, you know how sadistic they can be to the younger sibling.  Well, I got one of those and he rigged an old crank telephone to a door knob and went to twisting that crank when I had my hand on the door knob.  Yep, I danced a jig and a half, yelled, screamed, said nasty words, pee'd myself.  I was determined to pay him back so I rigged the toilet seat.  My brother couldn't poop for a week afterwards, TEE-HEEEEEEEE!



To this day, if he knows I am around and he has messed with me, he always checks the toilet seat before he sits.


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## O-Country (Apr 13, 2012)

Brings back old memories of the good old days.That sure was fun except my legs from the knee down was sore, bruised and bleeding after a trip.Always worked good until the one with the phone fell in and then  nobody was man enough to hold the box and turn the handle.Each trip was good for 2 sacks full most trips.We only did it 1 or 2 times a year and we would have enough for a fish fry and to stock somebodys pond.You think them swamp people and noodlers are fun to watch you should see a bunch of redneck and alcohol with a phone,nets and a sack.Thanks for the memory from probably 35 or 40 years ago.(good times)


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## T.P. (Apr 13, 2012)

O-Country said:


> That sure was fun except my legs from the knee down was sore, bruised and bleeding after a trip.



Yep, them rocky rivers are rough! Especially with a short handled net!


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## T.P. (Apr 13, 2012)

Or, so I've been told...


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## fishingga (Apr 13, 2012)

Crocus sack maybe?  I hear money challenged people used to make clothes from them.   At least that is what my Aunts told me.  The oldest of them died recently at the ripe young age of 
93.


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## Judge (Apr 13, 2012)

Lawnmowerman said:


> Some of yall are still trying to figure out "croaker sack", aint ya,,??



I know what it is, but I have no idea where you would find one now.


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## mlandrum (Apr 13, 2012)

They're on the internet plain as day They're SMALLER today and do a Marvelous job------And how do I know   A little Birdy told me so


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## Reel Big-uns (Apr 14, 2012)

sinclair1 said:


> I seen some ole timers do it in Iowa, they telephoned their worms too. Around here all I have seen is the DNR shock boat



The DNR seems to schedule their sampling surveys about two or three days before a legislature's catfish supper.


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## Chief31794 (Apr 14, 2012)

Since I'm in my 6th decade, I certainly know what a croaker sack is, what telephoning fish is although you need an old crank type telephone and being a law abiding citizen I'm making a "Citizens Arrest" and I won't every one of you on this post to turn yo'sevs in to the nearest DNR officer.  Shameful, just shameful!!

Ken


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## Swamp Angel (Apr 14, 2012)

My dad an' I snuck outta the house with mah mom's old antique crank phone to see if there were enny decent-sized fish in the bass ponds in front of the house they'd jes' bought in Miss'ippi. Round an' 'bout the time we were gittin' result, Mom come out an' threatened us good fer usin' her precious antique fer sech nefarious purposes! (Next time we did it, we took the bells off'n it so they didn't make all that racket when we was a-crankin' on it.)

I got that ole crank phone stashed away in the old pie safe Mom gave me. The wife an' I are a-headin' up t'ward Lula today to try an' hook ennything that has fins. The boat is fiberglass an' don't conduct 'lectricity . . . Hm m m m m m m . . . .

Nope. Cain't do it. Mom lives in Dothan, Alabamastan, but she's got that "mother radar" an' there ain't no doubt she'd know 'bout me usin' her antique phone sinfully again. No, sir. Not gonna go down that road again! (But it sure was fun!)


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## crappiedex (Apr 14, 2012)

Just for you brave souls 

or dumb which ever applies


http://www.catfishstunner.com/


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## NCHillbilly (Apr 14, 2012)

j_seph said:


> How's that? ................................You just don't get caught?



Nope, it's just plain legal in some counties. Here's from the regulations book:

_Special Fishing Devices
● Special fishing devices, which may be licensed for the taking of
nongame fishes, include the following: bow and arrow (except
crossbows), seines, cast nets, gill nets, dip nets, bow nets, reels,
gigs, spear guns, baskets, fish pots, eel pots, traps (excluding crab traps and automobile tires), and hand-crank electrofisherswhere authorized by local law._

_Hand-crank electrofishers are any manually operated device
capable of generating a low-voltage electrical current, not to
exceed 300 volts, for the taking of catfish._

The legal use of them varies from county to county according to local laws. Some counties they're legal, some not.


