Fishing Tips,Gear and Related Info

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) Preparation Forum : One Thread

Greetings To All!

Let me first begin by saying thanks to all of those responsible for developing the new forum.(In the background the chorus is singing "Hallelujah,Hallelujah")Boy,you dissappear for awhile on the old forum and you come back to real nest of worms! I used to post and contribute alot but due to some rather unsavory characters e-mailing me and my family some nasty mail I'ved decided to use a bogus name as well as address just to be safe.A subtle warning to all!At any rate,I'm glad to see that we finally have something good to communicate with again.

Fishing Gear- For those that are not familiar with this age old art of releiving stress,providing comradarie amongst freinds and providing food for the table let me begin by keeping it simple.For those that are preparing it is very cheap to lay in a few supplies here and there for fishing.You can find used fishing equipment at most yard sales if you look around.However alot of this will have seen it's better day.If you're looking for the basic survival needs,think about getting a good ultra-light system availiable at any Wal-Mart or K-Mart.The reason for ultra-light? Well,your goal is to catch fish.By using this tackle when the reel is spooled with 4lb.test line you get more bites from fish which increases the odds of catching fish.I have caught some really big-uns on light tackle.

As for lures,in my years of wading trout streams here in Ga.,fishing small ponds,rivers and big bodies of water,there is only one lure that will catch fish all year-round.That's the white rooster-tail in the 1/8 ounce size! With this lure you can catch bream,crappie,trout,white bass,stripers and even catfish! As far as tecniques go, it's basically an idiot bait,meaning that all you do is cast it out,reel it in.However,this is the way I usually work the lure,cast and count to 3 allowing the lure to sink down,then start my retreive reeling just fast enough to make the blade spin.If no strikes occur using this method,I alternate by reeling and stopping,basically a stop and go routine,thus giving the impression of a wounded bait fish.Let the fish tell you how they're feeding.When fish are in an aggressive mood they will hit a moving bait,however if they are biting slow you need to add more realizm to get them to strike.

As for using natural or live bait,we have a wide variety.But these are only availiable during the warm weather months.In any creek you can find all the bait one might need such as small lizards,crayfish and assorted larvae beneath the rocks and in small pools.You can make an easy trap by using some fine mesh wire or you can purchase one.

Last but not least,you need to have plenty of small hooks,sinkers,floats and spare line on hand.When buying line I reccomend buying the bulk spools.It's cheaper in the long run and quality is better.

In closing I would like to add that now is the time to learn.Whether you need the skills later on or not doesn't really matter. Take the time to fish a little,great stress fighter,and it's really easy! Please remember to practice CPR,Catch,Photo and Release! Take care and have fun.

-- Ex-Marine (Digging In@Home.com), July 08, 1999

Answers

Ex-Marine,

Welcome back. I think I know who you are, and if so, glad to see you around.

I agree 100% with what you are saying about fishing. I have been teaching my young son how to fish, and he loves it. It is one sport that you need to have tons of patience in the beginning. Hang in there as the "know-how" will come and provide you with great stress reduction, fun family bonding, and possible food if the future requires it.

-- (cannot-say@this.time), July 08, 1999.


Ex-Marine, To add a salty flavour to your post....

For free fishing lead weights you can either make your own by buying a cheap mould & using old lead pipe or collect from a garage old lead balancing weights from car wheels or use old spark plugs.

For sea fishing(tidal)in a rocky beach go down at low tide & see what tackle you can find lying around thats been caught on the rocks.

PS.If you catch an octopus never put it down on a pebbly surface.Think about it !!

-- Chris (griffen@globalnet.co.uk), July 08, 1999.


We do a lot of catfishing in my area. Catfish are bottom feeders, all rivers and most lakes have them, So you don't cast to catch them. Just bait a hook with stink bait ( any kind of meat, guts, etc) and place rod securly in the ground and wait. When the rod bends, grab it and pull up and start reeling. You can have as many rods out as you can watch. Catfish has to be skinned before cooking. Nail the fish through the bottom lip to a tree and cut around the head breaking the skin. Using a catfish skinner or pair of duck bill pliers, pull the skin off. Cut the head off and gut the fish and give the floater to the kids to play with. Watch out for the long barbs coming from the mouth of the fish, they are sharp and will make you very sore if you get pierced. But you will live over it. Frog gigging is easy and trotline and yo-yos are fun, but you need a boat. I grew up with this stuff and it is amazing how much you remember when you have to. I grew up in rural Arkansas, raised by grandparents who lived through the depression. I hated it then, I give thanks everyday for it now.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), July 08, 1999.

