You’re probably sitting there with a pale face, full of terror. Your kid just asked you to take them fishing, and you have no idea how. Perhaps you’ve never fished before. Maybe you fished once or twice as a kid yourself, but some adult tied on a bobber and ruined the sport for you forever. You might even like the hobby, but are nervous because you know how many times you come home without catching any fish, and don’t want to do that to your son or daughter. The pressure when taking kids fishing is real.
Taking kids fishing is an intimidating task for seasoned anglers, much less novices. There’s tremendous pressure to make sure the kids catch a fish. You want them to have fun, not wind up in the emergency room, or have your spouse telling you, “I told you so.”
You know it won’t be easy. Finding, much less hooking and landing a fish, is never a guarantee even for professionals. Just look at all the zeros on any tournament scorecard and you’ll see what I mean.
Then, there’s the matter of all the mechanics to consider. Little about this sport is intuitive, and that’s if you even get to the lake. Many a parent has quit after walking through a Wal-Mart aisle full of kids fishing poles, overwhelmed with anxiety trying to determine which fishing rod is best for their children.
Is this making your stomach turn a bit? Are you scared, wondering if you can pull this off, or if your kid is going home frowning and empty handed? Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered! Here’s my illustrated guide to taking kids fishing. Your one stop shop for everything you need to know!
What This Post Is
My goal with this post is simple. It will walk you through EXACTLY what you need to do to catch a fish with your kids. I will tell you exactly what kids fishing gear to buy (and will keep it simple, with gear you can find right on Amazon, or at Wal-Mart). I will teach you exactly what fish are best for children, and precisely when and where to find these fish to maximize your chance of success.
Specifically, I’m going to discuss five topics:
- A few helpful maxims or mottos to remember when fishing with kids.
- Some important safety tips to remember.
- The best kids fishing gear (I promise to keep this short and not try and upsell you).
- How to use that gear (basically, how to tie a simple rig and cast it).
- What fish to target as well as where and when to find them.
At the end, I will also devote some time to a FAQ about fishing with children as well as give you some good additional resources to help you out.
My goal for this article is that you should be able to catch a fish by doing nothing else than reading this post, and buying nothing else than the modest gear that I recommend. But, if I fail and you still have questions, you can also email me and I’ll personally help you for free. You can even send me your phone number if you want, and we can talk this through. I want your fishing trip with kids to be successful, and I’ll do everything I can to help.
Maxims and Mottos for Taking Kids Fishing
There are a few maxims or mottos that I live with when fishing with kids, but none is more important than this:
Get a fish in the livewell or bucket as fast as possible.
Your number one goal should be to get any fish you can (that is legal to keep) in your livewell or bucket as fast as you can. Doing so gives you considerable breathing room. First, your day is a success, because you have caught a fish. Secondly, if the action does slow down (and it will from time to time) your child has a new fish “friend” to play with.
Other Useful Maxims
Some other useful tips include:
- Bring a spare rod or two that your kids can use while you fix tangles. Plan on fixing tangles constantly. Coach your children to tell you about tangles before they become unmanageable.
- Make sure you have snacks and shade. Understand that children will find reasons to whine. Don’t give them any more than you have to. Bring snacks, provide shade, and make sure they’re comfortable.
- Make sure you have a plan B. I recommend fishing places that have something else interesting to do. Fishing ponds next to a playscape are a great idea.
Safety Precautions for Fishing With Kids
Fishing doesn’t have to be dangerous, but just remember that you’re fooling around with sharp objects near water, often in the blazing sun, and with the intention of capturing wild animals. Things can go wrong. Here are some of the more common issues to be aware of.
The Sun
The most likely danger you’ll encounter when taking children fishing is the sun, especially if you’re on a boat with little shade. Make sure that you bring large-brimmed hats and liberally apply sunscreen. Consider avoiding the dog days of summer with little wind as they can be unbearable. If you have an option to add a bimini cover to your boat, set it up.
Keep an eye on your kids and remind them to drink water. It’s easy for them to forget to do this. My son gets so engrossed by fishing that if I didn’t remind him to take a drink now and then, he might pass out on the floor!
