Trot Lines and other fish harvesting doodads/methods

[Lilburner]

I knew roughly about trot lines and that they were on the table - didn't really have the parts assembled, though. Then I saw this one yesterday for $5 at Duluth Salvage and realized I couldn't even make my own for that, much less have the patience for all the measuring, tying, etc.



So I grabbed that - it's super light - might even go in the primary BOB if I'm planning on being gone for a good long while.

I also have some yo yo traps that might make the cut. And then today I was looking for videos on trot lines and came up with "jug fishing". Not something you'd put in a pack, but if you turn up any soda bottles, milk jugs, etc where you're going, and you have the leads, hooks, etc, you can set up jugs and come back and work them like the trot line.

When I first realized I was prepping, I went out and bought some fishing pole/reel combos and a few tackle bits and such. Now that I'm further into it I've learned that using a rod and reel is called "sport fishing" and there's no sport to survival, so I'm rethinking fish harvesting.

Anyone with great tips, experiences, thoughts?

[wiseguy]

You can turn old milk jugs and soda bottles into trout lines.  Basically the bottles are a big bobber.  You can use a heavy weight to keep them in place in standing water like a pond, or you can link then together with a rope.  Then we would use a crappie rig to hang the hooks below the bottles at different heights.  I just Googled crappie rig to get a photo.  You can see one here...  http://www.south-bend.com/products/terminal-tackle/rigs/crappie-rigs
I have used crappie rigs attached to a regular rod and reel to fish in the Mississippi.  Having bait at different heights helps you especially in a faster moving river.  (I was fishing on the down river side of a damn. 
Good luck

[Country Singer]

Just hope you don't hook something like this:

[elandil]

PVC and pipe insulation/Pool noodles. Take some 1/2" PVC, cut into 1' lengths, and cap both ends. Screw and glue a small brass eyebolt into one of the end caps. Then cut a length of the pool noodle to cover the PVC leaving about an inch or two uncovered by the Eye bolt. measure out about 10' of fishing line, tie it to the eye, and secure a good hook on the end. Wrap the line around the noodle, slide the hook into the foam....Bam, instant fish float. do up about 4-5, each one with it's own line, then when you need them, you can tie another line to they eye bolt to anchor to the bank or connect to make a chain of floats. Best part, if you do it right and the water's calm...they will lay flat, until they get a strike, at which point they stick up, almost like a flag indicating you have something on the line.

What My Ex-FIL used to do was take and make up a bunch of these, then he made a line string that had the snap swivels attached every 10'-15'. He'd get to the lake, tie one end of the stringer line to an anchor point, then start trolling out, hooking a swivel to each eye bolt, baiting and dropping, until he had a whole line out. Then, he'd go beach the boat and chill, then later go pull them in one by one.

I've done something similar on the river, taking 4 of them along with 4 anchor lines and some tent stakes. Snap a swivel on the eye, bait, toss it out, let it float to a good spot, then anchor. walk down the bank, repeat. Then, go start a fire, set up camp, and hopefully once i'm ready to chill, dinner's waiting...

I have even seen people use the Glow in the dark paint on the ends to use when catfishing at nite.

they're small, light, easy to pack, and a perfect case of making something out of nothing...