Or should I say, questionaire...

Yup, I'm a moron. Here I am living on the shores of the great Chessapeake Bay (been here my whole life, incidentally,) and yet I have not done any fishing since I was about 12. And I have only the most basic, vague idea what each piece of fishing gear is for.

Hooks, okay, I know what they're for. They hold the bait, then when the fish eats the bait, the hook grabs the fish from the inside so it can't get free, and my dinner is nigh.

Line, again, DUH.

Split shot, well, okay, they weigh down the bait and hook so as to keep them from floating too near the surface or drifting too horizontally in the current, right? But how and where should they be attached? Is there some rule of thumb about this? I have seen a few web pages with recommendations about different setups for different types of fish, but I couldn't tell a trout from a salmon without a picture so I sure wouln't be able to pick the right setup in a survival situation.

Snap swivels? They seem to serve two purposes - the snap part allows quick attachment and detachment of pre-made leads with hooks and weights, while the swivel part allows the hook to spin without twisting the line. But again, how should these be used? Weights above or below? Lead length? Should I put them on the line, or on the lead, or both?

And how should I set all these things up for storage in a PSK? Should I make a few pre-configured leads with hooks and weights on so I won't have to futz with it in a survival situation, or is it better to put all the pieces into the kit individually and rig them up for specific situations as I need them?

Despite our proximity to the Chessapeake, my family was simply never big on fishing, so I never learned all this basic stuff.

I'd say go fishing and try different ways and see what works for you. At least it gets you out.

Look for emergency fishing kits on Ebay. You can often find the Fishing Kit, Emergency Mil Spec by Tra-Con, Inc there. I have two that I picked up for about $10 each. They are usually old, but that only affects the clear plastic box it comes in. It's really well stocked with everything you need except live bait.

Split shots are attached simply by squeezing the line under the caoutchouc stuff, about one foot from the lure. The snap swivels are especially useful when you are fishing with a moving Mepps type of lure or a jig and they are just next to the lure and allow quick change of lures. Just store them individually and rig them up when you need it. If the conditions allow fishing and given it's kind of low in the priorities, it means you will probably have the dexterity to set it up on the spot. Besides, fishing gear is there primarily for keeping yourself busy. If you really need food, you will be looking for small fish, so favor small hooks. I once caught a pike with a safety pin and some old line I found on the shore. When fish are hungry they jump on everything that shines.

Determining the right place for the slipshot comes from experience and knowledge of the area you're fishing and the prey. Aloha's right....you have to go fishing and make mistakes to get that experience.

You might put your slipshot a foot from your hook(s) if you want your bait on the bottom (say for catfish). You might want it three or four feet up from the hook to keep it near the bottom when you know the fish are feeding deep.

Go fishing! You'll eventually catch some then you'll get experience cleaning and cooking them! (Or, just do as the Bear does: sit around the campfire and and eat them raw) ((( )))

As a starter you could go to the libuary and check out the SAS HANDBOOK starting on page 228 you will find fishing help.

Not on a bet!

Sushi might be one of Bear's faves, but I prefer my fish fried.

Bear tends to fish, eat raw, then move on, but I would pick a campsite and start a fire first so I could cook whatever I catch.

Asking how to rig fishing gear is like asking what it the best knife. Everyone has his/her opinion as to the best way to rig, best lure, best whatever. And how you rig can vary depending on they type of fish you are after, the water (lake or stream, salt or fresh), the bait you find, all kinds of things. You can probably either do the library thing, or just do some googling, and get enough info to get started. Then you can form your own opinion, and next time someone asks this question you can jump in with your two cents...

You have many of the basics.
Most fishing skill comes from experience and trial and error. Keep it basic when starting out, don't try to set up anything real complex. Stick to simple bait fishing.

In your neck of the woods I would imagine that this years hatch of Bluefish are stating to turn into what are know as "Snappers".
The snappers will be very active along inland waters during the end of July through early September. You can use a basic bamboo-cane pole or get a light spincast set up. The snapper rig is basically a bobber with a leader and long hook. You bait it with small baitfish (you can buy these or catch them too with a minnow trap or casting net).
These baby Bluefish will eat almost any prey so you can use shiners, spearing, killies all kinds of bait fish.
Try fishing for snappers and you will gain a lot of experience this summer. Then expend on other species, gear and techniques.

Another path is to do the same except in a freshwater pond and learn to fish for varieties of sunfish; easy to learn as well.

The further away from the bait the higher the bait will be above the bottom. I’d use a minimum of 12”. If you’re fishing in any kind of current, you’ll need at least 3/16 oz of weight to keep it on the bottom.




The weight needs to be on the opposite side of the swivel of the bait for the swivel to work. I’ve used snell sets from 2’ to 8’. The longer the snell the harder its to set the hook.



I’d make them on the spot. If you can tie a surgeons loop and the basic fishing knot you can make your own snells.

You’d be surprised how much gear you can store in a film canister. Wrap line on the outside, Hooks, blades, splitshot, swivels, beads and Bobbers on the inside.

This is one of those ask three people get four answers type of questions. I'm in the same possition you are, actually, I might fish two or three times a year as a social event, and hate freshwater fish.

A lot of people like the full fledged military kit. If you need that much gear, IMHO, it means that they've probably stopped looking for you if you are dry land.

This is very similiar to what I carry in my PSK:
I carry it in a breath strip tin, it fits better, with spectra rather than mono line, and I add a few sequins to be shiny bait. Trout are terminally dumb or way to territorial, they seem to bite anything shiny. I have seen trout caught on a naked hook and a sequin.

I like the swivels becuase they let you use things other than fish line for your line. Tie one onto a core line from your paracord bootlaces, clip a hook on, and ta-da!, you've got a fish line. Can't tie corelines to hooks so well. And they give you options as far as setting up your line, and in some kinds of trapping, so take them.

Weight is tricky. As others have said, it depends on what you are looking for. I've got the same questions myself. I make it up as I go along and have decent luck. If you really wanted to, the Scouts have a fishing merit badge- the pamphlets are usually in expensive. Gut one to what you need, put it in a bag, and stick it in your kit. I don't think they are available online for free....

My PSK "fishing kit" consists of a half dozen hooks, 25' of monofilament, and a couple of swivels. All stored in the handle of my Becker. Some people carry even less (nothing) while some carry a dedicated fishing kit. I have no experience fishing on Chesapeake Bay and so am not even remotely qualified to advise you what to carry. My advice? Go down a list of your friends, relatives, or acquaintances, pick out one that does fish, and have them take you out a few times.

Fishing is a good survival skill to know. Plus it's just plain fun--as long as they are biting.

I agree with the suggestions to learn by practicing.

But as for swivels, you don't need them unless you are using lures (such as spinners) that will twist your line.

One other thing I'd suggest - learn a good fishing knot - like the uniknot or something else that works well with fishing line. General purpose knots sometimes don't hold fishing line very well or weaken the line too much.