# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Fishing >  Freshwater Fishing

## corndog-44

I got into fishing when I was a kid and made my own tackle from a willow branch and a length of fishing line. Light line, small hooks and small floats put some excitement on the end of the line fast. The size of the fish was not as important as the frequency of catches. I tired quickly and often give up  while waiting for lunker bass to bite. I would rather pull in 25 minnow-sized bluegills than wait for one trophy catch. I'm now an occasional fisherman doing my best to extend my diet with fish.

I would like to hear from others concerning their fishing tackle and their know-how that catch the favorite fish in their area.

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## Sarge47

> I got into fishing when I was a kid and made my own tackle from a willow branch and a length of fishing line. Light line, small hooks and small floats put some excitement on the end of the line fast. The size of the fish was not as important as the frequency of catches. I tired quickly and often give up  while waiting for lunker bass to bite. I would rather pull in 25 minnow-sized bluegills than wait for one trophy catch. I'm now an occasional fisherman doing my best to extend my diet with fish.
> 
> I would like to hear from others concerning their fishing tackle and their know-how that catch the favorite fish in their area.


I'm into "Fly-Fishing/Tying myself.  I find it very enjoyable.  There's something really special about catching a fish with a lure you've made yourself. :Cool:

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## Survivor2.0

well,im your common angler,i just drop the line in,poistion it,and wait,but i also have a frequent intrest at the local creek to fish without a tackle.

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## pilgrim

bass fishing is one of my favorite things in the world and i pour my own rubber worms... i dont use live bait too often because there is a certain feeling you get from fooling a bass with something you created yourself... but a fish is a fish no matter what you catch it on

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## corndog-44

I think most of us knows the theory that fish like sinking baits. I substantiated this theory at a spot on the Tippecanoe River. The bank sloped gently to water's edge on the side I was walking. The bottom of the river dropped off sharply as it went out. When the bottom reached the far bank there was a good five feet of water lapping at the root wad of a tree that had leaned over the fishy-looking pool. The pool hosted a good population of a few good crappies, bluegills and rock bass. There was a small problem right from the start. The hole was plagued by some underwater brush that my rigs soon encountered if I allowed my bait to sink and eventually one of my baits became hopelessly entangled with a waterlogged limb about half as big as my wrist. Fortunately my line was strong enough to fight the limb to the surface and I dragged it out. It was smooth after that. I don't have any idea how many fish I took from that hole, but I do remember I could always count on catching fish from there and that several species would be represented. I fish mostly with pieces of night crawler fished on a short shank wire hook but no matter what bait I use, it has to sink for best result. The bait seldom makes it to the bottom.

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## MCBushbaby

Cork bobber (cut from a wine bottle cork), 15' fishing line (I forgot what lb. test), a small Eagle Claw hook and a worm I dug from the ground serves me just fine.  Toss it next to a submerged log by the shore, tie off the the line to a stick shoved in the mud, and take a nap.  All those fancy Rapalas and spinnerbaits haven't caught me anything but the occasional bullhead.

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## Fog_Harbor

I used to love bass fishing, but I can't stand the taste (go figure).  My friends loved it when I went fishing, 'causethey knew they were getting the goods.  Lobster diving was another matter!  lol

Sarge, I like fly fishing too, When the fish come in, they fly it out to me - great set up!

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## ryaninmichigan

I tot his day use a hand made willow rod. For ice fishing made for me by my brother. I am not sure I have ever used a store bought rod for ice fishing.,

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## trax

I pretty much do things the way Mitch described, but I can usually find a sapling to tie off the line. Fish aren't about to pull it out of the ground and swim away if I'm napping.

Ice fishing, I'll do the same but just lay a stout stick across the opening in the ice and flag it, I stay up on shore where there's better wind protection and just keep an eye on the flag.

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## flandersander

seems logical. I use a fishing shack with a small wood stove. keeps me warm.

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## RBB

For fishing, it is mostly for walleyes (often done at night), bronze backs (small mouth bass) and northern pike AKA jackfish.  There are a few lake trout lakes we go into, but I only like lake trout out of the water and into the frying pan.  Then there are the brook trout - which is a whole 'nother type of fishing.  No way to keep from getting wet, we go through streams where waders do you no good.  Last autumn I went with my father and we got 82.  This necessitates bringing a fry pan and having a couple meals as the limit is 20 in possession.

For ice fishing, I either use a tip-up, that I can see from my living room window, a tent darkhouse, that I can pull in on a sled to wilderness lakes for pole fishing, or a more permanant darkhouse to spear from.  Our lake is a little dark for spearing, so we set up on a lake up the road.

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## Elkchsr

Hip waders, small streams, simple hook and sinker, worms or grasshoppers

Wander for miles up these little mountain creeks is great fun

Get to see quite a bit of wildlife

At the end of the day, start a fire, cut some sticks and roast your catch over the fire

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## flandersander

Has anybody tried supergluing an actual insect to a small hook? super realistic fly!

