Hello my friend and welcome back! I have a wonderful guest post for you today and I really think you will enjoy it. It’s by Almo Gregor who has written many great post in the past, so grab a cup of coffee my friend and have a seat while we visit.

Survival Fish Traps

When you find yourself in a survival situation, food is always a priority. Though it’s likely not your top priority, food helps maintain mental focus and physical strength. The most challenging type of food to acquire is protein. It also happens to be the most beneficial.

Conventional fishing requires a rod and reel, but there are ways to trap fish without this gear. In this article, I covered several ways you can set traps for fish to acquire the protein you need to survive.

Find Bait First

Baiting a fish trap is always a good idea if you have the resources available. If you happen to have food with you, small pieces can often attract fish.

As a boy, I used pieces of hotdog or corn kernels as bait for fish. But if you do not have any food with you, you can use the resources around you.

Insects are ideal bait; specifically crickets, small beetles, and caterpillars work well to attract fish.

The size of the insect is more important than the variety. You want bugs that are small enough to fit in the fish’s mouth but large enough to be seen from a distance. Worms and crayfish also work well to attract fish.

Bottle Trap

One of the most common types of litter to find in the wild is plastic bottles. I cannot think of a single survival experience I had where I cannot find a plastic bottle.

For this trap, you just need a clear plastic bottle, cordage, and a knife.

Cut the top off of the bottle just below the taper.
Then invert the top and put it back into the base of the bottle.
Cut small holes around the lip and use cordage to tie the two pieces together. You can cut a larger opening if you are going after larger fish.
Drop a few stones in the trap along with any bait you have and you are ready to go.

The fish will swim into the trap and be too confused to swim back out.

Heart-shaped Trap

For this trap, you need shallow water along with a pile of rocks or wooden stakes.

Arrange the rocks or stakes so they form a heart with a small opening at its cleave.
The rocks or stakes need to break the surface of the water and be close enough together that fish cannot get through.
The opening needs to be large enough so that your target fish can swim through.
You can then drop the bait at the center of the trap and wait for fish to swim in.

They will be too confused to get out of the trap. If you cannot collect your fish out of the water, throw some grass or other plant over the fish and then scoop the whole bundle up, throwing it on the shore.

Fish Seine

This trap is similar to the previous one but is designed for a small stream. You need a pile of wooden stakes for its construction.

Drive the stakes into the bed of the creek side by side with small gaps in between. You want the stakes to break the surface of the water and allow water to flow in between, but you do not want the gaps to be large enough for fish to swim through.
Then drive stakes in a ‘V’ pattern about three feet upstream with similar gaps in between. You want the top of the ‘V’ facing upstream, and you should leave a small gap at the point of the V for fish to enter.

You can add bait at this point but make sure that it is large enough to be stuck in the trap.

Practice Gets You Fish

You can easily trap fish if you have some basic resources and knowledge of trap design. However, practice is vital to success with any trapping. Take the time to get outdoors and try out these trap designs in areas where fish trapping is allowed.

You might have to tweak your design a bit to find the success you need. Once you find a model that works for you, stick with that design. So when you have to rely on trapping fish to survive, you have the skills needed to get by.

Well, that is it for today and I hope you have enjoyed this post, so until next time, stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared. God Bless America!

-Sarge-

Guest Post: Survival Fish Traps