All language subtitles for B.W.S06E14.Giant.Catfish.Bite.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DD2.0.H.264-playWEB_track3_[eng]

Hiding beneath the plant

strewn surface of this
vast wetland lurks

a swamp monster that
is capable of striking

with incredible speed.

I can sense that
you think this is

another episode about the
notorious snapping turtle,

but it's not.

This ancient being
is armed with a mouth

full of needle-like teeth.

And trust me when I say
that this creature is

unlike anything we
have featured before.

Welcome to West Virginia's
Green Bottom Swamp.

This location is
shrouded in war.

And my good friend, wildlife
expert Tim Brust, for years

has been telling me
about the monsters living

amongst the watery shadows.

Tim is a man of his word, and
I believe the tales he tells.

But catching one of
these supposed monsters

is going to require
a tactic we have

never featured on the
Brave Wilderness Channel.

A fishing pole.

OK, we've got a short walk
down to the edge of a marsh.

We're going after a true swamp
monster in the fish kingdom.

Something known as a bowfin.

This is a very ancient
looking fish species.

In fact, its lineage dates
back 150 million years.

If we can actually land
one of these creatures,

it's going to boggle your mind.

Right now, Tim is getting all
of the rods and reels set up.

He's going to technically
be our fisherman today.

I'm going to be the net man.

This is really a
two person job when

it comes to landing a bowfin.

To actually reel one of these
fish in is very difficult.

The hook doesn't fully
set in the fish's mouth.

They're really clamped
on to that bait.

So it can really
let go at any point.

You want to reel it in as
slow as you possibly can.

And when it gets close, there
I will be, waiting to ambush.

Almost like this fish
does to catch its prey.

And with the net,
I will hopefully

be able to scoop it up and
we'll get it under control.

We just have a basic
spinner rod here with about

12 to 15 pound test on it.

Because we're not really
fighting the fish,

we're just going to try
to lure them in so we

can get them with the net.

And we've got a circle
hook attached to the bait.

And we have a bobber.

And that's about all you need.

Just have to find
the right habitat.

And if the fish are
there, you'll catch them.

With two lines in the water,

it's now a matter
of being patient,

as Tim is confident
it won't be long

before the smell
of our fresh bait

permeates the underwater
labyrinth of swamp plants.

OK.

Now we wait.

That is the skull of a bowfin.

And it's essentially
like a helmet.

It is completely
constructed of bone.

But what you definitely notice
are those incredibly long,

sharp teeth.

And when I say I don't want
to be bitten by bowfin,

that is exactly why.

Their mouths can gape open
significantly to swallow down

their prey whole.

But if you get
your fingers stuck

in that mouth and
this fish spins,

it's going to be a very
painful and very bloody

end to this episode.

And these plates here
that look like shields

are called the operculum.

That actually covers up and
protects the fish's gills.

So if a predator comes in
and tries to make a meal out

of one of these
creatures, they're

going to have a very tough time
getting through that skull.

Such a primitive fish.

Considered a taxonomic relic,

the bowfin is the
sole surviving species

of the order
Amiiformes, which dates

back to the Jurassic period.

And while they've certainly
evolved since swimming

in the presence of
dinosaurs, they're still

considered primitive fish.

Bobber just went down,
I think we got something.

Bobber is definitely down.

Yeah, we might have
something here.

I got to go grab the net.

It's right here.

OK.

So stand
up here at this point.

OK.

Yeah we definitely
have something.

This is crazy.

OK, we might have a bowfin.

You got this, Tim.

Let's hope it's a bowfin fish
and not a snapping turtle.

I guess that's another
one of the threats.

We could catch snapping turtles.

It definitely
could be a snapping turtle.

Is it off?

Yeah,
I think it's off.

It's off.

And we still got the bait.

No, it must have been a bowfin.

If it was a snapping
turtle, we definitely

would not have the bait.

Oh, that was our first bowfin.

That's a bummer.

Definitely our
first bowfin on.

Well, cast back out.

We know they're biting.

That's a good sign.

Awesome.

COYOTE PETERSON
Remember.

Setting a hook in the mouth
of a bowfin is unlikely.

Which means that if we
have a fish on the line

and it gets tangled in the
weeds, all it has to do

is spit out the bait
and we will lose

our chance to safely net it.

All right.

Tim's got a fish.

Still on?

This way.

Come on.

Come out here.

I want you to stand up here.

It's like a decent fish.

I see.

Don't move.

Just don't move.

Grab it, grab it,
grab it, grab it.

Got it.

Got it, got it, got it, got it.
It just let go.

Yes.

Yes, we got one.

This is fantastic.

