Take a Kid Fishing, get them involved in an activity that is thousands of years old, and teaches them about tradition and respect for the space of others. Take a kid fishing and they will learn to be successful in life. You know your kids love to try new things they have been blessed with the same adventurous spirit as you. Fishing offers you a great way to spend time with your children and to create memories that will last a lifetime. There is an old Chinese proverb that states: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime". My slant on this proverb is “Teach a kid to hunt and fish, and make memories that last lifetimes.” Fishing is not just a summer sport, during winter kids and adults cannot get outside for the most part but you can take them ice fishing.

 

Teaching a kid to fish does not have to be difficult, if you follow the right steps:

 

PLAN Your Fishing TRIP:

Check the forecast for weather conditions now and for the afternoon.

 

Look for a vacation, lakes, fishing spots that have easily accessible rest rooms and a nearby playground.

 

Kids have short attention spans; bring some toys, kids will be happy fishing for 15 minutes and then playing for an hour along the beach.

 

Check on local by-laws for a fire, can you have a fire, can it be open or must it be in a pit."YAAHOOO"  Hot dogs and smores! You’ll be the "bestest dad, mom, etc." when you supply the foods and snacks they love, and a hot dog just does not taste as good from the stove as one cooked over flames. Just be saftey wise around fire.  

 

Make it a point to find some spots that will quickly reward you with fish, make a quick call to a nearby bait and tackle store, resort, lodge or outfitter to learn where they’re biting and what they are biting on. If you say you are planning a trip with (# of this many kids) all will be more than willing to help and you never know, you might even score a local guide for the kids. 

 

Target fish that once found will provide plenty of action and know the species you will be after. PERCH Tips. Don’t worry about technique and don’t be concerned about catching lots of big, trophy fish. A small perch or crappie is a major thing ("and like") a walleye or pike are monsters that legendary fishing stories are born from.

 

Don’t keep them out there all day, kids prefer to stay active, if the fish aren’t biting try skipping some rocks, water activities such as swimming, tubing, exploring the lake, stream or beach, digging for worms, making a picnic lunch, catching frogs, picking berries, playing pirates with hidden treasure to find or looking for or at various wildlife and plants.

 

You may also consider hiring a fishing guide; they get paid to catch fish!

 

Think safety first, water needs to be respected. Show your child how to act safely around water, in a boat or on a dock.

 

 

Use proper and reliable equipment:

Quality fishing equipment when you take a kid fishing is important to ensure that everyone has a positive trip. I recommend a Zebco 33 Rod and Reel Combo or a closed faced spin cast reel for new kid fisherman, it’s very dependable and nearly indestructible. Most kids can learn to push in button, hold as you swing and lift thumb when get all the way forward so line can go out. Similar to x-key makes jump, y-key makes run, ab-key makes fire.

 

Be patient with your kids as they learn to cast for the first time, if you do not let them practice expect to spend lots of time un-tangling, un-hooking, and un-fishing. Let them practice casting in the back yard with a rubber sinker attached. Make a game of it set out boxes at different lengths and assign points to putting it in box and closest to it.

 

Use a light rod not more than 5′6" long; any longer than that and they start struggling with control and hit everything with it including you, they sting. Remember, everyone has fun until someone gets poked with the stick.

 

If your reel did not come with line already on it, I would buy monofilament 8 – 10lb test, heavier line is difficult to cast, and I believe lighter line catches more fish.

 

A small tackle box of their own is a must have for every junior angler, after all they will want to trade hooks at least 700 times! Show them how to properly tie a fishing knot, tie on a snap swivel, makes those 700 hook change times easier.

 

Try to stick to single hook jigs and such try to stay away from treble hooks! There are way too many points to stick into too many different places, and too many different fishermen, THEY HURT! Taking YOU or Johnny to the emergency room instead of fishing is not good, and try loading up kids, tackle, equipment, toys, food and catch the "Dog" with a hook stuck in you. Funniest Home Videos, Here I Am!

 

You don’t need fancy equipment or a boat; fishing from a pier, dock or shore will do just fine.

 

 

Catch Some Fish:

Know A few tricks on how to catch the target fish, bring all tackle and multiple quantities needed for each technique. Each kid will want to try a different way, and if one catches a fish, of course expect ALL OF THEM to want a hook just like the one that caught the fish. 

 

When you catch any fish, STOP all fishing and show and teach the ways to identify and what that fish is.

Tips, Stratagies and Techniques:

Yellow Perch Information

Walleye Information

Sauger and Saugeye

Northern Pike Information

 

 

Handle, Keep or Release, Cleaning:
“Ewww, that`s gross,“ famous words from kids, when it comes to putting on bait, or taking off fish.

 

Don’t force kids to put on bait, to take off fish or touch the fish. Do it for them often this is the best teacher.  

 

Don’t worry about catch and release, but let them make the decision to keep the fish or not. Let them take their catch home to show friends, relatives and brag about. If releasing the fish show your child how to safely handle it and release it back into the water. Whatever the decision, praise them for learning a new skill.

 

Explain to them why they should let the big one go, use "These are the fish that make more fish, You want to catch more another time don’t you? Well if everyone keeps big fish like this eventually there won’t be any fish like this for anyone to catch.  It takes a lot of years to get this big, but you know what we can take a picture of you and your fish BEFORE we let it go, and we can also measure the fish quickly and look up how old and how much it weighs when we get home. How does that sound to you?"

Walleye Size Chart

Northern Pike Size Chart

 

Perch make a great fish to tteach how to clean. Of course you’re not going to let them use a razor sharp filleting knife, but Perch can be cleaned whole. See instructions on Cleaning Perch

 

 

Teach Them To Respect The Environment:

Teach them about conservation, keep only what you will eat,

don’t throw your excess bait into the lake,

pick up old discarded line,

don`t throw your pop can into the lake,

put litter in trash cans or take it home with you,

don`t leave a fire unattended and make sure the fire is out before leaving.

listen to nature around you and identify all sounds made by insects, birds, animals

try to spot and identify plants and animals not seen before

 

Capture the Memory:

No matter what size the first fish is get a PICTURE, it is worth a thousand words, and will establish the memory for decades to come. This is my first fish, when I went fishing with dad, this is what I caught with grandpa, your great grandpa taught me how to fish I have the proof and so on.  For proof just look at the picture with this article. Guess what that picture is the background for the computer he uses and of course a copy went to great grandma and grandpa to put on the digital picture frame. 

 

It’s never too early to show your love and appreciation for the outdoors, take this time to observe other creatures such as birds, deer flora and fauna, take pictures and talk about them. Whether the kid sticks with fishing or not, what matters, is capturing the memories to share with their friends, family, and with their kids. So take plenty of photos.  
 
Finally, fishing is an excellent opportunity to teach your kids, children imitate the adults, they love and respect.  Show them your best and make a good impression. Share in their excitement, taking a kid fishing will give you the chance to spend quality time with them, and this is worth more than all of the fun had.

 

 

 

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