Do you fish?

Josh CentersContributor - August 19, 2021

MetaSkills

We just published a guide to fishing.

Do you fish? Have any tips or experiences you’d like to share?

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Growing up in a desert climate land locked state, I don’t have the biggest taste or desire for fish. My only memory of fishing was when I visited family in California and went out in the ocean fishing with them on their boat. I was squeamish to touch the slimy buggers and was shocked to see my uncle just squeeze the fish’s neck to snap it and kill it. 

After watching the TV series Alone, and seeing the contestants who are able to fish go on the longest, I saw what a great prepping resource and skill it could be. I enjoyed The Prepared’s article on fishing and learned many things about fish behavior and how to fish that I didn’t know before. I think I would like to give it a shot some day and will force myself to eat the fish that I catch… or give it to the dog if it’s really that gross.

 

Yes, I do and have so all my life, from catching small bream in Mississippi ponds to catching bigger fish out in the Gulf of Mexico.  I currently feed several hundred channel catfish in my one acre pond.  Those get to around 30 lbs. each.  The bald eagles help keep the population down.

Just remember, a bad day fishing is still better than a good day at work.  That saying is so true.  Even if the fish aren’t biting, there is so much to enjoy when you are out in nature.  Soak it all in.

That is actually a very good guide.  The odds of catching fish with regular line or even paracord are pretty slim.  Fishing line is almost invisible, so it doesn’t spook the fish.  It is also designed to stretch.  So I’d recommend people stocking a couple of rolls of quality fishing line… maybe one with 5 lb test and one with 20 or so.  Of course stocking an assortment of hooks & bobbers would be nice.

I find it funny that the article didn’t mention bamboo cane poles for improvised gear.  In Mississippi, most kids grow up fishing with cane poles.  You can buy them in most stores but most folk use wild bamboo.  They are perfect for fishing… long, straight, strong & flexible.  The flexibility of the pole is very important in keeping your line from breaking.  I grew up on a lake and as a kid, we ran a trot line across the lake.  For minimal effort, you can catch a lot of fish.

I don’t recall the guide mentioning the drag setting on reels.  This is a critical component on the reel.  It is adjustable and allows a fish to pull out some line while you are bringing it in.  You want to set the drag to just below the test weight of your line.  For example, if you are using 10lb test line, you’d want to set the drag to pull at around 9 lbs.  I don’t use a gauge, so I just go by feel.  I grab the line and pull.  If your line breaks, your drag is too tight.  If too loose, a fish will take too much line & possibly wrap itself around a stump or other underwater structure.  With a properly set drag, you can bring in a 20lb fish on 10lb line.  Fish get spooked by thick line.  You want to fish with the smallest line possible.  The drag helps accomplish that.

 

Good morning Josh,

Yes, for emergencies only.

Besides nets, also other means.

Will read above mentioned guide first before rambling about experiences.

 

Good morning,

Just glanced at the Thomas Gomez well-prepared article.

Some of my experiences and comments in re emergency fishing:

Fishing can approximate preparing a BOB.  Different types of  water areas requires some different approaches – plus, during SHTF type of emergencies, the Feds take over … understanding that state Marine police are deputized to enforce the Federal Admiralty laws focused on navigatable waterways.

One major aspect of emergency fishing … indirectly alluded to by Ubique (Winnepeg forum member [no recent posts]) … was security.  She asked about cooking while at a rest area type of place.  In fishing, the prepper must factor in the philosophy of some demographic blocks of our population. Some expect all to share their work efforts.  After all, it’s an emergency plus beer and chips aren’t healthy as a steady diet. 

My restaurant is the Chesapeak Bay. Although much depletion due overfishing, it is still a supply house. Even prior to a disaster, the Feds could restrict access to all navigatable waterways eg the Chesapeake Bay, Mississippi River, etc.  Do factor this in and understand restricted areas will be patroled.

Speak fishing: OK but not around LOOP – Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, Louisiana. It’s already a restricted area. Bare hands ? Do wear gloves with those rubber dots for grip. After, wash hands and load up with the balms – hand lotion, white petroleum … more commonly know by famous brand name “Vaseline”. A routine health care problem here is the hand infections by working with the fish being touched.

Misc; Conceeding that I had scribbled my notes while reading Tom’s article:

On a bus in Washington, D.C. (the Swamp) once saw a young lady with pierced ears and wearing spinners !  Viva le Preppers !

Nets are somewhat easy to get here after a heavy story. Usually they are abandoned property. Anything found needs to be cleaned.  Otherwise, Habitat For Flies and other bugs will homestead with you. After a hurricane: Much, much, much of a net selection. Don’t collect alone because the same share bears would like to have some netting.

Funnel traps: Yes, good. Learn how to make.  If near body of water, consider making one as a survival tool. D-I-Y models are easy to make but keep the weight down.  Use thick, sturdy wire … like used in that “crochet” game involving bounching  a wood ball through them ….as appropriate to your area.

Improvised fishing gear such as PVC pipe: Yes ! Those walking shafts are also fishing poles w/o a Garcia reel.

Licensing for fishing: In “routine time” definitely required and checked by authorities.  During disasters, there are some other rules governing the situation. This is a BIG subject not for now. 

Footnote:: Rednect, haven’t seen a bamboo fishing pole since the era of 6 cents Coke ! Fond memories.

I am now in the mood for … served on a fresh bed of Atlantic kelp.  Need both the Omega 3s in Cold Water fish and the iodine in the maritime botany.

Malt vinegar or tarter sauce ?

“Where one can live, one can live well.” Anon.

 

Are the nets that blow in after a storm worth salvagin or are they all just a torn up tangled mess?

If I was feelin a bit younger, that would be a nice hobby and service project, to walk the beach after a storm collectin old nets and keepin them from blowin back out to sea. 

 

Good afternoon Roland,

Everything. All categories of nets. Even for the non-salvagable (hesitate to use work “salvage” here because it is highly over refined) sometimes the ropes/lines and floats are worth their weight in ropes/lines and floats. A wall in barn has some of this – since cleaned very well.

Of course, after a hurricane, the shore can have some 8 X 8 railroad type creote-soaked  ties with the spikes. As an aside, when finishing high school, some of us “expert” swimmers wanted to swim 3 miles to land – from international waters to shore.Being that I was the recent HS graduate and knew everything (Who the hell knew the difference between a nautical mile and the ones listed on the free oil company maps ?!) we had skin-diver knives (SCUBA diver knives had weight to them. The skin diver (later a/k/a/ snorkeling ) knives had painted cork for easier retrival.

The only gear needed was sturdy soft ball bases to lask to our hands. Forget the knife to repel some marine creature. The railroad tie arriving at one’s location during a swell means medical problems !

 

I appreciate the guide to fishing. I recently bought my first rod and reel at a yard sale, then bought a micro telescoping one at the store. I had to have two people show me how to cast before I started to get the hang of it. I didn’t keep my finger on the button long enough and I didn’t use a smooth enough motion. the hook and line would get tangled up. Baby steps!

 

When a kid, I’d spend hours casting in my front yard, with just a weight on the end of the line.  I’d place a target, usually a pan or bucket, at different distances and keep trying to place the weight in it.  Doesn’t take long before it became easy.  Then you practice casting underhand & sideways.  Many times you find the most fish under cover, such as overhanging branches, so an underhand flip or a sideways cast is the only way to properly place your lure/bait.