Fishing in SHTF?

[Garb]

Ok I was talking to my dad about potential food sources in SHTF situations. He acted as if most ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers in the US were too polluted to be eating fish out of. I'm not sure how accurate this is, and I just wanted find out for sure. My dad isn't usually the kind to just assume something like that without doing some real research, and he's definitely not a liberal tree hugger. Is he right?

 

[ryant7]

I know i would not be eating any fish from the ohio river the city of New Albany got fined a couple years ago for dumping sewage and waste directly into the river (saved the city money apparently) i believe it was sewage and used water etc... from the city street sweepers.

 

[VERT]

I catch fish and eat them. Still kicking. I can't think of anything more relaxing then floating a bobber on a nice sunny day. Cold bear in my hand. The smell of napalm and burning zombie flesh in the air.

 

[schapm]

IDEM: Impaired Waters - Section 303(d)
This might be a good start. I believe most of the smaller waterways are safe to eat fish from once a week or so. Much more than that and you may be at risk for buildup of toxins in your body. I remember hearing that on the following rating scale-
1- Eat fish from this water all you want
2- Eat fish from this water once a week at most
3- Eat fish from this water no more than once a month
4- Eat fish from this water only in a short term survival situation
5- Eat fish from this water only if you want to become a mutant

No Indiana waterway scores a 1. I don't know if this is true or not.

 

[VERT]

I think the IN fishing guide list bodies of water where consumption of fish should be limited. Problem is depending on what type of SHTF scenarios we have, the water could become polluted after the fact. The other thing that concerns me is that if the water is polluted for fishing what does this mean for potential use as drinking water.

 

[edsinger]

I know a guy that has been eating catfish from the Ohio near Rockport for a good 70 plus years now..He is in better shape than I and he is twice my age. He doesnt eat it every day but weekly for sure. Depends on how much he catches. So it is all relative.

 

[ryant7]

I know a guy that has been eating catfish from the Ohio near Rockport for a good 70 plus years now..He is in better shape than I and he is twice my age. He doesnt eat it every day but weekly for sure. Depends on how much he catches. So it is all relative.

It depends on what the catfish has been eating too lol really if hes been eating it i wouldnt have a problem with eating it from his area

 

[Lex Concord]

Ok I was talking to my dad about potential food sources in SHTF situations. He acted as if most ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers in the US were too polluted to be eating fish out of. I'm not sure how accurate this is, and I just wanted find out for sure. My dad isn't usually the kind to just assume something like that without doing some real research, and he's definitely not a liberal tree hugger. Is he right?

While there is definitely lots of pollution and, under normal circumstances such fish may be less than desirable, it is another case of weighing risk vs. benefit.

While some locations are so polluted as to risk causing immediate jeopardy to health, starvation tends to do that relatively quickly as well.

My thoughts would be to get familiar with the perceived risks of the waterways in your probable SHTF area(s) before hand so you can make the appropriate judgment call at the time.

 

[Eddie]

I know that some guys around here catch fish out of the Wabash and put them in fresh water and feed them corn meal in order to improve flavor. I know that you wouldn't want to waste corn meal in SHTF, but putting the catfish into something filled with rainwater for a few days might help clean them out.

 

[LCPer]

There are literally a gazillion farm ponds in Indiana alone. Not sure but they are mostly unpolluted. I know of at least a dozen that are a short walk from my house. I am sure the land owner would jump for joy sharing some of the catch with them.

 

[edsinger]

put them in fresh water and feed them corn meal in order to improve flavor.

I prefer the river taste over the corn fed ones......just call me crazy both are good but the river fed is better IMHO.

 

[groovatron]

I eat fish from lakes all over IN......the big scare is mercury, not pollution. I would definitely be catchin some fish if possible during a shtf scenario. I would likely head north towards Canada....there are plenty of clean lakes and open wilderness up there

 

[jmiller676]

I eat fish from lakes all over IN......the big scare is mercury, not pollution. I would definitely be catchin some fish if possible during a shtf scenario. I would likely head north towards Canada....there are plenty of clean lakes and open wilderness up there

..that is depending on the scenario.

 

[Zoub]

In polluted waters, eat from the bottom of the food chain, not the top.

In other words Bluegill are safer than catfish and bass. If you want to better undertand this, study WHY pcb's were banned from use in America.

Toxins like Mercury accumualte exponentially as you move through the food chain. So if the average Bluegill has one unit of measure and an Eagle eats 5 bluegills, the eagle has 5. If you eat 5 eagles you have 25................and a large fine from the DNR.

 

[tyler34]

lucky for me my father in law own a fish farm.

 

[Eddie]

In polluted waters, eat from the bottom of the food chain, not the top.

In other words Bluegill are safer than catfish and bass. If you want to better undertand this, study WHY pcb's were banned from use in America.

Toxins like Mercury accumualte exponentially as you move through the food chain. So if the average Bluegill has one unit of measure and an Eagle eats 5 bluegills, the eagle has 5. If you eat 5 eagles you have 25................and a large fine from the DNR.

Homer Simpson voice: "Mmmmmmm, eagles."

 

[cosmicjetfighterpilot]

Cold bear?

I catch fish and eat them. Still kicking. I can't think of anything more relaxing then floating a bobber on a nice sunny day. Cold bear in my hand. The smell of napalm and burning zombie flesh in the air.

I want to fishing with you man.

 

[BlisterPac]

I tend to agree with Zoub.

My plan:
- in "questionable" waters, stay away from bottom dwellers (carp, sucker, catfish, etc. This isn't for snobbish reasons, but because many contaminants "settle" to the bottom.
- stay away from the larger specimens. Larger = older = more time to accummulate toxins.
- trim away "fatty" sections of fishes where toxins tend to be focused.
- let the drippings fall away from the meat during broiling. Methods such as frying tend to seal things (good and bad) into the meat.
- For flavor improvements - I soak in salt water, and sometimes even "7-up" to clean up the flavor a bit.
- when in doubt, if possible - try to eat from reservoirs - since they are water supplies for populations, they tend to be protected/watched a little more for toxins.
- Stay away from water supplies where fellow INGO members have been burning Zombies

 

[Lex Concord]

I catch fish and eat them. Still kicking.

For one brief, not so-shining moment while reading this my brain dropped the period and capitalization yielding the following:

I catch fish and eat them still kicking.

I pictured someone eating them raw and wriggling, like this fella...

YouTube - Oh how i wish to catch a fish Gollum

Of course, if things were to get bad enough....

 

[dcary7]

The majority of the bodies of water you will catch fish from are healthy enough to eat. In all honesty, most all waters are cleaner now than they were when all of these concerns were originally brought up. Some rivers are more polluted and I know people say that you shouldn't eat the fish out of em. But I know a fisherman who works the rivers every week and eats fish out of the Wabash and White multiple times a week. He is 90 years old and has been doing this for a good portion of his life. I would say you are fine with whatever you catch. When was the last time you heard someone get sick from eating fish from a particular body of water? I would say just don't eat the ones with 3 eyes