I used my Leatherman Wave to do the work in fashioning a hook. The walls of the wishbone are thin but usually one side of the bone is a little thicker so you will want to favor that side when cutting away the material to form the point of the hook. Although the portion where the two sides meet is important for strength, it needs to be reduced in size to slip bait over it in order to be secured to the hook.

In order to fasten cordage to the hook I ruffed up the upper shank area to produce some friction on the smooth bone surface. I use plain dental floss as the cordage to fasten to the hook using a whipping knot normally used to secure rope ends. This knot provides a lot of surface area on the roughened area and is very tight and secure.

As with conventional fishing hooks it’s important to match the appropriate size to the type of fish that you are angling for. I have made hooks from chicken bones for use with smaller fish. When I mount the worm bait I skewer it lengthwise past the hook’s bend then poke the point through the the side and pull the pierced area down to the middle of the hook. For other bait I poke the hook through the side and slide it down to the bend.

Although you can use a fishing pole I like to hold the line in my hand when fishing off of a dock. There’s something unique and exciting about hand fishing. Because the hook is barb-less you need to know when to pull the line to keep tension long enough to land the fish on the dock or the bank. A barb could be fashioned but I question the structural integrity of the bone’s point and its subsequent durability.

If you haven’t made a hook in the past, now is a good time to try. If the bone should break, you can always use it for a fish gorge… that works too!

She explained that she had gone fishing recently and during the quiet moments she busied herself by rummaging through the tackle box. She found some brass barrel snap swivels that are used as a convenient attachment between a fishing line and lures. Having several in her hand she began to connect them in daisy-chain fashion into a closed loop. She found that four swivel snaps fit nicely around her wrist.

She offered a number of applications for it’s use in an emergency situation. Here are a few as examples: as a fishing hook, as a retrieval grappling hook, as a safety pin, as a clasp to secure opposing zipper pulls on luggage, or as a zipper pull. Other uses might include using it as a fashion accessory or for attaching small items to your Every Day Carry (EDC) keyring.

I would love to hear your comments on other ways that you may have used them or perhaps suggestions for their potential use.

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.

In the past I have improvised Pull-Tab Fish Hooks, so I decided to modify a pull-tab again to improvise a fish gorge. Essentially, a fish gorge is a straight stick, sharpened at both ends with a line fastened in the middle. This is skewered into bait with the trailing point left slightly exposed. Various baits can be used but I decided to use a worm.

My strategy was to chum the water with bits of worm to attract and excite the fish so that they would aggressively swallow the bait covered gorge. On this occasion it worked only marginally but I did get a bite where the gorge lodged in the mouth of a pan fish. When using improvised hooks, it’s prudent to lift he fish out of the water ASAP so that if it releases, the inertia will land the fish in the boat, on the dock, or safely on the bank. Sure enough, after flopping around, the lodged gorge came loose but I was able to capture the fish and released it into the water to live another day.

My understanding of the gorge technique is that the fish swallows the gorge into it’s gullet so I continued to fish with hopes of achieving this result. In due time another pan fish totally swallowed the gorge and it was terminally caught. So, realize that this is not a catch-and-release method, and you should plan on eating your catch.

NOTE: I have the luxury of fishing out of a private pond, but these survival techniques may not be legal in Public waters… check your local regulations before you attempt to practice them.

I heard of a low-tech way to fish that I just had to try, it’s called “Hobo Fishing”. This method uses a conventional fishing line with assorted hooks, lures, weights, baits and bobbers but uses a stick or similar object for a spool and eliminates the need for a rod and reel. Indigenous people have used this technique for generations. In the present day this simple technique allows a greater latitude for improvising along with the benefits of easy storage and transport.

I began preparing my rig by measuring out a suitable length of fishing line then fastening it to an empty soda can using the pull tab as an anchor point. From there I wound the line around the can with successive loops heading toward the other end where upon I tied on the hook and bait.

To operate this rig, feed out about 1 foot of line and place your thumb on top of the can. Your thumb becomes your casting release. I find it easier to cast from the side and just after a cast or two it begins to feel natural and can be quite effective. On my third cast I caught the bass shown in the photo. What makes this type of fishing particularly exciting is that you literally have a direct line to the fish so you feel it’s every move. When the fish takes the bait you retrieve the line by grabbing it with alternate hand-holds much like the rhythm and motion when paddling a kayak. Landing the fish is pretty much the same as when using a rod.

You owe it to yourself to experience this method of fishing as you are able to feel a more direct connection with your catch and the satisfaction of your achievement.

I have to confess that I often carry a Leatherman multitool, and it’s hard to beat if you are improvising a tool or making a repair. However, a determined person can fashion things in a multitude of ways without such a tool.

I’ve constructed these hooks on a few occasions and the following are my observations: the hook tip must be quite sharp in order to penetrate the skin; the eye of the hook should be a rounded shank in order to prevent the line from being cut when pulled by the fish; natural bait may need to be tied onto the hook for longevity; synthetic baits or parts of baits work well; when forming the hook, try to keep the tip parallel to the shank because a wide angle allows bait and fish to slip off easier.

When fishing, remember that fish can be fussy so offering a variety of baits at different depths may be required to draw their interest. Even though the hook may not penetrate the skin, it may lodge sufficiently enough to pull the fish out of the water and swing it up onto the bank That will certainly qualify as a catch and potentially a meal.

Happy hooking!

A trademark of survival is simplicity, and I like to ask the practical question “what can you do with what you have?”. In my tackle box I usually have a 2/0 offset shank hook that I use to make a worm or lizard jig. The shank is long enough to accommodate a bent cap. Admittedly I carry a leatherman multitool that is a tremendous help in crafting things, but the lure can still be created with other items that can be used for bending or hammering. I simply put some small stones inside a bent cap and closed it around the hook shank. I found it helpful to offset the halves so that one edge tucked under the other for a more secure container for the stones. The purpose of the stones is to make a rattling sound that many fishermen believe attract fish. I also bent up the end of the cap at the top of the shank so that it would not slide down toward the hook end, thus giving the hook better exposure for a more secure catch. As it happens, I often use a swiveled clip to fasten my lures, so this was already in place.

Sure enough, it works! I highly recommend that you give it a try, and have fun trying different colors too!