# Fishing without a rod



## WanderLost Radical

That has been a question I've been asking myself a bit, and after looking on the internet about it, I've found a few answers, but they either require lots of work, a hook, or don't seem really efficient. What's been your best method?


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## Durp

Pop can, hook of some sort ( the real ones are better but paper clips or wire work) twine string ect bait. They call it fishing for a reason, not catchin


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## Dmac

hooks are cheap, light and do not take up much room. with a roll of fishing line, you are set to go. coil the line around a can or bottle tie on a small stick for a float (also for weight to make casting easier) and you are fishing. or tie shorter lines onto overhanging trees or bushes (we call them bank lines) go do something else and check back every now and then. or just find a long springy branch and make yourself a fishing pole. if you have no hooks carve a "gouge" and use that instead. bank lines are my favorite way to fish, cuz i can do other stuff while the lines are in the water. and multiple lines increase you chance of success. if cat fishing i'll put out 10 or so lines then check them every 30 minutes or so. gives me more time to sit by the fire and get a buzz going::drinkingbuddy::


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## callmeG

I don't know the name, but it's a piece of scrap wood about the size of your hand and then you wrap the string around it for storage. Most of the time if you go down to a river or any place where people fish you can find string, bobbers, and hooks laying around or stuck in the trees or brush.


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## Odin

dmac66 said:


> hooks are cheap, light and do not take up much room. with a roll of fishing line, you are set to go. coil the line around a can or bottle tie on a small stick for a float (also for weight to make casting easier) and you are fishing. or tie shorter lines onto overhanging trees or bushes (we call them bank lines) go do something else and check back every now and then. or just find a long springy branch and make yourself a fishing pole. if you have no hooks carve a "gouge" and use that instead. bank lines are my favorite way to fish, cuz i can do other stuff while the lines are in the water. and multiple lines increase you chance of success. if cat fishing i'll put out 10 or so lines then check them every 30 minutes or so. gives me more time to sit by the fire and get a buzz going::drinkingbuddy::




Sweet I like the idea on bank lines. Would probably work well with an overhanging tree/shrubbery/bush by the water.
Just have to find the right spot I suppose... a steep bank? Camp farther some ways away...

I'm in the process of getting rid of stuff. Never had professional fishing gear but I have some poles to get rid of or store and I plan to take the line and my hooks and sinkers and stuff from my lame tackle box.


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## Durp

Remeber bank lines a really illegal if your not a native so don't get caught. My buddy got a $1500 ticket for doing that.


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## Hobo Huck

Bottle reels are pretty cool also. Not the best video but the guy gets the point across. You can use plastic bottles also.


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## Dmac

Bank lines are illegal in some states, where i live they are legal. i can have 2 poles out and 5 bank lines. i will usually cut small willow trees down into poles about 6-7 feet long, but leave a tuft of leaves on the end. drive them into the bank or river bottom where i want to fish, then tie the line at the top, so the springy willow will help set the hook and keep the fish on. that way if you have a fish on the line, you can see the leaves on the end jerking around. i said earlier i'd put out about 10 lines, cuz i am usually with someone else and that's the max we can have. if you do not have a fishing licence, i feel fishing with bank lines is less risky than sitting on the bank with a fishing rod in your hands.


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## Kim Chee

When I was a youngin' I'd get hook, lure, sinker and line from whatever "real fishermen" left behind.


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## WanderLost Radical

dmac66 said:


> hooks are cheap, light and do not take up much room. with a roll of fishing line, you are set to go. coil the line around a can or bottle tie on a small stick for a float (also for weight to make casting easier) and you are fishing. or tie shorter lines onto overhanging trees or bushes (we call them bank lines) go do something else and check back every now and then.



Yeah, I could keep a few hooks in my sewing kit!! But I'm not sure I understood what you were saying about the floats... small sticks make a float and a weight? How's that possible? xD



JimH1991 said:


> Remeber bank lines a really illegal if your not a native so don't get caught. My buddy got a $1500 ticket for doing that.



