If you’re heading out in the wild and don’t have any fishing equipment, you can include some items commonly found in your house as part of your survival fishing kit. Find out which things you can easily turn into fishing equipment. If you don’t have any proper fishing equipment on hand, there are several other ways to catch a fish. You can use a makeshift fishing rod, net, or even your hands to help you put fish on your dinner plate. Knowing these different ways can save you from hunger when you’re outdoors. To increase your chances of catching fish, it’s important to know what you can put in your survival fishing kit.
Survival Fishing Kit: 7 Ways to Fish Without Equipment
1. Rod, Hook, and String
Basically, what you’ll be doing here is making an improvised survival fishing pole. You can make one out of a sturdy wood that is long enough to act as a fishing rod substitute. Attach a string-like material at one end — this can be anything resembling a fishing line, such as shoelaces, twine, yarn, seaweed stems, or dental floss. For the hook, you can use a paperclip, hairpin, broken pop tops, or sharp twigs.
2. Fishing by Hand
Although challenging, especially for first-timers, you can catch a fish just by using your hands. This method, called “noodling,” is good for catfishing. You have to be fast enough to grab the fish out of the water. This takes a little practice, so don’t fret if you don’t get it the first try.
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3. Baits
There are many fishing baits you can use that are easily found right in your surroundings. You can look for snails or worms outdoors, but in cases where you can’t find these, there are other alternative items out there, such as food scraps, leaves, colorful plastic bits, safety pins, dead insects, or pieces of jewelry.
4. Spearfishing
Spearfishing is probably the most ancient method of fishing. You can do this just by making an improvised spear out of a stick or a pole and attaching any sharp object available, such as a pocket knife, broken glass, hard plastic, scrap metal, or scissor blades. Having a good eye and quick reflexes is vital to successful spearfishing.
5. Bow Fishing Using Shoelaces
The use of bow and arrow in fishing can be as difficult as spearfishing, as it needs both precision and accuracy. That said, if you’ve done archery before, you’re probably already prepared. You can use a flexible wood and your shoelace to make a bow. For your arrows, look for sturdy twigs straight enough to fire at a straight trajectory.
6. Net Fishing
Make an improvised net by tearing one of your shirts into thin strips. However, make sure the cloth is still sturdy. Then, knit it into a net. You can now attach it to a long stick or pole.
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7. Dams and Traps
Trapping is one of the easiest ways to fish, as you simply have to wait and check until there’s a catch. Block the running water by building a dam. This will trap the incoming fishes.
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You can use twigs and branches to build a dam and dig up a small waterway beside it where the fishes will end up stuck. Increase your chances to catch more fish by baiting with crushed snails or worms.
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Know why you should include a safety pin in your survival fishing kit in this video by IA Woodsman:
If you don’t have fishing equipment available, knowing these fishing hacks will help you catch a fish. You can make use of even the tiniest things, such as paper clips and hairpins. So the next time you pack your homemade survival fishing kit, you’re good to go.
Do you have any improvised survival fishing kit item you want to add to the list? Let us know in the comments section below!
Up Next: Bass Fishing for Beginners | Tips for Fishing 101
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Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest!Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Aug. 31, 2017, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
