12 WOMEN NOODLING IN THE MURKY WATER OF REND LAKE

12 WOMEN NOODLING IN THE MURKY WATER OF REND LAKE

“If you’re gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough.”  I’m not sure I’d call any of these ladies dumb, but the act of going under water and sticking your hand in a dark hole in order for a catfish to bite you is definitely a little crazy.  This past weekend a group of twelve women from the American Daughter’s of Conservation, led by the Indiana Chapter President Allison Hunter Voges, all took on the challenge of grabbing a catfish from the murky waters of Rend Lake located in Benton, Illinois.  Many of these women hailed from Southern Indiana, but some girls came from a variety of other states just to try the sport. This was the second annual noodling trip that Allison has put on for the ADC.

“This is one of my favorite events to put on for the American Daughters of Conservation because it is so empowering for these women,” Allison explains, “It isn’t easy sticking your arm in a catfish hole and getting bit, then grabbing a fish all while holding your breath and with your eyes closed.  It takes a lot of courage and trust in the people who are taking you to do it.  These girls all rose to the challenge and I couldn’t be more proud of them.  I love introducing people to these catfish I’ve grown to love, but also show them that they can do anything they set their minds to.  These women left this trip ready to take on the world.”  The girls fished both Saturday and Sunday with the Rend Lake Fishing Guides, and by the end they had caught a total of 488 pounds of catfish.  Each fish was handled with care and safely released back to the lake.  

When asked about the whole experience Rachel Keith of Evansville, Indiana stated, “I’ve known what noodling was for a while. I always thought it must be a thrill, but it never crossed my mind that I might actually do it one day.  When I got invited, I wasn’t outwardly hesitant at all but internally it was a whirlwind of thoughts.  I’m a pretty frugal person and I had paid my deposit so I didn’t talk myself out of it, but I was nervous.  Once I took the first dive down though, I was sold.  It was probably the most thrilling thing I’ve ever done.  We even lost my first one through a series of unfortunate events, but the excitement and adrenaline was enough for me.  I got one on my next real try though and it was unreal.  I hauled twenty-three pounds of fish out of the water with my hands?! Was this real?! My hair was in my eyes and I couldn’t see a thing and I kept asking if it was in the net.  I was not losing that fish.  I loved every second of it, even the ones where my brain kept trying to tell me I was nuts for doing this.  I’m so glad I was invited and had this experience!”  Brittney Butler who’s first fish was a whopping forty-six pounds also added, “I was nervous and scared after I reached my arm into the unknown. Then determined after I got bit a couple of times.  The outcome was exactly what I knew it would’ve been.  I had a great time being in Gods country, as always.”  

The American Daughters of Conservation in as organization of women dedicated to North American wildlife conservation efforts, while inspiring fellow women and young girls to expand their knowledge of the outdoor sporting world.  The ADC hosts a variety of events and conservation efforts across the US.  They are a relatively young organization, having begun in January of 2017.  They are a non-profit organization, which means all proceeds go towards conservation efforts and member education.  Whittney Huff, Indiana ADC Member, had this to say about the organization, “I love the ADC because of the opportunities.  The opportunity to learn about the outdoors without judgement, the opportunity to make an impact on local habitat, and, most importantly, the opportunity to build relationships with like-minded females.” 

If you are interested in learning more about the ADC you can visit their website at adconserve.org, or message Indiana’s Chapter President, Allison Hunter Voges on Facebook or at raisedtochasethewild@gmail.com.  If you would like to book your own noodling trip on Rend Lake you can find the Rend Lake Fishing Guides on Facebook or at http://rendlakefishingguides.com/. 

You can also call Nick Shafer, owner of the guide service, at (618)472-4763.