I suppose at some point I need to buy some fishing gear, seeing how I live near the Columbia River and a lot of lakes. I bought a freshwater fishing license (only $22/yr) because when you do, the state tosses in a complimentary annual vehicle use permit (an $11 value). I got it because I needed to buy a vehicle use permit to visit the state-run water access parks. Would love to catch some trout since it costs quite a bit at the supermarket, they are plentiful here, and could probably be fished from shore.
Also, my shellfish and seaweed license permits me to harvest crawfish, among other things. I have yet to actually get out to the coast (it's 2.5 hours away!) but there are lakes nearby with freshwater non-burrowing crawfish.
Mmm.. fresh fish..
Only interested in the following: brown trout, rainbow trout, bluegill, yellow perch, and maybe largemouth bass.
I suppose I'll also have to figure out what gear to get and what locations to visit for clam digging, crab/crawfish/shrimp harvesting. You'd think that the Pacific NW conjures up images of cleaner landscape, but it isn't so. Oregon is much worse in this regard, where none of its rivers and lakes even meet state regulations for clean water. I can't, for example, harvest catfish in the Washington lakes because of agriculture pesticide run-offs. Ewww...
So, gear suggestions? Bait? Line weight? Pole size?
I've fished before, but with other people's gear. If I am to survive in a post-apocalyptic world, I think I need to know how to fish, assuming of course that there are still fish to fish.