Don’t be afraid to call it a day or at least avoid mid afternoon. Often, this is the hardest time to catch fish, anyway. Granted, with kids, sometimes you’re working around nap time and can’t always pick your spots, but if you had a choice, I’d recommend mornings or evenings. The fish will bite better and the sun won’t be as brutal.
Hooks and Other Sharp Objects
Hooks are an obvious danger, as are scissors or even sharp pliers. You’d likely supervise young children making a craft at home with scissors, so be doubly aware while fishing with them on a rocking boat.
If you’ve followed my blog for any time, you’ll know that I try to avoid certain types of hooks, like treble hooks, when fishing with kids. These are three-pronged hooks that will stand up straight at all times and tend to be very sharp and thin. All of this is a true recipe for disaster if you ask me. If you search on YouTube or Google for videos or pictures of anglers jabbed by fishing hooks, chances are it’ll be a treble hook. Because of this, I recommend leaving them at home. If you must use them, consider pinching down the barbs.
I’d also highly suggest investing in some sunglasses for your children. First, they’ll help with the obvious sun issues. Secondly, they offer protection against errant hooks. While a hook getting stuck anywhere in a child is a problem, their losing an eye would be a tragedy. Sunglasses provide some peace of mind. If your kid doesn’t want to wear them, pick up a pair of polarized glasses and pitch it to them as a better way to see fish underwater (they reduce sun glare and allow you to see into the water better).
The Water
Kids love water, but water doesn’t always love kids. When on a moving boat, your children should always wear a life jacket. Some states even require them to wear one when the boat is moored, so check local regulations. While you can pick up any old life jacket, I swear by Mustang Survival life jackets for children. If you’re interested in finding out why, check out my review on why Mustang Survival makes the best kids life jackets. While they are a little more expensive than some other options, I don’t recommend skimping on your child’s life vest.
Another concern with water is that it can chill your kids quickly if they get it on their clothes. Remember how I told you to get a fish in the livewell or bucket as fast as you could? Well, guess what else is going in there? Your kids’ hands along with their sleeves. This can quickly chill them on a spring or fall morning, so be aware of this and keep some dry clothes to change them into if necessary.
The Animals
With the possible exception of fallfish, just about every type of fish you catch has some way of injuring your kids. Remember – these are live animals who aren’t in on the secret that you intend to thrown them back. For them, this is a life or death struggle and they’re going to use what God gave them to defend themselves as best they can. Here are some of the ways they do this:
Teeth
Teeth are obvious enough. If you catch a species that has them (like northern pike, chain pickerel, walleye, trout, bowfin, etc.) you should not handle these fish by the mouth! Doing so can result in a nasty bite.
Spines
Many of the smaller prey fish out there (such as sunfish, bluegill, and yellow perch) have sharp spines along their dorsal (top) fin that they will extend when caught. These are prickly and can hurt if they catch you just right. On the other hand, they can be folded back down or simply avoided. My son grabs fish fearlessly at this point and just shrugs off the spines as they don’t hurt that bad, but then he also plays hockey. You should at least warn your kids that the spines can jab them.
Bear in mind that some fish, like bullhead, have a toxin in their spine that makes getting jabbed by them especially painful. I’d recommend handling these fish yourself so your kid doesn’t get hurt.
Gill Plate
The gill plate on many fish is quite sharp. I really wouldn’t recommend having kids handle fish by the gill plate. Much can go wrong for the fish, and it functions almost like a blade that can slice a finger.
Further Reading on Fishing Safety With Kids
You’ll find that those are the most common issues to watch out for. Want more advice? Check out my article about safety tips for fishing with kids where I will put the fear of God into you over every little thing that can go wrong! Joking, but not really.
Fishing Gear For Kids
I promised you at the beginning of the post that this article would tell you EXACTLY what kids fishing equipment you needed. I intend to keep that promise. If you’re looking for some lengthy “best of” post, with fifty different recommendations that are supposedly “the best kids fishing poles” (makes you wonder what they think is worst), you won’t find that here. I’m going to keep things simple and to the point.