We've got a bowfin.

Wow, good size, too.

Well done, Tim.

All right, I am literally
walking through the sticks

of a beaver dam right now.

All right.

Let me get back over here.

Whoa.

We got one.

Check it out.

There is the bowfin.

Wow.

What a cool, cool looking fish.

How about that?

That is the bowfin.

Now they get the name
bowfin from the really

long fin that runs
down the dorsal length

of the fish's back.

But you'll notice that the
tail very closely resembles

the shape of the head.

That's a sort of
defensive mimicry.

So if a predator comes in
and bites onto this fish,

they may bite the tail
instead of the head,

giving the fish the
opportunity to propel

itself forward and escape.

Now you can see
there's several chomps

out of the tail of this fish.

That could quite possibly be
from a common snapping turtle,

another one of the
dominant predators

here in this wetland
ecosystem, or it

may even be from a male bowfin.

During breeding season,
they will sometimes

battle against each
other for the rights

to a breeding territory.

But one other aspect about
this fish that's very cool

is that the males
are actually the ones

responsible for parental care.

Not only will they
guard the nests

and eat anything
that comes close,

but they'll actually
take care of the young

until they're about
four inches in length.

So when it comes
to the fish world,

this is definitely what
you consider a good papa.

Now there's a difference between
the males and the females.

The females are a bit larger.

So I'd likely say
that this is a female.

And that is a big, big bowfin.

I'm going to get
my measuring tape.

I would say that this fish is
all of 23 inches in length.

That is definitely
what you would

consider a full grown bowfin.

You can see there, its
mouth opening and closing

and its gills flapping.

It's actually taking in
gulps of air right now.

That's one of the most neat
things about these fish.

Is that they're incapable of
breathing not only underwater,

but above the water as well.

In shallow water,
these fish can survive

for an extended period of time.

And they will secrete a very
slippery mucus from their skin

to keep them hydrated
in a completely,

almost dried up situation.

Wow, and you can see all of the
slime dripping off of its body.

In fact, they can
even slither up

and over short periods of land.

Like if they're in a body of
water that begins to dry up

and they need to scoot
themselves over land to get

to a bigger body
of water, this fish

is capable of staying
hydrated and of breathing

through that process.

See that, right there?

That was a gulp of air.

All right, let me let this
fish back down into the water.

They have a lateral
line that runs down

the length of their body,
which helps them to feel

vibrations in the water.

The bowfin is an
ambush predator.

It will lie in
wait in the weeds,

wait for something like a
smaller fish, a tadpole,

a frog to swim by.

Then they will dart out,
engulf it in that large mouth,

swallow it down, and then
tuck back down into the weeds.

What a cool and
alien looking fish.

I'm so excited that we got one.

I'm going to lift it up one
more time, very gently here.

I know.

It's about time for you to
get back into the swamp.

How cool was that?

Getting up close with one
of the most primitive fish

species on our planet.

The bowfin.

I'm Coyote Peterson.

Be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you on
the next adventure.

All right.

Let's get this fish
back into the swamp.

In the swampy realms

of the Eastern United
States, the bowfin

rules as one of our planet's
most primordial creatures.

And their ability to survive
beyond the time of dinosaurs

has made them one of my
favorite all time fish species.

Once considered a
nuisance, it's now

been proven by ictheologists
that these predators are

a very necessary part
of the food chain,

as they help maintain
an important balance

within an ecosystem.

So while they may be
rather uneasy on the eyes,

and certainly aren't considered
a fish fry favorite, if you

happen to find one on
the end of your line,

watch out for their
teeth and do your best

to safely release these
prehistoric relics back

into the wild.

On this adventure,
I will be heading

out onto the Tennessee River
to test my skills at noodling.

Simply defined as using one's
bare hands to catch catfish.

To help me achieve this
seemingly crazy feat,

I have teamed up with renowned
catfish grappler, Will Goodman.

Will prefers the term
grappling over noodling.

He holds several records,
and has been practicing

this art form since childhood.

It's a tradition passed down
from generation to generation.

And what was once considered
an entertaining way

to catch dinner has
evolved into his life's

mission, catfish conservation.

He owns and operates Big
Tennessee Adventures,

where each summer, he takes
countless wannabe catfish

noodlers, myself included,
out on tours to see

these primordial creatures.

The coolest part is that these
tours fuel the work he is doing

beneath the water's surface.

Which in turn is having
an important impact

on the future of these fish.

The box is back in here.

This is a nice little cove.

The water's definitely warm.

Conditions are perfect.

This could be the spot.

To be honest, I've never caught
a catfish in my entire life.

