Over the years I’ve been on plenty of father and son fishing trips, both with my dad and with my son, Tristan. There’s nothing quite like spending quiet time out there on the water with your child, and at Fishingfather.com, that’s exactly what we’re here to help you do. Here’s some tips for how to plan a great father and son fishing trip, and a few ideas of where to go.
How Old Should Your Son Be Before You Take Him Fishing?
I’m at the point now where I joke with Tristan that I’ve really done him a disservice. See, I didn’t get him into baseball or hockey before he could walk, so now all the other kids have overtaken him. I did, however get him fishing since he was a wee little baby and now he’s absolutely crushing it at 8. We recently got back from a trip to Lake Champlain and I was super impressed with how well he could cast a baitcaster. That doesn’t happen over night!
You can take your son (or daughter) on a fishing trip regardless of their age. You’re just going to need to temper your expectations to match their age and ability. A two year old probably won’t be able to cast, but may be able to spin the reel if you hold the rod for them. A kid who is fifteen is going to look at you funny if you try to do that. In the same respect, if you’re taking your son out when he’s little, you should be focusing on panfish, not Blue Marlin.
I’ve written several posts that can help you get the hang of things regardless of what age your son is. Consider reading up on a few of these before setting out for your father son fishing trip.
T and I had a wonderful time on our recent fishing trip to Lake Champlain.
Why You Should Plan a Father Son Fishing Trip
There’s no time like the present. I’m so glad that my dad took me on many fishing trips together when he was able to. While I still drag him out from time to time, he’s having a tough go of it lately as he gets older and slows down. You never know when this day will come for you. You’re just one accident away from not being able to spend as much time with your littles so go out of your way to take them on a fishing trip today.
In this day in age, fishing with your children is even more important. After all, it gets them away from the screens and their stupid Roblox account. It gives them confidence and something worth posing for a picture with. I can’t get my son or daughter to pose for a shot unless they’re holding a fish! Hey, whatever works.
Planning Your Father Son Fishing Trip
A father son fishing trip can be as simple as a trip to the local pond, or an extravagant excursion to the wilds of Alaska. Regardless of where you’re trying to go, you’re going to want to have fun with your son. Here are some tips to help you plan your trip.
Determine Your Goals
The first step in planning a successful father son fishing trip is to determine your goals. Are you trying to help your son catch his first fish? Are you on a monster quest looking for a true lunker? Is this a bucket list journey you’ve been saving up for the past few years? Are you after quantity, or quality? Is there a particular species you are after? You should have goals in mind to help you narrow down where to go.
Consider Your Options
Depending on what goals you have in mind, you need to narrow your options. The best way to do this is by online research including asking folks for help on internet forums. While anglers can be wary of giving out their specific spots, most are willing to at least help out a dad who is taking their kid out with some general advice. For example, if I wanted to catch some Florida strain largemouth bass, here’s what I would do.
First, I’d figure out what states have them (generally southern ones).
Then, I’d pick the state I’m interested in visiting (let’s say Florida).
Once I knew the state, I’d start poking around for good place to catch them (Okeechobee, the Harris Chain).
When I had it narrowed to the different waters, I’d see what accommodations are near, or what other things I could do with my son on the trip. Depending on your kid, you might not want to be in the boonies. On the other hand, that might be perfect.
Research the Water
Once you have it narrowed down to what water you’re going to fish on your father son fishing trip, you’re going to need to figure out how you will fish it! Can you launch your boat there? It not, can you rent one? If not, can you go out with a guide? Is there a depth chart somewhere for this lake? Are there any internet forums with anglers who post fishing reports for this lake? All of these questions are useful.
I once wrote a post called “Why You Can’t Catch Fish and What to Do About It” where I talk at length about how to research new water. Give it a gander so you can learn this new place you’re taking your kid!
Pack Your Gear
There’s nothing that will ruin a father son fishing trip like leaving some important gear behind. After all, you’re not going to have a good start if you need to run out to the local Wal-Mart to replace everything you forgot! That eats into valuable fishing time!
To ensure your trip goes as smoothly as possible, I suggest having everything you can packed days in advance. This gives you time so you can remember something once your memory jars. It also lets you realize if you’re missing something so you can do something about it at home instead of on the road. Packing for your tip early makes the packing somewhat enjoyable too. Far better than rushing at the end!
Set Your Son’s Expectations
When I’m taking my son on a fishing trip to a new destination, I am very careful to set his expectations. I find it is helpful to pitch the trip as an adventure where we are going to explore new water. I don’t promise fish ever, but especially not if we’re headed to a place I’ve never visited! Instead, talk about the experience. Talk about what you’ve read during your research. Don’t forget to mention the other things like arcades or museums or aquariums or such that you can do if the fishing doesn’t pan out!
When we make our fishing trips about the fishing, it had better be good. When we make these about bonding and experiencing life together, catching fish is just a bonus.
Great Father and Son Fishing Trip Destinations
While I’m sure there’s a million great father and son fishing trip destinations out there, my top 3, by far, would be Lake Champlain in New York and Vermont, the Harris Chain of Lakes in Florida, and salmon fishing in Ketchikan, Alaska. Each of these has some very strong things going for it that makes it a great fishing destination to take your kids on a special adventure. Let’s explore why.
Lake Champlain
My home waters, Lake Champlain is not only a tremendous fishery but there is a ton of stuff to do with kids if it rains or they just get bored. The Echo Aquarium in Burlington, Ausable Chasm, Fort Ticonderoga, and Lake George Village are all nearby. I always like to have a plan B when I’m fishing with kids and if I was planning a father son fishing trip it would be no different.
As to the fishing itself, Lake Champlain has pretty much every northern freshwater species you could think of. It is routinely a top bass water cited by Bassmaster, has extremely good smallmouth action, and has a healthy array of northern pike, chain pickerel, channel catfish, lake trout, Atlantic salmon, and more. There’s also a huge amount of panfish such as white perch, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, black and white crappie, so regardless of how old your kids are, there are fish for them to catch.
Our place is near the southern end of the Lake near Crown Point and Ticonderoga, but I’ve fished many times with Captain Mick Maynard of lakechamplainangler.com. He’s an incredible guide and does a great job helping kids catch giant fish. He fills up quick though so make sure you book early!
The Harris Chain of Lakes in Florida
I’ve fished in a number of locations in Florida, but my best advice to anyone planning a father son fishing trip in Florida is to stick to the Harris Chain of lakes. This is especially true if your kids are little. This chain is full of fish which is important, but you also take really cool canals to move from one lake to the other, which is an experience in and of itself.
However, the main reason I would recommend these lakes is their proximity to Orlando and Disney. This means you can take your kids out fishing and also to amusement parks for the typical Disney experience. While there are fishing guides on actual Disney waters, you’d likely do much better fishing this chain. Luckily, my dear friend Mick also fishes down in Florida during the winter! He has quite the life! Check him out at largemouthcentral.com to book your next charter!
Ketchikan, Alaska
If you’re seeking a more exotic location for your father son fishing trip, Ketchikan Alaska is a great place to go. My dad took me there a few times back in my 20’s and it was a blast. Specifically, we went to Sportsman’s Cove Lodge. Now, dad is a frequent traveler to Alaska, and he will tell you that there may be bigger fish elsewhere, but there is plenty of action at this lodge, and you’re doing it in refinement. The entire experience at Sportsman’s Cove makes you feel like a king and leaves you in total comfort. If you’re taking your family with you, this is the lodge they’ll want to go back to again and again.
I wrote a detailed review of my time at the lodge that you can find here. I definitely recommend reading it when you have a chance. If I was planning a father son fishing trip to Alaska, this would be the only option I’d consider.
Conclusions: Father Son Fishing Trips Are Worth Planning!
Some of my best memories in life are the fishing trips my dad took me out on, as well as the father son trips I’m experiencing right now with Tristan. Yes, they can sometimes be stressful and yes they can cost money, but the memories are priceless. I hope you get to experience a few of these trips yourself while your kids are still young enough to look up to you 🙂
By the time a child is four years old, it’s prime time to take them fishing. By this age your child should be completely capable of reeling in their own fish, and can probably learn how to cast as short distance fairly well. This makes it possible for your 4-year-old to catch their first fish, “all by themselves” at this age, which is a proud moment for any parent. All the same, fishing with a 4-year-old certainly has its share of challenges! I’ve been through it twice now so I thought I’d give you some tips.
With that out of the way, let’s jump into how you can go fishing with a 4-year-old!
What to Expect When Fishing With a 4-Year-Old
What can you expect when taking a 4-year-old fishing? In a word, chaos. Well, I’m half-joking. You should expect to spend a good amount of time untangling line and (hopefully) unhooking fish. You should also expect them to get bored nearly instantly if the fish don’t bite, so make sure you maximize your chances of success early on.
4-year-olds are also at that age where they really want to do everything themselves. Whereas a younger child might be content letting you cast, expect your 4-year-old to want to try. I suggest wearing some long clothes and eye protection!
Finally, 4-year-olds may or may not want to touch the fish they catch. Most of the sunfish and perch they’re likely to catch have sharp gill plates and spines that can prick them. You should probably bring along a towel to help your kid handle them. Note, a towel isn’t that great for the fish as it can wipe off their protective slime, but it may be the only way to get your kid to hold them.
Can a 4-Year-Old Catch Their Own Fish?
I’d argue four years old is about the age where a child can reasonably expect to catch a fish “all by themselves.” While you can certainly hand a rod to a child younger than that and help them reel it in, chances are you speared the worm, cast it out, and hooked the fish for them. While you still might want to put the nightcrawler on for your child, they should be able to handle just about everything at this point.
With that said, don’t expect it to happen instantly. There are a lot of motor skills a kid needs to learn with fishing. If this is their first time out, of course, help them! I’m just saying they are at the right age where they can catch one by themselves and report back home all proud.
Tips for Fishing With a 4-Year-Old
By the time a child is 4-years-old, it is possible to take them fishing alone without the help of another parent. All the same, the following tips will help make the trip more enjoyable for you both.
My son at 4-years-old, posing with this yellow perch.
Pre-fish and scout to keep your child’s interest
One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give to parents is to pre-fish and know what you’re getting into. Don’t show up to a fishing spot for the first time ever with your kid in tow. Go there a few days earlier just to check it out and see what it has to offer. Some things to consider:
Are there locations on the bank where you can cast easily?
Is there any place to play if the kids get bored?
Can you see fish activity in the water near where you’d fish?
Can you work a worm through the water without it getting all gunked up by slimy vegetation, or caught on rocks or wood?
You also might want to conduct an internet search of the location you plan to fish and the word “fishing reports.” This should take you to different forums and blogs where anglers share information on the location. It can give you a pretty good idea if it is a decent place to fish. Also, if you have time, don’t be afraid to join those forums! Most anglers will fall all over themselves to help a kid, so just tell them you’re planning on taking your little ones out and they’ll give you good tips to put them on fish (most guys on these forums aren’t after the sunnies you’ll be chasing with the tykes, anyway).
Another website to check is takemefishing.org. It can help you find a good fishing pond in your area!
Tip – This website (and I!) can help!
This website also has various ways to help. First, I wrote a post about how to scout out fishing locations that you might find useful. Secondly, I am MORE than willing to help you if you send me an email. Just tell me where you want to fish and I’ll do my best with map study and such to help you out. My goal with this website is to make sure you have the best fishing experience with your children! Take me up on the offer!
Choose a Location with a Plan B
Unless they’re *really* into it, most kids aren’t going to stay focused on fishing indefinitely. You’ll want to plan your trip to a location where there is something else for them to do. This could be a cool walk in the woods, a nearby playscape, or even just bringing a ball with you, or pack of cards when you’re on the boat. Always, always, ALWAYS have a “Plan B” when fishing with kids so they don’t get bored.
One of my favorite places to take my kids fishing in Connecticut has fields right behind it, just past that fence. Having a plan B is a huge deal when fishing with kids!
Bring a bucket
One of my main maxims when fishing with kids has and always will be, “get a fish in the bucket or livewell as fast as possible.” This takes SOOOOO much pressure off of you as a parent. The second you get a fish inside of a bucket (or even a frog, in a pinch) your kids have something to look at and play with when the bite slows down. Even if you plan on releasing everything when you leave, bring a bucket along to fill with some slimy friends for the kids to hang with. Just make sure you follow your local fishing regulations and don’t put in species that aren’t the appropriate size or out of season!
Wear the Right Clothing
By the time they’re four, children are going to want to dress themselves to some degree. It is questionable if you should let them before the fishing trip. Granted, you want to avoid a meltdown, but they really ought to be dressed for the occasion. Fishing is obviously done outside in the elements. The sun can really catch up to you on or near the water as it reflects off the surface. Make sure your children are dressed appropriately with hats and sunscreen so they don’t get a bad burn!
Bring (a few of) the Right Rod and Reel(s)
When fishing with kids, I definitely recommend bringing more than one rod. The reason is simple: your 4-year-old is going to tangle that thing so often if you don’t have at least two, they won’t be fishing much. Bring at least two rods that are rigged up for them so they can fish while you repair. I’ve honestly found I’ve needed as many as three at times just so I could keep a nice “assembly line” going.
I once wrote an article about the best fishing rods for kids, but to save you the read, just get a couple of Ugly Sticks. They’re relatively inexpensive, extremely durable, can take a beating, and catch fish. They can often be purchased in combos with a reel, like this one here. They aren’t glamorous and you aren’t going to impress the well-to-dos out there, but they do the trick and are what I’d recommend to any parent. A four year old will want the 5′ model in light or ultra light. This is fine for panfish and given it’s an Ugly Stick, it’ll also hold up fine to bass or the occasional small catfish.
Keep the Lures Simple
Don’t go overboard with lure selection when fishing with 4-year-olds. A simple (small) hook and worm will do. If you want to get fancy, a sinker is helpful as well. I avoid bobbers because they tend to cause you to sit and wait, which children hate. There’s often a large number of little nibbles going on beneath the surface that you’ll miss with a bobber. I know it’s controversial, but I hate using them with kids.
Likewise, this is not the time for that fancy braid or fluorocarbon. Get yourself some 6lb test Berkley Trilene XL and call it a day. It’s what I learned on, it’s what my kids learned on. It works.
Bring Snacks (and Wipes!)
It doesn’t matter how hard it is to get them to eat dinner, no 4-year-old will turn down a snack. Fishing is serious business and works up the appetite! Bring along some food for them, but don’t forget to bring some wipes too as their hands will likely be filthy! Sometimes a snack can also help distract them if the fish aren’t biting. We would tell our kids that they should probably eat so the fish would get hungry too. This can buy you a few moments to try and hook a fish yourself that you can hand off to your child, which is an added plus.
Conclusion: Four Years Old is Prime Time to Learn to Fish!
Taking a four-year-old out fishing can be an enjoyable experience for the parent and child. The kid is old enough to do a lot by themselves, and will be an absolute chatterbox all week about whatever they catch. Just remember that they are still a child, and will be prone to losing interest quickly. Make sure you bring distractions and fish at a good location that offers other entertainment.
I hope this article was helpful to you and your family. If there’s anything more I can do to help, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or to send me an email! Also, your child might be interested in My Awesome Guide to Freshwater Fishing. It was written just for them!
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.
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.
A few fish in the livewell (or a bucket) will provide entertainment when the fishing slows down. Try to get a few in there ASAP!
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.
I trust Mustang Survival with the most important people in my life.
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!
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.
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 – a tried and true technique for fishing with kids.
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.
While “high sticking” can be problematic, the bottom line is it is the easiest way to help a kid catch some fish. Kids don’t really listen to the instruction well enough to cause a grave danger with the technique, anyway.
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.
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.
A cross section of where to find panfish most days. Cover provides protection and shade both for the panfish and their prey.
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.
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.
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!
Every kid wants their parents to take them fishing, but I’m sad to report that I’ve met far too many parents who don’t. Yes, plenty of youths go their entire lives without having someone take them out for a fishing adventure. If you’re reading this, it’s time to break that miserable reality. You shouldn’t need much convincing; fishing’s awesome, end of story. You should absolutely take your child out fishing with you, every chance you get. Here are are a boatload of 31 reasons why you should take your kids out fishing with you this weekend.
1. Fishing Makes Shots at the Doctor’s Less Horrifying
I have legitimately used my son’s fishing experiences to help him through getting his shots at the doctors. Before I thought of doing this, shot day was the worst. There would tears, begging, screaming and fits.
How did fishing change all of this? Bluegill dorsal spines.
My child insists on holding his own fish and bringing them over to the livewell. With smaller fish, this means that he is routinely poked and jabbed by their dorsal spines and fins, which can feel pretty similar to the prick of a shot. He just never notices because he’s having fun and wants to handle fish “just like Daddy.”
It took me a few rounds at the doctor’s before I figured this out, but once I started talking to him about bluegill and how he gets spined and got him to acknowledge that it’s no big deal, I explained that getting a shot is just like a bluegill pricking him really quick – no big deal.
This got him smiling and it was clear the wheels were turning in his head as he said, “Ok,” and let the doctor treat him. We walked out of there with no tears and headed straight for the toy store to celebrate what an awesome job he did.
2. The Boat Is A Great Place to Potty Train Them
One of the greatest benefits of fishing with a two year old was we were able to potty train our son on the boat. We have a vinyl floor that gets far worse on it throughout the course of the fishing season, so if there was a little “spray” it was easy to correct. It was also great for our son because we didn’t have to pull him away from anything to go potty – just have a quick seat and, “why sure, kid, hold onto your rod while you’re at it.”
I’m sure we got a few weird looks fishing with our kid in his underwear, but it worked, he was trained quickly, without any fuss, and in a place that was very easy to clean.
Note the potty and all-vinyl floor–a great combination.
3. Fishing = Kids + Water. Enough Said.
Parents need no explanation for this. I just thought I’d remind everyone of the obvious. Just remember to bring a change of clothes with you or that car seat is getting soaked.
4. They’ll Spend Less Time on Screens
The more time your kids are on the water, the less time they’re in front of a screen. Get your kids hooked early on fishing so that you’ll always have this in your back pocket to get them outside.
It’s so hard to find things that will get kids engaged enough to leave the screen these days, but fishing is such a big production that it’s one of the few things that can compete. There’s all the fishing gear to assemble and talk about, all the different species that they might catch, all the fun of hanging out on a boat, or trudging through the woods to find a good fishing spot along a riverbank. It’s a winner.
Even if you do find that you need to hand your toddler your cell phone for a few moments while you retie, they’re quick to hand it back with no fuss in exchange for their rod back. That’s about the only thing on earth (aside, perhaps from a chocolate mousse mouse) that has that effect on my son.
