DIPNETTING
There is much to know about fishing before it can be considered a reliable food source for you. What you use, when you use it, how you use it and where you use it will determine what you catch or not catch. Fishing is very species specific. There are as many methods of catching fish as there are species of fish. Most survival fishing kits I have seen would only be used to catch Lake Trout here. Bear in mind that my experience is limited to the waters of Alaska and may not even be legal in most places and may only be useful in a survival situation. Because of the required knowledge I suggest nets for most survivalists but even use of nets require knowledge. For example gill nets are often mentioned but seldom is it mentioned that they to are to catch a specific size fish determined buy mesh size that allows fish to swim into it but not be able to back out because their gills get caught. Small fish swim though and bigger fish just bump into it. Laws regulate all this stuff but for survival learn to think out of the box. Single strand monofilament nets are illegal here because they are invisible under water but for survival…. I have tried to look at this from the standpoint of how someone with limited knowledge could catch fish successful enough to feed themselves and one method stands out as being most simple and universal that is dip netting. I know how to knit nets so I just carry net needle and string to be able to knit what ever I need but a person could easily carry a net in a pack pocket and make a frame for it from branches.
These are 3 of my dip nets. The one on the far left is just the largest landing net I could find with an aluminum handle I added to reach out into river. The middle one is 4’ in diameter that I use from a boat but have since given it away because I found my little boat could push a bigger net which brings us to the one on the right that is biggest allowed by law and 5’ in diameter. The handle is in three sections and had to take one section out just for it to fit in picture. I walk out as far as I can in chest waders and it will reach 30’ past that or I can break it down to work of my boat at shallow depths.
http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/g...o/IMG_0348.jpg
I’m not a sportsman and have to have my fishing activities pay for itself. I am not willing to spend thousands of dollar to catch a fish. I have a small Zodiac and capable of setting it up for long line, pots and other forms of fishing but have it configured for dip netting in this photo. The legal limit is 25 fish per head of household and 10 additional fish for each additional member. That’s about the size of the plastic tub I have.
http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/098.jpg
Larger boats tie dip nets from the side with ropes but with my little boat I would just spin in circles so I stand in the bow a scoop fish out and just turn to dump in plastic tote. My wife steers the boat and cuts the tails off fish to mark them. That’s a legal requirement.
http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/104.jpg
As I stated I’m not a sportsman and my enjoyment of fishing comes from eating it but when you have a connection to where your food comes from the whole experience becomes part of it and is part of the anticipation. Each step is similar to cooking except taken one step further to include picking which fish you keep (another good thing about nets) to how to care for your catch. It’s a eating experience for me and I even bring King Salmon sandwiches on homemade bread for the appetizer.
http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/112.jpg
Heading out, weaving between commercial fishing boats with a cool breeze blowing off the water sure beats the hell out of going to a drive through and super sizing your fries.
http://i540.photobucket.com/albums/gg346/akmofo/110.jpg