These are the five pieces of fishing gear for children that you need:
- A good kids fishing pole, pre-spooled with line.
- A pack of fishing hooks.
- Some sinkers or weights.
- Spare fishing line for when yours tangles.
- Some bait.
All the merchandise links in this article will take you to Amazon, but you should be able to find all of them (or their close equivalent) in your local Wal-Mart fishing aisle. Note that I recommend a few different kids fishing rods. You should choose which one you buy based on how old your child is.
Also note that when I say “best kids fishing pole” I really mean “best kids fishing rod,” but as more people search for fishing “pole” than “rod,” and I’m trying to help people find this post, that’s what I’m rolling with. There is a difference between a fishing pole and a fishing rod if you’re curious. It’s mostly semantics at this point, but I’m a purist at heart!
Gear That Makes Fishing With Children EASY
- If your child is between the ages of 1-3, you will buy them a Zebco Dock Demon spinning rod combo.
- If your child is 4 or older, you will buy this 5′ Ugly Stik fishing rod and spinning reel combo.
- For kids who are 8 or so, you might want to upgrade to this 6′ Ugly Stik spinning combo.
- You will buy a pack of Eagle Claw Aberdeen style panfish hooks in size 4.
- You’re going to need a weight of some kind. You can get away with some small nuts and bolts, or buy these Tungsten dropshot sinkers (lead works too but is illegal in some states). These should be small. 1/32 oz or 1/16 oz would work.
- For fishing line, you’ll get Berkley Trilene XL in 6lb test as a backup. All the kids fishing poles I recommended came with fishing line, but tangles happen and you might need to replace it. Trilene XL is about the best fishing line for kids that you can find.
- If you don’t want to use live bait (even though you really, really should) you will buy a pack of Berkley Gulp Minnows in 1″ length (get ones that are gray or silver).
In addition to this, make sure you bring a pair of needle nose pliers from home. Any pair from your toolbox will work.
That’s it. Nothing crazy. You can buy it all on Amazon and have it here in 2 days. Or, you can go to Wal-Mart and probably find this exact stuff or something close. Again, I’m here to make fishing with kids easy.
Why Did I Pick These Fishing Poles and This Fishing Gear for Kids?
Look, these aren’t the most expensive fishing poles for kids. Likewise, they aren’t necessarily the highest quality out there. What they are, however, is very easy for a beginner to pick up and use. The goal of this entire post is to make things easy, so that you can focus on catching a fish.
You’ll note that I’ve recommended kids rod and reel combos here. Normally, I don’t recommend buying a youth fishing rod and reel combo, because I think you can do better parting stuff out. However, these aren’t normal times. These are desperate times, because your kid wants you to take them fishing, and you don’t know what you’re doing! I don’t want to stress you out even more having you put on your own fishing line or try to assemble your own reel, so I’ve gone with youth fishing combos that start off with line on the spool.
While I did once write an article all about the best kids fishing rods, I’m confident that if you buy the five pieces of equipment above, you’ll be just fine. Let’s break down the gear a little bit to show why.
The Best Kids Fishing Pole
Many posts out there about the best kids fishing pole have 10-20 entries, many of which are junk. I’m going to keep it real simple for you. Let’s and just talk about two that are good fishing rods for kids. If you’re looking for the best beginner fishing rod for kids, I recommended either the Zebco Dock Demon or an Ugly Stik. They are the perfect size for young anglers, and can stand up to the abuse kids put them through.
Steer clear of the fishing poles with princesses or cars on them. Let’s put it this way. If you buy one of my recommendations, you’ll use them with multiple kids. If you buy a toy fishing rod, you’ll be lucky if you can use them for multiple fishing trips.
Zebco Dock Demon
My kids have been fishing a Zebco Dock Demon since they were little. At 30″, it’s the perfect size for fishing with 2 or 3 year olds. It stands up well and will catch fish. My son wasn’t exactly careful with it, and smacked and dropped it every which way. Even so, it lasted long enough for my daughter to use it a few years later. I have pictures to prove it. Here’s a photo of the front of my book. You’ll note that my then 2-year-old son is fishing with a Zebco Dock Demon (you’ll also note that I’m photographed wearing a fanny pack on a nationally distributed book, but form follows function).