5. When They Are on Screens, It’ll Be “Educational”
Look, if fishing with your children ignites a passion, you’re going to find your kids in front of television screens now and then, but instead of Saturday morning cartoons, you may find them watching fishing programs! I know a screen is a screen but take solace in the fact that at least they’re watching something educational.
If you haven’t seen it yet, you should search for Glen Lau’s “Bigmouth.” I purchased it years ago but am having a hard time finding a place where you can buy new copies of the DVD. There are some YouTube videos out there with a large portion of the show uploaded that you’ll find in your search. I’m leery to link them as I wonder if they’re legal, but you can find them quickly on YouTube yourself.
This film is great because they show underwater footage of largemouth bass behavior, including their spawn. While there are some fishing scenes, it is much more of a nature documentary than a fishing show. You may find it illuminating.
6. Fishing Helps Kids Learn to Listen
I swear I’m not kidding – my son actually listens when he has a fish on the line. I know that’s counter-intuitive as you’d think that pairing a small child with a live fish thrashing at the end of a hook, but it’s true. He carefully listens to my coaching, stops reeling when he hears the drag “ziiiiiip!,” and holds his rod up high when I tell him to.
He does this because he’s in the zone and really wants to land that fish. He’s open to guidance and suggestions and coaching and willing to hear what I have to say. This has worked out really well for him as he’s landed some fish that I don’t think I would have at his age.
This extends beyond fishing because sometimes I refer back to a large fish he caught and tell him that it’s so important to listen, because I’m trying to tell him something important that will help him. By doing this, I’m breaking down a situation he doesn’t understand (for example, why he can’t break away from me in a parking lot) into one that he does (whey he needs to let a fish run when it’s pulling drag).
There’s a method to the madness of all the fables and fairy tales that we read to our kids, and it’s usually so that we can refer back to a lesson that a character learned at one point. It’s all the better if the lesson is one that your child learned themselves while fighting a catfish.
Frankly, if getting your kids to finally listen isn’t a great reason to take them fishing, I don’t know what is.
7. It Teaches Kids Strategy
There’s nothing wrong with developing strategic thought from an early age, and fishing will provide plenty of lessons in strategy.
Pretty much every time you head to the lake, you want to have some sort of plan in mind as to where you’ll start casting, what lures you’ll start using, and what type of habitat you think the fish will hang around. If you’ve read my article filled with tips about how to scout your future fishing spots from the comfort of your home, then chances are you’ve spent some considerable time thinking about your trip long before you started it.
Involve your children with this planning process! Bring them over to the map the night before and let them know where you’re thinking about fishing and why. Explain to them what you’re looking for – is it a different depth? A certain type of cover or weedline? The important thing is to let them see that you are approaching fishing thoughtfully and strategically so they will start to emulate you.
After you’ve gone out with them a few times, let them take control. Ask them to plan the fishing trip (give them a few tips) and then execute on that plan and see how it went. Having a debrief of each trip will let you revisit what your plan originally was and also what changes, if any, you had to make during the day. It will also assist you in coming up with a better plan for the future.
8. Fishing Teaches Kids to Deal with Change
Being able to deal with change is one of the most critical skills that you can teach your children. Change will be constant throughout their lives and will create chaos unless they know how to take a deep breath and muddle through.
Taking kids fishing is a great place to teach them how to reason with change because it’s everywhere in the sport. The seasons are the most glaring example, but offer a good way to talk to children about the seasonal patterns of fish, where you can expect to find them during the year, and how active they might be.
Change can be much more rapid in fishing. The tides are a good example as the rock or jetty that you caught so many fish on earlier might soon be consumed by the sea, forcing you to try something different.
Even just the process of losing a trusted fishing lure to a snag brings about change. It’s not a fun feeling to be forced to move from one technique that was catching fish in droves to something else that’s unproven for the day, but sometimes that’s exactly what you need to do.
Here, my son is embracing change like a champ.
9. Fishing Teaches Problem Solving Skills
Problems arise frequently while fishing and having your kids observe you while you solve a few (and then having them solve a few on their own) teaches kids to work through a tough situation and come up with a solution.
A good place to show your kids how to do this would be with Senko-styled worms. While they’re one of the best fishing lures for beginners, if you’ve ever used them, you know that just rigging them right on a hook is an expensive proposition as they tend to tear off the hook easily and are lost. You may have heard of sliding o-rings up the worm and then attaching your hook to that instead, as it tends to keep the worm attached much better.
This, unfortunately, presents a whole new problem: sliding the o-ring up the worm’s body will often damage the worm. Some enterprising folks came up with a tool that you can buy that does work very well, but if you don’t have it (or don’t want to buy it), you can also use your needle nose pliers as seen in the photo below.
Simply place the o-ring on the pliers while they’re shut and then open them enough to allow you to slide the worm through. Then, slide the o-ring off of the pliers and onto the worm wherever you want.
This solves a problem, and by walking your kids through your thought process it will start triggering them to think of new and creative ways to solve problems of their own.
This effective solution saves you money both from less broken worms, and also removing the need to purchase a specific tool.
10. Fishing Teaches Kids to Stay Organized
There are many disorganized people, including myself, who can only find order in their tackle box. As cluttered as my desk may be, my tackle bag has everything organized exactly as I like it so that I can find it quickly.
My son took an interest in my tackle boxes from an early age. We used to go down to the basement after I’d get home from work and just look at all the crankbaits and see how I organized them.
Now when we’re done fishing together, I ask my kids to help me “police up the boat.” We store all our rods away neatly where they go and make sure the net is in good condition and exactly where we need it. I have no interest in teaching them organization the hard way by losing their fish because the net is inaccessible!
When my children are older and it’s time for their own tackle box, they’ll do what all kids do when tasked with this for the first time — mess around and play with their plastic worms and lizards. However, once they get that out of their system, I trust that they’ll start organizing their lures by type and color and making sure everything has a proper place. It’s all part of the fun of fishing!
11. Fishing Helps Kids Provide for the Family
While it’s not necessary to always keep what you catch, and you’d probably want to practice selective harvest when you do, fishing is, nonetheless, a great way to put food on the table, and one of the few ways that a young child can contribute to the production and livelihood of the family.
If your family relies on nature for meat, letting your children take part in gathering will make them feel relevant, important, and esteemed. Most kids want to pull their weight. They will literally step into your shoes and emulate you. Fishing is a great way for them to do that.
12. Your Kids Will Develop a Greater Respect for Nature
I mentioned selective harvest above and linked to anIn-Fisherman article about the need for it. You ought to read it if you get a chance. The theory is that both catch & take as well as catch & release kind of miss the mark.
If one were to eat every fish they caught, they would soon find themselves with no fish left to catch. Yet at the same time, throwing back every fish can lead to overpopulation and stunted growth, especially in smaller ponds.
The idea behind selective harvest is that you want to release the truly large and magnificent fish as they are the ones genetically predisposed to have babies that will also grow to massive proportion. Instead, you should focus on keeping and eating smaller fish (where legal) who are more abundant (and usually taste better too).
Practicing this and teaching it to your kids will tend to get them thinking about the natural order of things and how they can negatively influence nature if they aren’t careful.
You’d also do well to take a little bag out for garbage whenever you’re taking your kids fishing. First of all, kids create a massive amount of garbage all on their own, seemingly out of thin air. But secondly, when your child observes you going through the effort to lean over and pick some trash up, they are more likely to to appreciate why we shouldn’t litter, and become better stewards for the planet.
Likewise, police up your old fishing line. Don’t let it stay stuck in the tree, or just toss it on the ground. Explain to your children how birds and other animals can become trapped or ensnared by the line, and encourage your children to always pick up after themselves.
If you explain why you’re taking the time to clean up after others, it will be a good start for your budding conservationists.
There’s nothing more likely to breed appreciation for the natural world than going out in it.
13. Fishing Teaches Kids About the Circle of Life
Even if you did intend to release each fish you caught, despite our best efforts, there is death in fishing. Hooks are sharp, and smaller fish are sometimes taken by larger ones as they struggle by the boat. Occasionally, a fish that seems perfectly fine just won’t swim off again, and that’s not even to mention what happens to the worms.
Death is part of life and though it’s a complicated topic and one I’d generally steer clear of with little kids, they’re going to be curious about it. At the very least, if they ask, you can explain how death works for animals, and how one life nourishes and sustains another.
You probably don’t want to linger on this topic longer than necessary, but it is something you’re going to need to explain to your children someday, and a quiet evening among the lily pads is as good a place for such a somber moment as any.
14. Your Kids Will Learn Self Reliance
Oftentimes when things go wrong out on the water, you have to fix them yourself. Perhaps you have an issue with a battery connection, or maybe all your tackle gets tangled up. Perhaps you’ve even bungled through some comedic fishing mistakes. No one is going to fix these issues for you, but your kids will certainly watch with a keen eye while you attempt a remedy.
I remember I was once out fishing some miles from home, having a grand old time and absolutely slaying some pickerel when I looked back and noticed my boat was sinking! I didn’t know it at the time, but the livewell intake had broken clean off the boat and was flooding the bilge.
This was an interesting dilemma, to say the least. I pointed my trolling motor in the direction of home and started frantically bailing (this old boat didn’t have a bilge pump, naturally). Anyway, I managed to bail it enough to where I thought I could use the outboard. I got home and retrieved the boat and saw the problem.
This was, of course, right at the start of my vacation and I thought it was all over. My boat had a giant hole in it, after all! Luckily, my friend introduced me to the amazing curative powers of J-B Weld, and after finding an appropriate plug we were able to get everything nice and dry and keep on fishing.
Telling your kids little stories like that (or living them out right next to each other) can make a big difference in how self reliant they grow to be.
15. Your Kids Will Become More Resilient
Not all fish that are hooked on any given day will be landed, and having your child go through this minor disappointment repeatedly will begin to teach them resilience and how to move on from setbacks without throwing a temper tantrum. This will only work, however, if the adult they’re fishing with is a good role model and also just let’s it go with a smile.
If a fish breaks your fishing line, it’s very tempting to let your frustration get the best of you and start complaining or groaning. Avoid this temptation and instead just focus on how much fun it was to fight the fish. “Gosh that sure was a big one! Let’s see if we can catch him again!” Often, fish school and another large one is just a few casts away!
16. Fishing Rewards Hard Work
Sometimes you have to really work for a bite. While this isn’t a great situation to be in with toddlers (you really want to make things as easy as possible for them), older kids can start to develop a good work ethic by fishing.
An angler often carefully prepares their gear well into the night and then rises before the sun to drive to the lake, launch the boat, and head out fishing. Hundreds if not thousands of casts may be made throughout the day, and dozens if not more knots will be retied. They may or may not catch fish during this process, but if they do, they’ll need to be skillfully played and landed. When the day is up, the boat needs to be retrieved, drained, and dried. Then everything needs to be packed up for the night. It can often be a 14-hour “work day.”
Just in case it isn’t obvious, you should NOT take your kids out for that long, but if they love fishing, they might start talking about becoming a professional angler. That’s a wonderful opportunity to talk about how hard the pros work and how much they sacrifice. For the most part, professional fishermen are good role models for your kids. Take advantage of that and use it to get your kids to start cleaning their room!
17. Fishing Teaches Delayed Gratification
This kind of goes hand in hand with how fishing rewards hard work, but it is a sport where there is delayed gratification involved. You do certain tasks in the hopes of being rewarded in the (hopefully not too distant) future. This is an important task for children to learn or else they turn into college grads wondering why they can’t immediately land a six-figure job.
Now, with small kids, you want to do your best to make sure that delay lasts as short as possible (I find 5 seconds is about right when fishing with babies and infants). If you want some tips on how to scout effectively to try and quickly put them on prime fishing grounds, check out preparing for a fishing trip with kids.
18. Fishing Teaches Kids to Win and Lose Gracefully
Fishing is a sport and one that kids can take part in from a fairly young age. There are many youth tournaments organized by various bass clubs, national programs, and also just different towns. There’s only one winner, of course, and that’s not always going to be your child.
Getting kids involved in sports early is important to help them learn to win and lose graciously, and fishing does tend to soften the blow a bit because whereas in most sports, there is one winner and one loser, in fishing, there could be one winner and hundreds of people who will have to try again next time.
If you’re one of those parents who has trouble stomaching that your kids are going to lose from time to time, fishing might help you too as being part of the 99 “also-rans” isn’t nearly as bad as outright defeat (there are also frequently prizes of some sort for many places beyond first).
19. There’s No Better Time for Quiet Conversations
When I’m with my son in the boat, it’s just the two of us and nature. We’re able to fill the time with quiet conversations about life, his thoughts and feelings, and my expectations and hopes for him.
I really enjoy our time together, especially when we both put down the rods for a little bit and just let the boat do the work by trolling. We like to eat peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and eat hummus and crackers while talking about this and that and waiting for a fish to strike.
If you don’t know how to set up a trolling run, check out this post on trolling for chain pickerel. This is a great technique for when you want to just concentrate on your company rather than casting, but still not give up fishing.
20. You’re Taking Your Kids on an Adventure!
Don’t think of a fishing trip with your kids only being about the fish; you’re taking your children on a fishing adventure! If the forecast is calm enough, make a journey out of it. Take them to see a really cool rock formation or to visit some “mysterious island.”
Make a big deal out of the landmarks you expect to see, and ask them to keep a lookout. Then, when they loom into view, make a huge deal out of it so they’re excited they finally got to see it.
Likewise, have a “checklist” of different birds or animals you hope to see over the summer. Will this trip be the one you finally see a muskrat? How about a loon? Or maybe even a deer swimming in the water? Take every opportunity to simply be excited to spend all this time with your children.
A bridge looming in the distance is a great landmark to take your kids to investigate closer.
21. You’ll Travel to Places You Might Have Overlooked
Fishing gives you an excuse to go the extra mile. It’s often an excuse to break away for a day on vacation and do something that most tourists don’t. In the process, you’ll get to see the natural beauty of this great Republic.
Here’s a great example of how to make your trip to Florida all the more memorable:
When you take the kids to Disney World, consider calling up Captain Mickey Maynard and taking a fishing charter over in the Harris Chain of lakes. It’s only a few miles away and is a unique experience that most of the tourists who head down that way never get to experience. Moving past the willow trees in the canals at dawn as alligators glide by you and Bowfin explode on your spinnerbait is one of those things every kid should get to experience.
22. You’ll Get Great Photo Ops
I had to make a New Year’s resolution to be more present in family photo albums during the winter months, because as soon as the water froze over I tended to disappear for months in the calendars my wife makes each year to celebrate all our adventures.
I am, however, all over those calendars for the summer months though I usually am standing next to my son who is showing off the latest fish he caught. Fishing with my children is about the only way to get me in front of a camera!
Someday, he’ll have thousands of photos to show his own children and to inspire him to take them out fishing and pass down this passion to another generation.
You’ll also get some great landscape photos that remind you that you really lived.
23. Fishing Lets Kids Get a Little Dirty
I can’t keep my son away from the fishing worms while we’re on the lake. He loves looking at the critters and taking them out when we need a new one. He also enjoys leaving it RIGHT between the walk-in windshield, where everyone needs to walk, and I’m not getting more agile as I age.
The boat gets dirty, the kid plays in the dirt, the kid is happy. I bought a boat with a complete vinyl floor, so I shrug it off.
If we’re fishing a pond from the bank, I just make sure he’s wearing some shoes and clothes that can get dirty and let him have a ball. We time bath day around fishing adventures so I don’t have to constantly tell him to stop having fun.
24. Your Kids Can Play With Bugs
Alright, so worms aren’t exactly bugs, but perhaps you’re using some crickets, or there are just a lot of dragonflies and water striders buzzing about. The bottom line is fishing gets kids up close and personal with bugs more often than not, and what kid doesn’t love that?
Bugs are a great distraction when the fishing slows too. You can’t always count on fish biting, but if you’re fishing from a bank and have access to a rocky shore, help your child turn a few rocks over and see what’s underneath. This will keep them occupied while you collect yourself and figure out how to put them on more fish.
25. Fishing Teaches Kids Cause & Effect
Sometimes when things go wrong out there on the water, it’s an opportunity to step in front of it and take the blame for your little one. If a fish snaps off the hook, you might tell them that you’re sorry but you think you tied the knot a little loose. Explain to them how forgetting to do the little things can have a big impact later, and use fishing to teach them this lesson in a safe, but memorable way.
You also might use the opportunity to explain the concept while doing a little topwater fishing near your children. If they’re patient enough, have them observe the little “bloops” of your lure and wait until a fish comes and grabs it. Explain how the little “bloops” caused the fish to think the lure was prey, and attack (effect).
26. Fishing Gives Kids Confidence
We were very fortunate in that my mother-in-law was able to watch our son for several years while he was little, but when his sister was born, it was time for him to go to daycare. Since this was a new experience for him he struggled with it a little bit at first.
Being able to take out my cellphone and let him show his friends and teachers pictures of all the fish he caught over the weekend gave him a lot of confidence and helped his transition tremendously. His teachers picked up on this quickly and started engaging him about fishing and soon he was telling them all about his adventures over the weekend.
It’s very important for kids to believe in themselves and it doesn’t hurt if they have a skill that is fairly rare. Fishing isn’t always the easiest activity, so being able to cast, hook, and reel in fish gives kids a real boost. It’s also something that helps them start conversations with their peers, which helps them make friends if they’re shy.
27. Fishing Keeps Kids Out of Trouble
I firmly believe that the more involved kids are in sports, the less likely they are to get involved in drugs and alcohol. Fishing might just be the greatest sport of all for that because they’ll spend all their spare change on lures instead of having any left over for other vices!
If your kids are at all interested in pursuing a career in fishing, it’s very important that they keep a clean rap sheet. So much of the fishing industry is really a marketing game, and sponsors don’t want to doll out money to folks with criminal records. Remind your children of this early and often.
28. They Could Get a College Scholarship
Fishing is a legitimate college sport these days, with several large tournament sponsors, including B.A.S.S. and FLW, offering college tournaments and various schools offering scholarships to anglers to compete in them.
Bassmaster published and article in October, 2018 discussing this trend as well as the rise of Bethel University as a college fishing powerhouse. It talks about how the school awarded $216,000 to 36 students in 2018 in fishing scholarships, as well as how about 10 other universities now consider fishing a major college sport.
While fishing is clearly in its infancy as a college sport, who knows just how expansive it will be by the time your kids are applying for college? You never know. The little hobby that was your way of spending some time with your little fishing buddy might one day be the ticket to his higher education.
