The Best Survival Fishing Kits for An Emergency Situation

When an emergency strikes, it doesn’t always look like you think it will. Maybe it’s an early winter day and you don’t notice ice forming on the backroad you’re driving.

Maybe you’re hunting in the spring and get turned around and can’t get out of the woods before dark.

Or maybe SHTF and everyone you encounter is in survival mode.

Although a survival fishing kit may not seem that important when you prepare these activities, it can save your life in all of them.

Having an emergency fishing kit when you’re lost in the woods, stranded away from civilization, can be the difference between going to bed hungry or having the energy to make it one more mile.

And if something drastic happens and it’s TEOTWAWKI, then having the supplies and knowhow to fish can provide enough nourishment to keep you and your family alive for the foreseeable future.

That’s why it’s as important as ever to purchase or build your survival fishing kit and have it with you when you’re away from home. In this guide, we cover the best fishing kits for survival situations and help you determine what you need in your life and your bug out bag. And your car. And maybe even in your wallet.

Comparison Table – The Best Survival Fishing Kits

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Our Reviews of the Best Survival Fishing Kits

Vigilant Trails Pocket-Survival Fishing Kit-Stage 3

BEST OVERALL

Specs

• Allows for both passive and active fishing options
• Includes a heavy-duty, pocket-sized, waterproof carrying case
• Contains 50 feet of 20-pound monofilament line and 9-12’ of 60-pound nylon line
• 2 reels to meet all of your fishing needs

EXTRA FEATURES

• Incorporates a variety of lures to attract most North American fish

BUYING ADVICE

• This survival fishing kit includes a self-snag hook which is not legal in all municipalities in the United States. Only use in a true survival situation and at your own risk.

Pros

• Kit contains everything you need to catch fish
• Pocket-sized carrying case means it’s never a burden to carry
• If you don’t like it, Vigilant Trails will buy it back

Cons

• The kit contains items that are likely not necessary if you have a fully stocked bug out bag

One important thing to always remember about survival in an emergency situation is that you must develop the skills before you’re in a survival scenario. If you’ve never practiced survival fishing, you may very well struggle in a real SHTF situation.

Uncle Flints Survival Fishing Kit

BEST FOR THE BUG OUT BAG

Specs

• Comes in an easy-to-carry 4.25″ x 3.125″ x 1″ storage container
• Contains 63 pieces of survival fishing gear
• Holds 100 feet of fishing line

EXTRA FEATURES

• The Uncle Flints Survival Fishing Kit easily fits into a pocket or bag, making it perfect for anytime you’re in the outdoors or away from home.

BUYING ADVICE

• Although you may see the price and think it’s slightly inflated for what’s included, the convenience and quality make it worth the price tag.

BENEFITS

• The kit contains plenty of strong line to pull in a good sized fish, instead of 6-8 pound line that snaps under pressure
• Various hook sizes allow you to fish for multiple species in different types of waterways without issue
• With high-quality products, you truly get what you pay for with Uncle Flints

DRAWBACKS

• If you’re going to be near the sea, Uncle Flints Survival Fishing Kit focuses only on freshwater fishing and isn’t appropriate for survival fishing in saltwater

While this survival fishing kit doesn’t contain a reel or pole, you can make a survival fishing pole with a sapling, just be sure to attach the string at the base of the wood, not the top. This makes it less likely the pole will snap and more likely that you’ll catch dinner.

Pocket Reel Camping Survival Emergency Bug Out Bag Fishing Kit

BEST FOR ITS SIZE

Specs

• Compact packaging with a 5”x1” size and a weight of just 2.5 ounces
• Strong and durable container construction
• 120 feet of fishing line to ensure you won’t run out
• Storage container acts as a reel

EXTRA FEATURES

• The test tube storage container is meant to outlast any survival situation and is small enough to store in your coat pocket, glovebox, or carrying bag

BUYING ADVICE

• Replace one strand of monofilament with braided line, which is stronger, lasts longer, and doesn’t gain nearly as much memory as traditional, single-strand fishing line.

Pros

• Doesn’t take up much space, while still holding a good amount of survival supplies
• Gives you everything you need and nothing you don’t
• The container can also house a small amount of live bait for when you’re truly in a SHTF scenario

Cons

• The person who has never fished or has no survival experience may struggle with knowing what to do with this kit.

My favorite thing about this compact survival fishing kit is that it gives you just enough without overdoing it. For the basic survivalist, this is just about all you need for SHTF fishing gear.