Trust me, I’m not going to try and sell you on something that doesn’t work. If you’re taking your kids out fishing and you have a 2 or 3 year old in tow, pick up a Zebco Dock Demon for them at Amazon and keep them entertained.
The Ugly Stik Combos
I spend a lot of time on my blog raving about how Ugly Stik makes some of the best rods for fishing with kids. I’ve been fishing with these since I was a kid myself. Now, my children are now using a number of the same fishing poles from my past.
As I mentioned, the particular Ugly Stik fishing rods I recommended above are combos. While I do earnestly believe you can find better stuff by parting it out, that overcomplicates things for a kid’s first fishing trip. The combos I recommended will work great for your children and help them catch their first fish. There’s a great chance your grandchildren will be using the same fishing rods some day.
Why Am I Recommending Spinning Reels Instead of Spincast Reels?
Many people recommend that kids start off with spincast reels. I don’t. While spincast reels are easier to cast, here’s the thing: if your kid isn’t old enough to learn how to cast a spinning reel, they aren’t old enough to cast on their own, anyway. You should be casting for your children when you’re all getting started. If you don’t, one of these three things is GUARANTEED to happen:
- Your child will cast into the first bush or tree they (don’t) see.
- There’s an extremely good chance you or another bystander will be hooked and hurt.
- Your kid’s fishing line will tangle into the worst birds nest imaginable almost instantly.
Unless you bring along spare fishing rods (which isn’t a bad idea, frankly), you really don’t want your kids casting on their first time out. If your kids are anything like my three-year-old daughter, this is going to cause some issues (“I can do it!” is one of her favorite slogans). You’ll want to set some clear ground rules in advance (remember those maxims we discussed)!
Why Did I Only Recommend Fishing Hooks Instead of Lures?
It is much easier to catch a fish with a hook and a worm than it is with a fishing lure. Lures are artificial and require some skill to convince fish that they’re something worth eating. Worms, on the other hand, are actual food and fish (at least the dumb ones, which are the ones you’re looking for when you take your kids out fishing) don’t need any convincing. While I do have some articles about the best kids fishing lures, can you just trust me on this? Grab a pack of Aberdeen panfish hooks in size 4 and keep things simple for the first few fishing trips with your children.
Now, you are going to need to bait these hooks. Nightcrawlers are your best bet, and you should do your best to keep them alive and healthy as fish prefer live worms to dead ones. You could also fish with corn, though you’ll want to check and see if that is legal in your state.
Alternatives to Live Bait
Some people are uneasy about using worms or other live bait. I get it. Before I was a dad, I didn’t like using live bait either. If you don’t want to fish with worms for whatever reason, then buy some of those Berkley gulp minnows I talked about earlier. Get the 1″ size if you can, but no larger than 1.5″. This is small enough that panfish can grab them. Use a color that is either gray or black – something natural.
I personally have had much better luck by buying Berkley Gulp minnows in the plastic tanks filled with liquid than the dry pouches. The liquid is a proprietary scent and the lures come doused in it. They give off a good scent trail in the water which really calls the fish in. Berkley claims that Gulp out fishes live bait, and I’ve had several days where they were right. It’s certainly pricey compared to nightcrawlers, but well worth it.
Why Berkley Trilene XL is the Best Fishing Line for Kids
Granted the kids fishing rod and reel combos I recommended earlier come pre-spooled with fishing line, but that will only last so long. You’re only a few epic tangles (read: about 5 minutes away when fishing with small children) from needing to put on fresh line, so you’d better buy a pack.
If you’re looking for the best fishing line for kids, it’s Berkley Trilene XL, hands down. This isn’t fancy stuff. Indeed, it’s been around for decades and some thumb their noses at it, considering it “simple.” Simple is exactly what you want when you’re fishing with kids. Berkley Trilene XL is soft, easy to manage, and inexpensive. It casts well, is easy to tie knots with, and is strong. You can also find it anywhere. Amazon carries it, but it’s also at any local sports shop that carries fishing gear, guaranteed.
