Yo-Yo reels

[Raymond1000]

I’m not a fisherman. But in an emergency, fish can be a good resource. The guys at Wilderness and Survival Skills said these Yo-Yo reels are pretty good. http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ZWN272-1.html

What else do I need to make them work? I’m thinking some sort of leader, sinkers, hooks…but what exactly? Is artificial bait worth sticking in a BOB? I don’t know if I’ll be able to dig up worms near some logging road where my truck died.

What would you experts suggest?

 

[Zip7]

I used to run 50-100 of these at a time on the river where I grew up. You don't need anything other than some hooks and nylon trotline line to tie them to a tree limb.

Where I grew up it was common for people to set these out for White Perch (crappie) in january and feb. I used #1 or #2 light wire hooks and live shiners for bait. We typically ran them at night - would camp out and run them several times a night, but we caught the most fish within an hour after dark. They will catch catfish and white perch, have never caught many bass on them.

If you are considering it as a survival measure, with a spool of nylon trotline, a box of swivels and hooks, you can make a trotline that will be pretty efficient at catching fish. Both a trotline and the yo yos are best serviced out of a boat. If you don't have a boat, either one will be difficult to use effectively, but you might could wade out and find a limb to tie a yo yo to.

I don't know how effective yo yos would be at other times of the year - we never ran them except in the dead of winter because when the weather is warm you would be up to your ears in snakes trying to set them out. We quit yo yos altogether at the first sign of snakes.

 

[dipbait]

Artificial lures wont work with them but prepared bait might. Something like powerbait may get bit. Catfish bait can be bought in sealed bags. Salmon eggs maybe.

If you cant find worms look for other bait. Crickets, grasshoppers, grubs, wasp larvae, crayfish have all caught fish for me.The very best bait I have used are bagworms ,that you find on cedar type trees and shrubs. They are a little difficult to remove but worth the effort.

 

[HomeBru]

They do look neat, weight and space are always a concern, though. I've used drop lines - 60# mono off a springy branch - for catfish at night with good results. I've always wanted to try a figure-4 trigger and bent sapling as a way of setting the hook...

You'd be amazed what you can find for bait: Under logs, rocks, in deadwood, etc. even in the winter below the frost line.

J-