FISHING GEAR

The Tools That Feed You — Creek to Coast

Fishing isn’t a hobby.

Fishing isn’t a sport.

Fishing is a survival discipline.

Complete Fishing Gear Set Up

This is the complete package of fishing gear including :
tackle, nets, traps
fly fishing, spin cast
fresh and salt water
kits, bags and packs
All in its’s packed form.

In the Unencumbered life, fishing is how you feed yourself quietly, consistently, and without burning calories you don’t have to waste. When you fish, you step out of society and back into instinct. It reminds you where food really comes from — and who you become when everything unnecessary is stripped away.

Fishing calms the mind.

Fishing sharpens the senses.

Fishing feeds the body.

Fishing reconnects you to reality.

This is the fishing kit I trust — the kit I’ve used across mountain streams, Texas creeks, lakes, rivers, ponds, and saltwater coastlines. Everything here has been tested, carried, and used to put real food on the table.

This is not a sport-fishing breakdown.

This is survival fishing.

This is Unencumbered.

WHY FISHING MATTERS

Fishing restores balance.

Life gets loud, fast, fake, and heavy. Fishing brings you back.

You sit by the water.

You watch the surface.

You feel the wind.

And suddenly everything unnecessary in life disappears.

Fishing also keeps you alive.

Anywhere on earth:

If you have water, you have fish.
If you have fish, you have food.
If you have food, you have strength.
If you have strength, you survive.

This is why fishing is one of the pillars of Unencumbered living.

THE FISHING KIT — WHAT I CARRY AND WHY

Fishing gear doesn’t need to be complicated.

It needs to be capable, reliable, and adaptable.

Below is the complete kit — simple, durable, survival-ready.

1. The Pack — Bubba Sling Bag

This is your mobile command center.

Why a sling bag?

Quick access
Mobility through brush, creeks, or shoreline
Keeps gear organized without bulk
Works standing, walking, or moving water to water

The Bubba sling bag is tough, weather-resistant, and designed for real-world use — not hobbyist clutter.

It’s made for doers.

2. Essential Tools — Knife, Pliers, Snips, Hook Retriever

These tools become extensions of your hands:

Bubba Filet Knife — strong spine, flexible edge, cleans anything
Pliers — remove hooks, crimp weights, fix gear
Snips — fast, clean line cutting
Hook Retriever — saves time, saves fish, saves fingers

Bubba tools are professional-grade without being precious. They’re “working man’s gear,” which is exactly why they belong in this kit.

3. Nets & Traps — Overnight Food Systems

Fishing becomes survival when you learn to let your gear work while you rest.

Make it stand out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Nets & Traps :

Minnow traps for bait
Crawfish traps for protein
Cast nets for fast food-gathering
Catch nets for landing and reducing waste

Traps are quiet, efficient, and always working — even while you sleep.

That’s real survival.

4. Fly Fishing — Douglas, Sage, Warstic, Temple Fork

Fly fishing is the artistic side of survival.

It’s slower, quieter, more intuitive. It teaches rhythm and precision. In mountain streams or cold creeks, it is the most effective method you can use.

The rods I trust:

Douglas — balanced, smooth
Sage — power + accuracy
Warstic — beautiful + functional
Temple Fork — durable + affordable

Choose the rod that matches the water.

5. Freshwater Fishing — Penn Battle III + Medium Rods

Freshwater is where most people learn — and where most food quietly comes from.

The Penn Battle III is a tank:

Smooth
Strong
Salt-resistant
Beginner-friendly
Veteran-proven

Perfect for:

Bass
Trout
Crappie
Perch
Walleye
Catfish

Freshwater fishing is the backbone of the Fishing Kit.

6. Saltwater Fishing — Heavy Rigs + Penn Reels

Saltwater is a different world: stronger fish, harsher conditions, and gear that breaks if it isn’t up to the task.

Penn reels shine here too.

Use for:

Redfish
Sea trout
Flounder
Drum
Pompano
Mackerel
Bluefish

Saltwater gives big meals — but only if the gear holds.

THE FISHING METHODS — KNOW THEM ALL

These methods come from your document and your philosophy fused tightly into one clean section.

1. Hand Reel & Cane Pole

The simplest, most primitive method — and one of the most reliable.

A line, a hook, bait, and your hands. This is survival fishing at its purest.

2. Spin Cast / Bait Cast

The modern go-to.

Easy to learn, fast to deploy, perfect for lakes, rivers, and shorelines.

3. Fly Fishing

Casting the line, not the lure.

Requires finesse, but pays off with trout, perch, and panfish.

4. Trotlines — The Passive Hunter

Your “set-it-and-forget-it” food system.

Stretch a line across a creek or cove, attach baited hooks, and let time work for you.

5. Fish Traps & Crawfish Traps

Low effort, high return.

Build or buy. Bait with anything that smells. Leave overnight.

6. Cast Nets

One good throw can give you dinner.

Requires practice. Worth every minute.

7. Gill Nets

Effective but must be used responsibly.

For survival or private land only.

8. Gigging

Close-range hunting in shallow water or at night.

Great for frogs and flounder.

DIY FISHING — MAKE WHAT YOU NEED

From your document: hooks, lines, lures, floats — everything can be made in the field.

Make:

Hooks (bone, metal, wood, thorns)
Line (paracord inner strands, floss, braided plant fiber)
Nets (cordage, plastic strips, improvised mesh)
Lures (feathers, wood, metal scrap)
Sinkers (rocks or melted metal)
Floats (cork, bark, plastic)

Fishing should never depend on money.

WHERE TO FISH

Freshwater Species :

Shad
Perch
Crappie
Trout
Bass
Catfish
Crawfish
Frogs

Know the structure: submerged logs, shadows, drop-offs, eddies.

Saltwater Species :

Speckled trout
Redfish
Snapper
Crab
Lobster

Know the tides.

Know the wind.

Know the flats and channels.

THE UNENCUMBERED PHILOSOPHY OF FISHING

Fishing is calm combat.

A battle fought with stillness, awareness, and patience. It teaches you to wait. To observe. To anticipate. To act with precision instead of force.

Fishing is survival without chaos.

Fishing is meditation with consequences.

Fishing feeds more than hunger — it feeds identity.

When you know how to pull food from water with almost nothing, you are free.

And nothing — no system, no economy, no collapse — can take that away from you.

FISHING GEAR

HUNTING GEAR