A new experience is coming June 6-7 to the Catfish Capitol of Texas, the city of West Tawakoni.
The city will host the first of many noodling tournaments at Lake Tawakoni at the West Tawakoni City Park.
What is noodling? Park Board Chairman Bill Creed describes it this way:
“Something is in the air, it an excitement, most people feel it right before they jump from a plane, or they climb that mountain, or they step out onto a stage for the first time. The butterflies start dancing around in your stomach and you feel nauseous. The feel of the water is cool, but not cold. Walking around they are looking for a hole or a crevice, then slowly running their hand inside, feeling around, until they feel the prize. The skin feels smooth, the head feels huge, and the tentacles feel like small snakes moving around. They rub along the head until they feel the mouth, then ever so slowly the place their fingers into the opening, the thumb remaining on the outside.
“Once they are in position they close their hand around the bottom lip, and “BAM,” the great fish comes to life, shaking and spinning trying to kill the would-be attacker. The fight between both adversaries is on; the prize for both is life. This is what it is like to be a noodler.”
Last year, West Tawakoni’s own hometown hero, Lucy Millsap, an ex-cheerleader at Quinlan Ford High School, felt that very excitement as she beat out over 200 of the nation’s best noodlers in Paul’s Valley Okla., and pulled out a 72-pound flathead catfish.
This year, Lucy will defend her title on the very lake she grew up on at Lake Tawakoni.
The prize is $5,000 and the fish are the biggest in Texas, earning West Tawakoni the capitol status by the state legislature.
“Join us on June 6-7 at the West Tawakoni City Park and show your support for these fishermen and women,” Creed said. “This will be a two-day party with bands and games and lots of fun for the whole family. And if by some strange chance you have the desire or drive, join in and test your noodling skill and you may just become Texas’s newest noodling champion. People from all over will be here battling for this title. This is a must see. All monies from this event go toward the upgrade and repairs of the park.”