Stanford Outdoor Supply Fishing and Hunting B.O.S.S.- Bug Out Bag Survival Kit

BEST TO GET YOUR DINNER

Specs

• Holds three different types of fishing line, including 60-pound braided nylon
• Contains 127 high-quality pieces of equipment
• Comes in a waterproof container small enough to fit in a man’s cargo pocket

EXTRA FEATURES

• This B.O.S.S. survival kit contains the tools you need to catch fish, as well as those to hunt and trap, providing you with all sorts of options for wilderness survival and harvesting your dinner

BUYING ADVICE

• While most of the equipment in this fishing kit is good quality, you may want to swap out the multi-purpose tool for one a bit larger. The bigger size gives you more options and there’s no reason to carry two.

Pros

• Gives the user multiple ways to harvest fish or meat
• Contains equipment versatile enough to be used in other survival situations
• Small and affordable enough to have one in your BOB as well as the vehicles

Cons

• If long-term survival is necessary, the slingshot band may not hold up for long

With its 300 feet plus of fishing line, along with the fact that it includes salmon eggs while most survival fishing kits contain only lures, this one is a keeper. Sure it may contain a few things you may never use, but those same things could end up more beneficial than you ever thought possible.

Buspoll Credit Card Survival Tool

BEST WALLET-SIZED

Specs

• Credit-card sized kit features 22 different tools
• Lightweight and only 0.5mm thick
• Contains fishing, hunting, and survival tools
• Made from sturdy stainless steel

EXTRA FEATURES

• This easy-to-carry survival tool fits in your wallet and gives you so many options, you may end up using it in non-survival situations

BUYING ADVICE

• This comes in a two pack. Consider breaking one down and using the pieces and tools. This gives you the opportunity to experiment with the kit before you’re in a survival situation and need it to find dinner.

Pros

• Everyday life applications
• Gives you options from catching fish to mending clothes
• Weighs less than 12 grams

Cons

• Does not contain all the tools you would need to actually catch fish or harvest game, so some items, like fishing line, would need to be added or a substitute found in nature

This a kit that any survivalist or prepper would love to have simply because it’s so darn cool. Add in a bit of paracord and your options are limitless with this multi-purpose tool card.

Why You Need a Survival Fishing Kit

It doesn’t matter if you’re a survivalist, a prepper, or just a person packing up to spend a weekend camping in the woods, it never hurts to have a survival fishing kit on you. While your mind’s image of a survival situation may include zombies, TEOTWAWKI, or a sudden apocalypse, there’s a good chance that’s not how it will go down.

More likely, your survival gear will come in handy when your car breaks down in a rural area and your cell phone is dead. Or you get lost while hunting. Or when aliens invade Earth. And when these situations occur, you may or may not have a full bug out bag available and even a small emergency kit can make the difference between going hungry or going to bed with a full stomach.

And sure, you can go hunting or trapping, but if you can find a body of water with fish, chances are you’ll have much better luck getting a bite than you will harvesting a hare or coyote. Especially if you aren’t exactly skilled in those survival sets.

Survival Fishing Kit Contents

As you can see from the above reviews, survival fishing kits come with a variety of items that differ from brand to brand and kit to kit. So what do you really need in your survival kit? And what items aren’t worth the space they take up?

When it comes to fishing for survival, there are basic items you need and some items you don’t need, but sure are nice to have on hand. Let’s start with the basics. What you need to have to catch fish is pretty simple. At a minimum, you need a hook and a line, but with just those, the average person will likely still struggle to catch dinner.

That means your basic survival fishing kit should include:

• Hooks in various sizes
• Braided fishing line
• Sinkers
• Fishing lures
• Foam or cork bobbers
• Paracord
• Multi-tool or survival knife

In addition to these fundamental fishing supplies, you can add some additional pieces to your survival kit for fishing, increasing your chance of catching a fish and making the process easier. Consider adding:

• Jigs
• Yo-yo fishing reel
• Circle hooks
• Swivels
• Split shot
• Snare wire
• Spear point
• Gill net
• Fishing clips
• Telescoping fishing rod

Now, whether you’re purchasing a survival fishing kit or building your own, you want to make sure you not only have the right equipment and tools, you also want to make sure you have enough of them without weighing yourself down with unnecessary supplies you’ll never need or use.

When it comes to hooks, an ideal fishing kit will have multiple hooks in various sizes. You need extra because some will get lost and others will rust out. If you can only hold a few, opt for a smaller size as, in the long run, they’ll be more effective than larger hooks. Make this determination based on the fish in the area you’ll be.

Fishing line is another item in your survival kit that’s important to examine before you must rely on it to catch dinner. Many retail survival fishing kits contain lightweight monofilament line that won’t hold up for a good sized fish or last over time. If your kit contains this style of fishing line, replace it with at least 50 feet of braided line in a strength between 10 and 20 pounds. The braided line lasts longer and doesn’t gain as much memory as the monofilament.