I think it's illegal if you don't check on them. If you're staying around, doing other things, I don't think there'd be a problem. I think it's illegal because it makes fish suffer too look before you check on them. But I'm no expert though, that's just what I think. And God knows cops can be douchebags if they want to. 



So I'd just need a fish line and some bushes to hang my lines to.... 
Any bait suggestions? I've read that bugs and cat tails makes good bait, has anyone ever tried it?


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## Dmac

@Carl Wander, the stick acts like a float, but it weighs more than the line/hook/bait so its weight helps you hand cast the hook farther out. if you need a weight to keep the hook deeper in the water (or on the bottom) you can sometimes find a screw, bolt or a nut for the bolt will work fine. again, it varies from state to state but is legal in many states. they cannot be left out indefinitely, but you can also set your fishing rod in a holder and do other things too, which amounts to the same thing as a bank line. I would say check the laws in whatever area you are in, instead of just jumping to conclusions, on legality. 
worms, most any insect, corn, marshmallows, cheese, minnows, frogs, crayfish, chicken livers, meat, just about anything can be used to entice fish to bite. many fishermen will gut their first fish to see what it has been eating (trout fishermen do this a lot) then use a fly or bait, that resembles what they have been feeding on. 
i agree that cops and wardens can be real dicks, so it is better to err on the side of caution


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## Durp

I know a lot of places consider bank lines and yoyos trapping not fishing, trapping is stupid illegal if you don't follow the law to the letter. I would check the regulations for what ever area you are in, and if it is not clear call the game warden.

Edit: it has more to do with controlling the fish population and preventing over fishing from an already fragile ecosystem. If you don't have a license please still follow the regulations so us humans don't cause further collapse of already struggling fisheries. You want to be able to still have fish 50 years from now right? Just give them a fighting chance.


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## WanderLost Radical

JimH1991 said:


> I know a lot of places consider bank lines and yoyos trapping not fishing, trapping is stupid illegal if you don't follow the law to the letter. I would check the regulations for what ever area you are in, and if it is not clear call the game warden.
> 
> Edit: it has more to do with controlling the fish population and preventing over fishing from an already fragile ecosystem. If you don't have a license please still follow the regulations so us humans don't cause further collapse of already struggling fisheries. You want to be able to still have fish 50 years from now right? Just give them a fighting chance.



I always try to hunt/fish responsibly, but it's quite risky to ask a warden when you don't have a license, right? So I just use common sense. Like in anything


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## Durp

Not really, just call the office and ask. They don't know if you have a license or not. The game wardens office is like the only good agency in the govt for now in my opinion. They do a lot of good.


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## Deleted member 2626

Well why would you ask about legalities if your not bothering with a license. I really have no problem with well supported and respectful poaching. I hunt and fish minimally without a license for food.


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## Durp

tickets. Multiple poaching violations is time in prison.


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## Hobo Huck

Although I'm not writing this as a "recommendation", I will say this:

I've been busted nearly a dozen times for fishing without a license. Bellingham, Washington...Laramie, Wyoming...Littleton, Colorado...Lawrence, Kansas....Ketchikan, Alaska, just to name just a few of the places I've been busted fishing without a license.

However, I have never received a fine, and this is because I politely and respectfully explain my position, and I fully apologize:

"Oh shit, I'm sorry man...I'm just a homeless traveler passing through town, inbetween seasonal jobs, and I just wanted to see if I could catch a small fish to cook for dinner tonight. I apologize and I'll put my pole away if I'm causing a problem, I just can't afford a license. I'm really sorry, and you'll never see me again sir"

For me, that has worked 100% of the time. Half the time they even let me continue fishing, and will stick around to hear stories of my travels or get some hobo-fishing-advice from me.

Honesty and respect will get you a long way with wildlife officers.

Once again, I'm not saying this is a recommended way to fish, nor am I saying this will work 100% for you as it has for me.

Your best bet, always, is to scope out the area first. Try to hide in some bushes by the bank, or even better, walk downstream/upstream a few hundred yards from the popular fishing spots to avoid anyone seeing you period.

Just my two cents based on my experience.


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## Deleted member 2626

Ah good to know Huck. How I planned to explain,honestly such as yourself, to any time it might come up. Like any authority situation this all applies.


