Although I am not an addictive fisherman, I have gained some fishing experience in different ways over the years.

In my youth when I visited my grandparents in Minnesota we would troll for Northern Pike using spoon lures and at other times we used leeches for Walleyes.

As a teenager while hiking in the Sierras I used flies to catch trout in both streams and lakes.

In my pond I have both bluegill and bass and I’ve used soft lures, spoons, plugs, and live bait but I’ve never used kernels of corn and decided that it was about time to try it out.

Kernels of corn on a hook worked outstanding! As soon as it hit the water it was hit and the fish were hooked! This bait works wonders with pan fish. Recently my son brought my grandchildren up to the pond and they used dough-like “power bait” and had occasional success but next time corn kernels will insure immediate success.

Strategicly, bigger bait catches bigger fish so decided to stack several kernels on my hook and I caught larger fish.

The bass that lurked nearby were not interested in the least but kept an eye on the smaller bluegill. Perhaps if a small bluegill could be caught with the corn it could be used to catch a bass. We’ll see what the future holds by using that strategy.

If you have not used corn kernels as bait yet for fishing, give it a try and be amazed.

I began a search around our location for resources with a thought toward cups but then I spotted an empty water bottle and an idea began to emerge. If I could cut the bottle three quarters of the way through where the cylindrical body meets the neck, the remaining attached plastic would act as a spring loaded hinge. The top could be tilted back in order to load the catch and the top would spring back to a closed position.

The improvised bug bait box worked wonderfully. Once we caught a sufficient amount of bait we headed over to the pond and were able to fulfill our goal of catching the brim and ultimately the bass.

For Ebook readers…

I am pleased to announce that I have written an eBook entitled “Fifty ways to make survival tools from trash and household items“. It is a valuable collection of survival tips, tricks and “how-tos” that can be viewable by eReader on your smart phone, tablet, or laptop. This format will allow you to learn these techniques at your leisure apart from dependence on WiFi or the internet. CLICK HERE TO ORDER

I contacted a friend to share my discovery and we conspired to find the best source to combine our orders for purchase. Our search led us to Ebay that offered multiple models of varying sizes and styles. They come in 10, 8, and 6 opening sizes and some are double-deckers. They can be used for catching smelt, eel crab, lobster, minnow, shrimp, crawfish, etc. Our thoughts were to acquire one that was small enough to carry in a pack for hiking and so settled on a simple 6 opening design.

We took it to a pond and baited it with refrigerator leftovers, some bread and bits of sausage. I tied on a line and lowered it into the water and waited for about a half hour not knowing what would appear at it’s retrieval. When I pulled it up it contained bass small fry that wriggled all over the bottom. Depending on what is caught the contents could be used as bait or if large enough for eating.

I look forward to placing this portable folding net trap in various locations to see what exists and of course to enhance my fishing capabilities. Further research revealed comments from other users who mentioned that the side zipper, while sewn onto the net, had to first be unzipped to allow cutting open the mesh behind it to allow access into the trap. Also, some folks added some weights to allow the net to sink faster into the water as well as providing a better anchor in moving water. I found that once the trap got wet it went down okay for me and I want to keep it light for packing.

I recommend this for any fisherman or even for use by home-schoolers to discover what lies beneath the waters surface. It is simple and easy to use and I look forward to the next outing to employ it.

Some years ago I acquired a used cast net but never took time to unravel it to explore it’s dimensions or how it was used. While watching various survival programs I noticed how significant a cast net can be for survival by catching fish for bait or for consuption. So I decided to learn more and began to look up videos on-line and discovered that there are as many ways to throw one as there are people who demonstrated them.

After viewing many videos I learned about the parts of a cast net that include the hand line, swivel, horn, braille lines, netting, and lead line with weights. Gathering the net to throw is called “loading” and is basically held by the throwing arm or by the opposite arm from which to spool off. Many of the demos used eight and ten foot radius nets whereas my cast net has a five foot radius but the approaches for each are basically the same. In the past many folks used their teeth to hold part of the bottom lead line but there are newer approaches that eliminate that method.

After many throws I couldn’t get the net to open properly and so went back to the videos to look for the details of loading it up. The break-through came when I met a fellow who had casting experience and mentioned that the net is not thrown level but slightly upward, about thirty degrees, and that did the trick for me. Having a mentor can make a significant difference.

As of this writing I haven’t settled on a favorite method but I am an advocate of learning more than one way thus giving options for differing net sizes or casting situations. Here are two links by “Fisherman Alex” and “Salt Strong” that I have found helpful. I would be glad to receive comments from experienced net casting enthusiasts on their favorite method.

In my pursuit of primitive and survival skills I have watched numerous survival reality shows and I’ve seen folks chase grasshoppers as a food source unsuccessfully while wasting precious calories in the process. One of the secrets of catching grasshoppers is that in the early morning hours the temperature is lower and thus the grasshoppers are slower. As the day warms up the grasshoppers are faster. This is where a butterfly net will give you a greater advantage over their accelerated evasion techniques.

