Fishing Kits on Alone: Line, Hooks, and the Rules

The fishing kit, officially "fishing line and hooks," is one of the most consistently picked items across the entire run of Alone. Unlike a gill net, which stays a minority pick, this one shows up on winner after winner's list because it's flexible, light, and works in nearly every environment the show has ever filmed in.

What's actually in the kit

Documentation on the exact specs varies slightly by source and possibly by season. Season 1 sources describe a 300-yard roll of single-filament fishing line with 25 assorted hooks and no lures. A later-season compilation instead cites 20 lb test line, up to 300 yards, with 35 barbless hooks. What stays consistent across every version: lures and artificial bait are not allowed. You're fishing with natural bait only, whatever you can dig, catch, or scavenge yourself.

Alan Kay carried the 300-yard, 25-hook version to win season 1, and used it alongside a gill net as part of his tideline foraging strategy. Sam Larson carried the identical spec in that same season before returning years later to win season 5, where he actually dropped the fishing kit entirely in favor of flour and trail mix rations, trusting his overhauled cold-weather gear more than fishing in Mongolia's terrain.

How winners have adapted it

Juan Pablo Quiñonez took the concept furthest in season 9, combining 20-lb monofilament with fly fishing line and hooks in the same kit, giving himself two different fishing approaches for different parts of Labrador's Big River depending on water depth and current. William Larkham Jr. paired his fishing kit with a homemade gill net to win season 11 in the fish-rich Mackenzie River Delta, treating the two tools as complementary rather than redundant, active fishing to fill in the gaps a passive net inevitably leaves.

Contestant	Season	Fishing setup
Alan Kay	US 1	Standard 300yd/25 hook kit, paired with gill net
Sam Larson	US 1	Same standard kit
Sam Larson	US 5	Dropped fishing kit for rations instead
Juan Pablo Quiñonez	US 9	Monofilament plus fly line combo
William Larkham Jr.	US 11	Kit paired with homemade gill net

Why it's such a popular pick

A fishing kit takes up almost no pack space and weighs close to nothing compared to a bow, an axe head, or a sleeping bag. That makes it a low-risk tenth or ninth item pick even for contestants who plan to rely mainly on hunting or trapping. It's also usable from day one in a way that trapping isn't (you don't need to build anything first) and it works the same on a coastline, a lake, or a river delta.

The tradeoff is time and attention. Active fishing with a line needs you present and focused, unlike a gill net that works while you sleep. That's likely part of why the two tools show up together on so many successful loadouts rather than as substitutes for each other.

If you're comparing food-gathering strategies across the show, the gill net breakdown covers the passive-fishing alternative, and the full gear database has every approved item with the rules attached. For the complete list of what you're allowed to bring in the first place, see the official rules page.