Posted: 7/4/2009 9:53:51 AM EDT
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I'm not a fisherman. Never got into it and don't really care to. However, I think it'd be a good idea to have fishing supplies on hand. Would a couple spools of line, several hooks, and maybe a few artificial lures be sufficient? Or, should I invest in more?
Like I said, I don't know a lot about fishing and don't care to invest in a bunch of gear that will probably never be used but I would like to have the basics for survival situations. There is a large pond within walking distance that I could use if it ever came to it. Please advise. |
| I would go for a telescoping or multi-piece travel rod, a spincasting reel (easier to use than spinning reel), an assortment of terminal stackle (splitshot sinkers, various hooks, links). A telescoping rod should easily fit in your BOB. I have one in mine. I feel it is a much better optics than some of the more improvised methods some folks prefer- methods that take up a little bit more space. It may be worthwhile to buy a spare spincasting reel- you can get functional Shakespeare and Zebco reels for less than $10. I don't personally care for the stuff, and have never had good luck with it, but it may be worthwhile to keep a little fake bait around too. If you don't already have a multi-tool in your bug out gear, add in an inexpensive pair of needlenose pliers. Wal-Mart sells a telescoping travel kit for about $30 that would be a good starting point. Fishing is something that requires practice. I recommend that even if you go a couple times a year, it is good to break out the gear occassionally- practice casting fighting fish disgorging them, etc... Like hunting, its not something you can just pick-up and do when SHTF comes- well you could, but you'll be behind the curve. The nice thing about fishing is that if you don't like eating fish, you can always release them. |
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You're location isn't listed, but if that large pond is where you'll be doing all of your fishing JAD is pretty much dead on. If you plan to ever hit salt water with this setup, you need to change it drastically. I'd personally go with a spinning reel(flip the bar, cast the line) over a spincast(push button) because they can handle larger loads and ear much easier to break down in a hurry/keep maintained.
As for the tackle, I'd buy braided line as it won't dry rot like monofilament, and for its diameter is MUCH stronger. Buy quality hooks in various sizes, and keep them separate. Last thing you need is your hooks to get wet and have all of them rusted together and breaking on a decent size catfish. |
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I can add a few tidbits of info.
I am a AVID fisherman. I grew up fishing streams and rivers for smallmouth bass, and done alot of pond fishing growing up. Nowadays I mostly chase Musky in river systems, but also fish striped bass below dams around these parts. Braided line is the way to go. It is VERY strong, and dosnt rot. It is very thin for its pound test, so when you choose a line pick it by the mono thickness equivalance, not pound test. Example: Normal fishing 10 pound test monofilement line is good. So you want to pick a braid that is the thickness of 10# mono, this may test 30# or more. If you chose braid that tested 10# it would be around the tickness of 4# mono, and that is just to thin. Braided line is labeled in this manner. For a survival suggestion, I recomend 50 pound test braid. This is about the thickness of 14# test mono, and is a great all around size. It can also be used for ALOT of other things beside fishing such as making snares, repairing clothes, lashing, ect. I would recommend stren stealth as a good all around line that is easily available. Artifical lures: For a survival kit small in-line spinners like mepps or rooster tails are good at triggering fish to bite in alot of different water types. These can be fished without a reel or pole, but do require some speed to be effective. Small rubber twister tails like mister twisters are good too. The 2 to 3 inch size in black, white, or chartruse, work well, you will need a couple of lead head jigs in sizes like 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4. Again, you dont need a reel or pole to fish these. These are generally fished slower than spinners, and lower in the water column. The are also effective by just "jigging" up and down in one area, like in a deep pool on the outside bend of a river or stream. One note on plastric baits: Heat and sunlight effect them negativly. keep colors seperate, and keep the rubber baits wrapped up in plastic so they do not contact anything else. They can make a mess otherwise. Berkley has some products called "power baits" and "gulp" these baits are biodegradable, and are imfused with sents to help trigger strikes. These are usable like "live bait" I dont use this type of baits with the fishing I do, but have heard they are very good baits, and are a great substitute for live bait. I believe these infused baits have a "shelf life" though, so if you use them in a survival kit, you may want to rotate them out every couple years. If anyone has any fishing related questions, I am more than happy to help out, shoot me a pm. Fishing is a great way to enjoy the outdoors. It is also a great family activity, young and old. It isnt brain surgury, and it is alot of fun. |
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For what it is worth, this link takes you to a page where someone open, took aprt, and inventoried a .mil survival fishing kit.
Fishing Kit Link 
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arfcommer 1 big bunker's fishing pen is about the niftiest gadgets in this arena. i want one, but havent been able to find any. my kit isn't fancy, but it weighs about a pound and takes up very little space. total cost: $35.
-shakespeare collapsible rod and spinning reel, 6# test line -5 bait hooks -3 panther martin spinners -split shot -swivels have fished on it plenty, and have no complaints or worries. |
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I'd look at a trot line (bated hooks off a horz. line). Cane poles wory very well in shallow water. And small ponds tend to have turtles- big hooks for them.