29. Your Kids Could Make a Career Out of Fishing
In the same vein as collegiate pursuits, you never know if introducing your children to fishing will one day lead them towards a fulfilling career. This doesn’t need to mean that they’re tournament anglers, either. They could be fishing guides, tackle shop owners, boat mechanics, journalists, salesmen, skilled craftsmen or even a marine biologist.
There’s a huge range of careers that supports the recreational and commercial fishing industry and many of them are fields that are almost impossible to automate, so the jobs are likely to be around in the future.
To give you an idea of the size, the Fisheries Economics of the United States, 2016 report by NOAA found that fishing generated $212 billion in sales and supported 1.7 million jobs (source). There is certainly opportunity for aspiring young anglers.
30. Most Kids Think Fishing is Fun!
I saved one of the more obvious reasons for last: fishing is fun! Your kids what to go, and they want to go with YOU. They are sitting there at their lunch table talking with their friends about how you are going to take them out this weekend. They will wake up at the crack of dawn and run into your room asking you if it’s time to go. It’s like Christmas in July, and every other month!
It’s a great way to spend quality time with your kids and one that they’ll enjoy. You do want to do your best to make fishing fun for kids (which usually means making sure they catch something), but that really doesn’t matter to them. All that they want is to spend time with their dad or mom or grandpa or grandma or uncle or aunt or mentor or older brother or, well, you name it.
If there’s a little kid out there that looks up to you, grab a rod, dig up some worms, and take them fishing!
31. Fishing Ignites a Passion
I suppose the final reason I’d implore you to take your kids fishing is that we all need a passion. We all need something that gets us up each morning and powers us through each week. A reason to keep going on and pushing further so we can get some time to ourselves to really live. Fishing fits the bill quite nicely.
Whereas there are so many passions that can turn to vice, when done sensibly and with respect for the environment, fishing can be flawless:
They’ll scream less at the doctor’s, or whenever they get a minor cut;
Your kids will be potty trained in no time;
Fishing is a great reason for kids to spend less time on screens;
When they are on screens, they’ll at least be watching something useful;
They’ll learn to listen, to plan, and to change as they work their way through life’s many problems;
They’ll learn organizational skills, and how to provide for their families;
Taking your kids fishing gives them a reason to develop a greater appreciation for nature, and better understand life and death;
They’ll learn to rely on themselves, and grow more resilient because of it;
They’ll learn to work hard for delayed gratification;
When a fish spits the hook, it will teach your kids to lose gracefully;
They’ll go on grand adventures to places they might overlook, and walk away with amazing photos and memories;
Your children will get to play in the dirt with bugs;
They’ll learn cause and effect, which will give them the confidence they need to stay out of trouble, and in school;
Someday, their studies might lead them to a rewarding career that they find fun and are passionate about.
Closing Thoughts
As you can see, there really are a boatload of reasons to take your kids fishing. In fact, I’ve barely scrapped the surface. If this sounds like a fun activity for you and your children, but you aren’t sure where to start, consider purchasing my book, Fishing with Kids: A Parent’s Guide. In it, you’ll find many more great reasons to go fishing with your kids, but more importantly, advice on how to do it!
I also took the time to write an Illustrated Guide to Taking Kids Fishing, which is a blog post you can read for free if that is more up your speed. Check it out!
Given that I’ve been fishing with my children for a few years now, I thought I would give parents some tips on how to take their kids out fishing with them at various ages. This will be the first in a series of posts that will continue each year as my children grow older. Here, I’ll talk about how to fish with a baby or infant as defined as a child that’s between 0 – 18 months old. You can also read my post about fishing with 2-3 year old kids here.
I’ve already given a high-level accounting of this in a post where I discussed what is a good age to take a child fishing. In it, I discussed how to best prepare them each step of the way. Here, I’d like to dive into the specifics of actually heading out: what you should expect and what you should bring along.
My wife and I had to figure this out by trial and error and I’ve wasted my share of time and money figuring this out. Hopefully, this series will help save you some grief.
Set Your Expectations
Regardless of the age of your kids, the first thing you’ll always need to do is set your expectations. I hope it goes without saying that if you’re taking your baby along fishing, you’re not actually expecting to catch a fish. Rather, your goal is to just hang out with them outside and start introducing them to the sights, sounds, and smells of nature. Any fish you happen to catch is a bonus. If you’re going it alone without any spousal backup, don’t count on it happening!
More so than anything else, fishing with a baby or infant is investing in their future. They probably won’t get too much out of the experience now, but in a few years you’ll have fun going through old photos with them and showing them how they “liked fishing” from a young age. This will help them develop a sense of self and some pride in their early fishing acumen. Perhaps this will encourage them to want to head out more with you when they’re older. My son beams with pride every time Facebook shows up with an old timeline photo of him fishing as an infant.
Catching fish is a plus, but depending on how young your infant is, they might not even notice it if you catch one, or have any idea what to think of it. They could have a whole range of emotions, but apathy seems pretty common for the youngest children.
Pick a Good Time
Fish tend to bite best early in periods of low light, such as dusk and dawn. Unfortunately, this is completely irrelevant when fishing with babies. When you consider a good time to go fishing with an infant, it has nothing to do with the fish and everything to do with their nap and feeding schedule.
You know your child best and should aim to go out with them when they’ll have the least amount of reasons to be cranky. They need to be rested, fed, and lively. If this means that you’re headed out at high noon, you’re headed out at high noon. If this means you’re going out at 3 p.m., that’s your time. Don’t try and plan a fishing trip with infants around when the fish bite. That’s just asking for trouble.
This can complicate things, to say the least. Depending on where you are and what time of year it is, the sun can be pretty brutal at these times. You’re going to need to consider this and either find a good spot in the shade to fish, or invest in some good infant sun gear. Always go in before they get too hot.
Dress for Success
Your baby needs to be comfortable while out fishing. This (along with making sure they’re fed and rested) is something that you can control, so you should control it.
If it’s cold, make sure they’re bundled up with extra clothes, and make sure that those clothes stay dry. While I wouldn’t recommend taking babies fishing in the rain, waterproof clothing is also useful for keeping water spray off of children when driving a boat.
If it’s hot, make sure they have on light clothes. There are some great infant clothes out there that have built-in SPF protection and keep your kids cool. They are long sleeve which is a bit counter-intuitive, but they are very lightweight. I’ve yet to hear my son complain about wearing one even on the hottest of days.
If you’re headed out on a boat for your fishing trip, bear in mind that the sun will be bearing down on you, your baby or infant, and also the seats. People tend to forget about the latter, but all surfaces on your boat will heat up and can hurt exposed skin. You’re better off dressing your baby in some light pants that cover their delicate inner thighs than just a onesie.
My wife and I trust Mustang Survival with our children’s lives.
As a reminder, all states require children to have a life jacket on. Some require this only when the boat is underway, and others require that children wear it at all times while on a boat. Because this is the one piece of clothing that your kids can’t take off, it makes sense that you should invest money in something that is comfortable and functional.
My Recommendation: Mustang Survival
While I don’t always advocate buying the very best of any type of gear, when it comes to life jackets, I spare no expense. I have invested considerable money over they years outfitting my entire family in Mustang Survival’s line of life jackets. I can’t recommend them enough. They are as comfortable as a life jacket can be, and they give me the peace of mind knowing that my kids are safe in them. They also hold up very well to pool testing, as I’ve observed that they keep my children’s heads above the water, as designed.
Boating is perfectly safe for babies and infants, but only once they are old enough to properly fit in their life jackets. This is not something that you want to stretch, the reason being that a properly-fitting infant life jacket is designed to right them and keep their head above water. If the life jacket is too loose, it will not work properly and may not keep your child’s mouth and nose out of the sea.
You must wear your kill switch whenever you are boating. This is even more critical if you’re fishing with babies or infants who can’t swim. This is a device that clamps onto you and the boat’s ignition switch and will kill power to your outboard once it is detached. It functions exactly the same as the safety tethers on treadmills.
If the driver isn’t wearing this and is ejected, the torque of the engine will cause the boat to turn in a circle, meaning that it will come around and strike anything or anyone in the water. This is an exceptionally dangerous situation and one where an infant would have no chance. Insist that your boat’s driver wear one at all times that the motor is running.
Bring Your Own Shade
It’s pretty rare to find a shady spot to fish. You’re mostly in the middle of the water with the sun bearing down on you and then also reflecting off the water’s surface. Babies and infants don’t do well without shade, so you’re going to need to bring shade with you on your fishing trip. Their car seat can work just fine, or you could invest in a little shade tent. Just make sure you have a place to put it when it is completely unfolded. These things are borderline impossible to get back into their case. Tthe instructions stink and make no sense. I hate, hate, hate them, but they’re a necessary evil with little kids around the sun. And no, I will not provide a link to one!
If you do go with the car seat, make sure you don’t leave them strapped in, especially if on a boat. That would be a massive safety concern around water.
Take along a Snack & Water
Infants get hungry when they feel like it, even if that’s in the midst of a fishing trip. The last thing you want to do is be out in the middle of the lake without anything for your baby to chew on. Just remember that not everything lasts well on a boat. Also, you could be somewhere far from help. I’d definitely recommend leaving anything remotely resembling a choking hazard at home. Grapes have absolutely no place on a fishing trip with infants, babies, or young children. Or, for that matter, adults.
Likewise, have water and a way to keep it cool. Many people think to bring along a drink but don’t consider just how fast it will heat up on a summer day. A little cooler is indispensable for a fishing trip with kids.
Bring a Friend to Play With the Baby While You Fish
I’ve seen some posts by people who put their kids in backpacks or harnesses and wade into rivers with them on their backs. I’m not going to tell others how to raise their kids, but missteps happen and it’s easy to see how one there could be tragic. To me, the photo op isn’t worth the risk, at least near rivers. I think you could get away with this just fine next to a calm lake or pond. The worst that should happen there is you get wet and an earful from your spouse.
You want that spouse on your good side. I recommend bringing them, a grandparent, or just any old friend along with you as backup. In fact, it might make sense to have them be the primary people fishing so that you can concentrate on really selling the experience to your baby and “oooing” and “ahhhing” them into smiling and enjoying themselves.
Take turns fishing and entertaining your kid, if they’ll let you. Sometimes they just want one parent, and I’d recommend that they get them in this situation. If they don’t, they might associate fishing with not being able to cling onto Mom or Dad, which could negatively affect their interest.
Get a Fish in the Livewell or Bucket as Fast as You Can
This is a common theme on my blog, but it is all the more important with younger children. Your goal is to get a fish–any fish–into the livewell or bucket as fast as you possibly can. If you catch even one sunfish and plop it in there, your baby will fall in love. Kids love water, animals, and slime from a very young age. Even an infant wants to peer into the bucket and try to pet their new fish friend. Just make sure the fish you put in there is legal unless your child also has a thing for game wardens!
Babies love staring at their new fish friends in the livewell.
Sell Every Moment of It
Remember that you’re dealing with a small little person who gets a big kick out of seeing you cover and uncover your eyes with your hands. Any little thing can be a huge moment of wonder and joy to them, so make sure that every step of the way is celebrated.
You want to be the ultimate cheerleader. Every time your spouse casts, do a little cheer. You can have fun with it and be a little sarcastic: “Yay! Daddy didn’t get the lure stuck in the tree!” You can also show them how the lure “bloops” into the water and make that sound each time it splashes down – “Bloop! Bloop! Bloop!” – your kids will love it!
You want to have a grand performance for your little one. Keep changing it up every 10-15 seconds to match their attention span. Each turtle, squirrel, or bird you see should be named and have a nice little voice or theme song that you sing. If you notice them looking at something, look at it too and make a big deal out of it.
When you catch a fish, make a huge deal out of it no matter how small it is. Act like it’s the greatest thing that ever happened. Go ahead, use whatever high squeaky voice gets your baby amped. If they want to touch the fish, let them. Just make sure you have wipes on hand so you can clean them off before they stick their hands in their mouth.
Bring Distractions for Your Baby, or Have a Short Fishing Trip
Bring along some toys or other distractions in case your full performance isn’t captivating enough for them. Those little teething wafers work pretty well as it seems to take their full attention to eat them. Rattles or other things that can grab their attention and are safe for them to grab are important.
If you don’t have child-safe distractions, you could try showing them some fishing lures. This runs the considerable risk of a meltdown when they reach for them and you won’t let them grab them given the hooks. My son used to absolutely love looking at my crankbaits (through a plastic case, of course).
The bottom line is, bring something to distract them, or plan on going home early!
Know Your Exit, and Factor in the Commute
Babies and even infants can only handle short fishing excursions, and this includes the entire time in the car. Now is not the time to take the kids to that prized lake an hour away that holds all the best fish. The little community pond five minutes down the street is a far better choice.
If boating, you’ll also want to consider the time at the ramp. In a perfect world we’d all be able to spend our 2-3 minutes launching and retrieving and not have to wait for anyone.
Unfortunately as many of you know that is not the case. There are often long lines to launch or retrieve a boat, sometimes filled with people who don’t know what they’re doing. You need to factor this in and give yourself at least an extra twenty minutes or so leeway to get back in.
Failure to do this will mean that you’re gently floating near the ramp with an infant screaming to high heaven, waiting for that weekend warrior to figure out how to retrieve his jet boat.
Long holiday weekends are a bad time to take your infant for a boat ride. You’re far better off waiting for a day that won’t be as busy.
What would you do if you had to get in with your baby and found yourself behind a line of this many cars?
Have a Good Time!
Just remember that there will be plenty of times to go “fishing.” This time, you’re just having fun with your new baby. Think of it as showing them something that is important to you. Taking a walk around a pond with them and showing them their first duck or driving slowly down the lake watching the sea gulls is enough.
Keep things in perspective, keep a good attitude, and don’t worry so much about catching fish. Just try to ensure that they are comfortable, safe, entertained, and loved and you’ll start to build an interest that may last their entire life.
As mentioned earlier, if your baby is a bit older (say, 14-18 months or so) and you want to try to get them involved in the action, I did write a post with some advice on how to do so. You can read that to help your child learn to cast, or catch their first fish.
The purpose of this article was to give you a better idea of some of the little things that you might not consider, while you have time to do something about them (you don’t want to realize you should have brought shade while you’re stuck in the middle of the lake).
I hope you found this article useful. If you did, please consider sharing it so that it can help others. If you’re interested in learning more about taking kids fishing, check out my book, Fishing with Kids: A Parent’s Guide. You also might consider subscribing to FishingFather’s Facebook page to be updated when new content arrives.
I have a theory that most of the people who think fishing is boring went fishing as a kid with an adult who used a bobber. In this article, I’ll discuss if bobbers are good for fishing, if they really work, and if you should fish with or without a bobber, especially when you take your kids along.
My Controversial Theory: Fishing with Bobbers and Kids Is A Risky Idea
Some people are going to call me absolutely crazy for even daring to write an article that argues that bobbers aren’t the best way to go fishing with your kids, but hear me out.
While bobbers do work, nothing much to do besides twiddle their thumbs while they waited for something to bite. Sure, when something did bite, the kids probably ran over giddy and screaming, but until then, they were bored or off playing catch or doing something else.
If you ask me, the kids who stuck with fishing and became enamored by it quickly probably started using more proactive techniques that caught them more fish and gave them something to actively do (cast and retrieve) while they were waiting for a bite.
I know I’ll get some comments from people hollering about how they’ve been fishing with bobbers and their kids for years and they love them and pull in crappie after crappie all day. I don’t doubt you, but I’ll bet you’re a halfway decent angler who could make most anything work.
I’m just saying that I’ve seen so many families fishing from shore with bored kids, and there’s usually a bobber floating nearby. I’ve also personally had many days where I started off fishing with a bobber, struggled to get bit, and swapped over to a bare hook or drop shot and started lighting them up in the same area. I think some people rely on the bobber too much and don’t know what to try when it doesn’t work.
These observations and experiences have convinced me that there are often better ways to put my young ones on fish.
Now before we go any further, let me get something out of the way:
I can understand why people ask themselves if they should fish with or without a bobber, and decide to go with one.Bobbers do work well at times for several reasons:
Bobbers work well for keeping fishing hooks out of cover and at a precise depth;
They allow for a gentler pace to fishing as well as multitasking when using many rods;
If something ever bites, kids get a huge kick out of seeing the bobber go under.
So you see, I’m not “anti-bobber.” I’m just “anti-using-bobbers-as-the-way-to-introduce-your-kids-to-fishing-if-you-want-them-to-actually-like-the-sport-and-buy-you-nice-rods-for-father’s-day.”
There’s a difference!
More Detail: Why Bobbers Work
Again, I’m not “anti-bobber” (I feel like I’ll need to keep saying that here). I really don’t want to put you off of them. They can be great, and your kids can catch a ton of fish when them. You should have them in your tackle box, because as you’ll see, there are some times when they’re the ticket to a bite. Here are a few of the benefits, lest I’m labelled a philistine:
They Allow for Some Unique Presentations
There have been plenty of professional fishermen (usually walleye guys) who have cashed checks with the help of a bobber. Often, working a bobber is the only way to apply some unique presentations.
Mike Klein over at Midwest Outdoors wrote a great article about how bobbers allow for a precise presentation for walleye a few years ago. One of the things he discussed was a technique called “power corking.” Basically, you drive your boat around looking for fish on your fish finder and when you see one you immediately let out your bobber right next to your transducer.
I’ve never heard of this before but it might make a believer out of me as it seems like a more active way of using bobbers. It seems to be a deeper water technique as you’d likely spook the fish if you tried to do this too shallow, but it’s almost akin to trolling. In fact, you might just drag a lure behind the boat on your port side while waiting to drop a bobber on your starboard.
I could see this being a really fun way to fish with kids because it would almost turn fishing into a video game for them. As they see a fish appear on the screen, they can release their bail and send a bobber down and wait for a bite.
OK, Mike, you convinced me. Now I’m just an “anti-using-bobbers-as-the-way-to-introduce-your-kids-to-fishing-if-you-want-them-to-actually-like-the-sport-and-buy-you-nice-rods-for-father’s-day-unless-you’re-power-corking” kind of guy.
They Keep Hooks Out of Cover
This is a legitimate strength. Bobbers work well for keeping bait out of cover. For example, it can be very hard to fish a laydown effectively without a bobber, because if you let the bait sink into the tree limbs there’s a good chance it will snag. Even if a fish were to take your offering, there’s a great chance it would wrap your line along the limbs and break you off.
Using bobbers around rocky points would also make sense. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to retie a drop shot rig because it was snagged in some rip-rap.
