Tips on Fishing with Your Child (for the First Time)

Things you do for the first time can be remarkable or a disaster. It could define if your child wants to go with you next time. If you love to fish, you want you children to love it too. Fishing is a great bonding time to have with your children. If they enjoy fishing, they will be excited to go again. That is the most important part.

When fishing with a child, do not get too technical on how to do things like casting a pole or holding a fish. You can work with them over time and it will pay off with patients. The first time, it’s better to answer your child’s questions, to offer some small tips and share some tricks, but try not to overdo it. Kids will get tangles up and cross lines. Take your time and above all else, make sure they don’t get a hook stuck in them. They will be done forever!

Patience is crucial. Chances are, your kid will be ready for Bass Master anytime soon. Kids get bored easily. I suggest fishing for Bluegill while they are young. Bluegill are usually plentiful and will keep you busy. If by chance they are not biting, it is a good time to teach your child about how patience pays off. A good life lesson. Try not to lose temper and do your best to keep your kids interested.

Use kids fishing poles and other kid-friendly equipment. Full fishing rods are rather unwieldy for small kids to handle. In addition, sharp hooks are dangerous for young children, whereas the line usually becomes tangled. Get a colorful fishing pole with their favorite cartoon. Save the nightlights and bass poles for a couple more years when they can handle them better.

Fishing is more enjoyable when you catch a fish, right? But, this is especially true for an impatient, excitable and young kid! So, help your kids catch a fish and feel successful! This can be done by picking the right location and using the right bait. Do not throw a jig on your kids pole expecting them to enjoy themselves. Set them up for success by digging up some worms before heading out. That will be just as fun to your child as fishing.

You can also set the first couple of hooks for your child to get them “hooked” on fishing. Once they bring in a couple fish, help them set the hook making sure they are not jerking the line out of the water (don’t want them to get a hook in the face). After they get the hang of it, let them start setting the hook.

Finally, keep in mind that your kid’s first fishing experience shouldn’t last for hours and don’t be too disappointed if you realize you’ll need to stop with your angling early. Kids have a very short attention span. Even if you can’t keep your line in the water catching so much fish, most kids will only last 30 minutes or so. That is when you can get some fishing in. The major point is to make sure your child has fun, learns how to fish safe and letting them stop when they start to get bored.