Teaching Children To Fish

[Maryjl]

How many Kids are you going to take fishing this year? I've been gradually teaching my grand kids to fish and this year I'm hoping to spend alot more time doing this. I have 10 of them altogether and on May 3rd the eleventh one will be born. They range in ages from 10 on down. Does anyone have ideas on keeping children interested for more then 2 minutes? How do you teach your kids? Looking for ideas that I haven't thought of.
Thanks <>< Mary ><>

[Guest]

Maryjl: When I started my children on fishing, they were six and four.{I had just bought our first boat.} We took pop and their favorite snacks, their rod and reel, tackle box, and etc. Fished for sunnies, crappies and perch and kept the trip at two hours and less. Our daughter still has fond memories of playing with the crappie minnows in her hands. As they tickled her tiny hands, she would gigggle and drop them in the lake. Last year we went as a family again to my favorite crappie lake and fished. Our daughter is 23 and our son is 25. It was a great time, and pleasant to hear that they enjoyed the little excursions when they were children.

[Guest]

I have a few tricks that seem to keep everyone busy when the fish aren't jumping in the boat, (or ice house). In the summer I always bring a bottle of "bubbles" out in the boat. It is fun to watch as they float away. Seagulls will dive into them because they think the bubbles are minnows on the surface of the water.

I also bring left-over bread and have the kids feed the seagulls. It is amazing how close the birds get when you are offering a hand-out.

I always bring extra gummi worms. Keep them in your tackle box for a snack, (or if you run out of minnows!)

During the winter, it's always fun to bring along a kite or 2. There are no powerlines on the lake to worry about. Once it is in the air, it stays put. The kids can tie the string to the fish-trap, vehicle bumper or the snowmobile handle bar.

Another suggestion is a big rope for a good old fashioned game of tug-of-war! Kids of all ages seem to get in on this one.

We also go on "scavenger" hunts on the ice. Everyone takes a certain section. We pick up left over debris, but sometimes we find something worth keeping.

Frisbee, football and ice baseball are also big winners.

As long as you bring enough snacks and have a little patience, just being out there is fun!......Summer or winter!

[delmuts]

how many grand kids? the only suggestions i have is lots of patience, and stay simple.cane poles, fly rods with line tied on, and keep the fishing time short. allow plenty of time for exploring.we still go to fish little creeks. lots of fish that are willing to bite.( minows, they are still fun) good luck. del

[Maryjl]

When our oldest daughter was 5 she caught a big carp and every sence then she just loves to fish. She has her hands full right now with her children and work but still manages to take them out a couple times a year fishing. I'm almost tempted to take them out to where their chances of hooking on to one of them big guys would be good if I knew it would do for them what it did for her. I sure would'nt want it to back fire and scare them thow.

[Maryjl]

Lisa, I never thought about taking bubbles along. I bet they would enjoy that. I always take plenty of snacks along, but I never thought of gummie worms, but I can think of a few tricks I could play on them exspecailly if I take them out of the tackle box. I'm hoping to beable to take them out one on one this year. I've taken two and sometimes three, buts its just to hard unless there are more adults with to help. This year I'm going to have alot more time to spend with them doing this. In January I quit working due to a terrible alergie I have to cemicals. So I got to retire 20 years early. I'm looking forward to spending alot of time with the Grand Kids and hopefully teach them something that will benfit them and their children to come. Who knows maybe we'll even make a memory or two.
Thanks for the great info. If you come up with anything else let me know. <><Mary><>

[Guest]

Mary:

Sounds to me like you have many great experiences with your Grandchildren to look forward to.

I will keep my "thinking hat" on for more ideas.

One important thing that I forgot to mention is, ALWAYS bring the camera.

[Guest]

I do not have any ideas for you, but I am coming back to Minnesota the first time in ten years. My two daughters put the trip together, because they want Grandpa to teach their children how to fish.
Fishing and Minnesota is their best childhood memory and they are 39 & 40. They want their children to have that experience.
How could I turn down a deal like that
Good Luck
Rooster

[Guest]

Congratulations, Rooster!

Obviously you have done things right. I'm sure this trip will create new "favorite" memories for all of you. Well done!

[This message has been edited by Lisa G (edited 03-27-2001).]

[Maryjl]

Rooster, It sounds like your in for a great vacation. I hope you and your family have a wonderful time. Good Luck <><Mary><>

[Guest]

Thanks Ladies, I am excited and looking forward to it.
I have a Son-in-Law that has not fished much so he is for an experience. I am trying to convince him we need to go out with a guide. as soon as he makes up his mind I am going to see if we can hook up with Super Ron.
Ron has been generous with his tips and advice in helping me get the rust off my brain. the more I read the forum the more that starts to comes back to me.
Hope you have a very nice summer and a lot of great fishing
Rooster

[Guest]

Maryjl,
I guide a fair amount of kids,one thing I have done is teach them to fish with a slip bobber rig,it seems to get them more interested and teaches them how to fish much better.I also make sure they have the righ equiptment for the job,weather it be pan fish or any other game fish.I used to see kids show up with there dad wit some outlanddish rig,either way to heavy line or what not.It seems the more success they had by doing itright the more excited they are,Ive had kids ask me immediatly if we were going to fish the same way as last year or the day before.As far as bubbles go that is a who different story.
good fishing ...www.garytheguide.com

[Guest]

I found a neat page for young anglers. It is a animated page by page lesson in fishing with art work by Larry Tople the artist who does the covers for In-Fisherman.

Great site for young anglers and educational too.

http://americaoutdoors.com/fishing/fishing_fun/

Backwater Eddy.......><,,>

[Maryjl]

Gary Kvitek, So far I've been using ultra lights with slip bobbers and fish for panfish maybe when they are older we'll try something else. I do have one grandaughter that is 7 and shows alot more interest and patients when she is fishing. Who knows maybe she'll grow up to be a Pro Lady Angler.

Backwater Eddy, That is a neat page. I sent it to 2 of my daughters to show their Kids and I saved it to my favorites to beable to show them when they come over here. I hope everyone that reads this takes alook at it and shows it to there kids. You should put it on the Kids forum on here. Thank You Mary

[LAUGER]

I have a 8 year old daughter, and a 7 year old boy. We have a blast in the summer catching bluegill and crappies. This winter I took my son out ice fishing, and he could not get enough of it. That little boy would out-fish me almost every time. We were fishing perch and a 7.1Lb 31" northern took his bait, he fought it an brought it through the hole. The look on his face made the whole season for me. He still talks about it and wrote the story in his school journal.
I think he will remember that story his whole life. I love fishing with my children and will always make time to fish with them. My dad taught me, and I want to share it with them.