A bobber allows you to keep your bait up and away from these hazards, while still close enough to entice fish to come out and take a bite. So long as you keep your rod in your hands or very nearby, you should be able to start the battle outside of the cover, which enormously increases your chance of actually landing the fish.
Bobbers are also admittedly useful for fishing for panfish over grass flats with your kids. Drop shots don’t do very well in the weeds, as they get dragged down and buried in the gunk. A bobber is an appropriate way to keep your bait above the canopy and allow you to keep your bait clean and edible.
They Allow Precise Depth Control
Bobbers work great for controlling how deep your bait will sink, as it can only go as deep as your bobber lets it. Slip bobbers are particularly well suited for this role as they are designed to allow an angler to change their depth at will.
Once again, I’ll tip my hat to the experts, this time, pro catfish guide Chad Ferguson. He wrote an informative article about slip bobber rigging for catfish that shows you exactly how to rig one for your preferred depth and included a very easy-to-read graphic showing this off.
I would note that you can also control your depth with a drop shot (you’d just use a longer tag line towards your sinker), but the drop shot is going to rapidly bring the bait to the desired depth. The bobber will allow it to slowly sink to that depth. Sometimes the fish favor one presentation over the other.
They Allow You to Take a Nap!
Ok, so I’m back to jesting about bobbers, but it’s true! You can have a laid back fishing experience if you trust your bobber with all the work and attach a little bell ringer to warn you that a fish in on the other line.
This probably isn’t the best idea with kids–it’s usually a good idea to stay awake and active while they’re playing near the water–but if you could also apply the theory to allowing you to walk away and play catch, or look for frogs, or have a sandwich, etc.
They Allow For Multiple Lines
It’s challenging to fish multiple lines unless you’re using some technique that doesn’t require your constant, active involvement. Bobbers allow you to cover more water in the sense in that you can throw a few out along a wide arc to try and locate fish sooner.
If you’re going to do this, make sure you check your local regulations first as not every state allows anglers to use multiple lines, and most have a cap as to how many angler can use. You “might” be able to use more if you’re with your kids, but then again the game warden might also conclude that they are unlicensed and don’t count towards the rod count.
I’m not a lawyer and can’t give you legal advice, but it would seem prudent to use the most conservative figure available to ensure you don’t have issues.
Kids Enjoy Using Bobbers (When Bobbers Work)
There is definitely something fun and satisfying about seeing a bobber disappear under the waves, and kids will especially get a kick out of this. The problem is that it actually needs to happen.
If you’re in an area where there are bluegills and sunfish, they’ll tend to eat just about anything and you might get to see the bobber disappear often. This is a good recipe for a fun day with your kids. Just make sure that you’ve done your scouting and pinpointed the fish ahead of time as bobbers aren’t usually very effective for covering water quickly (power corking notwithstanding).
If you need help on learning how to scout for fish, check out an article I wrote about preparing for a fishing trip with kids that deals with the topic.
This fish was caught with a bobber, and we didn’t even turn to stone.
Reasons You Should Fish Without a Bobber
I’d argue that the main drawbacks to using a bobber (at least while fishing with kids) is that they can damage your line if they’re not carefully attached, they can spook the fish in a variety of ways, you can be less likely to hook the fish, and you might turn your children off of fishing forever and doom them to the void and meaningless life of a landlubber.
They Can Damage Your Fishing Line
Frankly, a bobber shouldn’t damage your fishing line at all. Ball bobbers are designed to clip on harmlessly and slip bobbers just slide back and forth without issue. On a normal day of fishing, you’d be just fine.
But we’re talking about fishing with kids here. Your kids. The same kids who stuck all your stamps to the wall and hid a wet sponge on elderly Uncle Donald’s chair. All bets are off.
Kids want to do everything themselves and if that includes attaching a ball bobber then that probably includes kinking or fraying the line in the process. If you attach it wrong, it does risk damaging the line because you are trying to guide it past a metal hook that can knick or cut it.
You can solve this by simply arriving at the lake with the bobber already attached rather than letting your kids do this. If they don’t know it’s a task to complete, they’ll never ask to try it.
Bobbers Can Spook the Fish
A good reason to consider fishing without a bobber is that they can spook fish in many ways:
The fish can get scared by the sound of the splash;
The fish can be wary from the sight; and
The fish can be alerted to danger by the bobber’s weight
The Sound
A bobber (especially a large one) makes a splash when it touches down. This can be much more significant than the splash the bait would have made on its own, and certainly alerts fish in the area that something touched down. This can be good or bad, depending on what mood the fish is in.
You should try your best to let the bobber land softly at the end of your cast. If you have a large splash down, the most likely outcome is that nearby fish will dart away. Though they will likely return, it may take them awhile, and this dead period can really kill your kid’s interest.
The Sight
A bobber is a large, visual indicator to fish that there is something strange going on. If they’ve been caught by these recently, and still remember the experience, they will be more cautious.
The bait itself is also presented in a very unnatural way. Most worms don’t just suspend in a neutral buoyancy. A very hungry, desperate, or inexperienced fish might not notice or care, but I have observed larger bass and bowfin eyeing the target and deciding it’s not worth the risk.
The Weight
When a fish tugs on the bait, the bobber provides resistance that alerts the fish that something is tugging back. If there are a half dozen bluegills all fighting over the scraps, it’s unlikely any will notice, but if that fish is the only one attempting to feed, it stands to reason they might wonder what is going on.
This is minimized by using smaller ball bobbers and can reduced even further with slip bobbers. Always try to use the lightest bobber that you can for the conditions.
You’re Less Likely to Hook Fish
I back this statement up with no scientific studies whatsoever but I will observe that I have caught many fish throughout my life because I was holding the rod and could detect a light bite, which allowed me to immediately set the hook.
If you are simply using a bobber to alert you to the presence of fish, rather than holding the rod and feeling them for yourself, you’re missing several bites. Even if you notice the little twitches of the bobber, you still need to run over, pick the rod up, and then attempt to set the hook. This can take several seconds depending on where you were when you noticed it. These are several seconds for something to go wrong.
Granted, if you’re actually holding the rod while fishing with a bobber, this isn’t going to be an issue, but I rarely see people doing that.
You Will Bore Your Children Right Out of This Sport
I really do believe this, even though I know I’m going to get flak for it. Let’s be clear (again): I am sure that there are plenty of people out there who have successfully taught their kids how to fish by using bobbers and had their kids go on to live long and happy angling lives! I believe you! I really do!
It’s just that I also thinkthat a huge percentage of parents who don’t really know how to fish, but want to try it with their kids, rig up a bobber, kind of throw it out there, and just hope for the best–but the best never comes. I think that’s a recipe for disaster.
Most beginners fishing with a bobber are hedging their bets that a fish will be in the area, or swim by, rather than going out and actively finding them. Again, if you are actually in a good spot, then this doesn’t matter. But if you aren’t, you’re inhibiting your ability to go out and find where the fish are holding so they can be caught more frequently.
Bobbers seem to go hand in hand with lawn chairs, but I’d urge you–if you’re going to use a bobber to try and fish with your kids, leave the lawn chair at home and walk around the pond with them. Make many casts. Try to locate active fish. Keep your kids engaged and enthused.
Bobbers definitely aren’t bad tackle choices, but they aren’t always conducive to keeping your children’s attention. People might say that fishing teaches kids patience, but that’s a relative term. It might gain you about twelve seconds lead time with a four-year-old.
If you brought the lawn chair, I hope you picked a good spot!
Conclusions
Please allow me to briefly sum up the entire article:
I am a bobber snob;
I fear for your children’s sea legs;
Bobbers do work and are actually a great choice in many situations;
All the same, bobbers do tend to be an “all in bet” for beginners;
When the house wins, the kids lose.
Again, I’m biased, but I’ve done a lot of fishing in my day both as a kid, and as an adult with children by my side. Bobbers were never the source of my most memorable moments, though perhaps they were for you.
I wouldn’t blame you if you thought there was no way to make fishing with kids stress free. Doing anything with small children can be like moving the president, after all. There’s so much that goes into it and so much that can go wrong, and if you don’t prepare for this as a parent, you could soon find your toddler’s meltdown-fueled tears filling the bilge.
Luckily for you, I’ve lived through a meltdown or two (see the featured image for proof) and have walked away with a few pearls of wisdom to share. Here’s a few tips from a real fishing father that you might not have thought of:
Pack Everything You Can the Night Before
The morning of a fishing trip with kids is going to be hectic no matter what you do. Free up your time in the morning and avoid unnecessary stress before a fishing trip with your kids by packing up the night before. I’ve spent way too many mornings ignoring this advice, and every time I neglect to pack up for my fishing trip the night before, I regret it.
Your tackle should be organized, several rods rigged up, and the boat should be uncovered and ready to go. Several sandwiches and other snacks should be prepared and placed in the fridge so all you need to do is throw them and an ice pack in the cooler the next morning before you head out.
Lay your clothes out as well as your kid’s clothes out. This way you won’t have to run around the house searching for their sun hat. As an added bonus, you won’t wake up their mother: a critical component to relieve tension on any fishing trip with your kids!
Pack Gear That You Can Trust
Don’t skimp on your kid’s gear. Get them products that you know and trust (and possibly grew up on yourself). Resist the temptation to buy the rod with the little princess on it or sports hero. These were designed to catch kids attention in the store – not fish.
Instead, invest in a good rod like the Ugly Stik GX2 or Ugly Stik Elite. You can read why I am such a fan of these rods for kids in another post I wrote, found here. This is the gear I trust my kid’s trophies with and recommend.
Stay Away from Braided Line
Stick with normal monofilament, specifically Berkley Trilene XL in 6lb test. It has withstood the test of time, was probably the first line many of you reading used as kids yourself, and flat out works. It’s also inexpensive if you need to cut through a few tangles that you can’t undo.
If you aren’t experienced, braid can be difficult to use, and it is much more difficult to untangle. Granted, it’s normally less likely to tangle, but this rule does not apply to rods entrusted to children.
Yes, braid is stronger than monofilament when looking at diameter vs. diameter, but 6lb test monofilament is really all you need to catch every panfish in the lake, most bass your kids might hook, and also pickerel and small catfish. Larger fish can be caught too, so long as your kids let the drag do its job (a tough, but possible challenge for a four-year-old).
There’s also the safety consideration. Your kids can slice their hands pretty good with braid. They basically get a rope burn, but the line has such thin diameter that it can cut them deeply if they get excited and grab it while a larger fish thrashes.
It’s just not worth it. If you’re fishing with kids, stick with monofilament.
Bring Your Own Rod
I know this flies in the face of what you’re going to read elsewhere. Most people will tell you to leave your own rod at home, but I disagree with that emphatically. True, the day is not about you, but the fact remains that you’re probably more capable of putting fish on the hook than a young child. If you want to keep their interest, you need the action to be fast.
With that said, you are not to reel in any fish. Your job is to hook them, and hand the rod over to your children. I don’t care if your personal best largemouth is on the line, you hand that over to your kid and have them reel it in.
The only exception to this would be if they actually express a desire to net your fish. They will probably want to be the net man on occasion after seeing you net their fish (they want to try everything out that they can). If that’s what they want to do, that’s fine, but always ask them if they want to reel it in or net it.
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
In addition to packing up for the big trip, you ought to have some idea of where you’re going, what kind of fish you’re going to target, and where on the lake/pond/river you have the best chance of catching them.
You don’t want to figure this out as you go. Remember, when you’re fishing with kids, you’re basically acting as the fishing guide or charter. They expect to catch fish quickly. Your job is to make that happen. Fishing with children is very stressful if you aren’t catching anything!
I wrote a detailed post that talks about how to prepare for a fishing trip with kids, as well as another that is an illustrated guide to fishing with kids. I highly recommend that you spend some time reading them. They will show you how to scout good fishing spots to give your kids the best chance for success, and also how to prepare yourself mentally for the task at hand.
There are other great websites that have good information about how to target panfish. For example, this article by In-Fisherman has some good tips for targetting bluegill in the spring.
I would much rather invest a little time in learning where fish tend to hang out later in the day than risking a meltdown just to catch the early bite. It doesn’t really matter what time of day you go fishing for sunfish or bluegill (which are the species you should target with young kids), anyway. They’ll bite constantly if you can find them.
Let Your Kids Sleep In
You’ve probably heard that fish bite best in the morning, and you want to give your kids the best chance at catching one, so it’s very tempting to wake them up before dawn and get them out there.
This would be a huge mistake.
Kids (especially young ones) need their sleep. If they don’t get it, they turn into little Linda Blair’s from The Exorcist out there on the water.
When my son comes racing into my room at 5 a.m. asking that we go fishing, I know I’m in for a long day.
Travel in Packs
Bring reinforcements. You are much better off if you have another adult in the boat or on the bank with you. Having another adult to help out with situations is one of the most important things you can do to make fishing with kids less stressful. Bring your spouse, a grandparent, a friend.
It is enormous help to take turns keeping the children occupied while the other adult handles a tangle, or reties a line. One adult can ask the kids what is in the livewell while the other deals with a snag. One parent can break out snacks while the other applies sunscreen – whatever the case may be, reinforcements are great!
This also allows for rapid fish catches. Two adults supporting a child makes it more likely that fish will be caught and the kid has a good time. I’ve had days fishing with my wife, father, and son where we all were handing my boy our rod one after another. It was all he could do to scramble back and forth across the boat to get to the latest fish!
One word of warning: any adult who is holding a rod and hooking a fish is “fishing” and needs to be licensed. Check your local regulations, but that is the general rule (at least in all the states I’ve fished).
Get a Fish in the Livewell as Fast as Possible
If you want your fishing trip with kids to be full of smiles instead of tears, then your mission is simple: catch any legal fish and throw it in the livewell or bucket as fast as you possibly can.
Do not make the mistake of trying for a “big fish” first. Target little fish. Bluegill, sunfish, yellow and white perch – anything small, common, and easily caught. Get them in the boat and hand them to your kid to put in the livewell.
This will “get the skunk off the boat” (meaning you’re successful as you’ve caught a fish) and will also give you an outstanding meltdown aversion system. Any time you see your little one about to take a turn for the worse, ask them to go check on that fish! They’ll do a mental 180 and run off to check on their “friend.”
Get any fish you can into the livewell as fast as you can. It doesn’t need to be a giant, either (though that would never hurt).
Name the Fish and Refer to It Frequently
This goes hand in hand with the above. Your new fish friend in that livewell needs a name. I suggest Ted, personally, but what do I know?
Talk about Ted. Point out how nice it is for him to be here. Encourage your kids to go check on him from time to time and change the water in the bucket or hit the aerator on the livewell pump. Make Ted as much of a part of the crew as anyone else so that when you need to divert your kid’s attention, Ted can captivate it.
Make sure you keep an eye on Ted. If he is the only fish in the livewell for much of the trip, your kids are going to put him through a lot of stress. Get back to fishing to try and make him some friends as fast as you can.
Teach Your Kids About “The Fish Doctor” and “Going Back to Their Mommy”
Once you put one fish in the livewell, your kids are going to want to put every fish in the livewell. This just can’t be so. Some fish are too small, or out of season and would be illegal to possess. Others get injured by the hook and need to be released immediately to give them the best chance for survival.
The problem is if your kids are expecting the fish to go into the livewell or bucket, and you need to throw them back immediately, you’re tasked with saying that dreaded “NO” that tends to go over so well. So what can you do instead?
Enter the Fish Doctor and Fish Mommy.
When we catch a fish that is too small, we say that we can’t put him in the livewell because “He’s too small and scared. He needs to go back to his mommy!” My son, being ever helpful and kind, delights in sending the fish back to go find its mom.
Likewise, when a fish is bleeding and I want to release it quickly rather than stress it more by taking it for a little ride, I tell my son that the fish needs to go see “The Fish Doctor.” Then, my boy just tosses them back without complaint.
After doing this a few times, my son started making the call all on his own. “This one is bleeding, Daddy! It needs to go see the fish doctor!”
This works SO much better than saying, “No,” as every parent on earth can imagine.
Try to Avoid Saying “No”
Frankly, if you want to take some pressure off of your next fishing trip with your kids, you should set yourself up so you can avoid saying “No” as much as possible. Only bring lures that are safe. Pack only bring rods you don’t mind kids using. Avoid having items nearby you don’t want them handling. Do these things and there’s not much you need to say no to.
Obviously, if they are in danger or acting up, fire away the ol’ N-O, but I’m just saying to set yourself up so you can avoid it when possible as there are few words on earth kids hate more.
Let Them Pick Their Lure
Note: this advice applies after you get that first fish in the livewell.
If you read just about any parenting guide out there, they all seem to say that little kids crave control yet get almost none. You can give kids a measure of it while fishing and still have a successful, stress free day if you let them pick the lure.
With that said, if you just hand them your entire tackle box and tell them to pick something, you’re probably going to have an awful time. You’ll also have a very prickly mess to deal with. You don’t want to do that.
Instead, pack a “Kid’s Day Box” with 2-3 different techniques or lure colors that you think would work fairly well. Ask your children to pick which one they want to try first. Reduce the available options but still make it their choice. This will help them feel in control and will increase their pride when they catch a fish on a lure that they picked out.
Do What They Want, Not What You Want
Sometimes, my son wants to troll for larger fish. Other times, he wants to go fish off our dock for blue gills, or even swim in the water and net fish that I catch. A few times, we wind up forgetting to fish altogether and just look at minnows or try to catch frogs.
It’s important to stay open minded. If you try to force something on your kids, they aren’t going to enjoy it. You’re out there spending time with your little ones and keeping them safe. They’re nowhere near a screen, and are having a good time regardless. You have accomplished your goal as a parent for the day. Pat yourself on the back and just go along for the ride.
While this advice should wait until after they’ve caught a fish or two (kids have crazy ideas), your trip will have far less stress if you let them run free a bit and call the shots.
Talk About “Boo Boo Fish”
Every kid should have a healthy respect for “boo boo fish” by the time they’re two years old. This is the name my wife and I gave to pickerel, northern pike, bowfin, bullhead, catfish, and any other species that could maim a child.
My son wants to hold every fish he catches. If it weren’t for our explaining how some were too dangerous because they’d give him “booboos,” we’d risk a fit. Let me tell you,it’s a tough call to determine if it’s worse: standing between a toddler and their jellybeans, or their trophy northern pike).
Labeling such fish as “booboo fish” also helped add an aura of mystery to these species. They weren’t the primary ones we would target, but every so often they would be caught as a nice “bonus fish” and my kids eyes would open wide with wonder. It’s a cool site and makes for some great photos!
