Electrofishing can be an effective and relatively safe way to catch fish in ponds, rivers and streams.
However, it is important to mention that this method is not legal in all areas, and you will need to do
your due diligence in order find a spot where you can fish with electricity. The principles are very
basic. You connect electrodes or wires to a power source, insert them into the water, crank up the
electricity and watch the fish in the area become momentarily stunned and flutter towards the surface.
Let’s take a look at how to build a Electrofishing System for a SHTF Situation.
Using the System
You may want to consider wearing protective gloves along with footwear to
ground yourself in case you get accidentally shocked, but the current will
probably not be strong enough to do you any harm. Consider using fiberglass
poles that have rubberized handles as well. You can also use aluminum pool
cleaning poles if they have handles as well. Attach the wires to the far end of
the pole, and let some wire droop from the end. Crank up the battery or phone
and stick the poles into the water. Remember that the range of the electrical
current is limited to just a few feet, even if you have a lot of poles in the water.
You will need to position your boat near to where you expect to find fish and
insert the poles. Pull them up and down in a sweeping motion so that it reaches
a wider area of deep as well as shallow water. Fish should begin to come to
the surface if they are near the current, and they will remain stunned for a
couple of seconds. This gives you just enough time to scoop them up with your
net. You can also collect the fish while the pole is still in the water if you can
manage to control it, the net and the boat at the same time. This method is
easier to utilize if you have someone else with you or you attach the poles to
the boat. Try this out for yourself and feel free to make modifications as necessary.
You will be able to catch a wide range of fish, both large and small, as long as
they are near to where you are introducing the current into the water. Just
remember to catch only what you need, release the rest.
