I'm going to play a bit of a devil's advocate here as I've posted before here regarding small fishing kits.
1. Many say it's a moral booster to catch a fish and keep your mind occupied. BUT what if you catch no fish, does one who is not in top mental shape start to panic more because now they feel like a failure and the thought of no food really starts to set in?
2. Anyone who has ever fished has experienced snags and various hang-ups I'm thinking Murphy's Law here. Sometimes with all the right gear a person gets hang-ups, snags etc. Now imagine in a dire situation where each cast each hook set is life dependant--does this not add more stress to an already stressful situation?
3. I guess I'll state the obvious here but depending on where one lives the type of tackle would come into play. If by the ocean I don't think split shots and #10 egg hooks would work as well as other terminal tackle.
4. I have not heard of or read of someone "surviving" using there mini survival fishing kit. In a truly survival situation why not just eat the worm you find instead of using it to catch fish-just an idea.
5. I think valid arguments can be had pro or con for using a small survival fishing kit. With all that being said I still pack a fishing kit, but for nothing other than to have extra gear stashed about if needed. I fish alot in my area so fishing for me is a pure joy! But I think that practice comes into play when using a fishing kit, just like any piece of gear example fire starting, shelter building etc. I think many people just put the fishing kit in and think they are set for food.
I'll play.
1. If there's water and there are small fish, you can catch them. Again, practice makes perfect. Better to do something than just sit and worry. The exception, of course, is when risking the elements is dicey. In that case, you can lay out all your pretty lures in a row and admire them.
2. The popping bugs mentioned before float on the water. Hard to snag. Also, if you carry enough hooks and line and if you have access to some kind of bait, you can simply rig set poles that put bait (worm, cricket, grasshopper, cicada, moth, whatever you can find) a foot or so below water. No worries about snagging. I've seen plenty of set lines tied to low hanging branches over the water.
3. Lot of fish in the ocean, and more often than not, the little ones are in toward shore. Little tackle will work just fine for catching little fish. Sabiki rigs are used all the time to collect bait fish. Bait fish still provide protein. If you really had some time on your hands, you might be able to build a fish trap and use some little fish to bait in bigger fish, crabs, etc.
4. Worms suck. They're gritty and they taste like crap. Sushi is a step above.
5. Agreed. If you're not proficient with the lures and/or tackle you pack, don't expect to catch fish right away. I've fished since I can remember, and I only pack lures/tackle in which I have proficiency and faith. I want to add here that you should learn some basic fishing knots. A couple of hastily tied half hitches may result in a missed fish and lost tackle.
