Fishing is one of the best ways of getting ample protein in a complete apocalyptic scenario. There’s plenty of water around, but not everyone has the skills necessary to fish for their survival. This means you can have a distinct advantage here if you know what you’re doing.
That said, if you think it’s going to be easy, you have another thing coming. You need to start preparing now.
Choosing your approach
When it comes to survival fishing, you have a few different options. You can take a more futuristic approach and use rods and reels, but then you have to worry about storage, equipment breakdowns, as well as the cost of maintaining them. Or you can do what many other preppers prefer, which is a more primitive method for catching fish.
We’ll talk about both.
Rod and reel
If you want to start by gathering the gear you need to catch fish, you can start now and add a few things to your stockpile over time. You’ll want a survival fishing pole for starters. These are compact poles that are lightweight but not the most effective for catching fish.
That said, they’re better than a stick, rope, and hook.
As for your reel, go with whatever you can afford. In a survival situation, it’s not going to matter what brand your reel is or where you got it from. You just need to make sure it gets the job done.
Artificial lures or live bait
Personally, I’d go with the most basic option possible if you’re choosing artificial lures. You need to catch fish, and you need to do so quickly and efficiently. If you’re trying to feed an entire family or even just yourself, you’ll need to focus on quantity over quality and then develop ways to make the fish last.
Just make sure to have lures of different sizes from an inch and a half up to six inches in length. If you’re casting a lure into a small stream and you haven’t eaten in a while, you need to catch something, and the small lure will come in handy.
Trapping
If you’re taking a more minimalist approach, you’ve got quite a few options. Trapping or netting is one of the options, and there are a number of different nets you can use. This is a passive form of fishing which is preferred because it allows you to do something else while you’re fishing in most cases.
When you’re casting a rod and reel, you need to sit by the water and actively fish it if you expect to catch anything. Here are some of the options you have for trapping:
Gill nets – A gill net is a nylon net made of monofilament with openings large enough for the fish to swim through until they reach the gills. Hence the name, gill nets.
This is a great passive fishing strategy because you can come back and check the nets when you’re done doing something else. It’s important to have methods like this when providing food for more than one person.
Drift nets – A drift net works in a similar way but requires you to have a vessel to pull the net.
While the net is moving through the water, it’ll grab everything that passes through it. If you’re planning to use a method like this, you’ll want to bug out near a popular river or stream system. Keep in mind that this type of fishing does have repercussions on the environment, but that may not matter as much in a post-apocalyptic society.
Trotlines – Trotlines are great because they’re one of the most primitive and passive options for survival fishing. You attach a mainline on both sides of the river or pond and then hang secondary lines down into the water with bait on them.
The secondary lines get weights, so they rest near the bottom of the water, and the baited hooks will stay in place until you return to see if you caught anything.
Finding the right water
If you’ve got a few strategies in mind and you know where you plan to bug out when SHTF, then you need to plan your fishing hole based on a few characteristics.
- Cover
- Changes in water
- Structure
These three things are the most important factors because this is how you can tell where fish hang out. Structure can be anything they hide under or around, including low-hanging trees, vegetation, and lily pads.
Changes in water refer to areas where water is fed by another body of water. This brings oxygen into the water, which results in a more energetic fish. They tend to hang around these areas because the river or stream leading into a lake also brings microorganisms for them to eat.
Killing and cleaning your catch
As people of the land, we need to respect our catch, and this goes double for situations where we rely on it for our survival. Kill the fish in the most humane way possible by doing so quickly and effectively. Here is a simple and primitive method if you don’t have any other way:
- Find something blunt like a rock. Make sure there are very few sharp edges
- Put the fish on a hard flat surface
- Use one hand to secure it in place
- Use the blunt object to strike it right above the eye with ample force
- This will stun the fish but not kill it, be sure to repeat this a few times
How to store fish long term
Ideally, you keep fish alive until you’re ready to cook. But that’s easier said than done in many survival scenarios — especially in situations where you have caught a lot via passive fishing and feel like you shouldn’t waste/release any of them.
There are five main methods:
- Freezing
- Canning
- Smoking
- Salting
- Pickling
Learn more about food preservation basics and the pros/cons between methods.
Pickling is a lot like canning because it follows many of the same principles. The airtight containment and acidity in the vinegar help break down and preserve the meat. This is a great way to keep fish safe to eat for a long time without requiring refrigeration.
Smoking is the ultimate choice in the wild in terms of flavor and food quality, but it won’t last as long as some other methods. It’s also incredibly simple and doesn’t require any specific tools or equipment.
Salting works similar to smoking by putting the fish directly into the fire. Instead, you cover the fish with salt and wrap it up. You’ll then bury it under the fire.
Final thoughts
Survival fishing is a great way to acquire protein in the event of a supply chain or power grid failure. Learning to rely on the land around us is one essential piece of the puzzle when the SHTF, and starting now is the only way to ensure your survival. Good luck!
What about you?
Do you have any of your favorite survival fishing tips to add? What secrets work best for you? Share your advice and thoughts in the comments.
About Wes
Wes is a full-time freelance writer who loves spending time outdoors.
Image by Pexels from Pixabay. Article cross-posted from The Organic Prepper.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
