Emergency Fishing

[Possibilities]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2899457/native_american_fish_trap/[/URL]When I was younger, I was quite enamored with the Native American way of living in tune with the Earth. One thing I learned, not only from reading, but also with working with a teacher, was that they often spent their time not merely fishing, but trapping. Trapping fish by making nets or making fish traps was a far more efficient means of acquiring enough food.

Here's a modern method:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/753975/make_a_fish_trap/

Here's a method taught at Tom Brown's school awhile back:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2899457/native_american_fish_trap/

You can also build something like this:

http://www.grandpappy.info/wgill.htm

[mixin]

Re: Emergency Fishing

And if you have to do it with a pole, here are some bait tips. I can't remember the exact month we used to catch these in; but it's all warm weather bait for my area.

Redworms often live in livestock manure piles and make great Bluegill bait. Just about every other pan fish likes them, too.

Night crawlers can be found on warm, rainy nights. Catfish and junk fish will hit on these.

Crayfish (we call them crabs here in N. Indiana) shed their shells around noon and can be found hiding under rocks in still, shallow, warmish water. Prime Bass bait.

Wigglers and sandworms are found in leafy muck that's trapped by fallen branches. Bass bait but just about all fish like these.

Helgramites fasten themselves to the underside of fast moving creeks. Bass bait.

Catalpa worms are found in Catalpa trees. Just get someone to climb the tree and stomp on the branches... they fall right down = on anyone who happens to be dumb enough to stand directly under the tree. Most fish like these; especially if they're turned inside out on the hook.

Crickets can be found in fields, near barns and a multitude of other places. Iirc, Bluegills like these really well.

Minnows also make good fish bait; we used to use glass traps with an opening on one end and a screw-on cap with holes in the other end. The fish would come in to eat the crackers we baited them with and couldn't get out.

[Possibilities]

Re: Emergency Fishing

Now is the time to begin practicing on the weekends. I took my youngsters fishing. They know enough to do it themselves, if they had to. I'm starting to think how I can impart skills to them so they can assist me later versus me gathering food for them.

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Re: Emergency Fishing

Kids generally enjoy the fishing experience. My uncle started us at a young age; I can still remember catching my first fish.

Catching nightcrawlers was always fun for us. We would go to the local park at night after a rain, each of us had a flashlight and a bucket. Uncle tended to make most things fun so he didn't have to do the actual work... and he really enjoyed watching us have fun.

He was great at snare fishing and kept many of the neighbors supplied with fish during the depression. That was just about all the food most of them had.

For those who don't know about snare fishing; it's just a pole with a looped wire. It's sort of bounced along the bottom of the river until it's looped around a fish. Jerking on the pole tightens the snare and the fish is jerked out of the water.