BTW, I wouldn't recommend spin cast stuff for survival. it seems to collect moisture and corrode faster (my opinion only). Spinning stuff seems to last forever. I tought myself to use a spining reel at 8 in the front yard. Daddy sent me out with it. I don't think he thought there was any more skill involved that say wearing a new pair of shoes. |
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Back in an age when most kids mowed lawns or delivered papers for pocket money I fished. I grew up on the St' Lawrence, and would make really good pocket money selling Yellow Perch fillets. I've done a LOT of freshwater fishing.
In my experience there are a lot more little fish than there are big fish. A simply examination of the food chain proves this point. In any body of water the little fellas outnumber the large ones by a very large margin. In addition, Large bodies of water hold large and small fish, while small bodies of water hold only small fish. Long story short: There is a whole lot more survival food in small fish than there is in large fish. This should be a factor in survival kits. Small hooks catch both small and large fish. Big hooks catch only big fish... Therefore, bias the kit towards smaller fish. Lure require movement and active fishing. Live bait does not. Therefore its easier and more time efficient to use live bait. You need: Line, hooks, sinkers. Period. that's it. Set bush lines jug lines or just plain fish. Live bait is anything insect or animal. Worms, slugs, snails, grubs, bugs. Catch a little fish. You have bait. Use strips of offal, eyeballs, a small strip of meat. There are times when live bait does not exist. Winter in Canada. You can find bait (golden rod galls, bugs under bark) but its too much energy to find. A few small lures helps (good luck chopping holes in ice). Forget plugs. Use lures that float or drift (flies) or can be jigged effectively with a hand line (small spoons, jigs). |
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Quoted:
arfcommer 1 big bunker's fishing pen is about the niftiest gadgets in this arena. i want one, but havent been able to find any. Try HERE Its really a terrible rod/reel for anything but panfish, but a neat item none the less. |
With a two piece 7 foot light action rod, spinning reel spooled with 6 lb test, and a couple of different size jig heads, with some small and medium rubber grub bodies for the jigs, I've caught everything from 1 lb bluegill to 4 lb bass, and that's just in the last two days 
I use to travel all over on business and I would take a similar kit along, though with a 4 piece rod and a selection of rooster tail spiners as well as a few small sigs. Caught all sorts of fish all over the country. Small case that easily fit in my luggage. |
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Line 6 to 20 lb. test
Weights...split shots and egg sinkers Hooks....various sizes Steel leaders Swivels Bobbers Collapseable pole or three Assorted lures for the fish in your area get stink bate a bag or three dough balls a few bags salmon eggs a couple of colors in a few small jars even canned corn works for some fish so if you do not catch any fish and have corn you can still eat.
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IMO fishing is something you do for the enjoyment. There just is not much meat on a typical fish in most small streams and ponds. And it is lean meat.
Nothing wrong with using fish as a source of protein, but the time used might be better put to more productive things in a SHTF situation. There are ways to catch fish that are less time consuming (such as netting them) that make a lot more sense in a SHTF situation. |
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all that fancy gear that you see in the fishing dept. at your local store is designed to sell crap to you, not to catch fish.
you need: $20 pole, $20 reel, some line, package of hooks, package of sinkers, live worms. total= $50 you will catch more fish faster than someone dicking around with jigs and poppers and such. oh, but the others are right, a large net is the most effective method to catch fish. |
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A simple hand-caster (soda can, PVC pipe, etc.) will work just fine out to about 20-30 feet from shore.
The reel is worth packing, but not the pole (depends on your location)...you can make a pole and attach your reel with a couple of zip-ties. Fabricate (or take them off an old pole) your eyes from safety pins and attach with a little wire or mini zip ties. I would get an assortment of hooks...I put a few different sizes on safety pins and folded them up in tin foil to pack in a mini kit. For a mini kit, I use the small steel sewing machine bobbins/spools. I can get about 40-50 feet of line on them depending on the weight/type. Or, just buy a couple small spools of line and store them as is...they're not that big and flat so they pack relatively small. Again, it really depends on where you'll do most of your fishing, but I would opt for an assortment of lead weights/sinkers; dry flies, panfish poppers and a few lures and spoons. A little cork or a couple mini bobbers are helpful. Treble hooks are good for setting up a trot line. 
Here's a commercial hand-casting device (in blue) and a very compact Emmrod set up: 
Here's an example of one of my mini-kits (a Nalgene container, slightly larger than a film container): 
ROCK6 |
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Also would like to add that you can catch a big fish on a small hook, but you can't catch a small fish on a big hook.
Make sure you have a couple of the SMALLEST hooks you can find. They will shine when you are trying small creeks or close to shore. Around here you can catch blugill all day long, but may not catch a catfish in a day. JMO/FWIW |
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Quoted:
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arfcommer 1 big bunker's fishing pen is about the niftiest gadgets in this arena. i want one, but havent been able to find any. Try HERE Its really a terrible rod/reel for anything but panfish, but a neat item none the less. thanks bud. |