Fishermen often travel to great lengths to catch a prized fish, but as often the case we tend to ignore what’s right in our backyards.
Consider the storm sewer to be exact. That’s right, your local storm drain could be the source of your next honey hole.
Teenager Kyle Naegeli, who posts videos to Youtube as The Fish Whisperer demonstrates beyond a reasonable doubt that sewer fishing is very much a real thing, claiming to have caught hundreds of fish this way.
Naegeli and his friends have been showing off their sewer fishing exploits in and around Katy, Texas. They catch catfish, bass, blue gill and more, the largest being about 3 pounds.
For the first time recently Naegeli reveals his unique methods. Here is how to effectively catch fish in the sewer:
Finding the right sewer
As the Fish Whisperer explains, you don’t want to fish just any old sewer. You do not want to fish sanitary sewers, but storm sewers or storm drains as they are called. You also want to be sure you are near a body of water such as a lake or pond. And you want to be sure there is water in the sewer.
The rig
You want to use a simple rig, 20 pound line with a #6 circle hook. Keep it simple, with a small enough hook to get a good grip on the fish’s lip.
The bait
There are a lot of wive’s tales when it comes to catching catfish and other scavengers, fish that would likely be in a storm drain. One of the most popular, of course, are hot dogs. A tried and true favorite will always do the trick.
Setting the bait
Next place the line through a hole in the sewer closest to the street so that you can pull out the fish when you get a catch. Be sure you have enough line to reach the bottom and position a weight or float so that it lies on the ground.
Knowing you have a fish
When the hook gets a strike, it will pull the line so that the weight or float stands upright on the lid, signalling a catch.
Retrieving your catch
Now comes the fun part. If you have access to the sewer through a drain on the street, go ahead and reach in there grab your catch. If not, you’ll have to remove the sewer lid. Best to check this out before you get started.
For those who live in the right neighborhoods, this can be a really fun hobby. Have fun and good luck!
Photo credit: Youtube
