Mudcats - Season 1 (2012)

Along Oklahoma's many rivers, a group of daring men practice a tradition dating back to early pioneer days: catching giant catfish with nothing more than their bare hands. A skill taught to colonial settlers by Native Americans, hand-catching catfish was first documented in 1775 and remains a vital rural tradition. Today, the colorful characters who practice catfish “noodling” brave snakes, bugs, riptides and more, reaching into muddy waters, and using their fingers as bait for giant fish that weigh up to 30 pounds. The all-new series Mudcats celebrates this uniquely all-American tradition, while revealing the little-known world of mudcatters.