Have a Good Fish Story at the Ready
You should have a good fish story to tell your kids before they catch anything. Trust me. You want an out in case something goes wrong. In other words, you want to be able to spin things in a way that keeps your kids itching for more.
Talk about the frumpy Ol’ Catfish McGilliwhiskers, and how he’s been known to pull whole rods and reels out from young anglers hands. Then, if a big fish breaks off the line, it’s not your fault: That mean Ol’ Catfish McGilliwhiskers struck again!
Just today, my son had a monster (to him) northern pike get right to the boat before it cut the line and swam off with some jewelry. I’m proud to say he handled it like a champ! He told me he was happy to have a good story for his mom! Prepare your children for the possibility they will lose a fish or two in life, or there is no way a fishing trip with your kids will ever be calm.
Please note that using this technique does run the risk of creating a minivan full of little Captain Ahabs, or just terrifying them into thinking they’ll be pulled overboard, so try not to overdo it!
An Ounce of Prevention…
Always remember, a prime objective is for your spouse to allow you to take them again next weekend. Bringing back bruised and bleeding children is not conducive to this goal! Just use some common sense and you should be OK!
If you’re interested in more details about how you can fish safely with your kids check out my post here. I go into much greater depth about additional watchouts and safety concerns on the water.
Keep Things Safe
Safety should be your priority. If your kids get cut, scraped, or burned, they aren’t going to have a good time and neither will you. There’s a few basics that you simply must cover to ensure everyone has a good time:
Life Jackets
Most states require children to wear life jackets. Even if you’re in an area that doesn’t obligate this, you should still insist your children wear them. I trust Mustang Survival with my children’s lives. This company makes premium life jackets for kids that are comfortable for them to wear and very effective. I’ve pool tested them with my children and they work. I can’t recommend them enough!
I trust Mustang Survival with my children’s lives.
Wear Your Kill Switch
You need to wear your kill switch anytime the outboard is running. If your friend invites you out on their boat, but doesn’t want to wear their kill switch, it’s time to find a new friend. You need to insist on this. So many lives have been claimed because someone neglected to wear a little lanyard clip. It is ridiculous.
Leave the Treble Hooks At Home
A common theme of my website is that I hate pairing kids with treble hooks. They are dangerous and much more likely to catch a little one. If you insist on using them, make sure you pinch down the barbs.
Bring Along Sunscreen and Sun Gear
Make sure you lather up your kids with sunscreen. There’s nowhere to hide from the rays while you’re out on a boat (unless you have a Bimini top, I suppose). These days, they make some pretty good sun shirts and hats that can minimize the amount of skin that is exposed to the sun. Regardless, you should keep an eye on your kids as they tend to twist and contort in all sorts of ways that uncovers areas you wouldn’t expect (they have a habit of lifting their shirt and exposing their lower back – if you notice this, make sure you apply some sunscreen).
Make sure you keep up with this. One application is likely not enough. If you’re really interested in having a stress free trip, you need to ensure your kids don’t get a sunburn while they’re fishing. It will tire them out and make them cranky fast.
Point Out Every Turtle You See
Never forget that the trip is an experience in and of itself. You aren’t just fishing with your kids – you’re spending a wonderful day outside in God’s beautiful, vast creation with them.
Take your time while you’re out there. Point out nature’s curiosities like all the turtles lined up on a log. Let your children pick a lily flower or two as the boat drifts by. Listen to the call of the loon and have a contest to see who can imitate it better.
If you make the trip completely about fishing and the fishing stinks, so will the entire memory. If you make the trip about hanging out together on the lake, anything can be special.
I know from experience how hard this is, especially if you have a competitive streak and love fishing, but it is so important.
Fishing should only be part of the day’s experience.
Ask Your Kids for Help Constantly
Make your children part of the process on a fishing trip. You want them to feel like they are part of the team and helped to earn any success. Not only does this make them feel good, but divvying up the chores with your kids on a fishing trip will make the excursion much more stress free for you.
If they aren’t scared of nightcrawlers, their job should be getting a new one each time a hook needs baiting;
If they like holding fish, have them carry each one to the livewell or bucket;
Ask them to get your sandwich or drink;
If they’re old enough and you feel it’s safe, it’s OK to ask them to grab a rod and reel;
If you’re trolling with your trolling motor and need to stop, let them press the button;
Never forget to ask them to help you reel in or net a big fish!
If you made a grown adult do these things, you’d come across as bossy. If you ask a four-year-old for help, they feel like they’re being treated as equals.
Mix Things Up
Most kids don’t have a great attention span and will quickly tire of any one thing. Thus, it is critical that you mix things up while fishing with your children. Once you have some panfish in the livewell, don’t be afraid to pull out the spinnerbaits and troll for chain pickerel.
Consider switching spots, or even going tubing for awhile. Drive them over to something cool to look at, like a major bridge or culvert tunnel. Go for a cruise up a creek just to say you did it. Keep things fresh and you’ll keep them entertained for longer. Then, when they’ve had their fill of the distractions, go get some more bluegill in the boat!
Communicate With Each Other
My son and I occasionally forget that we each aren’t psychic. We each have our own idea how the day should go, or what we should do next, and at times he especially gets pretty frustrated with me if I don’t do what he’s thinking.
It should go without saying that neither of us are mind readers, but that’s a tough concept for a child to grasp.
Communication is important when you’re fishing with your kids. Let them know what the plan is. Let them know if you need to swing the boat around before they cast. Ask them if they need you to get the net, or if they are hungry.
Make sure the two of you are talking. When your kid communicates something with you, praise them for their great teamwork in telling you the plan. Having an open dialogue reduces frustration. Reduce everyone’s stress by letting your kids feel free to bring up their concerns on the fishing trip so long as they do so in a positive manner.
Secure Their Buy-In for Leaving
If your kid is really enjoying their fishing trip, getting them to leave can be very challenging. I know that some of the greatest meltdowns my son has thrown have come when it was time to leave.
It’s important to have something else that’s fun lined up for them after the fishing trip. This could be swimming with a friend, wading by the shore, or even getting ice cream. It gets hot out there on the boat so going out for slurpees or a sundae is a great idea and an easy way to get your kids to want to finally leave.
This also makes for more of a tradition. Think back to when you were playing baseball as a kid. I’ll bet one of your favorite parts about game day was either going out for pizza afterwards or at least visiting the concession stand for some popcorn and candy.
Go ahead and make an event out of the entire day!
Give Them Something to Do at the Boat Ramp
Launching a fishing boat alone with a kid can be very stressful. If they’re little you really don’t have any other option than to keep them in their car seat while you do it, and they aren’t always pleased about being left out of the fun.
I solved this by handing my son the remote control for my trolling motor and telling him to help “drive” the car. It is harmless* as it won’t do anything when the motor is stored, and it lets him think that he’s helping out.
*NOTE: I would not recommend handing them the remote for trolling motors that have an auto-stow and deploy, such as the MinnKota Ulterra. It’s just asking for trouble!
Let Them Wade in the Water
This should only be done in areas safe from predators like alligators and sharks, but if you’re in a temperate lake or pond, wrapping up the day by letting your kids walk around in the water a bit is a great way to finish. It’s also a good reward for them if they’re quiet and calm while you load the boat up.
If you decide to do this, just make sure you apply common sense. Don’t let them play on the boat ramp unless you can get them out the instant someone else needs it. Someone launching or retrieving their boat has the right of way.
Improve Your Own Fishing Skills
The better you are at fishing, the less likely little hiccups and problems are going to faze you. Even though it can be tough to leave your kids behind, once in awhile you need to take a “mental health day” and just go fishing yourself. When you do, work on your own skills so that when you take your kids out, they’ll be more successful.
If you need a little help getting over the hump, check out this post I wrote about improving at fishing. It discusses 5 common fishing mistakes and what you can do to avoid them. You’ll also find helpful information on some digital tools and resources you can utilize to improve your (and your kids’) success rate.
Realize that No Fishing Trip With Kids Will Be “Completely” Stress Free
Yes, this whole article is aimed at helping you have a stress free fishing trip with your kids, but just bear in mind that this is one of those “nice goals to have.” The bottom line is that things are going to go wrong and you are going to have to deal with this. The better the attitude you bring along, and the more you keep things in perspective, the better the trip will be for everyone.
Remember that you are just as susceptible to being cranky when you get hungry or a bad sunburn, so make sure you have enough essentials for yourself as well! Try to keep your cool as best you can and remember that you’re out their building memories that will last a lifetime — good or bad — so don’t ruin it!
Conclusions
Fishing with your kids doesn’t have to be that stressful. In fact, most of the angst is self-induced. Always remember that your children love you and want to spend time with you. They just want to be in your company and spend the day running around outside, exploring all the beauty nature has to offer.
So, relax, take a deep breath, and just enjoy yourself out there. Your time with your kids is fleeting. Eventually they will grow up, you won’t be as cool to them, and you’ll have real things to stress about. Never let fishing be one of them.
I hope this article helps you reduce your stress level while fishing with your kids. If you need more help, consider purchasing my book as it attempts to reduce the learning curve with fishing and help parents plan a good day with their little ones.
My five-year-old is completely enamored with fishing, so much so that he even walks around saying, “Fishing is my life!” It’s cute, very convenient for me as I also love the hobby, and something I want to encourage. Reading him kids fishing books before I tuck him in is a great way to do this.
Over the past few years we’ve collected many fishing books that are well suited for toddlers and preschoolers, and even one or two that are better suited for older children. I thought I’d take a couple of minutes and go through a few of them to let you know my thoughts and impressions of each in case you’re trying to decide which one to buy. I also want to bring some attention to the authors (one was even written by an eight-year-old!) in the hopes that they’ll keep on writing books in this genre!
I’m going to divide this into two sections. First, we’ll have the best fishing books for teaching kids to fish. These are your nonfiction works that your child will look through while they’re planning their next fishing trip. Then, I’ll talk about some fishing books that make good bedtime stories. If you’re interested in books geared to adults, I also have a post about the best fishing books I’ve ever read. Check it out some time.
Non-Fiction Fishing Books for Kids
The following are fishing books for kids that are designed to teach them how to fish. These are non-fiction and aren’t great bedtime stories, but are perfect for long car rides to the lake. Many are filled with pictures that will excite your little angler and keep them engaged.
The Barefoot Fisherman: A Fishing Book for Kids
A solid kids fishing book written by Paul Amdadahl, The Barefoot Fisherman: A Fishing Book for Kids is structured more for kids who have gone fishing a few times, this will give them various tips for a number of species they’ll catch (like sunfish and bass) as well as some that’ll keep them dreaming (like Sturgeon)!
Kids Gone Fishin’ – The Young Angler’s Guide to Catching More and Bigger Fish
Written by David Maas as designed for kids who are just starting out, Kids Gone Fishin’ is a colorful book full of fun text choices and interesting pictures. It’s cited as being one of the better kids fishing books out there for kids who aren’t that familiar with the sport. Consider picking it up to get your kids interested in fishing.
Fishing with Kids: A Parent’s Guide
While I wrote this book for parents, it would also be useful for older children to read. Note that it is in black and white and designed for adults, so it’ll take a stronger reader. However, if you want a fishing book for your kid and they happen to be an older child, this could definitely help them. It was designed to teach parents who know nothing about fishing how to go out with their kids and be successful. There’s no reason it can’t also help kids so long as they’re strong readers.
My Awesome Guide to Freshwater Fishing: Essential Techniques and Tools for Kids
This is my second book and one that is designed primarily for children ages 8 – 12 years old. It is written in easier language than the first book and designed with bright colors and interesting graphics to keep children intrigued while they read. Pick up your copy today!
Fictional Fishing Books for Kids – Bedtime Stories
The following are a series of fishing books for kids that I’d describe more as bedtime stories. For the most part, they aren’t designed to teach a kid to fish so much as to keep them engage. These books are a good way to keep kids interested in fishing. Just don’t expect them to teach a kid how to cast!
The Three Little Bass and the Big Bad Gar
This book was written by eight-year-old, James Miller, and illustrated by his mother, Kris Taft Miller. It’s a new take on the timeless “3 Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf” fable. This is always a good message to reinforce to children (hard work pays off).
It’s a fun read with big type face that’s easy for kids to follow. The illustrations are crisp, clean, and pop off the page. I have a ball using a weird voice when I read what the gar says: “Plishily Sploshty Plishty Ploo, I think I want to feast on YOU!“ My kids get a big kick out of it, while my wife rolls her eyes.
I think it’s absolutely awesome that this eight-year-old liked fishing so much that he sat down and wrote a story all about it. Even better, he actually went out and published it. It just shows great drive, creativity, and gumption out of this young man.
It takes a lot of guts to write for other people and publish something. This young man (and his mom) should both be proud of themselves. I’d recommend buying their book and telling your kids exactly who wrote it. Talk about how he had a dream of publishing a story, pursued it and made it a reality.
In my mind, The Three Little Bass and the Big Bad Gar lets you win as a parent twice. First of all, you get a fun story about why your kids should apply themselves and do a job right. Secondly, you get to show your children that if you have a dream and are willing to work for it, you can make it come true, just as young James Miller did.
Everybody loves Curious George, so when I was searching for children’s books about fishing, I picked up Curious George Goes Fishing. It is illustrated by H.A. Rey and is based on an earlier work, Curious George Files a Kite.
It’s an easy read with fun illustrations. I’d imagine it would be fairly easy fishing book for a beginning reader to tackle themselves. I do question George’s choice at the end. I won’t spoil it for you, but he makes an interesting statement about another hobby being better than fishing, which is obviously preposterous. Regardless, my son enjoys it, and I’m glad I picked it up.
A quick word of warning: one of the characters is smoking a pipe. I know some of you might hesitate to expose your children to that image. I just didn’t want to surprise anyone.
Gone Fishing
This was the first fishing story book that I bought my son. I saw it at Cabelas one day and had to grab it. Written by Earlene Long and illustrated by Richard Brown, Gone Fishing is a great story about a boy and his dad fishing on a dock for the day.
I’ll admit I bought this book exclusively because of its cover. It reminded me of going out with my own son, and I knew it would make for a great bedtime story. After seeing how it has influenced his time on the water, it’s clear that buying it was a great decision.
This book helped reinforce to my son that fishing for little fish is fun. This is very helpful because they are much easier to catch. The father and son each take turns catching a big fish and a little fish and both are equally celebrated. When I’m out fishing with him now, he even quotes the book, “A little fish for me!” with a big grin on his face.
We read this one a lot. It’s only 31 pages with about a sentence on each, so it goes by at a good clip. I would highly recommend it.
Just Me and My Dad
Mercer Mayer’s Just Me and My Dad isn’t purely about fishing, though it is featured prominently on the cover and got me! It’s a fun read about a kid and their dad hanging out on a camping trip.
If your child is into outdoor adventures like camping, hiking, fishing, campfires, and the like, they will enjoy this book. The illustrations are detailed and fun to look at for kids and my one-year-old is especially intrigued by them.
I also like the subtext of the book. Many things go wrong, but they make the best of it, and have a great time. This book is a good one to read to little anglers so you can remind them of this moral when a fish breaks the line or something else goes wrong.
If you’re interested in getting some help reinforcing that message, consider picking up a copy of Just Me and My Dad today.
The Berenstain Bears Gone Fishin’!
My brother-in-law hates these books because he complains that Papa Bear is portrayed as a bumbling goof, and as you can see right from the picture of him catching a boot on the cover, this book is no different.
I suppose if that bothers you, you’ll want to look elsewhere. I, on the other hand, embrace my inner-idiot as seen by my post about all the silly fishing mistakes I’ve made over the years, so it doesn’t bother me and I can just enjoy this book for what it is – another great tale by the Berenstain family.
Gone Fishin’ is an “I can Read 1” level book, which means it has simple sentences which would make it a good one for beginning readers (source). It also has the usual fun illustrations you’ve come to expect from the series, so even my toddler enjoys it.
The bears do take the fish home to eat it, which may or may not be a plus for you depending on what you’re trying to teach your kids, but, you know, they’re bears–they eat fish.
I was glad to purchase a copy of The Berenstain Bears: Gone Fishin’! myself as I have fond memories of pouring over the series as a kid and am very happy to share that joy with my own children.
Edison’s Tackle Box
My preschooler son loves this fishing book book. This is odd as it’s aimed at slightly older children. I think it’s because he’s getting to the point where he wants a tackle box of his own, so it’s exciting for him to read about how Edison packs up his gear and heads off to the pond to fish with his dad.
This is a good-sized read that has some meat to it. Your kids will be satisfied with this one as their “main book” of the night, but if you’re exhausted it can be a bit to get through.
Little kids will also enjoy it as the illustrations are fun and filled with neat little details. It’s the kind of book that I would have stared at as a child and I see my son and daughter doing the same.
I enjoyed how this book teaches kids all the things they need to go fishing. They’ll learn some techniques, and most importantly how to help clean up for the day after they’re done fishing! That alone makes it worth the price!
If you need a little help getting your kids excited about cleaning up their fishing tackle, then pick up your copy of Edison’s Tackle Box by Meghan Colvin today.
Fishing With Daddy
If your kids are a bit older and you’re looking for a story book with a little bulk, Fishing with Daddy would be a good choice. There is an illustration on each page by Scarlett Pruett with a paragraph or so by Karla Carter Moreland right below it. This makes it a longer, but enjoyable read.
What I like about this book as a fishing father is that it talks about the entire process of fishing. They dig up worms, get their tackle in order, sit by a lantern going for catfish at night, go on a boat ride, etc. The book basically encapsulates all the great memories a kid can have about spending time on the water with her dad.
This is also one of the few books that is about fishing with your daughter. Not enough girls are brought along fishing, so it’s great to finally see a fishing book written by a woman talking about her time fishing with her dad.
This fishing book isn’t well suited for a toddler, but as my daughter grows older, it will be one of the main ones I read her.
H is for Hook
H Is for Hook: A Fishing Alphabet is a little bit interesting to me. The writer, Judy Young, packed it full of useful content and I absolutely love the gorgeous illustrations by Gary Palmer. This is a very, very fun book to look at.
I’m still going to call it interesting though because it almost seems like it’s chasing a few different audiences. Every page has little poem about what a certain letter stands for (L is for Lure, for example). That’s the easy “story book” part. That part is probably appropriate for preschoolers, or even toddlers. However, off on the side, there are detailed, multi-paragraph explanations where the author explains what the item is, in depth. These sections of the book would lose younger children, no matter how much they like fishing.
It’s a pretty neat way to structure the book. I’m looking at this as a book about fishing my kids can grow with:
My toddler loves the vibrant illustrations;
My preschooler likes the pictures, but also likes the short poems;
I actually enjoy the sidebar and have learned a bit myself!
