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

## Alan R McDaniel Jr

I hadn't been fishing in a while, and if I didn't go soon I wasn't going to survive.  I caught a bunch of bass but only two keepers.  Then I broke out the cast net and worked the bank a little while and caught 8 nice tilapia.  While farm raised tilapia are not supposed to be very good for you, these are the "wild caught" variety.  

#1 wife and I love to eat them and she has a very simple, yet delicious way of cooking them.  She puts a streak of olive oil in a hot skillet followed by the fillets, a dash of my homemade rub and a sprinkling of rosemary from the herb garden.  Flips them once and squeezes half a lemon over the four fillets.  They cook really fast and complimented with a garden salad and some ciabatta bread make for a pleasant meal.  

I did have to work for these today though. I probably threw that net 50 times to get those 8 fish.  She said she's making it again tomorrow night.  

Alan

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## hunter63

Sounds like a good recipe to me.......
Been eating a lot of fish and fowl these days.

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

I've been threatening to go get some backstrap.  

I can lift a fish into the boat, but loading a dead deer into the back of my truck by myself is a little too much like work.  Besides I'd get my new Bedrug all bloody.    There's lots of folks here in town who'd jump at getting a deer minus the backstraps and tenderloins, but I'm lazy.

Alan

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## hunter63

Funny you should mention that....LOL
$170 bucks.

Just bought one for the truck...mostly for loading gensets...and deer.....

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http://www.cabelas.com/product/VIKIN...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

Hmmmm?  How does yours work?  Seems the reviews are less than flattering.

Alan

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## hunter63

So far the comments about it sticking on the plastic rollers(?) is a PITA.....and the comment about lock nut inside a 2 in square tube was interesting....

That said...those comments might make more difference to someone using it all the time....Not a big deal to me for single load and unload.
Thought they were kinda whinney.....
Seems everyone wants a $2500 buck w/remote control unit.... for $150 bucks.

I have a heavier boat winch...may swap out...may try that for more mech advantage.......or another option for me... is my portable 12v winch.

My major complaint is it's kinda BIG and not easy carried....LOL.

So far I used it to load a genset in the truck....and unload....by myself......so yeah, for the money.... I like it.

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

I wouldn't be using it every day but it would come in handy to load heavy stuff that #1 wife says I can't load by myself.  I always prove her wrong but then I can't do anything after that.  

It's surely worth looking into.

Thanks.

Alan

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## Rick

That wouldn't be half bad for getting me up in there!

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

Does look like you could stand on the platform and crank yourself up!

Alan

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## hunter63

> Does look like you could stand on the platform and crank yourself up!
> 
> Alan


Tried that....LOL ...didn't work too well....too much concentrated weight and back force....in one spot.
Worked much better with the weight was spread out as well as the center of gravity was closer to the platform.
My weight was cantilevered out way from the pole....the 90 pound genny was lower and spread out....and 100 pounds lighter...LOL

Like I said....It is what it is. 
Cost is good....works like what you may expect from a $150 buck lift.

Some mods ...roller bearings and bigger winch would be helpful....but that is overthink something you are gonna use a couple of times a year....Unless you kill a lot of deer.

I almost considered 2 lifts...one here at the city house...one at "The Place" our cabin.....so I did have to carry it along with me....take a lot of room.

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## Rick

Cantilevered. That's my problem. I'm cantilevered.

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## Alan R McDaniel Jr

Well, she did it again.  Now I have to go fishing again tomorrow.  Will it ever end?  

#1 son is pretty handy with a welder and cutting torch.  I'm going to plant the seed of the cantilever thingy and see if he'll take the bait.  If not, well, it won't be the first of my money that Cabela's has taken.  Probably not the last.

Alan

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## hunter63

> Well, she did it again.  Now I have to go fishing again tomorrow.  Will it ever end?  
> 
> #1 son is pretty handy with a welder and cutting torch.  I'm going to plant the seed of the cantilever thingy and see if he'll take the bait.  If not, well, it won't be the first of my money that Cabela's has taken.  Probably not the last.
> 
> Alan


LOL...Just trying to help....

