If I were to flip you the bird left-handed, which I sometimes do to mix things up, you’d notice that my middle finger is crooked, with a bulged knuckle. Why does it look like that? Catfish noodling.
Who needs a fishing line when you can just use your hands to grab a catfish? There are still plenty of states where it is totally legal to use your bare hands to nab a catfish out of the water.