Folks, may I respectfully suggest that in serious survival situations, we may not have time to fish with line and tackle?

If you are near water, use "time extenders":

Fish traps (made out of wire, out of stones, out of sticks/logs.

Trot lines strong nylon cord with hooks attached to it with short side lines. Use something smelly for bait, check every couple of hours. If turtles are getting the fish, then bait for turtles.

Set lines are similar to trot lines, but are not attached at both ends.

Gorges are hook substitutes. they are a sharpened stick or piece of metal with the line tied around the middle. It is shoved into a piece of bait, a fish swallows it, then when the fish swims away it turns sideways in the fish, killing it.

Fish poisons Horsechestnut and Mullein are both effective at stunning fish. Pound them into the water above a pool and collect the fish you want at the lower end.

Most of these methods are illegal BECAUSE they are very effective. Be sure not to deplete breeding stocks.

-- Jon Williamson (jwilliamson003@sprintmail.com), July 08, 1999.


Ex-Marine,

My mother posts here and I had asked her to keep an eye out for fishing threads, so I'm glad that I might finally get to contribute something.

I live in North Carolina right off a fast river so I'm able to slip down the hill and go fishing whenever I please.

Now, for anyone reading this that's interested in starting up fishing, I agree with Ex-Marine about going to Wal-Mart or K Mart to get the basics or to start your fishing legacy, because of their good prices and variety.

I trust your selection of lure, considering that in fact I'm almost still a rookie, but lures just sink and hang in my river. Opposed to your 1/8 oz. white rooster-tail I find that a artificial grubs, even ones without any salt or protien coatings work just fine. Then of course we can't forget the lowly worm. One of my friends pulled a 20 1/2 inch rainbow out of my river with a real worm not to long ago.

What more can you tell me about casting? When using your lure, you stated that you cast, wait 3 seconds while it sinks then reel it in. I agree all the way with that method, but in my river if you wait that long it's hung. By the way, I usually always use a regular size 6 hook. What size sinker do you recomend?

Lastly, I've already got a good start on a tackle box set-up, but I'd like to know what others find useful to have along in theirs.

-- River Rat (homesteader145@yahoo.com), July 08, 1999.



Greetings River Rat!

In an attempt to answer your question concerning casting and letting the lure sink. This estimate was based on fishing calmer waters such as deeper pools in a river,small pond or a lake. In a river I tend to start my retreive as soon as the lure hits the water or let it sink a little if I'm familiar with the area.

And I agree with you concerning the other types of lures availiable,I elected to mention the rooster tail due to the fact that it would be my overall choice. It's easy to use and not expensive.Just to show you how deadly this lure is,I've got rainbow,brown and brook trout on the wall that range from 20" to 28".

Also,I was just up in your neck of the woods this past weekend,went whitewater rafting down the Nantahala River. Shore would love to fish that river!

Any other questions give me a holler,thanks!

-- Ex-Marine (Digging In@Home.com), July 08, 1999.


Agreed! Salt water fishing is definitely one of my preparation areas. I can not only make sinkers, but also feather jig heads. I collect old wheel weights, dive weights, etc. and melt them. I don't know about batteries... My grandfather used to make his own jigs (commercial fisherman). I have gotten some decent gear at Wal-Mart and K-Mart.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), July 09, 1999.

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr near Monterey, California

I bought some fishing gear for my eight-year-old when I first GI'd this January. I never really did much fishing myself, but I did go check lines with my grandfather several times about thirty years ago. (He did all the work).

We have a small lake about a quarter of a mile from my house in central California. It's only a couple acres but it's completely private, surrounded by about ten houses. I don't know if it has any fish in it or not. I have this idea that I could stock it now, or soon, and that we could get permission from one of the homeowners to fish there. I'm not in a position to talk to them in advance about it at this point. If I were going to stock it, how would I go about it? I need detailed instructions, beginning with how to go about finding the "store." What would be the best kinds of fish to try? How big should they be? How many...

Someone, please e-mail me if this post screws up the formatting of this thread. I'm experimenting.

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage.neener.autospammers--regrets.greenspun), August 06, 1999.


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