The larger kits, obviously contain more articles. Some fishing kits are as large as a complete survival kit. Choosing the size of the kit will depend on many variables. A backpacking kit while on the trail, should not look like a kit in a sail boat in the Caribbean. The same mentality used when building a custom survival kit should be used when adding fishing items to your survival kit.

Items usually found within kits are:

* Fishing line
* Sinkers (split shot)
* Jigs
* Flies
* Hooks
* Swivels

The deluxe kits also include:

* Leaders
* Bobbers
* Fishing spoons

For the scope of this article, we will cover items usually found within a survival kit and techniques for using them.

During our last backpacking trip, we found an aluminum can on the edge of a lake. While we were commenting about the lack of respect humans seem to have for nature, we decided to try can fishing.

In this sequence we tied fishing line to the can and used a small lure. The beetle spin is a small, reliable and efficient lure. It has enough weight for casting without a fishing pole.

There are two techniques we tested for casting/pitching the lure. One technique uses centrifugal force by spinning the bait. The other, we simply swing the arm and let go of the bait at the apex.
If able to use structure over the water, the lure or bait can be lowered into the water.

Here, we spin the lure building momentum to cast. With some practice we were able to get the lure out past 25 yards. The time to practice the technique is when your life does not depend on it as with anything else in survival. You will find it not only to be challenging but also fun. Knowledge of fish patterns, feeding and breeding behaviors will all help increase your chances.

This fishing kit was built using a branch with the bark removed. The second method for casting we use our index finger to hold the fishing line with the same hand pitching the lure. Demonstrated in the images above.

Use your most powerful weapon the mind, put your imagination to work. This kit was built using a Vienna sausage can, fishing line and a small spinner lure. We were able to catch four pan fish (bluegill) for dinner in less than an hour during the summer. Keep in mind that the water temperature affects where the fish are located and how aggressive they will feed.

Trot Line Fishing

Trot line or trout line is another great method for catching fish in a survival situation. There is a great difference between fishing for sport and fishing for survival. A trot line is something we would only use in survival. Below we use fishing line, several small hooks and sinkers to build a trot line. I prefer to use this method because in most survival reasons we would not have a boat to help us string the line across the body of water. By using a weight on one end of the line and trying the other end to a tree root we create a modified trot line.

One great advantage of a trot line is that it allows us to catch fish while we accomplish other tasks or rest. It is possible to catch both fish and turtles using a trot line.

Warning: Sometimes snakes will attach themselves to the fish caught on the line.

We will be adding information to this article including fish traps, gill nets and a survival version of jug fishing.

Please see related articles:

Trapping Crayfish

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