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## Gaducker (Apr 14, 2012)

Non game fish down here only means gar carp and bowfin.


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## NCHillbilly (Apr 14, 2012)

Catfish aren't gamefish in NC.


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## Tatelesti (Apr 14, 2012)

Lawnmowerman said:


> A GW told me the reason it was illegal was that it sterilized the catfish.



That is funny, but I can't say it is the 1st time I've heard that.  Don't know who exactly would of told you that (not a DNR biologist), but shocking them does not sterilize them.  In fact, electrofishing is used to collect brood fish for use in hatcheries.


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## Lanier Jim (Apr 14, 2012)

I saw two guys with one on Jackson Lake years ago - a few hours later - I saw those same two in a DNR boat....hmmmmmm -

LJ


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## j_seph (Apr 15, 2012)

Lanier Jim said:


> I saw two guys with one on Jackson Lake years ago - a few hours later - I saw those same two in a DNR boat....hmmmmmm -
> 
> LJ



That was before the Dnr got their shock boat. Those 2 guys were just being recruited to help out the Dnr.


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## tritontravis (Apr 17, 2012)

For all the people talking about doing it in lakes it want work in a lake or pond it has to be in a creek or river with a rocky or sandy bottom and moving water and a hand crank will only work on catfish but if you have never tried it I will tell you it is some of the most fun you can have in a creek with a bunch of buddys but im not saying go try it cause it is illegal


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## flatheadfisherman (Apr 17, 2012)

I have rode with the DNR doing samples on the Altamaha and Satilla before. Get them up, measure and weigh them, then turn them loose. I think they take all flatheads out of the Satilla now but I cant stand to ride with them on those trips. Still got some citizen poachers that do it on the Altamaha from what I hear though.


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## mlandrum (Apr 17, 2012)

flatheadfisherman said:


> I have rode with the DNR doing samples on the Altamaha and Satilla before. Get them up, measure and weigh them, then turn them loose. I think they take all flatheads out of the Satilla now but I cant stand to ride with them on those trips. Still got some citizen poachers that do it on the Altamaha from what I hear though.




You must have been listing to the same Little Birdy I heard it from----


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## uncleless (Apr 18, 2012)

Use a 312 field phone works great, and lots of fun when you get new PVTs in and you have to set the TOC up and run lines to your OPs. "here hold this and see if this phone works". would use them to get a mess of blue gills when we could not take another MRE.


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## fish hawk (Apr 18, 2012)

breampole said:


> A few years ago there was a guy who had somehow rigged an electric trolling motor where it would shock catfish and he was working the Altamaha.  The DNR caught him and I was curious and asked how he rigged his trolling motor.  Even though I was the Judge they just smiled and wouldn't tell me.  It was illegal for sure then and now.



Funny you say this....As a kid we camped and fished the Altamaha....A friend of my older cousin had a trolling motor that would shock em up.That was thirty years ago.


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## doodleflop (Apr 18, 2012)

I just want an invite next time one of y'all go


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## DeepweR (Apr 18, 2012)

My pawpaw always said a sandy bottom worked the best!


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## coltday (Apr 19, 2012)

Judge said:


> I know what it is, but I have no idea where you would find one now.



We own an ornamental concrete business and make big fountains and tables and such, we use croaker sacks for packing. I'd imagine we have well over 500 put up for when we need them. All are old coffee sacks.


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## EAGLE EYE 444 (Apr 22, 2012)

I saw this thread a couple of days ago and it got me to thinking of days gone by.  