I don’t read the sidebar to my son because I think that would bore him quickly, and it would also turn a quick read into a marathon, but I could see this changing when he gets older and wants to learn more.
This is both a story book and also a “how to” book combined into one. If you’re just judging this one by the cover you’re going to miss out. A lot of the alphabet books are for little kids but this one is actually appropriate for, well, anyone frankly. Even an adult who was new to fishing could learn from it.
I really wish I had a book like this when I was a kid. I recommend that you purchase it.
Closing Thoughts
One of the best reasons to take your kids fishing is because it sparks their love of reading as they want to learn more and more, but you need to have age-appropriate books to capitalize on this. Thanks to these authors, you have that opportunity.
As I discover more books about fishing that are suited for toddlers, preschoolers, or older children, I’ll be sure to update this page. If you’re aware of other books out there to recommend, please post a comment and I’ll take a look!
I hope you found this article helpful. If you did, please consider sharing it so it can help others.
I imagine if you’re reading this, you either can’t wait to take your firstborn fishing, or the you’re the parent who thinks your spouse is absolutely nuts. Trust me, they’re not crazy. You can start taking kids fishing at any age, though I would argue the best age is around two. It’s still a good idea to acclimate kids to fishing at an early age so they get used to it. In fact, I took both of my children fishing even when they were infants. Fishing is truly a sport for all ages.
Granted, if you’re taking your infant fishing you can’t exactly expect them to reel anything in, but they can absolutely participate in the fun and be part of the family outing.
I vote for taking your kids out fishing with you as soon as the doctor clears them for outdoor activities. Fishing is a great family activity and your kid doesn’t need to be able to cast to enjoy it. Even so, you should know a bit about what to expect at each age to make sure everything goes as well as it can.
Setting the Stage
Luckily for you, I’ve recently been through this with my son, and am now going through it with my daughter, so I thought I’d share how our experience went in the hope that it will help you. I’ll describe what I did at each age, what he was capable of doing at each age, and also give you some bullet point objectives that you should aim for.
Don’t despair if your child is getting a little later start than my boy, but do ensure that you complete all the objectives for the prior ages. You can condense this depending on their age (just to give you an idea, a 4-year-old might take 2-3 days to learn all the prior steps. A 6 or 7-year-old can probably learn them in an hour).
Before we get into my thoughts about taking kids fishing at various ages, I thought it would be good to set the stage with some basic ground rules and first steps. While it’s beyond the purview of this article to dive into these in detail, I will share links that will help you get there in no time.
Ensure You Have Some Basic Skills
I don’t care what age your child is – if you’re taking them fishing, it’s a good idea to have a few basic skills of your own. Otherwise, how can you hope to teach them to your kids? You will need to know how to spool line on a reel, tie your line to a lure, and cast at the very least. If you lack these skills, please read my article on the basic skills you need to take your kids fishing, and then come back to read this.
If you’re the type of person who prefers a hard copy, I recently published a book, Fishing with Kids: A Parent’s Guide. It discusses this topic in detail. If you are trying to get your kids into this sport, or know someone who is, it’s worth a read. Please consider purchasing it for yourself or a friend. You can also get a bit of cliff notes from my Illustrated Guide to Fishing with Kids.
Set Your Priorities Straight
You need to keep your priorities straight. You aren’t taking kids fishing so you can get the photo for the ages to share all over social media. Rather, you’re trying to bond with them and have a fun time outside, and away from a screen!!! Consider reading this article I wrote about how to make the trip more enjoyable for your children. You’ll note very little of it has to do with actually having a lure in the water.
Younger kids don’t need to catch the fish to want to be part of the experience.
Keep Things Safe and Stress Free
Regardless of their age, neither your kid nor you will have a good time fishing if you don’t take some basic steps to keep the situation stress free and safe.
I’ve written two articles that I think you should invest some time in. If you don’t, you’re going to struggle with taking your kids fishing for the first time.The first discusses how to keep the trip relatively stress free. The second discusses safety concerns at length. The second mentions some safety tips, including several you probably haven’t thought of. I’d consider reading them both.
Fishing With Infants to 1-Year-Olds
Now that we’ve got some of the basics out of the way and shared some resources, let’s dive into how to take your kids fishing at different ages. We’ll start with birth.
Infants and 1-year-olds can come along for fishing trips, but probably won’t do much catching on their own. Your major goal is acclimating them. To do so, you’ll need to accomplish three objectives:
Introduce your infant to fishing and acclimate them so they are comfortable;
Let them see you fishing often, so they’ll want to copy you;
Start introducing them to reeling in a lure.
Introducing Infants to Fishing
Obviously, an infant or even a one-year-old really isn’t going to “fish” when they come out with you, but it’s important that you get them used to the sights and sounds of fishing so your kids aren’t afraid of it and will want to keep fishing with you when reach an older age.
We immediately introduced our son and daughter to everything fishing-related that we could. We tried hard to totally and completely acclimate them to the sport so that being around fish would become second nature to them.
I think it’s fair to say we went all out with introducing fishing to my son. My wife did an awesome job painting his room to look like an aquarium, and kept on buying him all sorts of fishing shirts. I took him to Cabelas every chance I could, and kept bringing him down in the basement to see all of my fishing gear and look at crankbaits.
When you’re introducing an infant or a one-year-old to fishing, consistency is the key. It’s really no different than introducing them to a new caretaker, or the dog, or soft food. You want to make sure they have a chance to get used to this and so you need to expose them to it often enough that it becomes old hat.
The last thing you want is to have your spouse tell you that you need to sell your boat because your kid hates it.
Our son was surrounded by fish from birth.
Get Your Kids to Want to Copy You
Whenever I would take my son fishing at this age, I would do everything I could to excite him. Every time I would catch a fish, I’d bring it over for my son to see. While I have several photos that make it clear he didn’t start off that impressed, the sport grew on him quickly.
These days, it’s all I can do to get my son off of the water, but he sure didn’t look impressed the first time he saw a bass!
Kids naturally want to do what their parents do, no matter how boring it might seem to adults. Just look at how many toy lawnmowers sell each year.
Fishing is actually fun, so it is very easy to get kids hooked on it. One thing that we did that really got our one-year-old interested in fishing was to buy him a toy rod and a little stuffed largemouth bass. This way, he got to “play” fisherman, and be “just like daddy,” right in the living room.
Teach Your Kids How To Reel
The first year or two of life is far too young of an age for kids to learn much about fishing, but they can at least start to reel. I went and purchased a very small spinning rod to replace his toy rod. I would cast it over in the corner and let him learn how to reel it in. It was a little awkward for him and the rod tip went everywhere as he wildly reeled it, but you could tell from his smile that he was having a blast.
Most kids have teddy bears. My son had a teddy fish.
A 1-year-old really isn’t capable of casting on their own, so it doesn’t matter much what kind of reel you use for this. All of them have a handle that needs to be turned, and it won’t make much difference, so you can use whatever you have.
You can buy special “casting plugs” for this purpose, but really any old crankbait will work. Just take the hooks off one that has a busted bill or hasn’t been producing for you and tie it on to the rod.
A little 3/8 oz, de-hooked crankbait is no more likely to break the television than the casting plugs out there, and it’s just as good, if not better, of a fish approximation to boot.
A broken crankbait works great for a casting plug. Just remember to take the hooks off before you hand it to your kid.
You’re going to want to use a consistent message or cheer while you’re teaching them how to reel in, because you want them to remember it later when they have a real fish on the line. For us, it was “reel, reel, reel!” Repeat your coaching message/cheer each time they’re turning the handle.
As you can see, it’s a wonderful idea to start taking your kids fishing at this young age, but there’s a lot to it. So much so that if you’re still looking for information, I wrote a second post that specifically deals with this age group in more detail.
Fishing With Two-Year-Olds: The Best Age to Take Your Kid Fishing
In my opinion, the best age to start taking your kids fishing is when they are two. While I certainly took my own kids earlier, I have to concede that things really took off when they were old enough to reel in their own fish.
2-year-old children are capable of casting their own rods, hooking their own fish, and reeling them in, but only if they get a lot of practice.
If you’re introducing your 2-year-old child to fishing, you’re going to need to accomplish all the objectives they should have learned when they were 1, and also start working on the following:
Casting a lure in the general direction of water;
Waiting for a fish to bite;
Reeling in a fish;
Stopping reeling before the fish hits the tip of the rod (this is key).
Both of us are very proud here, but it’s also clear that I’m exhausted. It’s not easy teaching 2-year-olds to fish, but it’s well worth it.
Teaching a 2-Year-Old How to Cast
One of the main reasons I think that two is such a great age to take kids fishing for the first time is that they can finally cast, albeit inaccurately. While you shouldn’t expect a 2-year-old to do most of their own casting, it is a good idea to start teaching them how.
Most people think that they have to buy a spincast reel for a smaller child, but I started my son with spinning gear and he handled it just fine. I’m glad that I invested the time to teach him on this gear instead of taking the “easy” way out, because now I don’t need to teach him a different tool, or spend money twice.
As I mentioned at the start of the article, you need to know how to cast yourself before you can teach your kids (and again, you can read this to learn).
You simply want to teach them to do the same thing, but bear in mind that they have small hands and won’t be able to extend their trigger finger far enough to grab the line. Instead, they need to use their non-dominant hand to bring the line in close enough for them to grab it with their dominant one.
How A Young Child Casts a Spinning Reel
I’m going to break down how a child might teach themselves to hold the line of a spinning reel, but I want to emphasize that they really need to teach themselves this. If you try to explain the following technical steps to your kid, you’re just going to aggravate everyone.
This all assumes that you’ve been fishing in front of your kids for some time and they’re attempting to copy you. They’ll try doing what you’re doing without you even asking, but you can help them along by doing a few steps.
What YOU want to do is take the rod with a lure on it and show them what happens when you flip the bail without holding the line (the lure drops).
THEN, show them what happens if you flip the bail WHILE holding the line (the lure does NOT drop).
Get your kid to understand this “cause and effect” concept and then tell them to hold the line so the lure won’t drop. They will be able to figure this out with a little time and encouragement.
This is what you might expect it to eventually look like:
My son’s hand is too small for him to grab the line with just his pointer finger. Instead, he uses his entire hand. So long as he releases tension from the line at the correct moment, this works just fine.
It doesn’t matter how pretty this looks. All that matters is your kid holds onto the line with something while they’re flipping the bail open, and then releases the line when they go to cast.
If you think this isn’t worth the trouble and you’d prefer to use a push-button spincast reel, that’s fine, but just remember that spincast reels are to fishing what roller skates are to ice hockey players. You’re going to wind up buying equipment twice.
Teaching them Patience: Waiting for a Fish to Bite
I know I said that I thought the best age to take a kid fishing was when they were about two, but fishing does take some patience. You’re going to need to teach them that. While you’ll eventually get through it, I think every parent out there is thinking of two words: GOOD LUCK.
This one is going to take some time. As soon as the lure hits the water, kids just want to reel it in without giving fish much of a chance to notice the bait. I worked around this by fishing in areas that were stacked with panfish (so they’d bite within about 3-5 seconds) and constant coaching.
“Wait ’til you feel nibbles, buddy! Wait ’til you feel nibbles!”
I said that so much I nearly wore out my throat. It would have been a great time to own a parrot.
Call in the Cavalry
Depending on your kid, you might have an easier or harder time with this, but you would do yourself a great service if you joined some local fishing forums and asked the folks there for recommendations on good lakes and spots for large numbers of bluegill, sunfish, and yellow perch.
Most people that are on those forums are chasing larger species, but they’ve probably observed a few areas that consistently hold the smaller ones. You can expect that most will tell you those spots (perhaps in a private message) if you explain you’re taking a little one.
You really want to find a spot where you can keep the wait as short as possible for your child and then work up from there. Kids can resist reeling in for 3-5 seconds, and maybe even 10. Anything longer than that could be pushing it at this age.
Reeling in a Fish
OK, so your kid left the bait in the water long enough for a fish to bite, and now it’s on the line! It’s time for all that practice casting in your living room to finally pay off!
Whatever phrase you used to teach them to reel before, use it again. For us it was “reel, reel, reel!” Make sure they don’t forget to do this, because you want to keep constant pressure on the fish so it can’t spit out the hook.
If your kid hooks into a larger fish and it starts pulling drag you can try to tell them to stop (as a rule, you should not be reeling while a fish is pulling drag), but this might be a little tough for them to understand at this age.
You’ll also want to remind them to keep the rod tip high. Kids tend to drop the rod and point it straight at the fish. This is a bad habit because it puts all the pressure directly on the line rather than letting the bend of the rod absorb the fish’s pull. It probably won’t matter much for little fish, but the bigger ones will break them off.
Stop Reeling Before the Fish Hits the Rod Tip
This is pretty self-explanatory, but not something a angler would necessarily think of. You need to get your kids to stop reeling before the fish reaches the rod tip.
If your kids reel a fish in all the way to the rod tip, they could break the rod tip or knock the fish off of the hook and back into the water. Both become much more likely as the fish get larger.
Just make sure that you’re standing there next to them and remind them to stop before it is too late. Accidents will happen while they’re learning, but this is one that they’ll get a verbal (your coaching) and visual (the sight of the fish) cue, so they should learn this quickly.
Make sure that your kids stop reeling before the fish reaches the rod tip.
Fishing With 3 to 4-Year-Olds
I would imagine that most sane people start taking their children fishing when they are about 3 years old. A child this age is capable of fishing on their own with significantly less direction and help from adults, but this is, of course, reliant on their having been exposed to fishing much earlier.
If they’re just starting fishing at 3 or 4, take things slow and make sure you go through the check list for fishing with infants and 2-year-olds before you hand them a rod and expect them to know what they’re doing, but you should also aim to achieve the following:
Increased casting distance and accuracy;
Understanding the reel’s drag system so they can fight bigger fish.
Depending on your child, they might react in a few different ways. They could be scared of the fish and really need to be acclimated by a trip to the local aquarium a few times, or they could take the “I’m a big boy/girl” attitude and want to start doing everything themselves immediately.
Practice Increasing Casting Distance and Accuracy
Fishing is like any other sport. If you want to improve, you need to practice. You don’t need to be on the water to practice many of the skills, either, which is handy if you don’t live near a lake.
Just as a hockey player might shoot pucks at a net in their basement, your little fisher can practice casting in their own back yard. They can use the same de-hooked plug that you used to throw in your living room and now cast it at targets in the yard.
The target can be just about anything, but I’d recommend just flattening out a few cardboard shipping boxes. Try to flatten a few in different sizes and lay them out at different distances around your yard. Then, take turns with your child to see who can get the lure the closest.
If you want to simulate reeds to teach your child how to cast into pockets between them, you could leave a few boxes unflattened and make little walls with them around the target. This would help your kids learn how to avoid getting snagged in bulrush or trees and would also add some three-dimensional fun to the game.
This fish was found between some bulrushes as seen in the background.
Teaching Your Child How to Fight Bigger Fish
One good thing about kids that are age three or four is that they can catch larger fish than most two-years-olds. Successfully fighting and landing larger fish takes skill and experience, which they might have by this age.
Three Mistakes Kids Often Make While Fighting Fish
There are three big mistakes that children (and beginners) often make that cost them fish.
Reeling In While the Fish is Pulling Drag: You can’t simply keep reeling in the line while a fish is pulling it in the other direction or you will risk breaking it off. You need to teach your kids that if they hear a “zzziiiiip!” (the drag being pulled) that they need to stop reeling;
Not Keeping a Bend in the Rod: As mentioned earlier, if your kid is pointing the tip directly at the fish, then all of the force of that fish is placed on the line directly, instead of the rod. This will snap the line in a hurry with a larger fish;
Trying to Lift a Large Fish Out of the Water: This is a sure-fire way to lose a fish unless you have very strong line, which you probably don’t on a kid’s reel. Make sure they leave the fish in the water and don’t try to pull it up into the boat without a net, or it could snap off in front of their eyes.
The Bottom Line? It Happens.
Your kid will lose some larger fish while they’re learning this and will continue to lose larger fish throughout their lives. It’s just part of fishing. Even so, it would be understandable if they are upset. It is very important that you are there for them when this happens and talk about how exciting it was to see them fight such a big fish for so long.
Don’t allow yourself to be frustrated if this happens. Your child is trying their best and will feel bad that they lost the fish, if you make them think it is something to feel bad about. If you celebrate the fact that they got to fight a big fish for awhile, that’s what they’ll concentrate on and it won’t be a big deal.
ALWAYS look to the bright side in this situation.
Here, my son is fighting a 20″ catfish that he would eventually land. When a larger fish strikes on an ultra-light rod, it is very important that it is carefully played.
Of course, in order for your children to fight larger fish, they need to hook larger fish. While you’ll catch a few from time to time with worms, I’d suggest trolling for chain pickerel to help get them used to fighting larger game fish.
Fishing With 5 to 7-Year-Olds
By the time a child reaches the age of 5 to 7 years, they should be able to pick up casting very easily and should be able to handle many fishing techniques on their own. They’ll still probably need some help with tangles and maybe even getting the fish off the hook, but they’re on their way.
If you’re just starting to fish with your kid when they’re 7, you’d do well to spend an hour with them in the backyard before you head to the lake and just give them a briefing. Make it a big deal, like it’s this big important, exclusive meeting that they’re invited to. In other words, there’s a mission.
Assuming your kid has now spent several years catching panfish on nightcrawlers and is starting to get that out of their system, your objectives at this age are as follows:
Transition your child away from bait and towards artificial lures;
Start to move away from quantity in favor of quality;
Teach them about different lures and when to use them;
Show them how to learn more about fishing all on their own.
Transition Your Child to Artificial Lures
While it’s a great idea to start any new angler on live bait such as nightcrawlers, at some point you’ll want to transition them to artificial lures so that they can start expanding their skill set and targeting larger species. I’ll give you some quick tips below, but when you have a moment, consider reading my in-depth post on artificial lures as well as another one where I break down which ones you should use with kids.
Artificial lures will often catch larger fish than bait, but they rarely have as fast of action. Thus, before transitioning your kid to artificial lures, make sure your fishing buddy is of an appropriate age to finally have that patience thing tackled.
Most artificial lures lack the scent and wriggling action of live bait, so precise placement is necessary. Your child is going to need to know how to cast fairly well so they can place the lure exactly where they want to. Hopefully, you’ve been practicing with the cardboard boxes discussed above, but if not, now would be a great time to start.
