How To: Make a survival fishing float bobber from a plastic soda straw

Okay, so you're fishing and you forget the basic essentials… you're fishing pole and your bobber. How are you going to catch a fish with just some fishing line? The answer? Plastic straw.

You may not have a plastic soda straw on you, but there's sure to be one in a trash can nearby or littered on the ground. Once you find on, follow the simple steps in this video to create your own DIY fishing floater. You'll need your straw, some fishing line, a lighter (or matches) and a pair of pliers, like a Leatherman. If you don't have one of those, scissors should be sufficient.

To begin, clip the tip of the straw at a slight angle, and then cut a 1/16th inch strip, which by virtue of the elongated shape, is larger than the straw's diameter, and will slide onto the straw to use for fastening the fishing line. Take your Leatherman needle-nose pliers in one hand and clamped the end of the straw about 1/16th of an inch from the end, and with the other hand, use a lighter to melt the end, thus sealing it. Repeated the process on the other end.

Take the fishing line and pinch it into a tiny loop at the place where you want to attach it to the bobber. By sliding the ring on the straw to the end, you can create a small gap through which to thread the fishing line loop, starting from the center portion of the straw and threading it out to the end.

Once the line is passed under the ring, slide the ring towards the middle of the straw, thus exposing the fishing line loop which you pull over the end of the straw, then continue to pull it down to the other end and over, pulling it tight, thus creating a hitch on the straw. Now slide the ring within an inch from the end to provide the best results from the bobber.

Once you bait your hook, you're ready to cast out! It works great!