Top 10 Tips for Fishing with Young Children

Fishing with your kids will bring a lot of joy to both you and them. Fishing is a tradition in many families that is more about the time spent with your family then the actual fishing. Fishing with young children can often be challenging. Here are the top 10 tips to help you when you are fishing with your children that will allow you both to enjoy your time out fishing more.

1. Patience

It is vital that you have a lot of patience when fishing with kids. Some kids will not understand what you are talking about and other kids will continually want to reel the line in instead of letting it float out in the water to attract fish. Each child is different but it is vital that you have patience. If you get frustrated and begin to yell at the child then the kid will learn to hate fishing. Instead of teaching the child hate, teach them the beauty of nature through fishing. If you do not have patience then you should not take your child out fishing without some assistance from your wife or fishing buddy, as long as they have more patience then you. Grow up, use patience, and help your child to enjoy their time fishing. You might not normally have patience but in this situation it would be very prudent of you to use all of your patience.

2. Alternate Activities

Just because you can spend 8 hours or more at your favorite fishing hole does not mean your child can. You child may only make it a half hour and then get restless. Allow them to bring books and magazines to read and look at. If your child wants to go swimming in the water then let him. I know it will scare the fish off, but who cares. A day of fishing with your family and catching no fish is much more fun than a day at work…right?

3. Hooked

Many kids get hooked on fishing when they reel in their first fish. It may be hard for your child to learn how to properly hook and reel in a fish, but you can help this process along. The next time you hook a fish allow your child to reel it in. Yes, there is a good chance they will screw up and the fish will get away, but who cares as long as you can see the excitement and delight in your Childs face.

4. Talking

There is no better place to bond with your child then talking with them while out fishing. Even if the fish are not biting and the fishing is slow, you can still share stories with your child. Tell them about when their grandpa use to take you fishing and share some of the funny and humorous stories that occurred. This will help to keep you child occupied and from getting bored. It will also allow you to share why you love the outdoors so much and show your child that you also made a lot of mistakes when you were learning to fish.

5. Gutting the Fish

Some kids get squeamish over grabbing a nightcrawler to put on a hook. Other kids will get squeamish when you gut the fish. Never force them to gut the fish or handle the nightcrawlers. You can put the worm on the hook for them and eventually they will get more comfortable with doing it themselves. It may take an hour or a year, but eventually they will handle their own worm.

6. it’s Not about Fishing

Although you are going sighing with your kids, it is not about the fishing. It is about bonding with your child, creating positive memories, teaching them, and educating them on the nature of being a sportsman and conserving nature for future generations. It is also a good time to talk about UFO’s, falling in the water, and any other topic that your kids find funny and interesting. Just talk with your kids and have fun and interesting conversations.

7. 1 On 1

Taking a child fishing can get extremely frustrating at times. Taking multiple children will cause you to pull out whatever hair you have left and then shooting yourself. It is much better to take 1 child at a time with you so that you can spend the quality 1 on 1 time with them and this will also help keep your frustration level down.

8. Camping

You may prefer the cushiony softness of your bed at home, but take the damn tent and spend the weekend camping when you go fishing. Fishing and camping go together. You child may not even like fishing, but they may love cooking hotdogs and S’mores over the fire as you share ghost stories and funny stories about mom when you first met her.

9. Safety

You may have a secret fishing spot that is constantly spitting out large trout to your hook; however you need to consider fishing spots that are safe for your child. You do not want them to accidently fall in and get swept away and drown. You also need to ensure that you or your child does not get a hook in their eye. Safety is paramount when fishing. Although minor injuries can occur, you need to make sure no one drowns or loses vision in an eye. There is nothing wrong with having your kid wear a life jacket.

10. Tradition

Although your child may never become a professional angler on the BASS Pro Tour, it is vital that you continue to pass on the outdoor nature of fishing. These fishing skills have been passed down, modified with new technology, and to keep this tradition alive it is vital that you teach your children to fish and help them to enjoy it so one day they can pass on the fishing skills and knowledge they learned to their own children and keep the family tradition of fishing alive for yet another generation.