I have a "telephone" that was used back in the 1940's in the Savannah River before it became Clark's Hill Lake.  This was my Dad's and in years past, the menfolk would get together and go down to the river and catch upwards of a couple of hundred pounds of catfish.  The whole community would come together and have a big fish fry with various families supplying various types of other foods that would go along with fried catfish or catfish stew.  This was  big event in the community back then.  After reading the previous comments about this, I decided to get to get out the "BEAST" because this telephone is legendary in it's ability of shocking catfish in the past.  I have owned it for over 30 years now and have tried it twice myself along with a couple of friends but without any success due to not having the proper flowing water and rocky/sandy bottom etc.

If ONLY this telephone could talk !!!!  I also remember that my Father supposedly bought this telephone for $4.00 back then and my Mother got really mad that he used the rent money instead to buy this thing.  As it turned out, actually  my Father was able to pay the monthly rent money with catfish instead of actual dollars.

I well remember of the tale of my Father, while using this telephone with several other men, dang near got killed, it seems.  Now that the people involved are all deceased that were involved in these type of occurrences, I can actual say that the man that was turning the crank that day was Mr. "Jinks" Goldman,  and my Father and the others were using dip nets to catch the fish and put them over into the boat.  Well, as Mr Goldman was cranking, my Father accidentally stepped onto one of the leads and was getting shocked like crazy, while he was trying to get Mr. Goldman to stop cranking, unfortunately Mr. Goldman was watching a very big catfish up on the surface and he was afraid to stop cranking because they might lose that fish.  Over the years, I remember as several of my Father's friends would tell about it, I always laughed at their descriptions of how my Father acted or reacted to the "shocking" experience back then.   I should tell all of you that this was before I was born but I relish the memories of that era because I really think that those were the "good old days" in my thoughts. 

I am sharing several of the photos of this telephone so that others might actually see just what it looks like.  I am showing it from various angles along with a view of the leather strap that was used as a way of holding this heavy device up around you neck for cranking etc. and I am also showing the wire leads that were made from the "old style" electrical wire from those days along with the links of chain that were attached to the leads for holding it down on the bottom.  I hope that you might learn something from the past from these photos.


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## T.P. (Apr 22, 2012)

Yes sir, EAGLE EYE! I'll bet there was many good times had from turning that crank! Great pics and story!


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## Showman (Apr 22, 2012)

Just don't answer on the "Wrong" ring.


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## 1gr8bldr (Apr 22, 2012)

NCHillbilly said:


> Catfish aren't gamefish in NC.


It is legal on a certain strecth of the Cape fear river. Where I'm at, I can just chase them cats up in a corner and throw my cast net on them. I could sink most boats with what I can catch in my cast net.The thing is that after awhile, most people opt for the sporting, most challenging way. Good ole hook and line. That is why I hear that it is not all that popular on that strecth of the Cape Fear


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## 1gr8bldr (Apr 22, 2012)

I heard that the telephone only got skinned fish???? But I realize that the wildlife get all kinds. Is that because of the amount of power, or should I say degree of shock/voltage


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## FredBearYooper (Apr 22, 2012)

uncleless said:


> Use a 312 field phone works great, and lots of fun when you get new PVTs in and you have to set the TOC up and run lines to your OPs. "here hold this and see if this phone works". would use them to get a mess of blue gills when we could not take another MRE.



You must be commo..haha


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## mlandrum (Apr 22, 2012)

I'm sorry  EAGLE EYE, but that phone LOOKS like somone still Makin Calls on it


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## easymoney (Apr 22, 2012)

Hey T.P , I think we've laid our eyes on a telephone that looks a lot like eagle eye's ain't we ?


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## EAGLE EYE 444 (Apr 22, 2012)

mlandrum said:


> I'm sorry  EAGLE EYE, but that phone LOOKS like someone still Makin Calls on it



Shucks, I did try it out about 20-25 years ago but it has been in storage ever since.  If you notice, there are still a lot of spider webs on it and that is after I took a towel and tried to clean it up somewhat just for the photos.



easymoney said:


> Hey T.P , I think we've laid our eyes on a telephone that looks a lot like eagle eye's ain't we ?



Yes, it is old and rusty just like me.


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## Zook (Apr 22, 2012)

Joel said:


> Is this thread about some local swimbait or do I have them mixed up???



Hahahahaha I about fell outta my chair


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