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## Durp

Thanks! I usually find places to fish way out and don't bother either, I'd just hate to see a greeny with charges for feeding themselves. I also love to fish and hardly use barb hooks, I like to have a little "bump". I got busted once, ended up getting invited back to the cabin for a drink a meal and a shower. But people do get fined and such, just air on the side of caution.


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## Durp

I use a hook and sinker wrap the string around a pop can, tie it and use the pop can as a float, then tie the end of my string to a key chain ring which I keep on my finger. Pop can dips, I pull up to set the hook, and that's when the fun begins! If too many get away or I'm really hungry I will use a barb hook tho.


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## WanderLost Radical

Tatanka said:


> Well why would you ask about legalities if your not bothering with a license. I really have no problem with well supported and respectful poaching. I hunt and fish minimally without a license for food.



I guess it's it's easier to get away with poaching than it is with poaching with illegal techniques


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## hiveranno

Get a small piece of board. Tie your line to one side of the board that would go to your hook n bait. The other side of the board, attach a wire through the board about in the middle but at the end of the board and tie your line to that. Need a river for the current to ski it out in.. Walk away from it and come back later.


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## Ranger

Never lived any place "bank lines" were legal but if your hungry and dont have a rod most times thats your best bet. Up here in Yukon its legal to"set line" for Burbot during the winter, its essentially bank lines but vertically through the ice. Just whatever bait you can scrounge, some strong cord attached to a 2 foot stick with a large hook and some sort of weight even a rock tied up. I can put 10 out at a time and have them out upto 30hrs, daily quota is 10 but posession is 20. Just waiting on everything to freeze up so I can start stocking the freezer! They allow the same technique in Alaska but only in the Yukon River drainage, big lakes here are fair game. Hand auger is good but it's super easy to make a DIY ice spud out of an old chisel attached to a stout walking staff/ shovel handle!


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## outskirts

I use a massive old screwdriver which I bought from a yard sale. Attached to this screwdriver I have about 10 yards of 30 Lb line (yeah overkill) and all along the last half of it I have multiple loops tied into it so I can tie on other lines, smaller lines. After unwinding all my line from the screwdriver I plant the screwdriver into the embankment and give the end section of the line a few backwards swings as I saw kids in Honduras once do, then let go at the right moment. I like pieces of slim Jim for bait since they hold up well in the water for a long time. I also prefer to fish at night. I swear the catfish bite more at night, and the wardens much less. The 30 Lb line has worked well. When it's got hung up I've been able to pull it free with a struggle and only loose a smaller line, not my main one. If you don't have a sinker, duct tape and a rock work well. Hooks are light and easy to pack if stored safely. However, I have found lots of tackle and lines by just beachcombing a riverbank or a fishing spot that looks popular. Tackle gets dropped and lines get caught in tree limbs all the time. One man's trash could be your key to dinner.


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## Hobo Huck

outskirts said:


> I use a massive old screwdriver which I bought from a yard sale. Attached to this screwdriver I have about 10 yards of 30 Lb line (yeah overkill) and all along the last half of it I have multiple loops tied into it so I can tie on other lines, smaller lines. After unwinding all my line from the screwdriver I plant the screwdriver into the embankment and give the end section of the line a few backwards swings as I saw kids in Honduras once do, then let go at the right moment. I like pieces of slim Jim for bait since they hold up well in the water for a long time. I also prefer to fish at night. I swear the catfish bite more at night, and the wardens much less. The 30 Lb line has worked well. When it's got hung up I've been able to pull it free with a struggle and only loose a smaller line, not my main one. If you don't have a sinker, duct tape and a rock work well. Hooks are light and easy to pack if stored safely. However, I have found lots of tackle and lines by just beachcombing a riverbank or a fishing spot that looks popular. Tackle gets dropped and lines get caught in tree limbs all the time. One man's trash could be your key to dinner.



Screwdriver for rod?

Slim Jims for bait?

This guy is a confirmed HOBO fisherman. Pretty cool techniques.


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## outskirts

Hobo Huck said:


> Screwdriver for rod?
> 
> Slim Jims for bait?
> 
> This guy is a confirmed HOBO fisherman. Pretty cool techniques.