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## Rick

I was in Muskegon, Michigan several years ago during the ice breakup. Amazing how many of those little ice shacks got stranded on Lake Michigan. You just wonder how many of them (as well as truck, trailers, motorhomes) are on the bottom of the lake.

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## flandersander

try an underwater camera. i went to a man-made resavoir and found 3 cars, most of a house, 3 boats a barn and a school bus. it was a 2 week trip and we went diving. it was sweet!

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## springkitty

> Has anybody tried supergluing an actual insect to a small hook? super realistic fly!


No, I havent tried that but I have different size needles, I use a swivel about 18 inches from my actual bait hook, run the line through the grasshopper or whatever from head to tail, pull out enough line to tie my hook on, ease the line and hook back through the insect until just the sharp tip is exposed at the bugs tail and they really go for that. Its amazing the nice size fish such a small hook will catch.
kitty

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## glockcop

The Shimano Calcutta (size 200) with 6 ft  med hvy berkley series one rod, with 12 lb test, and 7 1/2" june bug colored worm (1/4 oz weight) for most of my bassin'. BUT.. nothing beats the Ultra light okuma aveon spinning reel (size 15) w/ 6 ft UL fenwick rod, 4lb test "red line", small storm topwater (cricket immitation) poper. Keep the nitro pills handy.

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## crashdive123

I'm not sure what all you just said, but I'm guessing it's about fishing.

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## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> The Shimano Calcutta (size 200) with 6 ft  med hvy berkley series one rod, with 12 lb test, and 7 1/2" june bug colored worm (1/4 oz weight) for most of my bassin'. BUT.. nothing beats the Ultra light okuma aveon spinning reel (size 15) w/ 6 ft UL fenwick rod, 4lb test "red line", small storm topwater (cricket immitation) poper. Keep the nitro pills handy.


Don't worry Glock there is a few of us good ole boys down south that know exactly what you mean!

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## panch0

I grew up fishing in irrigation canals by my aunts house in South Texas. We usually shot a crow with the bb gun, used the innerds and stuff for bait to catch channel cats. We would bum some hooks and fishing line from our uncles. We would get a slim branch off a mesquite tree and use that as a cane. One of my uncles pulled out catfish with hands that were hiding in the rocks. Yup wee was a bunch of lil meskin billies. Those were the days.

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## Rick

Meskin Billies? Is that anything like a Red Neksican? (snort, chuckle) You started it. 

So, Glockcop, once you buy all that stuff then the bass must run about $38.70 a pound? LOL. 

You can catch my show week-nights at 7 and 9 in the lounge.

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## SARKY

I used to go for all that sport fishing crap......2-4lb test line, ultra light tackle, etc. No more! I eat what I catch , just as I eat what I hunt. Well I dont hunt with a net gun or an air soft, so my line is 80lb test. If I hook it, it's comming to daddy!

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## panch0

> Meskin Billies? Is that anything like a *Red Neksican*? (snort, chuckle) You started it. 
> 
> So, Glockcop, once you buy all that stuff then the bass must run about $38.70 a pound? LOL. 
> 
> You can catch my show week-nights at 7 and 9 in the lounge.


Dude thats a good one. I have to remember that. If I join another forum I know what screen name I am using. Lol.  :Lol:

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## Mischief

> I'm into "Fly-Fishing/Tying myself.  I find it very enjoyable.  There's something really special about catching a fish with a lure you've made yourself.


 :clap:  :clap:  Same here.and after over 50 years of fly tying(fresh & salt) I have amass'd a bunch of material.

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## crashdive123

> Dude thats a good one. I have to remember that. If I join another forum I know what screen name I am using. Lol.


There's that talk of other forums again.  How do these rumors get started?

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## glockcop

Yes. all that jargon was about fishing. ultra is the way to go. you'll have more fun than a priest at a little league game. sorry , bad joke, but believe me it is super fun man.

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## aflineman

I enjoy fishing. I will be goin' trout fishing in the morning (plus a little camping lakeside also). I just need to catch some nightcrawlers this evening.

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## glockcop

Aflineman, that sounds pretty good. How can ya loose when ya combine campin' n fishin'. Let us know how it goes. We don't have fresh water trout down her but a camping/sacalaite (French colocquial term for crappie) trip sounds great to me. I just realized how bad my spelling has become. "Too many beers for too many years", I guess.

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## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Gone fishin' in the mornin' myself! Shellcracker and Catfish! Maybe I'll have some pics for ya'll!

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## glockcop

Cool cowboy. Good luck.

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## Durtyoleman

*When fishin for fun I like med to light tackle on at least a graphite rod may use lures or live bait dpending on the conditions and/or fish I am after. I fish both fresh and salt water. When lookin to fill my freezer I use jug and trot lines, and when I was in louisiana we also dropped crab traps and trawled for shrimp on our way out to fish and picked em up on the way back in. Freezer was always full of blue crab, speckled sea trout, red fish and shrimp growin up. Also did my share of crawfishin. Jug/trot lines may be baited with anything from homemade stink baits to shrimp or even hotdogs. My first set of jugs were old soda bottles...now I done gradiated to pvc...lol

D.O.M.*

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