Enter the Spinnerbait
Once your kid can cast reasonably far on their own, you can start handing them rods rigged with spinnerbaits instead of simple worms and start targeting larger, aggressive fish like chain pickerel. You’ll want to cover a lot of water in this technique, and to start in areas that are very likely to hold them. The same locations I discussed in my post about trolling for pickerel will also produce while casting.
Plastic Worms
If they can cast reasonably accurately, they can also start using plastic worms and trying to cast to pockets in the weeds that likely hold bass and other game fish. It’s important that they can cast accurately or else they’re going to spend all day picking weeds off their hook.
Advanced Tackle: Crankbaits and Other Treble-Hooked Lures
Depending on your comfort with their skill level and control, you might even consider letting them use crankbaits or other lures with treble hooks at this age, though you’d probably want to snip off the barbs in case anything goes wrong. Remember to make sure everyone is wearing sun glasses so no errant hooks catch an eye!
Start Fishing for Quality vs. Quantity
Around the same time that you start preaching artificial lures, you’ll need to set new expectations for your kids. Though they’ll occasionally have an awesome day for the ages, most of the time, they’ll catch fish less frequently with artificial lures than if they were using live bait, but the fish will frequently be larger.
It’s not that large fish don’t bite a nightcrawler if they get the chance. The issue is they rarely get the chance. Most of the time, smaller fish are going to pick live bait to pieces long before a large fish sinks its teeth into it.
That’s not an issue with artificial lures. Their sheer size tends to discourage small fish from biting, so any bite is going to be a fish of at least some proportion. Indeed, larger artificial lures tend to catch larger fish.
You have to remember, all animals instinctively run a cost-benefit analysis when targeting prey. Fish would much rather expend energy for a large meal that will net them an energy surplus than a snack that will barely keep them going.
Size isn’t the only quality you’re after. There’s also just the thrill of the strike. A few little taps on a nightcrawler isn’t anywhere near as interesting as a norther pike rocketing from the depths to SLAM a spinnerbait at full speed.
The jolt of excitement that such a strike produces is a feeling anglers will chase for the rest of their lives.
Teach Your Kids About Different Lures and When to Use Them
Believe it or not, there is a ton of strategy in fishing, and once your children are 5 to 7 years old, they can start to appreciate it. This makes this a really fun age to start fishing with your kids (it’s when Dad and my relationship really took off).
Take this opportunity to turn them into strategic and tactical thinkers. Discuss your approach the night before and consider what lures you should start the day with.
Will you throw topwaters before first light and then transition to spinnerbaits that gleam in the sun?
What will you do if the skies darken? Will you swap out to darker colors?
What time of year is it? Do you think you’ll find the fish on rocky points, spawning flats, or sunken humps?
All of these are great questions to ask your kid and test their understanding. It can be a real thrill hearing what they come up with.
Show Your Kids How to Teach Themselves About Fishing
Once your children know how to read, the entire world opens up before them, and this includes all the fishing knowledge of the universe. This blog is hardly the only place out there where you can read about fishing tips.
Take your kids to Google or even (gasp!) the library and show them how to research topics. Get them a magazine subscription to one of the major outdoor publications and watch their worlds expand. Challenge them to learn more and more each day. One great website is the fishing section at Boys’ Life. While my website is geared more towards parents, theirs is focused on helping kids learn to fish directly.
Before you tuck them in each night, go ahead and snuggle while you read a favorite fishing book. Even if they’re just storybooks about fishing, they’ll help engender a love for the sport within your kids at any age!
Before you know it, your kids will start teaching you a thing or two!
In Sum – Any Age is a Good Age to Take Your Kids Fishing!
Hopefully this article gave you some confidence about taking your kids out fishing. As you can see from my family’s own experience, a child is never too young to start learning to fish.
I certainly would recommend bringing them out with you as soon as you get the OK from your doctor. I hope this article helps you do that, but if you have any further questions feel free to comment below or send me an email at johnpaxton@fishingfather.com and I’ll do my best to help you.
As always, if you found this article helpful, please consider sharing it so it can help others.
I suspect that if you’re trying to help your children learn to fish, one of the first searches you’ll Google is going to be something like “good fishing lures for kids.” When you do, you’ll find plenty of sites that claim to give advice on kid-friendly fishing lures.
While there’s a lot of great information out there, I have to level with you – my eyebrows raised a bit at a few of the recommendations.
I always assume positive intent, so I think some of the authors approached this topic trying to write about “Great Fishing Lures” in general and might not have really thought the whole “For Fishing With Kids” part through, but I’m a parent writing for other parents and I feel compelled to set the record straight:
Plastic worms, Spinnerbaits, Roundhead Jigs, and Drop Shots are all great fishing lures for fishing with kids.
Hollow-bodied frogs and crankbaits are great fishing lures, but aren’t great choices for kids or beginners.
I’ll get into why I like the former so much (and give you some tips on how to use them) in a bit, but I’m going to start with the lures I don’t recommend, because after you understand why they are such bad choices for kids, you’ll appreciate the four lures I do recommend that much more.
Quick Navigation
If you’re in a hurry, use these links to reach the part you’re interested in.
Why Hollow-Bodied Frogs Are Terrible Fishing Lures for Kids
I don’t want anyone to get me wrong. I have a bit of a love affair with hollow-bodied frogs and use them frequently. In fact, I look forward to a few bays in Lake Champlain clogging up with enough weeds to turn the frog bite on. I think they’re awesome, so I own tackle boxes full of them. At some point in your kids life, they should use them. Just do so knowing that they’re one of the least kid-friendly fishing lures on the planet.
I shudder at the thought of a parent who has no idea what they’re doing being told that they’re good fishing lures for a kid to learn on, but some websites do just this. I wouldn’t be surprised if parents who took this advice have kids who never want to go fishing again.
Hollow-bodied frogs: The bane of your child’s existence.
Challenges with Frog Lures
Hollow-bodied frogs are easily one of the more challenging lures for an adult to use successfully, much less a child. Let’s look at some of the obstacles:
You need proper equipment, none of which is particularly suited for children. A very long and heavy rod, fast baitcasting reel, strong braided line is basically the antithesis of what you want when fishing with kids;
If you’re fishing a frog, you’re usually in the middle of a field of lily pads or other gunk. This makes it very tough to use anything but a frog. Thus, no dropshots for panfish to keep the action going;
All but the best frog fishermen have a poor hookup percentage. There is very good chance you’ll be unsuccessful;
Once the fish is hooked, you need to reel like a mad man to get the fish’s head up and on top of the weeds. If you don’t, they’ll bury themselves in 40 pounds of vegetation. Thus, you can’t patiently wait for your kid to run over so you can hand them the rod.
As you can see, these are serious problems for a parent trying to fish with their kids. Unless your kids are gluttons for punishment, frogs are not, by any means, a good lure for them to learn with.
One Plus: They Are Exciting – If Someone Notices
Now, a few people out there are making the argument that frogs are “exciting” to fish. After all, your kids get to see the swirl, or hear a giant splash, or maybe even watch as a monstrous fish jumps and belly flops all over some lily pads.
Ok… Yeah, I suppose that’s fair enough… If your kids see it, but I have my doubts they actually will.
I’ve said it many times before – most kids have the attention span of a newt. The chances of getting them to hone in with a lazer focus on a frog for an indefinite period of time until something…maybe…happens are pretty slim. I think it’s much more likely that they’re going to be eating a sandwhich, talking to a dragonfly, or peeing in the livewell when the action finally happens.
One More Plus – Your Kid Might Talk to Them
OK – in total fairness, there is one more plus to breaking out a frog around your kids: they’ll talk to them. Yes, long before there was “Forky,” kids were talking to plastic frogs. This isn’t quite what I was going for when I started writing an article about kid-friendly fishing lures, but I have to tip my hat to this.
What You Can Expect
To me, the most likely way that fishing with frogs and children will go is much less spectacular:
You’re going to spend a ton of money on a rod & reel setup that your kids can’t use;
You’re probably going to have to do all the casting. Your kids either won’t know how to use the baitcaster, or the heavy-duty spinning reel is going to be way to big for their hands;
Your kids probably aren’t going to be able to fish at the same time as you. There’s likely too much vegetation around for a sinking worm to not be fouled instantly. Thus, your kids will be bored;
You’re going to have to mess around with the cadence a bit to see what the fish want. This takes time and reduces your child’s attention span;
Thus, if a fish strikes, your kids probably won’t see it happen;
If a fish strikes, you (also being a beginner) probably won’t hook it;
If you do manage to hook it, and you try to hand your kids the rod, the fish will bury itself in a ton of weeds while you’re waiting for your kid to get there;
Because of this, your kid probably won’t land the fish, and will go back to being bored and disappointed.
Conclusion on Kermit: Leave Him at Home
I know this seems really pessimistic. I’m sure the comments will fill with people telling me about how they catch frogs with their kids all the time. If you can, good for you! I’m trying to help parents who are brand new to this sport.They should save their money and focus on techniques and fishing lures that are more kid-friendly andlikely to work.
I honestly think that if you’re new to this sport and are trying to help your kids catch some fish, you’d be setting your family up for a bad time by fishing with frogs, and I don’t want to see you do that. It’s important to me that you’re successful.
Why I Hate Using Crankbaits With Kids
Crankbaits aren’t as bad of a choice for kids or beginners as frogs (kids could actually catch a ton of fish with them), but they are much more dangerous, and can be a pain for beginners to use.
Most crankbaits come with treble hooks. These are tiny little three-pronged hooks that tend to have very thin wire and are easy to jab yourself with. Case in point, I managed to prick myself just taking a few photos for this post!
I know you’re probably thinking, “But there are a lot of hooks out there with a thin wire – aren’t they just as bad as treble hooks?”
No. Treble hooks are worse because the three-pronged design allows them to stand up and be a constant danger, even when you aren’t using the rod and it’s just laying on the boat. This stand-up design also means that one of the three prongs is very likely to catch someone while being cast.
In contrast, single hooks fall down and lie flat when not in use. They also only have one point, so even if someone was hit by a cast, the lure might hit them the right way to not hook them. I’m not saying they’re fool proof, but I am willing to say they’re much safer.
Why Crankbaits are Dangerous Fishing Lures for Kids
It seems like every year I need to help Dad pull one of these out of his hand, and I don’t want to do the same for my son or daughter, so I tend to keep my crankbait rods safely stored away. If I didn’t, it would only be a matter of time before one of the following happened:
I was caught by an errant cast and give me an earring or two (I’m not much for the pirate look myself);
A child grabbed the lure, miss, and stick themselves in the hand with the hooks;
Someone laid down a rod, forgot about it, stepped on it and had a hook go into their heel;
My kids might get all quiet like and try to take their fish off of their own hook, have it flop around a bit, and get jabbed that way;
They might try to take some weeds off their hook and prick themselves with it.
Kids can catch a ton of fish, and parents, on crankbaits.
What You Can Expect While Fishing Crankbaits with Amateurs
Even if we managed to avoid bloodshed and screaming fits, I have to imagine fishing with kids and crankbaits wouldn’t be anywhere near as much fun as fishing with crankbaits alone for a few key reasons:
Crankbaits are like magnets for weeds. They constantly need to be cleaned, often after every cast. This is easy enough to do for your own rod, but would be a pain to do that frequently for someone else’s;
The only way you’d lessen the trouble would be to stand close to your kids while they’re casting these lures, and that would make you much more susceptible to being snagged by them;
Speaking of being snagged, crankbaits tend to snag every single rock and timber in the lake, requiring you to move your boat in to try and retrieve them, often with your kids hovering inches away from you, and right where you need to step, when you need to step there.
It’s just a lot of busy work. If you’re teaching your kids how to fish, you’re going to be busy enough.
Conclusion: Crankbaits Work… Once Your Kids are Older
With all that being said, if your kids are a little older and have had a bit of practice casting, crankbaits are dynamite lures that catch oodles of fish. They aren’t all that hard to present effectively, they tend to be small enough that they catch a wide variety of species, and they’re effective most of the year.
I’m not knocking crankbaits. I definitely think you should buy them and try them. I’d just wait a few months and consider them more of an “intermediate” lure than a good one for beginners.
4 Kid-Friendly Fishing Lures That I WOULD Recommend
OK, so I’ve talked about the fishing lures I hate using with children. What lures do I love for teaching my kids how to fish? Plastic worms, Spinnerbaits, Roundhead Jigs, and especially Drop Shots.
Plastic Worms – A Classic Choice
It seems like every article I’ve ever read about teaching kids how to fish suggests that parents buy some plastic worms. I agree wholeheartedly. It’s hard to fish these lures wrong, and I’ve had plenty of days where they beat everything else in the boat. It is not at all uncommon for this to be a “one cast, one fish” lure under the right conditions.
While you can rig plastic worms dozens of different ways, I usually rig mine “wacky rigged.”
The wacky-rigged plastic worm looks like an idea a kid would come up with, which might explain why it’s such a great lure for them to use.
The first time I saw this, I thought it looked like something a child came up with – you just stick a hook right in the middle of the worm and call it a day. Well, I’m not sure on the history exactly, but if a kid did think of it or inspire it, then that kid was on to something, because this is a phenomenal presentation for youngsters.
There have to be thousands of different plastic worms out there, but the one I’d suggest is pictured in the photo above, the Senko by Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits. These are exceptionally soft lures that also are loaded down with salt which makes them very heavy. This combination of weight, salt, and texture seems to make them irresistible to bass.
I personally like the watermelon 5″ senkos as seen in the photo, but if you’re new, they do sell a 40-worm pack that has an assortment of popular colors. Pick one up at Amazon and experiment with what works for your lake.
Buy O-Rings to Save Some Cash
As you can see in the photo above, I have it wacky-rigged. You might notice that there is a clear plastic band in the middle of the worm, that I have the hook looped on. This is called a wacky-worm o-ring, and you really want to buy them. The Senkos are so soft that they tear off the hook easily if you just hook them directly. Attaching them via the o-ring as shown above will allow you to get much more use out of them, which is important because they are a premium lure and you don’t want to see them fly off the hook on your fifth cast.
O-Rings are easily available at Amazon. While you’re at it, I would recommend picking up one of the o-ring threaders available. See the Amazon link below? That’s what you want. It makes fishing so much easier and is one of those tools I can’t live without. Go ahead and click on the picture for the best price. Just do yourself a favor and buy it. This is an easy purchase that makes your life better. Without it, you’re going to be cursing and breaking Senkos left and right (and they aren’t cheap)! This is truly one of those “it pays for itself in a few trips” kind of gadgets.
What Kind of Fish Bite Wacky-Rigged Plastic Worms?
Plastic worms will catch most fish that are large enough to fit them in their mouth, but the main species you’ll catch are largemouth bass. I’ve also caught more than my fair share of chain pickerel, northern pike, and even a few bowfin, but you do run a strong risk that these toothy predators will cut through your line.
It’s possible for a plastic worm to catch large bluegills and sunfish too, but you’re more likely to just feel them nibbling away as the lure tends to be much larger than their mouths. This isn’t the end of the world – at least you know there are fish around. Just change your tactics to the dropshot (discussed further below) and go catch them!
How to Fish A Wacky-Rigged Plastic Worm
Cast it out, and let it sink. If there’s a bass near by, the worm will rarely touch the bottom before it’s bit. Instant action. How much more kid-friendly can a fishing lure be?
I’m not trying to be cute. That’s really all they need to do. After I let the worm sink, if nothing bit it I will lift my rod up sharply and reel in some slack. This moves the worm towards the surface again a few feet closer to me. Then, I let it sink again.
Once in awhile I’ll raise my rod tip less high, but do this 3-4 times in rapid succession. These little “taps” make the worm scurry across the bottom towards me. Once I’ve made the taps, I reel in the slack.
At other times I will simply allow the lure to sit still on the bottom, and leave it there for some time. This works especially well in situations where I suspect a bass is lurking nearby, such as near a bed during the spawn, or under a particularly shady boat dock.
When and Where to Use Them
You can use wacky-rigged worms all year long, but they are absolute dynamite during the spawn. Casting near bass beds will quickly produce results, and usually all you need to do to get a limit is to find a good spawning bay and start probing likely areas. If you’re in a healthy ecosystem that hasn’t been overly pressured, it won’t be long before you get bit.
I have better luck with wacky-rigged plastic worms when it isn’t that windy. The one drawback of the lure is that it is a technique where you really need to be able to feel the fish bite and also observe your line moving sideways as a fish swims off with it. Both of these are tough to feel or see in high winds.
This isn’t usually a problem, because I’m usually casting these lures in shallow bays that tend to be protected somewhat from the wind. I like to try and cast in little pockets of clear water between weeds, especially around creek mouths, points, or other structure that fish will relate to.
That can be a little tough for smaller kids, but once they get to be about six or seven, they are able to pinpoint their casts very well and this technique should really shine.
In the meanwhile, this is a good presentation for you to fish and then hand your kid the rod, as you’re normally hooking the fish a few feet away from cover (as opposed to frogs, where you’re fishing in the thick of it). You just need to keep a high bend in your rod while your child is scrambling over, and then they can take command and reel it in.
Recap: Why Plastic Worms Are Great, Kid-Friendly Fishing Lures
Do you remember the bullet lists of doom for the frog and crankbaits above? Let’s break out our crystal balls and look at what you might expect when your kid is fishing a plastic worm:
You have a lure you or your child can rig with complete ease on equipment that you already own;
No one is anywhere near as likely to be stuck by the hook than they were with a treble hook;
You don’t have to mess around with any kind of cadence – you just cast the lure out next to somewhere you’d think a fish would be and let it sink;
You or your child have a really good chance of quickly drawing strikes;
When that happens, the two of you have a very good chance of actually hooking the fish;
If you’re casting for your kids, chances are you can keep the fish away from too much cover while waiting to hand off the rod;
These lures will catch quantity and quality at the same exact time, in the same exact area.
Yes, plastic worms are a winner. They get the Fishingfather seal of approval.
Spinnerbaits – A Lure for People Going Places
A spinnerbait was one of the first lures my father handed to me when I was a kid. I’d argue they should be one of the first lures you hand to your child as well. It’s hard to find a fishing lure that is more kid-friendly then one of these mainstays. The only drawback over plastic worms is that your kid really has to be good at casting before they use spinnerbaits. These are meant to cast and retrieve repeatedly and (usually) don’t do well if left to sit.
What Kind of Spinnerbait Should I Use?
Spinnerbaits come in many different styles and sizes. Though there is always a new manufacturer trying to reinvent the wheel a bit, the biggest difference is usually what type of blade they have.
