Fishing with children

Nothing is more fun than taking your kids fishing. I always try to take my little boy, daughter and friends fish whenever I can. This is how true memories are made from. It’s so satisfying to see their reaction and glow when they have fish on. When fishing with kids always remind them to be extra careful around water and if near water that is deep or fast moving when shore fishing always get them to wear a PFD. When fishing with my son or daughter in my kayaks I always ensure that they are always wearing proper PFD. 

My kids love catching them but still refuse to take the fish off the hook. But they will eventually take their own off when they are ready. It’s a big learning process for them. It took me a couple of months to get my daughter and son to actually put their own worms on their fishing hooks and to hold the fish they caught. My son’s favorite fish to fish are Smallmouth bass and my daughter loves catching Trout and Perch.

My daughter so proud of her first perch

I am a strong believe to introducing kids at a youngest age as possible to fishing. A good tip when starting to teach them how to fish is always bring them to a spot where it’s pretty much a sure thing to catch a fish. Because if they catch nothing in the beginning of the learning phase they will quickly lose interest in fishing. Avoid slippery or steep banks and use extreme caution when allowing young children to handle hooks.  I recommend using barbless hooks with the. If the child is under ten make them wear a PFD at all time.

When selecting a fishing rod and reel for them ensure you use a sin-cast and reel combination that is properly sized for your child (usually 3-4 feet). The rod should also fit comfortably in your child's hands. They are very inexpensive to get at your local fishing store or hardware store. I always start them with a red and white bobber because they can actually see the bites and it’s fun to see their reaction when they do get a bite. 

Another very important thing too remember is not to stay to long because the child will also lose interest if they are there for too long of a period of time. 

I always gone remember when my son caught is first large Smallmouth bass. He was afraid to hold the fish because he taught the fish would swallow is hand lol! 

 His first large Smallmouth that he caught! 

Happy Fishing and Tight Lines!