Fishing with Kids

[TheMidwesterner]

I was looking for advice on fishing with kids.

After dinner, last Saturday night, my son (4) and I headed over to the local pond. This was his first fishing trip and my first in over ten years. We picked a nice spot on the bank and my son cast his line out while I set up my rig. I barely had a chance to tie on my hook before he was saying "dad, my thing [float] is moving!" Sure enough, he had a nice little bluegill on the end of his line. We hung out for about an hour and caught five bluegill between the two of us. This pond was all catch and release, so, aside from the fact that all of our catches were too small, there would have been no keepers anyways. In all, it seemed a successful first outing for him. I couldn't believe he was hauling a fish on his first cast.

Nonetheless, I am looking for advice on keeping fishing interesting for him. This is something that we are looking to spend some time doing. Even his little sister (2) is already interested - we'll wait a while before bringing her on any trips, but she does have her Dora combo for casts around the backyard while her big brother practices his. Too many modern kids simply don't spend enough time outdoors. I'd like my kids to grow up knowing that there is much more to the world than television, video games, and internet chat (relevant resources like Cabela's Talk Forums being excused). I figured panfish would be a good start, but how do you keep it interesting?

[YoungGun22]

I have two younger brothers (9 and 5) and a younger sister (2). My youngest brother was with me the last time I went fishing and I let him reel in a largemouth that I got to bite a spinnerbait. He had a lot of fun I would say. My grandpa, who owns the pond we fished at, brought some fish food and he let him feed the fish. He really enjoyed that.
I guess my advice would be to take them to your best fishing spots and try to do everything you can to ensure they have fun and catch a few fish. If you are going to be on the water for a while, you could bring snacks and drinks for them. It might be better though to only go for an hour or two of quick action and then call it a day before it gets boring to them.

Have fun and good luck

[Flatcoat1]

My son, now 11, has been fishing with us since he was old enough to be put in a backpack carrier and I waded with him there for white bass. In the stroller for trout and catfish from shore. I finally convinced my wife that it was time to fix the boat because we were missing out on a lot of fishing time and places. You probably did the right thing going someplace where he caught a fish. Size of fish doesn't matter right now. If he gets bored, have something for him to do. There will be times you won't get to fish because everything is going on at once. (We have a BIG phrase to remember when things do not go right: Don't make a bad situation worse.) In the spring, if you can fish a pond with a nice population of bedding bluegill then you have hit the motherload. Eventually, catfishing at night with a rod propped up and a sleeping bag to lie in. Most important: HAVE FUN (remember, fishing is fun.).

[GreatWhiteNorth517]

First of all, glad to see your commitment to passing on our sport. I'll offer the following tips:
1) Find some action. Kids have short attention spans so sitting idle is not gonna fly. Even if it's little nipper gills and you are bored out of your skull do it anyway or they're out.
2) Keep it short. See above. Even if the action is hot they'll still tire of it quickly, so don't overdo it.
3) Get them involved. Kids want to learn, and do, and feel good when they've done something new. Let them pick some of their tackle. Teach them to cast and let them do it, even if every other cast is in the tree or generates a tangle. Let them handle bait and fish, even if that becomes the focus for them.
4) Be positive. Praise the good stuff and don't lose your cool when **** happens. Don't make it a negative experience or they won't want to go next time.
5) Keep it safe. Proper fitting life jackets and adequate seating are a must. Go through some ground rules so everybody knows what to do and what not to do in the boat and/or near water.
6) Don't forget the basics. Clothing adequate for the weather. Bug spray. Sunscreen. Snacks and drinks. Bathroom time can be a huge deal-especially for girls.

[TheMidwesterner]

Thanks for all of the great response. While all of the tips are very good, I have really been finding it important to keep the outing short. This morning we went out for about an hour and ended up coming home happy. My son (4) was hauling in his first largemouth on his second cast of the day. This time we hit a local flood control reservoir (about 100 acres) and while this was the only fish that either of us caught, it was still a thrill. I don't know if he is just a natural, or very lucky. I think next time we'll be back to the neighborhood pond as the venue this morning was very pressured; that, and my wife and daughter wanted to be included.

We have started a "wall of fame" in his bedroom. I found a website with decent sketches of most of the common freshwater species. Everytime he catches a new species, I plan to print off the sketch, cut it out and tape it to his wall. For him, it is as good as having a mounted trophy hanging there.

I have never seen my son more excited to be awakened before sunrise.

[lovestohunt]

Every year here in SE Wisconsin, one of my favorite lakes has a fishing jamboree made just for kids. Its a huge draw and they have activities of all kinds. Do a search for a kid fish in Nebraska. Might be worth looking into.