Teaching a child to fish can be a very rewarding experience. A quiet spot on the banks of a slow-moving river, pond or lake makes for a perfect opportunity to share your love of fishing with young ones. With just a few simple pieces of gear and tackle, some bait and little planning and patience, you and your kids can begin a sporting adventure that you will remember and share for a lifetime.
Gear Selection
When fishing with your kids, it's important to familiarize them with the gear they will use. When selecting a rod and reel for your children, don't bother with "toy" fishing equipment. It usually won't last long and often operates poorly. Instead, purchase a good quality ultralight spin casting rod and reel with relatively light 4- to 6-lb. test monofilament line. This weight of gear is not only easy for young kids to use right away, it will also last them long into the future.
Game Fish
For a first-time fisherkid, there's nothing better than bream, including bluegills, pumpkinseeds, shell crackers and other sunfish. These are active little fish that strike readily and fight hard, yet are easy for children to handle. More experience means bigger and more challenging fish, including catfish, bass, walleye or trout in fresh water, or flounder, speckled sea trout, whiting and other medium-sized saltwater species.
Techniques
Fishing tackle for kids need not be complicated. To begin teaching your kids to fish, start them out with a simple float rig, consisting of a bobber, split shot weights and a small baited hook. Your child will watch that bobber, carefully, just waiting for it to submerge. As children become more experienced at fishing, they can take on more sophisticated fishing techniques such as using bottom fishing rigs or trolling and can eventually move up to casting artificial lures, such as plastic worms or crank baits.
Safety
You should also teach your children about safety when fishing. As an example, channel catfish are among the first fish that children catch when starting out. However, these fish sport sharp, barbed spines concealed in their dorsal and pectoral fins. A child that picks this fish up the wrong way can receive a painful wound that might ruin an otherwise perfect fishing trip. Boating rules, good swimming skills, care when using hooks and during casting, how to handle different fish species and other lessons will help your kids to enjoy fishing in a safe and secure way, now and in the future.
Other Equipment
When fishing with kids, other stuff can make the experience more enjoyable. Remember to pick up plenty of bait. Hand sanitizer and paper towels can help keep things clean. Sunscreen, insect repellent, a small first aid kit and, of course, a few snacks and something to drink will all come in handy. And don't forget to bring the camera, especially if this is a first-time experience. You'll certainly want to capture that magic moment of your child's first fish.
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