Since I’m trying to keep things simple here by setting you up with gear you don’t need to spool, I’m not going to give you the instructions how to do that here. However, I do walk you through that process in my post about the basic skills you need to take a kid fishing if you need some help.
Avoid Fluorocarbon When Fishing With Kids
Fluorocarbon is a mess to deal with and will have you wondering why your fishing line unravels from your spool so easily. It’s not a good fishing line for beginners because it’s so hard to keep it pliable.
Braided Fishing Line Can Cut Children
Braid is extremely strong fishing line that won’t coil up, but it is sharp and can easily cut your kids. Most of my injuries while fishing have come from using this line. Let’s say your child catches a good sized fish – that’s the dream, right? If your kid doesn’t want to touch the fish, they’ll hold the line instead. Now let’s suppose that fish thrashes suddenly. That thin braided rope is going to burn or cut your child’s hands.
Why You Need to Buy Some Fishing Sinkers
Well, I suppose you technically don’t. As mentioned earlier, you can use some nuts or bolts or anything heavy that you don’t mind losing as a weight. I’d simply recommend you stay away from lead sinkers. For one, lead isn’t good for you or the environment. Secondly, some lead sinkers are illegal in some states like Massachusetts.
You can pick up any sinkers you find that are affordable. Ones that are shaped like this work very well, but don’t fret if you can’t find their exact match. Just make sure you buy or scrounge up a weight, because we’re going to use them to tie a drop shot, which I’ll describe in the next section.
How to Fish With Kids – The Mechanics
Here we will discuss the mechanics of fishing. This could fill an entire book, but I’m going to keep things simple and teach you three things:
- You’ll learn how to tie a drop shot rig.
- We’ll discuss how to cast a spinning rod.
- I’ll teach you how to hook, fight, and land a fish.
While there’s plenty more to learn, I promised to keep things simple These three skills will be enough to help your kids catch a fish.
How to Tie a Drop Shot Rig
At a glance, the drop shot rig should look like this:
The drop shot rig is just a hook tied with a Palomer Knot where a sinker is attached to the tag end. To tie a Palomer Knot, thread your line through your hook and then pass the tag end back through the eye again (figure 1). Take the loop this forms, and tie a simple overhand knot around the standing line and tag line with the loop (figure 2). Now, take the loop and pass the hook itself through it (figure 3). Finally, pull on both the hook and the tag/main line until the line is fully tightened (figure 4). You would now attach a sinker of your choice to the tag end (I like to leave about 12″ of line between the sinker and the hook, but you can experiment with different lengths).
The Benefits to the Drop Shot Rig
The reason I’m so high on the drop shot is its versatility. It will catch literally any fish in the lake and can quickly be converted to a simple hook and worm by removing the sinker. You can also rig up a bobber to it easily enough (even if I hate fishing with bobbers with a passion).
Drop shot rigs work very well in a variety of locations. Basically, anywhere that they won’t be fouled by weeds is a good place to throw them. They do very well in rocks (especially if you use cylindrical drop shot weights that won’t get stuck as easily in nooks and crannies), and are perfect for dropping near a school of sunfish or perch.
Finally, they’re a breeze for kids to cast, and don’t have treble hooks that you need to worry about. The hooks used tend to be quite small and thin, sure, but they don’t have too much of a barb to them and don’t pose as much danger as some other options.
How to Cast a Spinning Rod
Casting a spinning reel can seem daunting if you’re used to a spincast reel, but it’s really not that hard. My son was able to learn it at a very young age and with a little practice, so will you.
To learn how to cast a spinning rod, you need to know what the bail is. The bail is a metal loop that leads to a line guide. Its purpose is to keep line from falling off your reel. When the bail is opened, line can freely fall unless you do something about it. What you need to do is to hold the line with your index finger (young kinds might use their second hand) to keep it taut. When you go to cast your rod, you would release your finger from the line when you’re ready for your lure to fly.