If you’d like to include lures in your kit, make sure they’re appropriate for your area of the country and the type of fish you’re likely to come across in a survival situation.

Lastly, there’s the issue of bait. While lures and jigs can and do work, live bait can also be enticing to our finned friends. Salmon eggs have a long shelf life and if you have space, a jar of them may be a good addition to your kit. You can also search for live bait by looking for worms and insects under rocks and decaying trees and leaves. Small pieces of whatever you’re eating can also be used and I’ve heard that many fish like to snack on pork rinds. 

What Makes a Good Emergency Survival Fishing Kit?

While there are plenty of good survival kits out there, the best often share similar features. A good survival fishing kit is compact and lightweight. When it comes to survival fishing, you can’t take up too much space or carrying too much weight.

A good kit has high quality, durable items that won’t break on your or wear out after one use. It also comes in a container that is water resistant and won’t break if dropped on a hard surface.

Good survival fishing kits also contain tools that are ready to go. Sure you can craft a bone hook and strip down a sapling to fashion a fishing pole, but it is way more effective, let alone quick and easy, to simply have line, hook, and sinker readily available then waste the energy and effort of finding and making what you need.

But, by far, the best survival fishing kit is the one you know how to use. A fishing kit, no matter how elaborate or highly recommended, is only as good as the person using it. So regardless of what kind of survival fishing kit you purchase or make, ensure you know what each and every piece does and how it’s used before you put in your vehicle, backpack, or bug out bag. 

DIY Survival Fishing Kit: How to Make One Yourself

As previously mentioned, there are plenty of sufficient survival fishing kits on the market, many at an affordable price, but depending on your own personal preferences, it may make sense for you to build your own kit from scratch.

If you want to build your own DIY fishing kit, here’s how to start. First, you need to find the right container, something small enough that it fits in your pocket but large enough to hold everything you need without issue. Ideally, it would be waterproof and rugged so that it doesn’t change shape or crush if it’s dropped or sat on. Think more of an Altoids container than a Ziploc baggie.

Now that you have a container, it’s time to start packing it with what you need. It’s best to start with hooks. In truth, the more hooks the better. As mentioned above, if you need your survival fishing kit for more than a day or two, you will lose hooks. A line may snag and break. A fish may steal one. They fall off when you try to tie them to your line or, eventually, they’ll rust out. So pack more than one. At least six, but if you have the room, it doesn’t hurt to throw in a few more.

You also want to include a variety of hook sizes. The size of your hook often determines the size of the fish you can catch, so include multiple sizes in your survival fishing kit. If you can only include a few, opt for the small hooks as not all waterways have large fish. You may also want to research the type of fish in your area and pack your survival kit accordingly.

After you add hooks, include a half dozen sinkers and a few lures. Opt for lures that work best in your area or the area you’ll be traveling in. If you’d like, throw in a small piece of cork or styrofoam to use as a bobber. 

And, now, you need fishing line. At least 50 feet of braided fishing line is ideal. Don’t go with a lightweight line, instead choosing something between 10-20 pounds in strength. Depending on the size of your fishing kit, you may want to leave the line as you purchase it. If that’s not an option, you can wind the line around a small object. Sewing bobbins work well, as does a small, hourglass-shaped piece of a playing card. You can even wind it around a needle, nail, or pencil.

In addition to these necessary items, you may want to add any of the following to your DIY survival fishing kit:

• Yo-yo hand reel: Often made from plastic, a hand reel is a simple non-mechanical spool that allows you to fish with any line, lure, or hook without a traditional rod and reel
• Survival fishing pole: While a fishing pole isn’t necessary, they sure do make life easy, and with the minimal space a portable survival pole takes, it may be worth it to add it to your kit
• Gill net: A passive way to catch fish, a gill net uses vertical netting to trap fish by their gills; although it is an effective way to fish, it is not legal across the United States and should only be used in a true survival situation
• Circle hooks: Circle hooks make fishing a little easier, as they set themselves and often catch the fish in the corner of the mouth, reducing the risk of swallowing the hook
• Multitool (unless you always carry one on you)
• Sharp spearhead or knife

Final Thoughts

If you’re someone who likes to be prepared, then you need a survival fishing kit not just for if SHTF or TEOTWAWKI, but in case of an emergency, from getting lost in the woods to having your car break down at an inopportune time. It doesn’t matter if you purchase one or if you make your own, a simple and small kit is enough to help you find the food you need when you’re in a jam.

So get yourself a survival fishing kit, whether you opt for one of those I reviewed above or decide to make your own. But don’t just get your hands on one. Practice with it. That way, when you really need it, you already know exactly what to do and don’t have to turn your emergency situation into a learning experience. Thanks for reading!