Maybe some real small ones when
I was a kid on a fishing line.

But never something
the size that Will

usually pulls out of here.

35 to 55 pounds would
be a good sized catfish.

But Will has caught ones that
have weighed over 100 pounds.

Hidden from human sight,

Will has built hundreds of what
I have coined Catfish hotels.

These three foot
by four foot boxes

provide an ideal location
for males to build nests.

They have a simple entryway
for fish to come and go.

And are protected
from predators.

Going down, here we go.

To check the catfish hotels,

I use a small bamboo pole to
gently feel around for a fish.

To help fight the natural
buoyancy of my body,

Will holds me
beneath the surface

so I can position
myself at an angle

and reach far inside the box.

If a river monster is
home, it bites the stick.

Then Will quickly
blocks the entrance

with a plank of wood, which
prevents the fish from escaping

before we can attempt a catch.

Nothing there?

OK.

I got one more.

It's a little bit
harder to find.

Will has a very
large number of boxes.

They're essentially
designed to be just

like an underground
burrow or a rock burrow

where these catfish can
come in and lay their eggs.

And they're much more
protected than being

up underneath tree roots.

Now, what the catfish have
to worry about with predators

is not so much predators
eating the fish themselves,

but it's the predators
eating the eggs

that the catfish are laying.

Bluegills specifically
love to eat catfish eggs.

So these boxes help
to keep the bluegill

out and the catfish in.

It's really a pretty
cool conservation project

that Will has going here.

And right now, we're
checking those boxes.

All right, let's catch up.

The early summer

months of May and June
are what Will considers

the peak of catfish breeding.

During this time, dominant
males seek out these boxes,

build, and guard nests.

Once residency is
established, they

release pheromones into the
water to attract females.

She accepts the invite,
lays eggs, and then the male

will fertilize and guard
them until they hatch.

To more accurately
define guard, I

mean he will literally
eat any living thing

that comes close to those eggs.

Including a human hand or foot.

Oh, this
one could be perfect.

This could be the box.

No fish in that one.

Nobody's home.

Nothing.

It seemed so perfect.

COYOTE PETERSON
So far, we

have covered over
20 miles of river

and easily checked 50
different catfish hotels,

only to find that each
and every one was vacant.

This
might be the one.

We got a fish.

It's a big fish.

It is a big fish.

Oh, buddy.

So Will, walk me
through exactly what

I'm going to need to do here.

So I want you
to take your fist

just let the fish bite you.

OK

And just so you get a grasp
on understanding how powerful

this big of a fish could be.

If it's as big as it sounds
like, it really sounds big.

It sounds like a really- like
a 40 plus pound fish in there.

They can be dangerous
at this point.

This is where you
graduate from, OK,

they're powerful, to, oh wow.

They actually, they roll on you,
they they could really do some

OK.

So

Here we go.

Just
being very careful.

I'm a little nervous.

When Will is like, yeah,
this is a big fish.

You could do some damage.

It definitely makes you nervous.

Yeah.

All right, guys.

Here we go.

Time to get eaten
alive by a catfish.

Yeah gosh.

Holy crap.

Where'd he bite you?

Oh my god.

He almost broke my wrist.

He had my whole
hand in his mouth.

The fish almost broke
my wrist for sure.

Holy cow, that hurt.

Hold on a second.

You
want an arm sleeve?

What?

You want an arm sleeve now?

Oh, no, no, no.

You sure?

Oh, dude.

That fish is definitely strong
enough to break your wrist.

He almost broke my wrist.

Like crushing the bone.

Holy cow, I don't
know if I should

stick my arm back in there.

Hold on a second, I want to make
sure he didn't break anything.

Holy cow.

Hold on a minute.

They're not-- you're going
to have gouges in your arm,

I'll tell you that.

They bight you
through that glove.

Dude, he got right.
Look at that.

Look look how red my arm is.
Look at that.

He's drawing blood already.

All the way through.

He's drawing blood already.

That's normal, for
a blue catfish.

OK.

That's a male.

So you now you know
what it's like, right?

Yeah.

So, you know
what it feels like.

- Yeah, it hurts.

OK.

And so now we don't want
the fish to bite you

any more than he has to, right?

OK?

Stick your hand in there,
just like you have been.

- Flat?
- Yep.

Nope.

You do any of this, and he grabs
one finger, and he'll break it.

I promise.

I'm afraid he's going to break
my hand and my wrist the way

that he is.

You can take your fist
and keep it together.

But as soon as he bites
you, need to pin his mouth.

I think if I keep a
fist and then I put my

You need to pin him
and work your fingers

to the outside lower
jaw of his mouth.