Essentially, whereas with a spincast reel you hold onto a button and release it when you’re ready for your lure to cast, with a spinning reel, “the button” is the line itself, and you hold it with your index finger.
Hooking, Fighting, and Landing Fish
Once you get a fish to bite, you need to do three things: hook, fight, and land it! Here’s a few handy tips for each.
Hooking Fish
When you feel a fish start to nibble, you want to set the hook. Setting the hook means driving it through the fish’s mouth so the fish is stuck. You do this with either a short jerking or sweeping motion depending on what type of hook you’re using. If you don’t set the hook, you’re basically hoping that the fish bit down hard enough to snag itself. This isn’t always the case.
Just be careful when you set the hook not to pull too hard. For one, you might rip the hook out of the fish’s mouth. More critically, you might find you’ve sent the hook back flying towards you and your children! This can get dangerous in a hurry and is the second most likely way (behind casting) that someone gets hooked. Take it easy there sport and don’t go nuts!
Fighting Fish
Fighting fish boils down to three main objectives:
- Keep the fish hooked.
- Prevent the line from breaking.
- Guide the fish away from cover, and to the boat or shore.
Keeping Fish Hooked
To keep a fish hooked, you need to maintain pressure on the line. When a hooked fish is under pressure (which is easy to tell by your rod bending), it means that the hook is grappled into the fish’s mouth. When there is no pressure, the hook can fall limp and be dislodged. Thus, it’s important to keep pressure on the fish.
While it’s not something I’d recommend for adults when fighting big fish, the easiest way to get kids to do this is simply to tell them to keep their rod up high. This has some disadvantages (the fish may be more inclined to jump, and in a worst case scenario, “high sticking” can cause the rod to break), but with little kids, it really is your best bet.
Preventing Your Fishing Line From Breaking While Fighting Fish
Fishing line has a line test, which means the amount of force it can endure before it breaks. For example, 6lb line can withstand 6lb of pressure. However, this does not mean that 6lb line can only catch fish 6lbs and smaller. Indeed, substantially larger fish are often caught on smaller test line. This can be done for a few reasons.
First, the rod itself absorbs some of the pressure and acts like a shock absorber on a car. It is very important to maintain a bend in the rod so that the line won’t snap. If your child points the rod tip right at the fish and prevents this bend from forming, the line can easily snap.
Secondly, your reel’s drag system will allow line to pull off the reel when a certain force is applied. Your spinning reel will either have a dial at the top above the spool, or below it. With most manufacturers, twisting this clockwise will increase the drag (meaning, it will be harder for line to pull off) while turning it counter-clockwise will decrease the drag.
A good rule of thumb is to ensure that line will pull off with a bit of pressure, but won’t fly off. This will help you prevent your kid’s from losing a fish that takes a sudden run, but will also ensure that your child can make some progress against larger fish.
Keeping Fish Away From Cover
When you’re fishing near cover (rocks, piers, laydowns, docks, etc.) bear in mind that this cover is the fish’s home base. Chances are, when they feel the pinch of the hook they’re going to go scooting off for home. Try to be aware of this when fishing and make an effort to keep your kids aware of it too. Their going to want to try and steer fish away from heavy cover as well as possible. If they don’t the fish can get tied up around the cover and break off.
Landing Fish
Once your child has tired a fish out and it is near the shore or the boat, you need to land it. If the kid you’re fishing with is fairly small, or excitable, you’ll want to help. The goal is to get the fish safely out of the water without injuring it or having it escape.
Small fish, like sunfish, bluegills, and yellow perch can simply be lifted out of the water. Your kid will probably end up reeling these fish close to their rod tip (which you want to tell them to avoid) before you know it, anyway. However, when you start tackling larger fish like largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, catfish, chain pickerel, and northern pike, you’ll probably want to use a net.
While it is possible to land any fish without a net, things will go much smoother and safely if you use a landing net. I prefer landing nets like the Frabil Conservation Series net as its rubber netting is better for fish. It also catches less barbs than traditional rope/fiber nets. This is a win-win for everyone!
