How to Make a Fishing Rod Using Only Objects Found in the Woods

Plan and Prepared welcomes Virgil Renfroe to the site. Virgil fell in love with bass fishing as a boy in Red Bay, Alabama, and, as an adult living in Springfield, Missouri, he taught his three children and 7 grandchildren all he knew about bass fishing on the shores of Bull Shoals. He now runs Your Bass Guy to help spread his love of bass fishing to others.

In an ideal situation, you always have your lure, tackle box, a survival fishing kit, and other gear at your disposal. Most bass fishers (like myself) spend a significant part of their time in the local fishing shops and on the internet researching which fishing rod brands to get their mitts on. It’s not unusual to find enthusiastic fishers with 2 or even 6 fishing rods for every condition that may arise.

But what do you do if the situation is not ideal? For example, you find yourself in a SHTF scenario and it’s a true TEOTWAWKI situation where you’re on the hunt for food, shelter, and water. Luckily for you, there’s a river/lake nearby, but oops you didn’t bring a fishing rod because you didn’t think it was a necessity in your bug out bag!

To help you get ready for the unthinkable, here is a tutorial on how you can turn that simple branch into the tool that might just help you get your hands on some fish while in the wild. But before we get started, I highly suggest watching the video posted below.

Honestly, I love the Survival Skills Primitive channel and find most of their videos fascinating. If you’re reading this and are into preparedness (like I know you are) then go check them out! Now, onto our fishing lesson.

Steps to A DIY Fishing Pole in the Wild

First of all, for those who’ve never handcrafted anything in their life, a DIY fishing rod is the easiest thing you’ll ever learn how to make, all you are going to need is a frigging pocket knife.

Step 1: Get the tree branch

Look for a living tree branch of size 6 -7-foot-long and about as wide as your thumb. Please don’t go for dried sticks; it’s simple logic; a dry stick snaps into pieces easily, and bang goes any fond hopes of having a nice fish filet for dinner.

Break the branch off the tree, then get it to the desired length by cracking off the excess using your boot or using the tree trunk. Next, use the pocket knife to clear the side branches and leaves so it’s silky smooth.

The picture below is a great example.

Step 2: Test the tip strength

Tip strength is everything when it comes to fishing rods; you don’t want yours to break off when battling the fish now, do you? So, try bending the tip of the stick, and if it goes further than 45 degrees drop it and find another.

Step 3: String the pole

If you brought your fishing line, now is the time to put it to use, tie it midway down the stick. If you don’t have a fishing line, you can use sewing thread, and if you don’t have that too, it’s time to make a ‘fishing line’ from string green vines that grow around the bushes.

To make a fishing line from vines, take 2 green vines and clean them of any tendrils and offshoots by pulling slowly through the closed fist. You want a line 10-15 ft long (personal preference), so join the two lines together using a surgeon’s knot and cut off the excesses.

Step 4: Wind it up

Next, wind the line up to the tip of your stick, you can do this wrapping it 4 times along the length of the tapering stick. This way, if the pole snaps while fishing, you still have enough line in your hand to grab and pull the fish out of the water.

Step 5: Make a handle knot

Tie the end of your line around the tip of the stick to act as a handle for securing the line during casting.

Step 6: Tie the hook

Next, if you brought a hook with you, just tie it on the fishing line, but if you didn’t bring a hook, don’t worry, you carve one straight out of any strong V-shaped green stick using your pocketknife. Just make sure to make a groove into the end of the hook to hold the fishing line.

After you have set everything up the right way, you just need to find something to use as bait. You can easily find some earthworms, crickets, and Grubs in the bushes. Bait the hook, and voila, you are ready to start fishing. And once you get your first catch, you’ll be looking like this guy.

Making your own fishing rod in the wild using materials only available to you is not an arduous task. If you find yourself running out of food and there’s a lake/river etc., nearby, those green tree branches and vines could just save the day if you know what to do.

For more survival fishing techniques, check out Your Bass Guy, and the ultimate guide to fishing in the wild.

What primitive fishing tips do you have? Tell us about them in the comments section below.

Stay safe out there!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdxZ13wfNsc