OK.

Pull him forward and come
back up for air and hold him.

OK.

And if he bites
you over your thumb

Yeah.

You need to come
out and reset.

You've got to pin him.

And it's hard.

OK, OK.

Really hard to
hold these fish.

And they're slimy,
they're powerful.

And they're mean and
they're really angry.

You know.

It's hard to describe to
you guys, the amount of power.

Like I thought that fish was
going to break my hand off.

We're not going to
lose the fish, I promise.

I will put my hand

I'm worried about losing
my hand, not the fish.

Like I'm afraid if I don't
have two hands in his mouth,

he's going to break my wrist.

If he rolls, he might, yeah.

You got to let him go.

If he rolls, he
might, he said.

If he rolls, you
got to let him go.

Holy cow.
All right.

I'm going back down.

I'm going to--

I'm going to give
this another shot.

I'm I'm really nervous.

This is the most fun you
can ever have on two feet.

OK.

OK.

Oh, god.

You hear that deep thump?

I hope that's on me.

OK.

You hear that deep thump?

Oh man, he's deep, deep thump.

He's a good fish.

He's up near the
front of the box.

He's going to get me this time.

He probably will.

OK.

Oh man.

I'm so nervous going down there.

That like every time I turn
that he's going to get me.

I'm just afraid he's
going to break my wrist.

He's that big.

Get it.

If somebody's going
to get him, it's you.

Here we go.

I got him.

I've got him.

I've got him.

Oh my god.

- Hold on to him.
- I got him, I've got him.

Calm down.

You got to calm down.

Because if you don't calm down,
you will not get this fish.

- OK.
- Now

I got my fingers
locked in this jaw.

I'm afraid he's going
to hurt my hand.

No, he ain't
going to break it.

He's crushing my hand.

Do you want to put my
other hand in his mouth?

Hang on.

Easy now.

Easy now.

He's huge, dude.

Easy, easy.

Not fast, not fast.

He's got his tail up.

Let me grab his tail.

Holy mackerel.

Holy cow.

Look at the size of that fish.

How about that, boy.

Holy cow.

That is a huge fish.

Oh my gosh, I cannot believe it.

Oh, he's crushing my hand.

Wow, look at the scarring
on the top of his head.

That's crazy.

That is a big fish.

That is a huge blue catfish.

The largest catfish species
here in North America.

You hold tight.

I got him, I got him.

You lose that tail, you're
going to lose the fish.

You're losing him.
- I got him, I got him.

He'll crunch down on
him, just like he did.

You hear me?
- Yeah.

Can you take off my mask?

Oh my goodness.

Just when you thought
we were not going

to catch an enormous catfish.

This thing is huge.

All right guys,
there you have it.

That is a 50 plus
pound blue catfish.

This is the largest catfish
species in the United States.

Obviously that distinct
bluish coloration

is what gives it its name.

But these fish are
rather ancient.

A fish of this size probably
takes 30 or 40 years to grow

to this massive proportion.

If I turned it sideways like
this and slightly lift it up,

you can see just how
long its body is.

Just under 4 feet in length.

That is what we would
consider a true river monster.

If I turn it towards
you like this,

you can see the teeth
up on the top jaw.

And what they do is
they catch their prey

and they crush it down
with a vice like grip.

That's exactly what my hand
felt like inside of its mouth.

My hand is on the backside
of its gill plate,

also known as the operculum.

It's not hurting the fish
in any way whatsoever.

The fish can still breathe.

I'm trying to keep it
partially submerged.

I keep dunking it down
just to make sure that it's

not getting too much sun.

And this is the only way to
hold onto one of these fish

without a rope.

And if you're wondering if
my hand hurts right now,

it absolutely does.

And see how the eyes are set
right in front of the skull.

They don't have
the best eyesight,

but this fish is relying
on all of its other senses

to detect its environment.

Now whether that is to find
prey or to avoid predators,

the barbels up front are
sensory organs that tell them

everything about the water.

They can pick up vibrations,
they can pick up smells.

And that is what allows
these creatures to be

such perfect ambush predators.

Now this is without
question a male.

The males get bigger
than the females.

And right now, this fish was
nestled down in a box getting

ready to build its nest.

So we're going to let
this fish right back down

into the box where we find it.

But I would say that this
was hugely successful.

Will taught me everything
that he knows about landing

one of these fish.

And we could not have hoped
for a more perfect specimen.

Oh man, catching
catfish in Tennessee.

So cool.

But this is it.

The largest catfish species
in the United States.

The one and only blue.

I'm Coyote Peterson.

Be brave.

Stay wild.

We'll see you on
the next adventure.