CanoeCampFish.Com

Take a Kid Fishing

How To Take a Kid Fishing by Michael Sakowski of Canoe Camp Fish .Com

You often hear how you should "Take a Kid Fishing". This is supposed to serve as a time of fellowship between parent and child and it is also supposed get the child hooked on fishing for life. Fishing with your child can serve as a time of good fellowship and it can also create a life-long enthusiasm for the sport if you pursue this correctly. Some tips are given below.

Use Good Equipment
The most common mistake when taking a child fishing is to equip them with "kiddie" poles. Although these poles made for kids look cute, they perform terribly! If anything, the child should have gear that performs better than the adult's gear since they are at a handicap skill wise and may not be very coordinated. I let my children use my best spinning reels.

Help Them Along
If fishing with my small children, I cast the bait for them. If they can not set the hook properly I will even set the hook for them and hand them the pole. Often, I will do little or no fishing of my own since I am casting and setting the hook for several kids. They need to catch fish! When they get to the age of 12 or so, they will be on their own quite nicely if you have done your job well.

Fish in Productive Fishing Spots
Choose a time and place such that you are fairly certain that you will see a lot of activity. I always take the kids to a favorite lake in early spring since I know there will be a lot of action in a fairly short amount of time. Basically, the younger the child, the more action you want. I take our youngest children out for panfish when the action is at its peak - we only go out for several hours but we get plenty of fish. If you take a child out for 4-8 hours with hardly a bite, they will quickly lose interest in fishing altogether. If you want to scout out a new lake where the action is uncertain, perhaps you are best off leaving the kids home on that trip.

Limit the Time According To The Child
For very small children, you will want to limit fishing to an hour or two. Fish longer periods according to what the child will find enjoyable. My son David was able to stay out 8 hours ice-fishing since he was 5 years old, but that was because he wanted to stay out that whole time. He was definitely an exception as compared to his brothers and sister however. Ask your kids periodically "Do you want to go now?" Often, my son David's response was "After we catch 3 more", but that's David.

Make the Trip Memorable
Try to do something "extra" to make the fishing trip memorable. Stop at a drive-in after the trip for an ice cream cone or pick up a candy bar at the gas station. We always bring hot chocolate along on ice fishing trips - my son really loves this. Take a picture of the fish when you get home with the kids. The more "extra" things your children associate with fishing, the more they will get "hooked" on fishing.

Not All Kids Will Like Fishing
Not all kids will take a shine to fishing regardless of how much you try to accommodate them. My oldest son does not like it much but will come along on maybe one or two trips a year. Be OK with that. After all, fishing is just a hobby.