Parents are rightfully worried about making fishing fun for their kids. They don’t want to bore their children. Instead, they want their kids to have fun, to catch some fish, and to pose for some smiling photos. Really, though, I think what parents miss sometimes is that the most important thing isn’t that their kids are having fun fishing, but that they’re having fun enjoying each others company.
Sometimes, I see people trying too hard fishing with their kids. They keep trying to hand their child a rod when the rugrat clearly isn’t having it and everyone starts to get frustrated.
If this is you, then take a deep breath and realize that it’s the experience you’re after. It’s a not a big deal if your kid doesn’t want to fish at any given moment. They’re kids. They have the attention span of a newt. Give them ten minutes and they’ll be back at it!
In the meanwhile, here’s a few things I do to avoid meltdowns and to try and make fishing as much fun as possible for my children.
Let Your Kids Play in the Water Every Now and Then
I hope if you are fishing with children, you’re targeting smaller species like sunfish and bluegill. If you are, let me fill you in on a little secret: these fish are so stupid that your kid splashing in the water barely affects them. It’s perfectly fine for your kids to go swimming – they won’t scare bluegill away for long.
Bluegill are just smart enough to pick away at the edges of a worm to avoid being hooked, and just dumb enough to throw caution to the wind and bite the pointy end anyway a few moments later.
If your kid wants to splash around a little bit, let them. At worst, the fish are scurrying 10 feet down the bank before their memory resets and they’re biting again.
I’ve had days fishing on Lake George near a popular rock cliff where there must have been 20 other boats within 100 yards, all filled with screaming, splashing kids, and I was still able to catch (juvenile) smallmouth bass repeatedly. Fish kids have about the same common sense as human ones. You’re good. Take a swim.
Granted, this advice won’t hold true for the bluegill and other species who were smart enough to grow large, but as for the little ones? You will do no irreparable harm by letting your child take a dip. It’s hard for kids to stay focused on one thing for long, so let them take a break from fishing and have some fun in the water.
Put Some Fish in the Livewell
I don’t usually eat the fish I catch, but when I’m with my son, I do hold onto them for a short while.
One of the main maxims that I preach repeatedly in my articles and books is that your initial goal while fishing with kids is to catch something legal and stick it in the livewell. Kids LOVE looking at fish in the livewell. It’s literally their favorite rectangle to stare at.
Having a couple fish in the livewell is pure gold when fishing with toddlers especially. If you sense a meltdown approaching, it is the perfect way to change the subject and divert them from cataclysmic bellowing.
Any time my son gets that look in his eyes or tone in his voice I just say, “Hey, Buddy! Go check on the fish and make sure they’re OK!” He instantly remembers that he has something awesome to look at and runs over there to check.
Honestly, when I bought the boat, I never thought I’d use the livewell, but now I recognize it as one of the must-have features for a family boat.
One word of warning: Kids have a propensity to leave the hatch open. This isn’t good for the fish, because it keeps them in the sun, and isn’t good for you, because if you don’t realize this you could trip and get seriously hurt.
Obviously, the livewell trick only works if you’re fishing from a boat, but if you’re walking a shoreline somewhere, a common 5-gallon bucket is all you need. Just make sure that you change the water regularly and keep it in the shade so the fish keep.
Some Kids Have Fun Fishing with a Net – Let Them
My son really likes netting other people’s fish. It’s a toss up if he prefers this or actually reeling them in on his own. I took him out yesterday and this was all he wanted to do. He kept saying, “Daddy, let me know when you catch one so I can net it!” and every time I had a bluegill on he came running up, just as excited as if I was about to hand him the rod.
I’m not arguing with this. Remember, I don’t care if he’s having fun fishing. I care if he’s having fun with me. If being the net man makes the fishing trip more fun for my kid, I’m all for it.
I did find that he had a little trouble with the big net, so I picked up a little orange one at the store. The net I bought is similar to this one here. It has a long handle and is the perfect size for netting bluegill. It makes things a little challenging for him too, which I think he enjoys. This net also does a great job of helping him take fish out of the livewell to throw back in the lake before we leave for the day.
If your son or daughter really enjoys netting fish, consider reading up on how to do this properly, so you can coach them. I wrote an article about netting fish that you can find here.
Bring Along a Toy While Fishing
Now, you have to be a little careful with this one because you don’t want to drop or otherwise ruin their favorite teddy bear, but bringing along a toy or two on a fishing trip isn’t a bad idea. Bringing along one that the two of you can sit down and use together is even better.
If you do this, then you’re just hanging out together and happen to be playing on a boat in the middle of the lake. It’s a cool little experience for humans that get a kick out of simple joys like cardboard boxes–they’ll think it’s neat and have a good time with it.
This is one more thing that you can do to avoid a fit, and keep the day positive. It’s also a great way to relax together while you enjoy a little lunch.
Go Exploring
Tell them you want to go find some turtles, or ducks. See if they want to run the big motor a bit towards a famous landmark. Ask them if they want to go see if they can find some sunken treasure on your depth finder.
Basically, just go for a boat ride. I don’t know if you realized this (it took me having kids to) but that motor on the back is good for much more than just taking you to your next fishing spot.
Let them drive and race the boat next to you, or even the train. Let them push the throttle wide open to get it on plane and see their smile beam.
Take them some place that they’ve never been before, or even some place that you’ve never been before. Have a legitimate journey together.
Who knows? When they get there, they might even want to start fishing again, and it might actually be a pretty good spot!
Keep Things in Perspective
I just wrote an entire article about “how to make fishing fun for kids” and didn’t even talk about what you can do when the lure is in the water. Part of me says, “You know what? Why don’t you go back and add something about not using bobbers,” or “Maybe you should remind people how to troll for pickerel to put their kids on big, fun fish.”
I was about to do it. I really was. But then I realized that if I did that and changed up this article to include technical fishing advice, then I’d be missing the point that I’ve been trying to drive home since the lead sentence:
Don’t worry about your kids having fun fishing! Worry about them having fun with YOU!
If you follow this advice, I promise you that your kids will have a much better time out there, and so will you. You will have a good day with your children, and a memory that will serve you well in your later years.
So go jump in the lake, throw some water in that livewell, play with a net, or even a toy, and go exploring in that boat of yours. The fishing will happen when they’re ready.
Other Thoughts
You’ll have an easier time keeping fishing fun for your kids if you are halfway decent at the sport yourself. My website discusses numerous fishing tips from the perspective of a parent trying to help other parents learn the sport. While you can certainly find great information elsewhere, I do have a few that would help you here. I’d start with my cornerstone pieces, The Basic Skills You Need to Take A Kid Fishing, or my Illustrated Guide to Fishing with Kids.
If you’re serious about helping your children learn to fish, consider purchasing my book, Fishing with Kids: A Parent’s Guide
Thanks,
John Paxton