How to Catch Fish With No Equipment in the Wild

The art of catching fish with no equipment is one that takes patience and a bit of trickery. Often, you will need to adapt on the fly to get your trap set just right, but with some work you can eat like a king on the shores of any lake. Follow these tips to be eating fresh fish in no time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Rocks or sticks
• Bait
• A flat board or large rock
• Knife (preferable but not a must)

1. Gather a number of large sticks or rocks. If you use rocks, they must be larger than the water is deep on the shoreline. Sticks need to be taller than the water is deep at the shoreline.
2. Assuming you are using sticks (which is the preferred method), you will measure the depth of the shoreline with 1 long stick. Place the stick vertically in the water and measure 1 foot above where the water comes on the stick. Make a notch in the stick at that level.
3. Take the measured stick and hold sticks up to it to cut them into lengths that are the same. If you have no way to cut the stick, break them. They need not be perfect in length, but it helps for them to be close. Do the best you can. You will need a great deal of these sticks so do as many as possible.
4. Take the sticks to the shoreline and begin to place them from the shore out into the water about 3 feet. Place them right beside each other so that no fish can wiggle between them and be sure to put them in deep enough that they will not come loose. You will place them side by side like this in a funnel shape with the wide part at the shore closing to a point 3 feet out into the water. Make sure that all of the sticks stay above the water and close together making a cage of sorts.
5. Next at the skinny part of the funnel you will leave an opening large enough for a small fish to enter. Then place your flat board at the entrance of the funnel. All you really need for a board is something large enough to close up the funnel when needed.
6. Next take a number of insects or worms and place them inside of the funnel. Also be sure to tie off at least 1 worm near and through the entrance to the funnel. If you make it enticing, the fish will come.
7. Lift the board at the entrance and stand on either side of the funnel entrance with the board up but ready to close. You must stand very still to get the fish comfortable enough to swim between your legs. In time, they will enter the funnel and go after the bait. Once inside you close the entrance with the board and you have them trapped.
8. Make sure that the funnel is large enough so as not to be an obvious trap. Fish are pretty smart and cautious. If you tire of standing there and your funnel is large enough, you can leave the funnel alone and check it regularly. If you see fish inside, carefully take the longer way around to close the funnel.