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## hayshaker

ok Alan, short of conning the deer to jump up in the bed of the truck
so you can do him. i  have another idea, i saw that on your truck
you have a work box, get you a lg pulley mount that to the box.
can drill a 5/8ths in hole and bolt it on. the get about 50'ft of cable.
a sheet of plywood. you'll need a tree near to do this or something stout
to tie the cable to.follow me. lay the plywood angled up to the tailgate.
get the carcass up against the wood wrap the cable around hit's neck.
run cable through pully and tie to tree. get in the cab step hard on gas
and deer jumps in the bed. and thats cheaper than cabeles i'm sure.

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## hunter63

> ok Alan, short of conning the deer to jump up in the bed of the truck
> so you can do him. i  have another idea, i saw that on your truck
> you have a work box, get you a lg pulley mount that to the box.
> can drill a 5/8ths in hole and bolt it on. the get about 50'ft of cable.
> a sheet of plywood. you'll need a tree near to do this or something stout
> to tie the cable to.follow me. lay the plywood angled up to the tailgate.
> get the carcass up against the wood wrap the cable around hit's neck.
> run cable through pully and tie to tree. get in the cab step hard on gas
> and deer jumps in the bed. and thats cheaper than cabeles i'm sure.


To much hassle...
Just tell your 200 pound nephew/kid...."Load this, will ya....or is it too heavy for you"?...(They are gonna prove ya wrong...lol).

Actually did load a deer in Louisiana....with a rope and a tree....into the back of a "Gator' with a dump box...
Couldn't lift it too well...spine broken so was kinda "loosy goosy".... kept sliding off.

Box down...rope around the neck...to the ROP bar, ...to a tree behind me... 
Pulled forward...pulling deer up into box....lift and latch.

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## Old Professor

Another way to load a deer by your self is to get one of those longer, narrow plastic sled for dragging a deer or bear out. Roll the deer or bear into he sled. You might want to tie the carcass to the sled. Lower the tail gate of your pickup or open the lift gate of your SUV. Slide the narrow front of the sled up to your vehicle. pick up the front end of the sled and put it into the back of the pickup/SUV. Go to the back of the sled and pick it up and slide the whole thing into the truck/SUV. its amazing how easy it is to load an animal by yourself, using that method.  Even with my crippled back, I can load a deer by my self.

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## tigrate

have to be one monster of a deer for me not to be able to buck him up there like I would a bale of hay. Might have to do one end first, hold it while I got another grip and kneed up the other end, tho. For doing a lot of gensets, I'd get a little wheeled trolley, maybe a mechanic's creeper, and a big ramp.

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## tigrate

> I hadn't been fishing in a while, and if I didn't go soon I wasn't going to survive.  I caught a bunch of bass but only two keepers.  Then I broke out the cast net and worked the bank a little while and caught 8 nice tilapia.  While farm raised tilapia are not supposed to be very good for you, these are the "wild caught" variety.  
> 
> #1 wife and I love to eat them and she has a very simple, yet delicious way of cooking them.  She puts a streak of olive oil in a hot skillet followed by the fillets, a dash of my homemade rub and a sprinkling of rosemary from the herb garden.  Flips them once and squeezes half a lemon over the four fillets.  They cook really fast and complimented with a garden salad and some ciabatta bread make for a pleasant meal.  
> 
> I did have to work for these today though. I probably threw that net 50 times to get those 8 fish.  She said she's making it again tomorrow night.  
> 
> Alan


Nets are so superior to hook and line that any comparison is laughable, when it comes to time and effort spent, vs productivity.

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## BENESSE

> Nets are so superior to hook and line that any comparison is laughable, when it comes to time and effort spent, vs productivity.


Oh, OK. 
And a dynamite stick is superior to a net.  :Sneaky2:

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## crashdive123

Ahhh, he was just a troll that is no longer welcome here.

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## BENESSE

I thought as much.
What is _wrong_ with people?!

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## madmax

Benesse.  The majority are good people. But the ones who stand out are the abrasive ones.

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## 1983

Reminds me of the time I shot a doe and had to load it in the back of my small hatchback car.

Was pretty spent from dragging it out and ended up forgetting rope that day so I used my safety harness and a lanyard to get it there.

Popped the hatch and the rear driver side door and threw the lanyard through and then braced my feet on the door frame and gave her all I was worth.

Got her in but man what a mess.

On topic have you ever used an old fassioned block and tackle with a set up cross bar set between two trees?

Depending where I am I may just back up my truck and set a temporary cross beam with some 550 paracord or ratchet straps with the block and tackle and just raise up the deer and back into it with the truck.

Little more work but could be lighter on the wallet some.

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