The screwdriver serves as a both something to store my line wrapped around, and as what keeps my line planted firmly into the bank after I've cast my line by hand. It's like having a hand fishing line tied to a tent stake that's planted in the ground. It ant going no where after I've cast.

Yes pieces of Slim Jim, the meat stick snacks, they work great for catfish bait. Because of their skin covering they stay on the hook well after being submerged a long time. The fish like them too.


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## Hobo Huck

That's actually what I like about your bait idea, the fact that slim jimbs have that "plasticky" type of layer that will hold everything together.

Otherwise, if you have bait that won't stay on your line, you can ball it up inside of some thin cloth (t-shirt, pantyhose, etc), then knot it closed and thread it through your hook. Thats something I learned from catfishing in Alabama


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## Odin

Great. Thread.


I was just at moms ::sour:: not long ago looking at my spools I removed from a couple fishing rods I broke down.... N stored.


Love the screw driver idea... N you can always say yer keeping the line as thread for sewing in yer pack? Worth a shot if some buster trys to grill ya.

Mmm camp catfish.


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## lone wolf

laws? what's all this talk about laws? laws are for the 9-5 slaves. if you're in a survival situation you fish, hunt and forage however you please... if you don't have the devil's dollar then you in a survival situation.

laws... lol


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## AlwaysLost

My hillbilly uncles swear by bread dough balls mixed with star anise for bait.


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## ResistMuchObeyLittle

I've caught plenty of fish using a promatory peg trigger fish trap. Just take some decent line. If no line make cordage out of vines, grasses, certain tree barks, etc. Improvise. You can even make a decent looking fly that would attract a fish.
Dave Canterbury, More Kochanski and others have a ton of vids on YouTube.


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## ResistMuchObeyLittle

One of the best traps to use in an emergency (in my opinion), is the floating duck trap.
I always have plenty of hooks with me.
Tie together sticks to make a tiny raft. Tie a rope to it and the secure it to a tree so it doesn't float away.
Find a rock heavy enough to drown a duck. Tie the rock to the raft and place near the edge. Tie a string with a baited hook to the rock- leave some slack and place the hook near the edge. When the bird swallows the hook and takes off it pulls the rock off drowning the bird. Pull in the raft and dinner.
Illegal way but a good if starving.


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## Deleted member 20975

Everyones got serious good posts here. But i had to throw this up


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## Odin

NotmybestNotmyworst said:


> Everyones got serious good posts here. But i had to throw this up





Stone Age technology? Not bad...


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## ResistMuchObeyLittle

I like using a gorge hook. The fish swallows the whole thing.


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## jaws

You know, I did the whole pvc pipe fishing jig for a while, however so far the best thing is a rod and reel.


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## bushhippie

this may be useless, but ive been hiking before with my dad, and the place was where people go camping on a regular basis. a flood had come through a few weeks before i guess. anyways there was some fishing line tangles up in a tree. it was a pain in the ass to un tangle it, but we were able to make a little pole with it, it already had the hook. bark was the bobber. i just laid on the edge of a big rock. the fish i caught was really little. my dad cut it up and used it for bait to try for another fish, but we got a snake. Dads also taught me to make hooks out of glass...not so easy...and cans and nails, wire. whatever.
but i keep a mini fishing kit in my backpack. its just a little pill bottle with a few yards of fishing line in it, a few weights, a little bobber, and 4 or 5 hooks. it weighs nothing. you just habe to put it together with a good stick.


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## Jerrell

Something I taught my nephew last year was how to make a fish funnel trap. 
The one we made was just a 2 liter bottle that I cut the top 1/4 off and put it in the other part of the bottle upside down. Then we put some french fries (that he'd dropped a few days earlier in my car) for bait in the bottle. We gave it an hour or so and when we checked it, a couple small fish and a crawdad had wandered in for some fast food. We then had live bait to catch something bigger.

Google "fish funnel trap" and you'll see there's a lot of different types.


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## james22

it's not practical everywhere, but i've had luck spearfishing with a spear made of paracord and fresh, straight wood


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