While spinnerbaits come in many different sizes, a 3/8 oz or 1/2 oz are a good choice to start. These are fairly standard and do a good job of attracting bass and pickerel. You can find smaller ones that are better for crappie and other small panfish as they’re more likely to bite them, but I tend to lose a lot of these to toothier predators. In any event, if I’m going for panfish for my kids, I see little reason to use a spinnerbait over a dropshot.
In the photo below, the yellow spinnerbait has a willow leaf blade and the black spinnerbait has a Colorado blade.
A willow leaf blade tends to sparkle more, making it a great choice in clear water. It also is a better spinnerbait to use if you’re quickly trolling or using a fast retrieve.
A Colorado blade moves more water and makes larger vibrations. This allows fish to hone in on in murky water or at night. I find that it is harder to reel these in quickly as they tend to “blow a tire” for lack of a better term and spurt a bit at speed. They are, however, hard to beat when the water looks like chocolate milk.
Spinnerbaits are one of the best lures for kids. They are relatively weedless, safe, and catch huge fish in a variety of conditions.
What Kind of Fish Will I Catch With Spinnerbaits?
A spinnerbait will catch any fish in the lake that can fit it in its mouth, but these lures that work best or chain pickerel, northern pike, and bass. I’ve caught very large catfish and bowfin on them as well, but these catches are rarer.
I can usually tell if a bass hit the spinnerbait as opposed to a chain pickerel. If it’s a bass, it usually hits the spinnerbait very quickly after it drops into the water. Pickerel and northern pike, on the other hand, will frequently chase after the lure, often right up to the boat.
How to Fish a Spinnerbait
The most important advice I can give you about fishing with spinnerbaits is to constantly move. This is a technique that will allow you to cover a lot of water and to aggressively search for active fish. It will be much less effective if you are constantly casting in the same small area, such as one small stretch of shoreline.
You want to keep spinnerbaits moving, but he exact speed will depend on your situation. Generally speaking, I’ve had better luck reeling them in fast than slow. If I’m “slow rolling” a spinnerbait, it usually means that the conditions are such that I’d probably be better off just using a plastic worm or drop shot.
A spinnerbait will sink if it is not reeled in, and sometimes a fish will hit it while it is dropping, but it would be pretty unusual for a fish to pick it off the bottom. With that said, it’s sometimes a good idea to let it sink for a few seconds to target deeper fish. Once you retrieve, it will start climbing upwards, so this is a technique better used with a long cast.
Spinnerbaits are also great lures for trolling for chain pickerel, which can be a wonderful way to use them when you’re with smaller children who can’t cast very well just yet.
When and Where to Fish A Spinnerbait
I break out my spinnerbaits once the water temperature reaches about 60˚. I don’t put them down again until ice forms on the lake. My experience has found them to be very ineffective in cold water except in the fall. Then, the cooling temperatures raise an alarm in fish that causes them to feed voraciously and attack anything they can.
Spinnerbaits are fairly weed-free, so they’re great in weed beds. I like to find weedy bays that have enough clear water in-between the weed stems or above the canopy to let my spinnerbait move through the water without fouling too often, and I tend to reel them in quickly in these areas. They make for very good lures to cast in larger pockets or alleyways between weeds as this puts them in the strike zone for a considerable time.
I’ve had a lot of success with spinnerbaits at dawn as the sun is rising. My personal experience is they’ve been less useful at dusk. This might just be a result of my favoring willow leaf styles that rely on reflecting the sun’s glare to shine brilliantly, however, but I just think that fish have trouble adjusting to a fast-moving target right while the sun is setting. You’ll read a lot about how night fishing is best after things settle down to darkness, and specialty “night” spinnerbaits are available when that happens. If you’re interested in going out at night sometime, check out this article by In-Fisherman on how to fish for largemouth bass at night. Just make sure your kid is old enough that it won’t be past their bedtime!
There are plenty of people that throw them later at night, but this is after the fish have had a chance to adjust, and these folks are usually throwing Colorado blades as well.
What is My Favorite Spinnerbait, You Ask?
Now that is a great question, and one not easy for me to answer. I’ve used several great spinnerbaits over the years. Here are my three favorite:
Strike King Bleeding Bait Spinnerbaits
Strike King makes a number of great fishing products. Their Bleeding Bait spinnerbaits are some of my favorite. I value them for their simplicity. There’s nothing fancy about them, but they work very well. I’ve taken them up to notorious pickerel ponds on several occasions and they can take a beating. The little bit of red seems to be a nice touch and is something fish can hone in on. You can pick these up at Amazon by clicking the picture below.
Terminator Spinnerbaits
I got into the Terminator titanium spinnerbait craze a few years back. The reason I was willing to fork over a premium for these lures was because I wanted a lure that I wouldn’t have to bend back all the time when a pickerel hit it. The titanium Terminator lures do work as advertised and spring right back.
The only downside (and it is a significant one) is that I’ve had some of them flat out snap on me – sometimes right out of the box. I don’t know if the titanium gets brittle or what. You can have days where you only need to change the skirt on one of these and catch 30 fish. Other times, your lure breaks instantly. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, but the snaps are very rare and I’m willing to work with them.
Terminator also offers spinnerbaits in stainless steel that won’t have this problem. They aren’t going to bounce back like the titanium frames, but I’ve never had one snap on me either. Terminator makes some of the “best looking” spinnerbaits out there, and they are my confidence bait when it comes to fishing clear water. Most spinnerbaits in my tackle box were made by Terminator for this reason. Just look at this thing. It’s gorgeous!
War Eagle Spinnerbaits
Lately I’ve been buying War Eagle spinnerbaits. I’ve had a hard time finding the titanium Terminators I discussed above, and also these are just a bit more compact. Dad bought a few a couple of years ago and I got around to trying them finally. They glide through the water very well and don’t turn on their side like some other spinnerbaits do. They’re probably going to be my “go to” brand for the foreseeable future.
Recap: Why Spinnerbaits Are Kid-Friendly Fishing Lures
If you were to throw or troll nothing other than spinnerbaits for your entire day, you could reasonably expect the following:
You’d be fishing with lures that you can use with your regular equipment;
Your children would be casting one of the safer lures for them to use. Spinnerbaits have a single hook which is thicker than most, making it less likely to pierce flesh unless you’re really trying;
You can make a game out of casting while you’re waiting for a fish to bite. “Let’s see if you can make a perfect cast right in that pocket” is a great way to increase accuracy over time;
If the conditions are right, your children have a good chance to catch a very large fish such as a pickerel or pike;
If one of those fish strikes, there’s a good chance that it won’t cut the lin. The the bent wire frame of the spinnerbait offers some protection;
This same frame allows the spinnerbait to be somewhat weedless and somewhat snagless. It will deflect or pull through most obstacles without hooking them;
Whenever they get tired or want a lunch break, you can troll with these while you play a game, have a chat, or have a snack.
As you can see, spinnerbaits are a fishing lure worth buying.
Roundhead jigs don’t seem to get as much love throughout the entire country as they do in the Northeast, but here many anglers have several in their tackle box. I can tell you from experience that they’re great lures for kids as they were one of the mainstays of my own childhood.
Although their hook is generally of a thin wire, it is a single hook and so it isn’t as dangerous as a treble hook. You also might consider bending the barb down or filing it off to make the lure barbless if you have concerns.
These lures work great for bass and panfish but leave something to be desired for northern pike and pickerel. The lures are small and have no native protection from sharp teeth. You’ll lose many! Attempting to use a wire leader would kill their action and I don’t recommend it. They are inexpensive enough that you should just accept losing a few.
Roundhead jigs can be rigged in several different ways, from the marabou style in the picture below, to tipped with small artificial grubs or even live minnows.
They are easy for kids to cast and they work in a variety of retrieves, which is great for kids who haven’t yet mastered taking directions!
Here we see a roundhead jig tipped with marabou, but you could also thread on a plastic grub or live bait such as a minnow.
What Kind of Fish Do Roundhead Jigs Catch?
As discussed above, these will catch many fish though you’ll have a lot of break offs with the toothier ones.
The nice thing about these jigs is that they will catch just as many panfish as bass, especially if you use a smaller size. A 1/8 oz or lower can easily catch yellow and white perch as well as crappie and bluegill, while still being attractive towards nearby lurking smallmouth.
This makes them a great lure for children, as they can usually get bit fairly easily. If you tip these lures with worms, that increases considerably, as one would expect.
How Do You Fish a Roundhead Jig?
One of the main reasons roundhead jigs are kid-friendly fishing lures is that kids can find success regardless of how they’re fishing them, just so long as they keep them moving.
They can cast them out and bounce them back in, do a straight retrieve, lift the rod and let it fall back down in place, or a combination of all three.
If you were tipping the jig with a minnow, you might even consider fishing one underneath of a bobber. The jighead would provide enough weight that the minnow wouldn’t go very far, and the bobber would keep the presentation up where fish can see it and away from the bottom where it could be snagged.
When and Where to Fish a Roundhead Jig
I like to fish a roundhead jig during the spring. They’re awesome lures for fishing the rip-rap shores that smallmouth often spawn on. When I was little, Dad used to just drift along entire shorelines with this type of habitat and we’d throw marabou jigs over and over again.
These aren’t going to work as well in weedy flats but they could work fine on the weed edge. This is not a weedless design and picking slime off of marabou feathers is a pain you want to avoid, but you do need to cast where the fish are, and the fish are near cover.
These kind of jigs also get some play from ice fishermen during the winter months. Marabou feathers give a lot of action to a lure that is otherwise standing still, which can be a good combination in frigid conditions.
Which Roundhead Jig is My Favorite?
To be completely honest with you, my favorite lure for roundhead jigs is one that hasn’t been sold for years. It’s this special green grub with a spade tail. Dad bought a few hundred of them when he heard the company wasn’t offering them anymore. Unfortunately, this has led me to the conundrum of not knowing what to do next. They kind of looked like the green ones in the photo below. You might pick this up and try it as the lure I used was always a go-to method of putting smallmouth bass in the boat.
Do you have a grub that works wonders for you? If so, leave a comment and I’ll check it out!
Recap: Why Roundhead Jigs are Great Fishing Lures for Kids
This style of jig offers the following benefits for young anglers:
You can throw this on literally any rod that you own – an ultralight rod can fling this just fine. Thus, it is a perfect match for a young angler’s equipment;
Even though the single hook is pretty thin, it’s still a single hook and so it is less likely to injure a child;
You can go for quantity and quality with this lure as panfish will hit it and so will bass;
They’re easy to use and your child can retrieve them however they wish while still having a good chance of success;
They allow for customization. If you give your kid a bare roundhead jig and a few different types of grubs, you can tell them they can play around with which ones work the best.
I saved the best for last. The dropshot is hands down my favorite lure to give to my son. It is the old faithful that I know will always catch fish, no matter where I am, and the lure that I’ve used to catch everything from the tiniest bluegill to massive carp.
You simply can’t beat it, which is why it was the only technique I mentioned in my post, The Basic Skills You Need to Take Your Kids Fishing. If you want to learn how to rig one, check out that post and it will show you exactly how. For now, please scroll down and I’ll walk you through why I think this is the best fishing lure to use with kids, period.
I consider the dropshot to be the absolute best lure for fishing with kids. You can tip the hook with a huge variety of live bait or lures depending on what the fish want that day.
What Kind of Fish Do Dropshots Catch?
A dropshot will catch everything in the lake from panfish to monster pike. With that said, it can take some skill to land larger fish. You’re usually using lighter line and a smaller hook with a dropshot. If you try to horse in a large fish, there’s a great chance that the line will snap or the hook will bend over.
I’ve caught bluegill, sunfish, white perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, chain pickerel, northern pike, freshwater drum and carp on dropshots. Smallmouth especially seem to favor the technique as they tend to like any minnow-shaped lure, as many dropshots are.
While this is going to sound strange, you can tell that a dropshot is great for fishing with kids because so many professional bass fishermen complain about the technique. Listen to what they’re saying exactly. They love the fact that they can catch huge bass with one, but are often frustrated because they have to weed through so many little fish before they get the one they want.
This is music to a fishing father’s ears.
When I’m out with my kids, I couldn’t care less about catching a bass. All I want to do is catch a large number of panfish, and a dropshot is perfect for that. In fact, when I don’t have live bait in the boat, I use this technique as a barometer of sorts to test for signs of life. If I don’t feel little fish tapping away at it soon, I know I need to keep moving.
How Do You Fish a Dropshot?
Dropshots can be fished with either live bait or soft plastics. They are one of the few presentations where I would almost argue it doesn’t matter what you choose, so if you have moral qualms about using live bait, pick up a pack of Berkley Gulp minnows and have a guilt-free ball. To be completely candid, I have had days where Berkley’s claim that Gulp outfishes live bait has proven true.
I know my local lakes pretty well from the map study that I’ve described in an article I wrote about why you can’t catch fish and what to do about it. I therefore have a good idea of where many of the underwater boulders are. A dropshot allows me to make a cast to one side or the other of this boulder. I then leave it there and give it a twitch or two to entice a strike.
One word of warning: hold onto your rod. A huge mistake I often see beginners make is casting out and then putting their rod down. You will miss a significant number of fish if you do this. You want the rod in your hand so you can detect bites.
Use the Wind to Help You
My favorite way to fish a dropshot is just to cast it out into the wind or current and then let it sink. I let it drop all the way to the bottom. Then, I hold my rod off to the side slightly to keep the line taut. This lets me detect bites. When I feel a fish has the hook, I sweep my rod backward with some authority to set the hook.
I find this to be a great way to fish because the current or wind gives action to the lure, and I can keep it dangling in prime real estate for a long time until a fish comes over to nab it.
This is a very effective way to catch fish, and a great way for kids to fish because it’s “cast it and forget it.”
If there isn’t any wind or current, or I’m walking a bank somewhere, I like to just make ever so slight taps of the lure by raising my rod tip slightly 3-4 times and then reeling in slack, just as I might do with a plastic worm. This gives a little action to the lure and I’ve found that to be more effective.
When and Where to Fish a Dropshot?
I will fish a dropshot just about anywhere that I can find clear water. It’s not really a good technique for fishing in heavy weeds, but can be great if you cast just next to them.
It’s also a very good choice if you need or wish to fish deep. A dropshot will sink all the way to the bottom if you let it. I will fish it completely vertically under my boat just picking off the fish that show up on the sonar, which is a fun trick to show your kids.
Although I suppose you could rig the actual bait weedless, there’s just too much going on with the line and sinker and if you throw it into cover you’re going to lose a lot of gear or get fouled too often. Yes, the lure might get through without weeds on the hook, but the dangling weight below will wrap for certain.
Ah, who am I kidding? You’re going to get fouled all the time regardless of where you throw it. This is a definite drawback of dropshots and the reason why sinkers made for the technique are designed to break away.
Any technique that is designed to touch bottom has a very high chance of never returning to the surface. You will find yourself re-tying constantly throughout the day even if you’re fishing by yourself, much less taking along kids and throwing in all the tangles and hazards they bring.
What Dropshot Lure Do I Recommend?
I’ll tie anything on a drop shot from a soft plastic to a nightcrawler, but I’ve found that there is little out there that does better than Berkley Gulp Minnows. I find they work better than worms in some waters, believe it or not. The reason for this is because they tend to catch bigger fish, but also sunfish can’t rob you of your worm. This is one of those lures I make sure to restock each and every year. I personally prefer them in the 2.5″ to 3″ range, though they do sell larger ones for targeting bigger fish.
Recap: Why the Good Ol’ Dropshot is a Kid-Friendly Fishing Lure if I Ever Saw One
I truly favor this technique. I’ve loved it long before my children were born and bought my most expensive rod (used, and with confidence) specifically for this presentation. I can’t say enough good things about it.
It does stink that you’ll lose many sinkers and retie many times, but of all the lures I’ve described, there is nothing that will catch as many fish for your kids as this technique. It’s just about perfect in so many ways:
Dropshots have a single hook that is safer for kids than treble hooks;
They catch every type of fish in the lake and if you bait them appropriately, they’ll catch them often;
It’s a lure that lets you quickly appreciate if you’re in a good spot, because if you don’t feel any taps soon, there’s an issue;
They are easy for kids to cast because the sinker has enough weight to it that it will carry well;
Dropshots work very well with the ultralight fishing rods that little kids are prone to use;
They can be “cast it and forget it” in that they’ll catch fish even if they’re just sitting there (especially if they’re tipped with worms);
They’re adaptable – removing the weight is a pinch if you aren’t getting bit. Sometimes fish want the worm to fall slower, and you can adjust the presentation to test this theory within seconds and without retying.
I hope this article helped you better understand what makes a good, kid-friendly fishing lure. I also hope you walked away with a little confidence in four lures that should work out well for you.
The confidence part is key. If you’re just starting, chances are it’s going to be tough to get a bite. There’s just so much that goes into it. If you start with the lures I laid out, I truly believe you have a good chance of lowering the learning curve a bit and having a good first, second, and third time out there on the lake.
Again, it is very, very important to me that you’re successful. That’s why I took the time to write all of this. I’d love to hear that this helped you, and as always, if this article made your life easier, please consider sharing it so it can help others as well.
You might also consider purchasing my book, Fishing with Kids: A Parent’s Guide (you can see the link below my signature). In it, you will find numerous tips and tricks for teaching children to fish. If you are trying to get your kids into this sport, or know someone who is, it’s worth a read.
Finally, I’d like to invite you to join my new Facebook group to be updated on new articles. I’ve thought about how best to reach folks and decided that I hate mailing lists, so Facebook is the way to go. Please consider liking the page so we can keep in touch.
Thanks,
John Paxton
Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!
. In it, you’ll find many more great reasons to go fishing with your kids, but more importantly, advice on how to do it! 
is great book to read to any kid who likes to fish. The life lessons alone are worth the purchase price.
. It is illustrated by H.A. Rey and is based on an earlier work, Curious George Files a Kite.
a great story about a boy and his dad fishing on a dock for the day.
isn’t purely about fishing, though it is featured prominently on the cover and got me! It’s a fun read about a kid and their dad hanging out on a camping trip. 
myself as I have fond memories of pouring over the series as a kid and am very happy to share that joy with my own children.
would be a good choice. There is an illustration on each page by Scarlett Pruett with a paragraph or so by Karla Carter Moreland right below it. This makes it a longer, but enjoyable read. 
is a little bit interesting to me. The writer, Judy Young, packed it full of useful content and I absolutely love the gorgeous illustrations by Gary Palmer. This is a very, very fun book to look at.
. It discusses this topic in detail. If you are trying to get your kids into this sport, or know someone who is, it’s worth a read. Please consider purchasing it for yourself or a friend. You can also get a bit of cliff notes from my 
