Plot Synopsis

MUDCATS follows a group of Oklahoma men who go hand-fishing for giant flathead catfish, a practice that's been going on for generations, requiring no rod, reel or bait -- just two hands and a whole lot of guts. These men have inherited their noodling passion from their fathers and grandfathers, and have every intention of passing the tradition down to their sons and daughters and grandchildren. The fisherman must get into the water, and then wait for a fish to bite him, at which point he wedges his hand all the way down into its gullet and then wrestles it into the boat -- all while avoiding bites from turtles, snakes and beavers. The fishermen for Season 1 were: Scooter Bevins, the reigning champion of the 2010 Okie Noodling Tournament, who is a fourth-generation mudcatter defending his family's honor; Jerry Rider, a fixture on the Oklahoma hand-fishing scene, has been fishing against his son, Andy, for the past decade but has reunited with Andy to claim the crown; Marion Kincaid, a Harley-driving, rough-and-tumble showman, who doesn't get nearly as wrapped up in the backbiting and rivalries as the other guys do; Teddy Good, part of the next generation of hand fishermen, who is a fourth-generation mudcatter, having learned from his grandfather when he was three-years-old; Thomas Riggs, abandoned as a child, who once used hand fishing as a means for survival but continues because it's his passion; and Don 'Kat Daddy' Brewer, one of the most competitive hand-fishermen in Oklahoma, who won't hesitate to put it all on the line if it means getting an advantage over the competition. This series switched networks for Season 2, with the second season premiering on Nat Geo on Sunday, January 13, 2013 at 10pm ET. For Season 2, all of the lead fishermen returned, except for Thomas Riggs and Jerry Rider, who collapsed with heat stroke during the first season. 'The Legend' Lee McFarlin, a hand-fishing master with more than 40 years of experience, was added to the cast for Season 2, and he had his daughter, Misty Garcia, as his fishing partner.