Hi MDinana,

I came in a little late on this post, so I will just agree with what the other fellows have mentioned, lots of good ideas there.

I noticed you said you are going to a National Park to fish, be sure to check out the specific Park regulations concerning fishing as they are often more restrictive than the normal State or Provincial laws (e.g. possession of baitfish or termanal tackle containing lead).

Good Luck,

Mike

You must be going to either Isle Royale or one of the Manitous off Sleeping Bear. If it's the former, look out for the leeches in those inland lakes!

If you catch something small like a perch or bluegill, save the guts and use them as bait for a Northern pike. Harder to de-bone, but more meat for your trouble.

Here is a very nice review of a military fishing kit in a tin a little larger than a Altoids tin. Maybe it will give a few ideas for your fishing kit.
http://www.donrearic.com/milfishkit.htm

MD; If you have decided on Isle Royale make sure you examine the fishing regulations closely. There were areas where certain kinds of fishing were not allowed. It's been awhile since I was there but...

Here is a link to the "latest" information.

http://www.nps.gov/archive/isro/fishing.htm

As much as the idea of a lure is a nice idea for a fiishing kit, and I do have some in mine, the best things I have ever used for catching fish were all bait that was either alive of had been alive at one time. I have a small net in my BOB for catching minnows and would also be looking for worms and other life that would serve as bait. Hooks you need what goes on them you might be able to find.

One of my other thoughts about survival is that hard work is to be avoided. Fishing with a rod and reel is fun as a sport, but when it is you trying to conserve your strength and not sure you will catch anything, then you might not want to expend your tme and effort casting and retrieving a line. You also may not have a lot of time to spend fishing. Along the same idea, I like and have snares in my BOB, should I ever feel the need to trap.

So fishing while you spend the time doing something else too, that's a good idea. The posts that mention jigs with bait and floating bait seems to have good ideas to me. I could see in a rather placid bodsy of water, that a plug floating on the surface or a worm suspended somewhere below the surface, could both catch you a fish. So, I would have some jigs, floating plugs and/or bobbers.

You might also want to look for instructions on how to make fish traps. Les Stroud made on on an episode set in a Southern U.S. swamp, which resulted in him catching a turtle.

To carry or not to carry?
That is the question.........

Ok, contrary to received wisdom a small fishing should be carried.

It should contain:
2 rubber jigs.
2 wire leaders.
As many clips etc as you like.
40' backing line (of the sort used by fly fishermen.
40' 10-12lb line.
20-25 barbed hooks. Small and medium sized. For ease of handling put the hooks on safety pins.
2 large gaff hooks.
10-20 snelled hooks.
split shot.
Nylon cordage.

Use the rubber jigs and the backing line to hobo fish.

The gaff hooks are for hooking frogs and other small critters as opportunities present themselves.

The snelled hooks are for trot lines and the like.

The extra hooks and line are for anything else. Get creative and educate yourself in every poachers trick going. The more illegal and unsporting the technique, the more effective it is likely to be.

The matches are a good idea as is a couple of single edged razor blades.

If this is an emergency then constructing a spear might be a worthwhile exercise as are throwing sticks and the like.

As a general rule: you are more likely to find a feed near and on a lake than anywhere else except possibly a sea shore.

Evidently, folks in the UK take their fishing seriously






Say what?

Please take pity on a poor, non-fisherperson from the colonies and explain these terms and practices. Thanks.

Hi Andy,



A rubber jig is just a specific fishing lure (there are vast aray of lures available), hobo fishing is just fishing without the normal rod and reel most folks use, its essentially improvised fishing using a stick for a rod or an aluminium drinks can as a reel etc. Backing line is just line which is used in fly fishing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_fishing



How to make a trot line with snelled hooks
http://www.marshbunny.com/mbunny/sidetrip/trotline/trotline.html



Snelled Hooks.



Trot line.

Numerous baits can be found easily along wooded shore lines. Start turning over every piece of down wood and rocks and every bug, snail, worm is potential bait. After getting your first fish more bait is there for the taking. Each eyeball can easily removed to bait a hook. I do alot of ice fishing. One of the best baits for panfish is to take a small piece of fish skin, about as big as a maggot, and hook it one time on a small hook. Let the skin dance behind the hook and tantalize the fish. This is exremely effective. The skin if very tough and will catch alot of fish before being torn off. Another thought similiar to a trot line is to tie a fish line on a low hanging green tree branch. The fish will take the bait and hook themselves. Very effective for night fishing with a minnow on a hook for walleyes coming into the shallows to feed after dark.
As a kid I caught many frogs and crayfish by hand. Just with these critters a meal could be made easily and left overs become tomorrows bait.

Huck

Hobo fishing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvRR5MTBBQI

Ray Mears at his best.

Trot lines are simply lenths of cordage that have a hooks tied to them at intervals and placed into the water. One end is tied to a tree and the other end is weighed with a stone. Use slugs ande grubs to bait the hooks.