Fishing Information

Teaching a Kid to Fish


Teaching a kid to fish does not have to be difficult, if you follow the right steps. 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". How true that is, teach a kid to enjoy fishing and you will have a lifetime fishing partner! I taught my kids to fish, while pulling out my hair, and now they love it. I will show you how to take the pain out of this task so that they will come to love fishing and the outdoors.

First and foremost you must be patient with your kids as they learn to cast for the first time. They become aggravated when they can't cast as far as you can, then quickly want to move on to another task that they already have an interest in. Out comes the Game boy. I created a game for my kids that we played at home in the yard; you may find this fun and helpful.

Make three targets and set them out in the yard at ten, fifteen, and twenty feet away. Then assign a point value for each target, say ten, fifteen, and twenty points. We always played to a score of fifty. They may only play once or twice a week so let them win some too! Now you have a game they can play to learn the task of casting before you go to the lake.

Now that you have a cast master, it's off to the fishing hole!

Show them how to properly tie a fishing knot by tying on your hook on your line as they follow along, tying on their own hook. This can be done in conjunction with the casting game. In steps frustration, don't let them struggle with this task too long or they will lose interest. Out comes the Game boy. Ask them if they want you to do it, remember it has to be a fun experience.

Now for the prey, be sure to target fish that are easy to catch. Bluegills for example are abundant around most docks and marinas, and are very easy to catch. Use very small hooks and a small piece of worm for bait with a bobber.

Crappies are also easy to catch, and eat; they are located around boat docks with brush piles under them. Check with local marinas to see if they have a crappie house, if you don't have a boat. Using live minnows for bait and a bobber so they can see when they get a bite.

Catfish are also simple to catch. They are bottom feeders and eat minnows, stink bait, and a host of over the counter and home made baits as well. I recommend a sliding weight above the hook. Let the fish take the bait on a free line, if they feel the resistance they will drop the bait. Set the hook while the line is moving and you will catch the fish almost every time.

Don't try to make them a bass pro on the first trip, keep the action fast. I recommend a Zebco 33 spin cast reel. It's very dependable and near indestructible, it will last them for many years. Use a light rod not more than 5'6" long, any longer than that and their casting accuracy goes way down. Also with a light rod that one pound crappie seems to be as big as a whale. I would buy monofilament line not larger than 10 lb test in strength. Heavier line will make it more difficult to cast, and I believe lighter line catches more fish. A small tackle box is a must have for every junior angler!

Don't go out there and set junior up with a crappie rig and you tie on this pretty spinner bait, they will want to use the same bait as you do. Stay away from treble hooks! There are way too many points to stick into too many different places.

As I close be sure to teach them about conservation. Keep only what you will eat. Don't throw your excess bait into the lake, give them to another fisherman. Don't keep them out there all day, if the fish aren't biting try skipping some rocks. You may also consider hiring a fishing guide! They get paid to catch fish.

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MORE RESOURCES:

San Diego Union Tribune

Council raises fees for boating and fishing at city's reservoirs
San Diego Union Tribune, CA - 18 hours ago
By Matthew T. Hall SAN DIEGO – People fishing and boating on San Diego's reservoirs next year will be the first to feel one effect of the current city ...


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Red drum, speckled trout, black drum and whiting have provided some great fishing over the past week. They are being caught from the river to the surf in ...
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Still plenty of action both inshore and out StarNewsOnline.com
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27east.com

Long Island Father Killed in Fishing Boat Accident
NewYorkInjuryNews, New York - 9 hours ago
Long Island, New York (NewYorkInjuryNews.com) — On Sunday, November 30th, a Long Island man drowned during a father-son fishing trip off Montauk. ...
Dad Marty McMillan dies in fishing horror New York Daily News
Fisherman drowns after being pulled overboard off Montauk 27east.com
Westbury exec killed in boat mishap off Montauk Newsday
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Weekly Minnesota fishing report
Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN - 1 hour ago
The recent cold weather has jump-started the ice fishing season, with anglers in many areas of Minnesota creeping out onto lakes, many only partially frozen ...


Lawsuit means Loch Lomond won't be stocked with trout
San Jose Mercury News,  USA - 12 hours ago
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Body Found; Pastor Disappeared On Fishing Trip
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More than a week after the pastor of a Brunswick church disappeared while on a solo fishing trip on the Altamaha River, his body was recovered. ...
Hundreds gather to remember longtime pastor WTOC
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آكي

India to use satellite system for tracking boats, fishing vessels
Livemint, India - 7 hours ago
The perpetrators of last week’s terror attacks hijacked an Indian fishing trawler, Kuber, off the Gujarat coast and used it to reach Mumbai. ...
Coast Guard seize Pak fishing boat off Jakhao coast Press Trust of India
Investigators Trace Boat's Last Voyage Wall Street Journal
50% of fishing vessels on western coast unregistered Business Standard
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Comment on state hunting and fishing regulations
Asheville Citizen-Times, NC - 11 hours ago
Raleigh – The public can now comment on dozens of proposed changes to the state's hunting and fishing rules on the NC Wildlife Resources Commission's Web ...


Filming fishing in Marshfield
Marshfield Mariner,  USA - 43 minutes ago
A: The series is a new series of the successful “Extreme Fishing with Robson Green.” The series is about our British actor and TV personality Robson Green ...


UMPQUA VALLEY FISHING REPORT: Anglers hope rain will boost fisheries
NRToday.com, OR - Dec 1, 2008
Southwestern Oregon rivers are generally running low and clear, and fishing success for chinook salmon and steelhead has only been fair at best. ...
Tuna and halibut offer Oregon anglers options KATU
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