"Rubber Bands in your Survival Fishing Kit"?

[preachtheWORD]

I found this blog entry on wilderness-survival-skills.com. It has several typo's and misspellings, but the general idea was interesting. I want to throw it out to you guys and see what you think.

It seems like it might work. The rubber bands would give you some "flex" like a pole would. But wouldn't it be easier to just cut a pole? I think I may smell a hint of "numpty" here. Anyway, check it out.

Rubber Bands in your Survival Fishing Kit
by Mike knight
(Fleahop, Alabama, USA)

I always carry a few rubber bands in my Survival Kit and have found them very useful when fishing. I tie my fishing line (usually use 6 lb test line...works best in clear water) to a couple rubber bands.

I put the rubber bands over my fingers, make a fist, and then toss out the baited line. The rubber bands act much like the drag on a reel. When a fish pulls against the line the rubber bands stretch and alloy the line to give slack without breaking.

Have caught up to a 2 1/2 pound catfish with this method. I like this method because it allows me more control. Have also used rubber bands for limb lines and set lines from the back.

Get it a try..let know what you think!

[Ken]

Never heard of that. I'll play with the idea on my first fresh water trip this year. My luck, the things will snap when I've got a record fish on the other end of the line.

[hunter63]

Never heard of that. I'll play with the idea on my first fresh water trip this year. My luck, the things will snap when I've got a record fish on the other end of the line.

LOL, I was just thinking the same thing............or stretch it out far enough to just, "snap it" to shore, kinda like lazy man's fishing.

Intresting, wonder if inner tube bands would work, don't stretch much, but do work good to hold down gear. Double duty?

[rwc1969]

I store mine in a ziploc and they last.

[your_comforting_company]

I'd just chop me a little sapling and be on my merry way to the fishing hole.

[Alaskan Survivalist]

I have used rubber bands for trolling because they will break away. Down riggers hold line to a controled depth and line is attached using a sping loaded clip that pulls off and the flex of pole is enough to set hook. The whole set up costs a couple hundred dollars or you can just tie off a 42 ounce canon ball sinker and use a rubber band to attach line which breaks when the fish strikes. I also use them to hold the tip on harpoon which again snaps after tip is set and harpoon removed. I use rubber bands for all kinds of things fishing just not the way mentioned in OP and not in my survival fishing kit either.