Okie Noodling with Sweethearts of the Rodeo

The 12th Annual Okie Noodling Tournament, Festival & Fish Fry is today at 1:00 PM in Wacker Park (Oklahoma), with entertainment lasting until 11:00 PM. This will be the biggest Okie Noodling Festival of all – complete with children’s activities, food vendors, PBR beer, the Okie Noodling Queen contest and live tunes. At 5:00 PM the band Empty Bottles will cover The Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo in it’s entirety, followed by sets from Beau Jennings and Red Blood Blues.

For those that don’t know, “Okie Noodling” is an intense type of fishing practiced in Oklahoma – the fishermen don’t use rods, just their hands! The sport’s defining portrait is the 2001 documentary Okie Noodling directed by Brad Beesley and scored by his friends, The Flaming Lips (buy the film here). Additionally, a sequel (2008’s Okie Noodling II) discussed how the sport’s popularity and acceptance has grown since the first film.

Jake FM and KKNG will lead the main festivities today at 5:30 PM, and broadcast live on the radio. There’s a Catfish Cookoff at 7:30 and the awards ceremony will be at 7:45…

paulsvalleydailydemocrat: “Once the fish are all caught they must be turned in no later than 7:30 p.m. with winners announced by 8 p.m., said Samford. The categories, which all come with a trophy, are third runner up with a cash prize of $200, second runner up with a prize of $300, first place with a prize of $400 and for grand prize for heaviest fish, a $500 prize will be awarded… A Okie Noodling Queen will be crowned at 8:15, which will be followed by the final band for the night, Jagg at 8:30”

…may the best hand-wacker win!