Imagine that the end of world has finally come. You and your family members are living in a ramshackle shack with only the bare necessities.
Things are starting to take a toll on everyone and you can see that if you don’t come up with a solution soon, you all might not make it for another month.
What would you do?
In a wilderness survival scenario, things will not be like they are now.
You may have to live in a home that you built yourself, the electrical grid may be gone, and food may be scarce.
But, if you have some fishing gear in your survival kit or if you know how to make some gear from scratch, it’s possible to provide food for yourself and others simply by hitting the local waterways and catching some fish.
Interested in learning more about how you can provide a steady source of food for yourself and your loved ones? Check out our list of seven ways to catch fish in an emergency:
Method #1: Fish Weir
A fish weir is quite effective at catching fish and it can also help you with your dip netting and spear fishing endeavors. Fish weirs can either be a large funnel, circular fence, or wall designed to direct fish into a trap.
This method has been successful for ages. In fact, some of the traditional fish weir construction styles from ancient times are still in use today. If you are planning to stay along the water way it’s possible to build your weir out of stone for a more permanent structure. You can also drive post or stakes into the sand or mud if you want a semi-permanent installation.
Method #2: Basket Trap
To build an effective basket trap, you will need a bottle with a funnel-shaped entrance. You must also take into account the habits and the size of the fish that you want to cast and build your trap to fit them.
For minnows, you can use a simple soda bottle, with the neck cut off and inverted inside the container. If you are interested in bigger prey, like catfish, then wooden slat traps are your best bet. They are usually over a yard long and they have an opening that’s big enough to catch even fat blue cats.
Method #3: Hand Fishing
This technique is as primitive as it can get — you will actually be removing the fish from the water with your hands. Depending on where you are located at this activity has a number of names, for instance, is also known as cat fisting, stomping, fish tickling, graveling, gurgling, gurgling, noodling, etc. These are all terms for this hands-on activity. This method works pretty well, just remember to put on some gloves and get over your fear of dingy-looking water because that’s where the big delicious catfish are.
Method #4: Fish Poison
For obvious reasons, the method must only be used if it’s a dire emergency. The poison used in this method is traditionally made out of crushed plant materials that release compounds in the water that kill or stun the fish. This method is typically used in small pools or where the water is still but, it’s also been used in rivers and bigger waterways as well.
Method #5: Gorge Hooks
Before we begin talking about this particular technique, it’s important to note that using this tools is very different from using the traditional fishing hooks.
To use this method, you must let the fish swallow the bait, which just happens to have a sharp bone shard or thorn sticking out of it. But, don’t jerk the line to set the hook. Once you believe that the fish has swallowed the gorge hook, slowly encourage it to swim into your waiting dip net.
Method #6: Fish Spear
Although it’s not always easy to pierce the slippery scales of most fish, spear fishing is still a worthwhile endeavor for those in a survival situation. However, it’s important that you compensate for the refraction of the light or risk losing your meal. To avoid this, simply aim below the fish for better accuracy.
Method #7: Striking Iron
The striking iron technique is one of the weirdest and crudest methods of catching fish. As its name suggests, you will use a slender bar of metal or rod to strike large slow moving fish when they near the surface. Doing so stuns the fish, which makes them significantly easier to catch.
The Bottom Line
In an emergency survival situation, you will have to learn alternative methods of doing things, like procuring food. This helpful checklist provides you with a host of options to ensure that you and your loved ones never go hungry again.
What did you think of the methods listed above? Are there any that we missed? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.