Most of us who enjoy fishing, got started in this great sport/hobby/past time because someone took us fishing as a chid. Maybe a parent, grandparent or even a close family friend. Whoever it was probably did a good enough job in introducing you to fishing that it stuck with you. Now you may fish for fun or money, and it's probably a different experience from when you first went, but I bet you can still remember those early days.
Now that you've grown and maybe have kids or grandkids of your own, maybe even a niece or nephew, it's time to give back. Without new kids being introduced to the sport, interest will slowly wane and die. Once that happens, conservation efforts will surely follow. So take some time out of you busy schedule and take a kid fishing.
Before
you rush out and drag little Johnny or young Jane screaming to the river, take some time to do a little preparation. This is important, because, for the kids, this has to be an enjoyable experience. Time to define enjoyable. Think back to when you were their age. You didn't like being hungry, too hot, too cold, bored or otherwise uncormfortable. So the first thing to do, is plan on going when the weather is good. Therefore, don't promise a trip too far in advance, if the weather is not predictable. Rather make it more spontaneous. Keep the trips short. At the first sign of trouble, abort! You gain nothing by trying to stick it out.
Dress them appropriately. If they feel comfortable, they are less likely to want to go back to the car. Make sure you have plenty of snacks and drinks for them. Bring out a cookie and all misery is soon forgotten. Once these basic needs have been met, the fishing part will take care of itself. Prepare for the worst, expect the best.
Kid's tackle is
sometimes controversial. There are those who claim you need good quality tackle to ensure a top notch experience. My experience has been opposite to that. If your little princess wants a pink and purple Cinderella rod she saw at Walmart, then that's what she should get. Once she has that pink rod in her hands, she is already excited about fishing. Mission almost accomplished. Remember, she isn't qualifying for the Bassmaster Classic. I love push button reels for the little ones. They are easy to cast, easy to use, lightweight and cheap.
When first heading out, find a spot that you know has fish. I target panfish, like bluegill and crappies, but it doesn't matter, as long as there are a lot of them and they are hungry. Kids expect to catch fish all the time. So do we if think about it. I like starting kids off with a bobber and worms. Bobbers are very visual and help focus their conentration. Pinch the barbs down just in case it ends up in a finger. Spend some time with worms, or whatever bait you have. That alone can be an endless source of entertainment. Again, the first fishing trips are about entertaining. Don't forget to take a camera too, to capture those early days. They grow up so fast.
What if the fish just aren't biting? We all know this happens and kids will quickly drop their pole and start catching frogs instead. If this happens, go with flow. help them catch frogs too. it's all about the experience. next time the fish will have their attention, but for now, keep them entertained. they will associate any good time next to the water, with fishing.
You may be tempted to fish along with them. This is usually a mistake. Taking just two kids out for the first few times is a full time job. Take any more, and you need to grow some more arms first. You will be constantly running back and forth between the two, changing bait, removing fish, getting the hook out of the tree, or worse, a finger. So focus on the kids, this is their trip. Once you have them hooked and experienced, they will be dragging you out fishing all the time.
By keeping the trips short, but frequent, you may be leaving before they are quite ready, but that keeps them wanting more. You will know if the kids had good time, because they will be asking you to go fishing, and not the other way around.
Now that's "mission accomplished" !
