Constructing A Fishing Pipe

I finally got around to doing it.

I have wanted to do it for quite a long time, ever since I watched a Dave Canterbury video about it on YouTube some years ago. I just never set myself to the simple task. Watching the videos that Nate Hains posted kindled a fire under my fanny. Yep it was time to get busy.

The rig is really a smart idea.

If there is water around there are fish. Whether for the simple pleasure of catching and enjoying a meal of them or desperately needing them for food in a survival situation, there are fish to be had if you have a means to catch them.

Shirli and I both carry fishing gear in our kits … line, a couple sizes of hooks, split shot, floats that we call bobbers around these parts, a few pan fish (we call them brim) jigs, and small artificial baits that look like earth worms. Who knows? Live natural bait might be elusive and hard to find so carry something artificial just in case. Always be prepared.

The thing that really sold me on the idea and prompted me to put these together is the fact that you can cast them and get your baited hook out farther than you can when using a short sapling as a pole. A pole that is long enough to do some good is also hard to manipulate in dense cover. Especially overhead cover.

Of course I had to add a little personal touch to these fishing pipes.

One was to affix a little contraption to the butt end cap to attach the line to rather than tying it around the pipe.

I drilled a small hole, put several circular bends in a short piece of solid copper wire, inserted that into the cap, and then did the same circular bending outside. It is secure inside and out. On went the cap with some cement and it is a permanent fixture on the fish catching device.

The other end is not glued on. The pipe becomes its own small tackle box. I did do a little light sanding on the pipe so the front cap is not as likely to get stuck on so tight that it is difficult to get off. I also sanded the burrs and sharp edges on the cap that might interfere with casting and retrieving the line. On went the cap.

Next was to measure off the line, attach it to the copper wire, and wrap it onto the pipe. I used 30 feet of 20 pound test braided line. I figure that is plenty long enough for these waters. Once the line was on I applied several wraps of electrical tape. One holds the tail end of the line in place on the pipe so it cannot wander around and get loose. The other makes an ideal place to hang your hook between episodes of fishing or when the fishing rig is riding on the truck seat. You know … for those times when you might be driving by a spot and can wet a line for the heck of it.

During transport in a pack the attached bobber can be slid down close to the split shot and the whole catching end stored securely inside the pipe.

I got to thinking about something else this rig can be used for that increases the possibility of catching fish … catfish in particular.

Measure off as many 30 foot sections of #36 bank line as you care to fool with or figure you might need in your given situation. Roll them securely and have them handy in your kit. They can be attached one at a time to the fishing pipe, rigged with a good catfish hook and baited, cast out, detached from the pipe and secured to a root or tree, and left overnight to do their catching thing while you are tending to other important stuff around camp. The bank line is out deep enough to do more good than if the bait was laying in shallower water.

With a little overnight luck you might be cleaning catfish for breakfast and have enough for leftovers at noon.