So I'm wondering how many of you have fishing gear in your preps? I'm not talking about your little 2 foot Mighty Mite fishing rod and reel (although that's a start) or 25 feet of line and a couple of hooks, I'm talking about some serious fishing gear. Level wind reels, decent size spinning reels, various rods of different weight, lures, different types of hooks, lines of different weights for different applications? How about seining nets, gill nets, or even crawdad traps?
You don't have to have top of the line gear, but species specific gear can be a great help - you're not going to catch trout out of a clear mountain stream using 20 pound test line and you're not going to catch many bass or catfish on ultra-light trout gear.
Fish is a great source of protein and are abundant. You would be surprised at where you can catch fish - I've got decent size trout out of streams I was straddling. Plus you have to consider that if shit gets really serious, large wild game in the US will be virtually extinct within a few years with everybody in the country shooting everything they can.
I think I'm going to do a few posts here in the near future for the folks that don't know how to fish. Do you think it'll be worth my while? Is there anybody out there that might be interested in doing a guest post on the various netting techniques? I'm pretty ignorant on that end.
Comments, please.
Waitin for some good fishin' info!
ReplyDeleteI can fish with a rod and reel just find. I don't no squat about netting though, if you can do something on that I would appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteI have a bunch of fishnets, but know nothing technical. To me, a rod is a rod, a line is a line, a fish is a fish. I am so screwed.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite fond of fishing, particularly for bass and muskies. Muskies are known for following lures without hitting them. I've even been able to net a few that did not hit the lure. They are extra animated when they are not hooked because they haven't gotten tired yet.
ReplyDeleteIf you would like some writing on smallmouth bass, perch, or panfish, I can help you with that.
1. head first
2. take the first good opportunity
The most important part about netting someone else's fish is for both of you to know what the other is doing.
Ultra light rods can be used to catch bass and even medium sized muskies. Not that someone interested in collecting food should try it.
I've caught a lot of fish, but always with tackle.
ReplyDeleteI've never used a net, so I don't know squat about doing it that way.
The first time I went salt water fishing out here, I took my first wife's dad with me.
That old guy was catching all kinds of stuff with a hand line!
The rest of us with our fancy salt water rigs looked pretty stupid....
There are nets and there are nets. In a survival situation a gill net can be used in the right place and the right time, and be very effective. You gotta know what fish are available where and when, and how to deal with it. A seine net can be used as well but it takes some physical effort. You can also use a trot line or longline, and set a line with leaders with a hook and bait every four to six feet. You can make a setup like that for 20 hooks and 50 feet long for $20. Anchors and such, and a boat are going to be helpful. I have a boat and a bay 100 feet away, so this is already on my RADAR. In small streams you can make fish traps with rocks and sticks and herd fish into places where you can then catch them easily.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree fishing gear is an essential part of a prep kit. I still work in a fishing shop, and there's a lot of good stuff that will last a lifetime out there. First thing you need to know is you never want Monofilament fishing line in your prep bag. Monofilament has a lifespan of about 2 years and will break down fast with any sun exposure. you always want to go with fluorocarbon. Fluorocarbon lasts 100's of years. i recommend 8lb as a good overall fishing line for North America. It's usually 4 times the price though. That's first main thing. the second is hooks. get good hooks. gamakatsu fine wire octopus hooks in a size 12 will hook just about any fish besides pike and muskie. bad hooks will corrode over time and use. good hooks will last a long long time and allow you to re sharpen them. your best pair of wire snips will not cut a good fishing hook. bobbers and weights are kind of secondary since you can find bits of garbage that will float or sink and are easily fastened to line. splitting a twig at the tips and wrapping your line in the slots makes an easy bobber. hooks sink pretty quick on there own without split shot, even with bait on the hook. and know your knots! knowing the right knot is the difference between 4lb breaking strength on 8lb line (50% knot efficiency) and 100%. a simple overhand knot cuts your line strength in half. hope that helps!
ReplyDeleteYeah, OK, I was a Fukin Boy Scout. Deal with it!
ReplyDelete"Di-no-mite", Best fishing lure ever. If we are going to kill all the game, might as well get the fish at the same time. Like the old joke goes," are ya goina talk or fish ??"
ReplyDeleteI'm always looking for more fishing tips.
ReplyDeleteEver catch a sturgeon?
Ya know ya got ahold of something when you hook into one of those monsters.
Yer damn arms about give out if it's a big one.
Big pole, 11 foot is a good bank rod, heavy line, big hooks lots of weight.
The fish tale of a lifetime.
I had the great fortune to grow up by a lake in Florida, so freshwater fishing is something I did a lot of as a kid. What I didn't learn by actual fishing I learned from reading the Golden Handbook of Fishing, which was geared toward total beginners. The Golden Handbooks were often found in school libraries: probably many science careers were started by reading the Golden Handbooks Rocks & Minerals, Mammals, Reptiles & Amphibians.
ReplyDeletemy grandma can teach you various knitting techniques. what?... ohh nevermind!
ReplyDelete'Angel, are you offering to show yourself in your fish-nets? We can't wait! ;-b
ReplyDeleteOK,seriously now. I have several various styles of poles/reels and lots of gear already.
Some of the best fishing line I've ever used is Berkley Fusion. It is strong, very strong for the size of it. It is a lot cheaper than Spider Wire too.
My favorite outfit is my BAT rod. It is a little 5'6" spinning rig with a one hand casting trigger. It is spooled up with 4lb diameter Fusion line that is rated for 10lbs. A Blue Fox, size-zero, Silver Vibrex is my spinner of choice when I'm not drowning worms. This little rig has caught Large-mouths up to 20", Walleye up to 18", and one time a Channel Cat that came in at 22". So that proves that a small rod set up right (ie - line diameter/weight,drag setting,reel size) can catch most anything.
I'm also going to look into a couple different types of nets as a prep. Particularly casting styles for shallow waters. We have a stream up here where whole schools of fish just cruise looking for minnows.
Also, don't forget minnow and craw-dad traps. Nothing catches fish like what they are used to eating. That and push come to shove - you could always eat the ones that are too big for bait.
Just my $.02
Leigh
Whitehall
Noplace good to fish in my parts. I'll be farming those bad boys.
ReplyDeleteOld Richard,
ReplyDeleteYou made me laugh remembering this;
My dad always called di-no-mite "Dupont Spinners"
A 4-pc. fly rod, fly box, some leader and tippet take up little room and weigh almost nothing.
ReplyDeleteIn PA, the fish and game commission warn about eating too many fresh water fish due to contaminants. Guess if you are hungry, that will matter none.
ReplyDelete