When attempting to land a fish with a net, try to guide the fish head first into the net and seize it with a scooping motion. Be careful not to jab at it, because if you miss and bonk the fish’s nose with the edge of the fishing net’s rim, there’s a good chance you’ll knock the fish off.
If you need more help with safely and confidently landing fish, I wrote a helpful article on the proper way to land your kid’s trophy.
The Critical Moment – The Hand Off
The moment that you attempt to hand your child the rod is the fish’s best chance of escape. Remember how I mentioned keeping pressure on the line and not allowing any slack is critical? Well, this is very challenging to do when handing a line from one person to the next. You need to ensure that before you pass the rod, your child knows to grab it and keep pressure on. You’ll help yourself tremendously if you ensure that you hand it to them with a bow in the rod meaning that the fish is under pressure. Do not allow slack to form before handing it over as there’s a great chance you’ll impart at least a little on the transition.
This might take you a few times to get right, especially if you’re targeting larger species. Don’t let your frustration seep through or let your kid down. Both of you need your A game to make this work so don’t let any nagging doubts creep in.
What Types of Fish are Good Targets for Children?
That old cliche that there’s plenty of fish in the sea is also true about fish species, but we won’t bother with that. We’re going to put fish into two broad buckets: easy fish to catch, and “kicker fish” to take a beaming photograph of. As mentioned in the maxims section, the idea is that you want to to get a fish into the livewell as fast as possible. This means that you should focus on catching “easy fish,” not “kicker fish.”
An easy fish is one that will bite repeatedly, aggressively, and without much trouble. They don’t require special gear or know how, and basically just require you to show up where they are and drop a worm in front of their face. Fish like sunfish, bluegill, crappie, rock bass, and yellow perch are considered “easy fish.” They were probably the first fish that you ever caught, and they’ll be the first your kids catch too.
“Kicker fish” are the fish your kids are going to go show off at Show & Tell the next day. These are the fish that are a little bit bigger than the easy fish, and will pull a little line. They’ll put a bend in the rod and a smile on the face. These will be the photos you put up on the big screen during their wedding day.
Kicker fish are not the goal. Easy fish are what you’re after. Kicker fish live in the same areas, however, so with time, you’ll get one naturally.
How to Catch Panfish
Panfish (bluegill, sunfish, yellow and white perch, as well as crappie) are great fish to target with kids, because they’re relatively simple to catch. They aren’t particularly smart, are extremely common, and will put up a decent fight on the light or ultralight rods you might use with your kids.
Panfish hang around docks, wood, and weeds. In clear enough water, you can often see panfish even if fishing from shore. Oddly, even though you can see them, they’ll still often take a bite at your worm!
Where to Find Panfish
Panfish are common in many lakes and ponds. When fishing from shore, you’ll be able to find them near most types of cover. For example, weed lines, rocks, and standing/fallen timber. When fishing from shore, you will probably notice there are “community spots.” You can recognize these because there will be signs of repeated human activity. These include worn areas where there is no grass, and, unfortunately, trash.
While these spots are often productive (and frankly, often your best shot when taking kids with you) just be advised that they may have been overfished recently. Sometimes, you may be better off taking a few steps off to the side or trying to find a good spot that not as many folks frequent.
Ideally, you’ll find a spot that has easy access to 3-6′ of water near cover. I like to use a drop shot tied on with a worm or gulp minnow to search for panfish. I don’t put my rod down. Rather, I hold onto it waiting to detect their bites. If there are panfish in the area, it usually doesn’t take too long to get a nibble.
Another outstanding place to find panfish is near creek mouths. Sometimes you’ll find them right in the mouth itself, while other times they’ll be a bit further back. These spots are especially productive in early spring and fall. During the height of summer, boat docks, rocks, and other places that toss a lot of shade can hold many fish.
What Size Hook to Use for Panfish
There’s a pond near my house that I take my children to often. It is popular, and there are frequently other families fishing next to us. We habitually take more fish than them, and it usually isn’t close. This isn’t really due to skill, but due to hook size. I’ve found that when I walk over to help out, they have a monster hook tied onto their line. I fish with very small hooks, usually size 4 or 6 in a panfish hook. This set has a good range of sizes that work well for panfish.
