Hillbilly Handfishin'
Encyclopedia
Hillbilly Handfishin' is an American reality television show about noodling
, the sport of fishing
for catfish
using only bare hands and feet. A 12-episode season premiered on Animal Planet
on August 7, 2011. The show stars Oklahoma
fishermen Skipper Bivins and Trent Jackson, self-proclaimed "hillbillies
" who take tourists from cities on noodling expeditions in muddy lakes, rivers and streams. Hillbilly Handfishin' was developed by Sara Helman and produced by Half Yard Productions, the executive producers for which are Abby Greensfelder and Sean Gallagher.
The Bivins family runs Big Fish Adventures, a noodling-exhibition company based in Temple, Oklahoma
. Among the participants will be a group of police officers from Chicago
, outdoors-loving mothers from the Midwestern United States
and a funeral director and his daughter. Although officially set to premiere in August 2011, a pilot for the series first premiered on Animal Planet on September 24, 2010. At the time, it averaged 630,000 viewers, which was 44 percent better than the timeslot average at the time. Subsequent encores of the pilot on December 9 and December 22 drew viewerships of 653,000 and 722,000, respectively.
Before the series premiered, Field & Stream
magazine writer Chad Love criticized the premise and concept of the show, expressing particular concern that it would portray Oklahoma and its residents in a stereotypical and negative light. Love wrote, "Here's one from the 'Do We Really Need A Reality Show For This?' files."
In episode 2 we feature 3 pairs including Tony and Nick, Italian guys from Chicago, Ken and his daughter Natalie, and finally retirees Valerie and John. Episode 3 features the pairs of Hiliary and Kerry (a newlywed couple), Georgia friend Terisa and Tenia, and brother-in-laws Brad and Jim.
Noodling
Noodling is fishing for catfish using only bare hands, practiced primarily in the southern United States. The noodler places his hand inside a discovered catfish hole...
, the sport of fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
for catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
using only bare hands and feet. A 12-episode season premiered on Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
on August 7, 2011. The show stars Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
fishermen Skipper Bivins and Trent Jackson, self-proclaimed "hillbillies
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
" who take tourists from cities on noodling expeditions in muddy lakes, rivers and streams. Hillbilly Handfishin
The Bivins family runs Big Fish Adventures, a noodling-exhibition company based in Temple, Oklahoma
Temple, Oklahoma
Temple is a town in Cotton County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,146 at the 2000 census. The town is named for the celebrated trial lawyer of Texas and Oklahoma Territory, Temple Lea Houston , the youngest son of General Sam Houston....
. Among the participants will be a group of police officers from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, outdoors-loving mothers from the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
and a funeral director and his daughter. Although officially set to premiere in August 2011, a pilot for the series first premiered on Animal Planet on September 24, 2010. At the time, it averaged 630,000 viewers, which was 44 percent better than the timeslot average at the time. Subsequent encores of the pilot on December 9 and December 22 drew viewerships of 653,000 and 722,000, respectively.
Before the series premiered, Field & Stream
Field & Stream
Field & Stream is a magazine featuring hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities in the United States. Together with Sports Afield and Outdoor Life, it is considered one of the Big Three of American outdoor publishing....
magazine writer Chad Love criticized the premise and concept of the show, expressing particular concern that it would portray Oklahoma and its residents in a stereotypical and negative light. Love wrote, "Here's one from the 'Do We Really Need A Reality Show For This?' files."
In episode 2 we feature 3 pairs including Tony and Nick, Italian guys from Chicago, Ken and his daughter Natalie, and finally retirees Valerie and John. Episode 3 features the pairs of Hiliary and Kerry (a newlywed couple), Georgia friend Terisa and Tenia, and brother-in-laws Brad and Jim.