Most towns these days have a “dollar store” that often have inexpensive nets for sale in the toy section. For a few dollars you can stock up on these “fishing” tools that you can store in your car, boat, or other convenient locations for easy access when spontaneous opportunities for fishing strike.

In more recent years I would walk through the woodland fields and notice the previous seasons’ long stemmed plants with marble sized galls in the middle and would open them to find nothing but a hole. But after a little research I discovered that those long stemmed plants were goldenrod that are known to host grubs in those galls and with more persistent searches I began to find tiny grubs that had not hatched out or been eaten by birds or parasitic wasps.

My findings began last fall where the grubs were about as small as a period at the end of a sentence. I waited through Winter and now in Spring those small grubs have grown larger. I understand that in the Northern states these grubs can be larger in size and are sought after for ice fishing. There they can be collected in the fall and stored in a refrigerator until Winter. They are effective for catching pan fish like blue gills and crappies.

Recently I spoke with a friend who grew up in Wisconsin and as a young girl she would collect the goldenrod galls for her father who in turn would use them to catch the minnows with which he caught larger fish. I can envision that approach with the grubs that I have found.

In any event, it’s good to be aware of this resource when you’re out in the field and have the need or desire to go fishing.

Take your floss kit to a local sports department to see what hooks and sinkers will fit inside the container and if possible look for flies or plastic nymphs too. Remember that there is no substitute for live bait such as bugs or worms that you can acquire in the field. Floats such as sticks or buoyant trash can also be acquired in the field.

Although I think in terms of emergency use, it can also be available in spare moments when a fishing opportunity presents it’s self just for fun. The photo above shows my catch using floss fishing this morning having tied the floss on my finger and jigged the lure. I used green colored floss with a leaded jig hook and a mini tail tube lure. The bass was caught off of a dock on my first cast. Give it try… you’ll love it!

The next day, while visiting a friend, I pulled the canister out of my pocket and showed it to my friend and asked him if he might have a use for it. He shared with me a story about how his friend had used a similar canister which made his fishing trip a whole lot easier.

Have you ever gone fishing and at the end of the day tried to hook your lure on some part of your fishing pole or reel only to have it come loose and snag on your clothes, upholstery or other gear? This fellow solved this problem by using a canister to enclose the lure, thus preventing hooks from snagging it’s surroundings.

Enclosing the lure is like putting it in a locker for storage and it can be accomplished in different ways. For instance, you can simply place your lure inside the canister, close the lid, and reel in the line and let the canister swivel from the tip of your rod. Or, you can stabilize the canister by using a rubber band to attach it to your fishing pole handle for transport or storage. Depending on the severity of the lid’s edge, you may want to cut a slit from the outside edge to the center in order to provide an opening so as not to crimp the line.

The canister that I found was an empty M&Ms candy container but there are many containers available. Next time you check out at the register at a grocery store, take a look at the variety of candies and their containers to see what might work best for you. If it contains candy that you like, it will be a win/win scenario for you!

Laws can differ from region to region so I would suggest that you inquire with local authorities before you try this for yourself in Public waters. I have access to a private stocked pond and thus have the liberty to try any and all fishing methods. I respect laws but continue to learn techniques that could save my life in an emergency situation.

A twitch-up trap uses a sapling or pole that is flexible which provides tension or spring action so that when it’s bent over it holds “potential energy” that when released quickly pulls a line that will close a noose or set a hook, depending on it’s application. Near the tip of the pole is usually a short notched stick that holds the bent pole in place until it is triggered.

I began to think of an alternate method to accomplish this and used a regular fishing pole instead of a sapling. I eventually bought a tiki torch clamp that I fastened on the edge of the dock to hold the handle of the fishing pole in place, then I attached a short stick with a trimmed branch forming a notch to catch the bottom edge of the deck planks. The trick is to tie the hook and bait just far enough to touch the surface of the water. The bait should be a small frog, grasshopper or cricket that will tickle the water surface that will aid in attracting fish. The fish will naturally grab the bait aggressively thus springing the trap and setting the hook.

Most fishermen like the thrill of the catch and prefer to reel in by hand but in an emergency situation this apparatus can be left unattended while you are busy building a shelter, fire, or other important work. If circumstances allow you the time to sit and watch it’s rewarding to see the twitch-up fishing rig in action.

Bagworms are often found on evergreen plants such as juniper and cypress. They weave a cocoon that incorporates bits of surrounding foliage and are almost perfectly camouflaged. As those bits begin to die, they turn brown and stand out among the green surroundings. The earlier they are discovered, the better. The cocoons’ season usually begins in May and ends late June. The cocoon is surprisingly tough and pretty much has to be cut open in order to get the grub inside.

So, next season if you notice these cocoons in your trees or bushes, don’t think “pests”, think “bait”. Click HERE to see the online video.