According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the sport of catching catfish with your bare hands, called noodling, became legal in Louisiana on August 1.

There are a few safety precautions fishermen should follow if they do decide to go noodling.

• Always have at least one person in the water with you. Noodling can require people to go underwater and hold their breath.
• Don’t underestimate how long you can hold your breath or how strong catfish can be.
• Wear gloves to protect your hands.
• Once you find where catfish are hiding keep all four fingers together, so they do not break.

Most of all, be careful what you reach for. You never know what could also be inside a noodling hole.