a plastic film canister makes a great holder for a fishing kit. you can put a few hooks and split wieights , a steel leader or two and a small float along with some line. I like braided spider wire, very strong . this kit can be used from shore and is good to catch perch,sunfish ,bass,trout.
i've caught turtles using the steel leader and hook with intestines of fish as bait. you can also use the fish carcass to catch crawfish. put the carcass of a fish in a bottle or jug with a good size opening , tie the spider wire around the neck and sink it just off shore. the crawfish crawl into the jug to eat the fish. let it sit for a few hours and pull it up . the crawfish can't get out of the bottle.
you can also use this kit to catch birds. not very nice but if your in a survival situation, you have to eat

best time to fish is morning or just before sunset. nighttime you can fish for catfish. have fun <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I thought it might be fun if one day if we have an ETS / PSP fishing derby.
You must only use the fishing components from the Pocket Survival Pak to catch fish; you can add a expedient pole and float that you improvise. Then we post photos of what we caught and a panel (?) votes on winners or something like that.
Where I usually go Bluegill fishing there are always folks hand-line fishing and they always catch fish with just a string and a baited hook.

I also like the braided spectra lines, like Spiderwire. I know some people have trouble tieing it, but it's no worse IMHO than the 69# thread that is the PSP.

Along with using the leaders for birds, you can use them for squirrels and chipmunks and the like. Add a very small hook, bait it with something they'll like, and put it on a branch. They eventually swallow the hook or it snares in thier paw, the struggle, fall of the branch, and dangle there until you fetch them. As Bubbajoe said, not very nice, but it works.

And your crawdad trap sounds like my minnow trap. Minnows aren't much, but it's just like goldfish. Head back, mouth open, drop, swallow.

Like other posters have mentioned, there's no substitute for going out on a quiet morning and putting your bait in the water. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Stores like Wal-Mart, as much as we sometimes love to hate them, have a good basic selection of fishing gear. I think I picked up a name brand rod & reel combo there for no more than 14-15 bucks. For about $20 you could walk out ready to get started.

Also, definitely get your fishing license. Never know if that fisherman standing next to you is actually a game warden! <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

One little item to not overlook, making an edible food from fish caught!
Fishing is relaxing, fun and a real pleasure. Often we "catch and release" so the fish can be caught again by someone else, thus not depleting the resource.
There are times that keeping a fish or fishes for that special camp meal is really an experience not to be missed.
The trick is, you need to know how to clean and perhaps scale the fish, and how to prepare the fish by a variety of means. It is not hard, just one more skill to be looking into. CHeers!

I often considered that too, removing the little fishing kit. I can also recall that on a few trips I was able to catch a nice trout or panfish after making camp and it was a real departure from the packaged meals being carried. All it took was a few minutes and a few ounces of fishing gear. Of course the fish have to cooperate too <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
While an average person can survive many days without food, remember that food provides energy and calories to help the body stay warm and the energy helps with being able to cope with other survival challenges.
Besides, I like eating <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Fishing is like building a fire. Sometimes it is a little harder than it looks. The more experience you have, the better luck you will have. Part of experience is learning the "fishy-looking" spots.

If you have never done much fishing I would suggest picking up a very basic book like "Fishing for Dummies". That is not intended as an insult. I have thumbed through one and it looks like it covers the basics for a beginer.

I do not know where you are, but check the website for your state Department of Natural Resources or Fish and Game Division or Wildlife Division (name will vary by state) Many state, national and local parks will have places you can fish. You will need a licence. You should be able to find some of this info at your State DNR website.

Depends on where you are, but some state parks put on various types of educational programs. I know some states do fishing clinics. Search for your state and fishing clinics.

You do not need to spend a great deal on fishing equipment. You can get everything you need at WalMart or such places. A few assorted hooks, some assorted small lead sinkers, a few bobbers, an inexpensive rod and reel combo and a can of worms and you are in bussiness.

Warning - you might enjoy it !

Check your state regulations before you practice with gill nets. Not legal in some freshwater areas. <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

In fact, read your state regulations before you do any type of hunting or fishing. (A google of "your state DNR Fishing Regulations" will probably get you close.) Limits, size restictions, seasons and types of equipment allowed vary from state to state.

Of course, if you are lost and starving use what you have and hope the game warden shows up to arrest you.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I've got some basic gear. I'll go looking for a place and get a day liscense. Hopefully I can beat winter here.

My fishing kit consists of a bamboo pole, 12' of line, a few hooks and a few floats and a few sinkers. For bait I use worms, dead flies I find in the windowsill, bits of scrap meat and occasionally some blobs of stale bread dough. The most expensive item in my fishing kit is the hook, at $1.29 for a package of a zillion various hooks. I use 12lb test for everything, I get my line for pretty much free at yard sales.

Here's how to fish.

1. Put some kind of bait on a hook. I usually cut a worm up and put that on the hook.
2. For some fish, set your float to hold the bait 6-10" below the surface - I catch bass and bluegill and crappie and sunfish this way, but I've also caught 24" carp this way.
3. For some fish, you make your bait go just above the surface. For some fish you put the bait just above the bottom of the lake/river/ocean. I have no idea what fish prefers what level, all I know is that I catch trout and bass and carp with the same rig. In the ocean, you need an actual rod and reel, as the 12' of line I use won't reach the bottom where the fish seem to be.

Then basically, you wait. that's it. fishing is about guessing where the fish are and then waiting.