Basically, you want to make sure that the fish can actually fit the hook in their mouth. If they can’t, they will simply peck away at the sides of your worm until the hook is stripped bare.
I’d also recommend using just a little piece of a worm. There is no need to thread on the entire thing when going for panfish. If you do, you’ll find that most fish steal parts of the worm without being hooked. By taking a small chunk and placing it right near the point of the hook, your chances for success increase substantially.
How to Catch a Big Fish With Your Kids
There’s a very good chance that if you simply soak a worm for long enough, your kids will tie into a larger fish eventually. However, no one will dispute that you’re more likely to catch larger fish if you specifically target them.
Trying to catch a big fish with your kids requires either more skill, or more patience.
As your child’s casting accuracy and distance increases, you can tie on a spinnerbait for them. This is a lure that rarely catches panfish. Most bites will be a bass or larger. If your child lacks the skill set or desire to continuously cast, if you have a boat, you can try trolling. I wrote an article about trolling for pickerel which has become one of my go-to ways to catch fish with smaller kids in tow.
With more patience, you can tying on chunks of chicken liver onto a circle hook for bullhead and catfish. This is very much a “soak and wait” type of presentation, so ensure you have some distractions nearby.
If you’re serious about catching a larger fish with your kids, I’d take them out in the evening as the sun is setting. While you’ll need good bug spray, larger fish tend to be more active at this time and you’ll have a better shot at catching one.
Other Helpful Resources
Fishing has a ton of great content producers out there besides FishingFather publishing blogs, videos, books, and magazines frequently. One of my favorites is In-Fisherman magazine, which is great because it looks at ALL major freshwater species of North America, rather than just bass.
I’m also a huge fan of Uncut Angling’s YouTube channel. While some of his stuff is a bit advanced, he brings passion to the sport, has great tips, fishes year round, and just has some awesome fun videos to help get your kids excited about the sport.
You may want to pick your child up “My Awesome Guide to Freshwater Fishing: Essential Techniques and Tools for Kids” by yours truly. I had a great time working with my publisher on this book and trust that your children will enjoy it and find it very useful.
On the other hand, if you, the parent are looking for help, check out my book, “Fishing with Kids: A Parent’s Guide” for help centered from the adult’s perspective.
Frequently Asked Questions for Fishing With Kids
I thought it would be best to close with a few “quick hit” questions that I hear from time to time from parents new to the sport. Some of these have been answered up above, but it helps to have them in one spot.
At What Age Does My Child Need a Fishing License?
All states allow very young children to fish without a fishing license, but a few require that their chaperon have one. Arizona has the strictest laws in terms of age, as kids less than 10 years old need a fishing license of their own. For more information, please see an article where I researched if a kid needs a fishing license in all 50 states.
What Size Hook Should I Use for Panfish?
Because panfish have very small mouths, you’ll want to use a smaller hook. I recommend panfish long shank hooks in the size 4 to 6 or so, but this set has a bit wider range that includes some other good sizes you can experiment with.
What is the Best Fishing Line to Use With Children?
I recommend 6lb test Berkley Trilene XL. It casts smooth, has low memory, is inexpensive, and is a tried and true brand I’ve been using since I was a kid myself. 6lb test is a good size that will fit on most spinning reels, even small ones kids use. It is strong enough to allow your child to catch bass and even larger fish, assuming the drag is set appropriately.
Other Helpful FishingFather Articles
Preparing for a Fishing Trip With Kids
The Basic Skills You Need To Take Your Kids Fishing
Safety Tips for Fishing With Kids
Tips to Make Fishing With Kids Stress Free
Conclusions
Well that was a doozy of an article, wasn’t it? But then, this is an expansive topic that can take a lifetime to master. I hope this helped condense that a little bit into something you could chew through in a weekend and have a good time on the water with your children!
Please feel free to send me stories or photos of your fishing adventures and successes. I’d love to hear feedback if this guide or my books helped you on your journey!
Thanks,
John Paxton