Anyone who's watched Alone knows that gill nets are often the difference between a contestant tapping out and continuing for weeks, sometimes months. It’s not just about throwing a net in the water; it's a cold, hard calculation of effort, risk, and potential caloric reward. In the unforgiving boreal lakes, where the stakes are life or death, understanding the mechanics of your gill net is paramount.
This isn't about grand theory; it's about the practical realities gleaned from seasons of watching, and from the historical data points these survivalists inadvertently provide. We're breaking down the critical elements: where you put it, what size it is, and how you keep it working in a harsh environment.
Location, Location, Location: Shoreline Topography and Depth
Gill net placement is arguably the most critical decision. It’s not just about finding water; it’s about finding fish. In boreal lakes, fish don't just swim anywhere; they follow patterns dictated by their biology and the lake's structure.
Shoreline Features and Habitat
Fish relate to structure. Look for:
- Points and Bays: These are natural congregation areas. Points act as funnels, forcing fish to swim around them. Bays, especially those with warmer, shallower water, can hold baitfish, attracting larger predators.
- Inlets and Outlets: Moving water brings food and oxygen. Fish often stage near these areas, particularly during migration or feeding.
- Submerged Structure: Fallen timber, rock piles, or old weed beds (even in winter, decaying vegetation provides structure) offer cover and food sources. If you can see a steep drop-off near the shore, that's often a good sign.
Optimal Set Depth
Fish move vertically through the water column based on temperature, oxygen, and food availability. In boreal lakes, especially those deep and stratified, this is crucial.
- Shallow vs. Deep: Early season or warmer periods might see fish closer to the surface or in shallower bays. As waters cool, fish often move deeper. However, an Alone contestant is usually dealing with cold, pre-freeze, or post-freeze conditions. Many boreal fish species, like Pike or Lake Trout, will cruise deeper water during the day and move shallower to feed at dawn/dusk.
- Thermoclines: These are temperature stratification layers. Fish often suspend just above or within a thermocline. While an Alone contestant can't measure this directly, observing insect hatches or surface activity can give clues.
- Bottom Huggers: Species like Lake Whitefish or Cisco often feed near the bottom. If targeting these, a net set closer to the lake bed makes sense. For Pike, a net just off structure in 10-20 feet of water is often a good bet.
My take? Most contestants on Alone favor sets that are relatively shallow (5-15 feet) but extend into deeper water, often perpendicular to the shore or along a steep drop-off. This covers more vertical ground and intercepts fish moving between shallow feeding grounds and deeper holding areas.
Mesh Size: The Caloric Equation
Selecting the right mesh size is a delicate balance. Too small, and you catch small fish with little caloric value, potentially expending more energy to process them than they provide. Too large, and you miss common species altogether, or smaller, but reliable, protein sources.
Target Species and Availability
Boreal lakes primarily offer:
- Northern Pike: Aggressive predators, significant caloric return. Typically caught well with 3-4 inch (stretched) mesh.
- Walleye/Pickerel: Excellent eating, decent size. 2.5-3.5 inch mesh.
- Lake Trout: Deep water, large caloric potential. Requires 4-6 inch mesh, often set deeper.
- Whitefish/Cisco: Abundant, but often smaller. 1.5-2.5 inch mesh.
- Suckers: Common, bony, but caloric. 2-3 inch mesh.
Most contestants seem to carry a general-purpose net, often in the 2.5 to 3.5-inch range. This is a compromise. It’s small enough to catch some whitefish or larger suckers, but large enough to reliably gill a good-sized walleye or even a smaller pike. If you only had one net, this is your play. The bigger the fish, the better the caloric return for the effort.
The Problem of Bycatch
Small mesh can lead to catching too many small, non-target fish. This is energy wasted un-tangling and releasing. Larger mesh reduces this, but risks missing a reliable, albeit smaller, food source when big fish aren't biting. It’s a constant trade-off.
Deployment and Retrieval: The Workflow
Setting and checking a gill net is a physical task that must be efficient to conserve precious calories.
Effective Setting Techniques
- Anchor Points: Secure both ends of the net. Rocks, logs, or stakes driven into the bank work. In deeper water, heavy rocks tied to float lines are common. The net needs to be relatively taut to fish effectively.
- Float and Lead Lines: Ensure the net deploys correctly. Floats on the top line keep it suspended, and weights on the bottom line keep it stretched downwards. An uneven set will lead to poor catch rates.
- Perpendicular vs. Parallel: Setting perpendicular to the shore covers a wider depth range. Parallel sets might be good for intercepting fish moving along a contour or shoreline feature.
Checking Frequency and Maintenance
This is where many contestants make or break their gill net strategy.
- Frequency: In warmer water, nets need to be checked more often (every 12-24 hours) to prevent spoilage. In near-freezing boreal waters, you might get away with 24-48 hours, but the longer it sits, the higher the risk of predators (otters, minks, birds) cleaning out your catch or damaging the net.
- Net Repair: Nets get holes. Fish, predators, snags. Carry a small repair kit – twine and a shuttle. Learning a simple mend is crucial. A small hole can quickly become a large one, rendering the net useless. This is a skill many contestants visibly lack or struggle with.
- Cleaning: Remove weeds, leaves, and small debris. A clean net fishes better.
Seasonal Considerations and Freezing
The boreal environment brings specific challenges, particularly related to ice.
Pre-Freeze Strategies
As ice begins to form, fish often become more active, feeding heavily before the long winter. This can be a prime time for gill netting. However, partial ice formation makes net deployment and retrieval treacherous and time-consuming.
Under-Ice Netting
This is a specialized and highly caloric endeavor. It requires tools for cutting large holes through thick ice (auger, axe, saw), and often long poles or specialized methods to run the net under the ice between two holes. The advantage is that the net can stay in for longer periods without freezing solid within the net mesh itself, and predators are less of a concern. But the effort to set it up is enormous.
The Caloric Return: Is it Worth It?
This is the ultimate question. A small fish from a gill net might only yield a few hundred calories after processing. A large pike, however, can be thousands. The goal is to maximize calories per unit of effort.
- Energy Input: Time spent cutting and gathering wood for a fire, walking to the lake, deploying the net, checking it, retrieving it, mending it, processing fish, and cooking. All these consume calories.
- Energy Output: The processed fish. If a contestant is regularly catching decent fish (say, a 2-pound walleye or a 5-pound pike every few days), the gill net is a net gain. If it's only small suckers or nothing at all, it's a net loss.
Many contestants pull their nets after a few days of zero or poor return. This is a smart decision. Re-evaluate placement, adjust depth, or move the net entirely. Don't throw good energy after bad.
Bottom Line
The gill net on Alone is more than just a fishing tool; it's a strategic resource that demands precise technical execution and an understanding of the boreal ecosystem. Success hinges on intelligent placement based on lake topography and fish behavior, a pragmatic choice of mesh size, and disciplined maintenance in the face of brutal conditions. Those who master these mechanics are often the ones who find a consistent food source, allowing them to conserve precious energy and push deeper into their isolation. It's a testament to planning, observation, and a willingness to adapt in a world that offers no second chances.