Fishing is the ideal method for acquiring protein with minimal gear in a survival situation. Sure, hunting is a great way to get some meat, but you need guns and bows, which often don’t fit in a survival kit.

You can take snares with you or build traps from the natural materials around you, but it takes a lot of time to make them, set them up and then wait for the animals to hit them. The stack of fish I can catch in a day with hook and line will pile up higher than a stack of critters anyone can trap in one day with a pack full of snares.

Dunk A Worm
Some of my fly-fishing purist buddies frown on my habit of “worm dunking,” as they call it. But when it comes to minimalist fishing, it doesn’t get any more streamlined than a hook, several yards of monofilament, a long stick and a worm.
•    Dig up some natural bait from the local area. It will look right, taste right and be right to catch the local fish. 
•    If you are fishing for survival, you are probably not fishing for a trophy. Use small hooks to ensure you catch something. I use little #12 Eagle Claw Baitholders for tiny fish in my local mountain streams, and I have #6s and a few bigger hooks to ensure that I hook up wherever I might find myself. Little fish can be gutted and fried whole to make the most of them.
•    Tie 10 to 15 feet of mono to the end of a six- to eight-foot pole. Tie the hook to the other end of your mono, and bait your hook with a bug. You can skip the weights and bobbers, just flick the hook out in a creek or pond and wait.

It's a good idea to practice with your minimalist gear, because it does take a little getting use to. Here are the photos from my last outing.

Comments (2)

from simplyfred wrote 1 year 46 weeks ago

This is a good little tool you can make from 2" pvc and simple tackle you probably already own. Take a 1' piece of 2"pvc and add a threaded adapter to each end. Then seal with an end cap. Inside you can store packs of hooks, splitshot, some small 1/2 ounce wieghts and some wieghted bobbers.(about 6 1" round or about 8 2" long." Also add a few trout spinners and a small red devil. Take 30' of 4 lb. test and tie one end arond the outside of the cylender. Then simply spool the rest of the line around the pvc and secure with a rubber band. When you attach the tackle to the line unspool about three feet of line into your right hand and toss while pointing the tube in the direction of the cast.

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from 25-06 guy wrote 1 year 51 weeks ago

I have included in my survival pack a couple of flys, for the reason if no bait can be found for what ever reason you have something to try.

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from 25-06 guy wrote 1 year 51 weeks ago

I have included in my survival pack a couple of flys, for the reason if no bait can be found for what ever reason you have something to try.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from simplyfred wrote 1 year 46 weeks ago

This is a good little tool you can make from 2" pvc and simple tackle you probably already own. Take a 1' piece of 2"pvc and add a threaded adapter to each end. Then seal with an end cap. Inside you can store packs of hooks, splitshot, some small 1/2 ounce wieghts and some wieghted bobbers.(about 6 1" round or about 8 2" long." Also add a few trout spinners and a small red devil. Take 30' of 4 lb. test and tie one end arond the outside of the cylender. Then simply spool the rest of the line around the pvc and secure with a rubber band. When you attach the tackle to the line unspool about three feet of line into your right hand and toss while pointing the tube in the direction of the cast.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment (200 characters or less)

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.