Simple Fishing with the Shakespeare Wonderpole / Durango

The little fish were as easy as little fish ever get, they’re expert at robbing hooks of bait but when you do hook them they just pop out of the water. The larger fish tested the rig a bit better, and I was impressed by the way the Durango responded to an 18-inch carp. Carp fight like hell and would be as popular as salmon if there was anything appealing about them in culinary terms. I only missed having a fishing reel a little bit, when I was playing with the carp.

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Best Fishing Knives for Sportsmen, Survivalists and Regular Fishermen

A good pair of long-nosed pliers is handier than a knife for freeing hooks, clipping the ends of mono-filament, and crimping sinkers. Neither one works very well if you have to take a reel apart or tinker with an outboard motor. If you depend on hardware and engines to get you places, carry a tool kit to match.

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Simple Survival Food Fishing — Gorge Hook and Panfish Pole

Rabeab Meeseema, a master sergeant survival instructor at the academy, used the best casting technique I’ve ever seen. He favored a rod with enough flex to bend double on a cast, and had tackle perfectly weighted to cause that. His lures went out straight and flat, hitting the mark lightly and precisely, with the rod perfectly positioned for a quick reaction. He grinned ear to ear when I said, Woohoo! M-16!

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