ice reels for young kids

[rundrave]

I know some of you other parents have been there fishing with your kids. I have twins that just turned 3 in October and I took them out on the ice with me last year when they were 2 and we survived. Can anyone offer some suggestions to some reels that work well for kids? I am looking for simplicity, less opportunity to tangle, fast retrieve ratio etc. To make matters worse, I have a right handed and left handed kid so I would like to set up a rod for each of them this year.

They know how to reel fish in, been doing it for a while. Anything I can do to simplify it and make it as easy as possible for them to land a fish would help.

We wont be fishing deep, we wont be landing large fish, I just want something simple to get the job done and I don't see us fishing in anything deeper than 15ft of water. We have a lake just down the road that is loaded with stunted pan fish. The kind of lake where you drop the smallest hook possible with a wax worm and catch (tiny) pan fish every time you drop a line. Great way to get kids hooked on fishing.

Would inline reels be a good option? I fished with someone years ago that had closed face reels on his ice rods that were really small but I don't know what brand/model they were?

Lets hear your ideas?

[monstermoose78]

Do they have the little kid poles for summer time? If they do and you are in a house I have let my nephews use those. You could also get couple cheaper ice rods and put a closed face reel on them. The close faced reels seem to be more kid friendly.

Until they are a little older and I know they are not as likely to drop my ice rods down the hole. Now they want to use the same kind of ice rod I am using they are now 11 and 10 years old. I let them us the camera so they can see the fish bite and learn how the fish react to what they do.

[rundrave]

they do have summer kiddie poles but they are too long for the portable and they are a proprietary all in one unit where you cant take the reel off.

[pushbutton]

I hooked up Jr with the closed faced reels. Micros or Abu's. Think he kind of liked the under spins a little better. Retrieve ratio is not that good, but simple to use and hardly a nest to untangle. Not a good hole hopper set up, but he ...nor me....was/am that hardcore

Edit: Ooops just actually read the whole post....in lines, IMO, are not a good option for kids. Heck I even have a hard time with them

[Gus]

I put a shakespeare closed face reel (which converts from left to right) on top of an ugly stick ice rod. Darn near indestructible setup for kids.

After a year or 2 I switched to underspin reels by shakespeare. Also taught him the fundamentals of spinning reel casting with that underspin when moved to a 4' ultra light for open water.

The only problem with the closed face or underspin types is slip bobber knots. You have to really trim the tags short otherwise they get caught. Not really that big of deal, but worth mentioning.

[RebelSS]

Sure. Grab 'em a couple Schooley's for $8 each. Still at the big box farm store.

[tweeder]

I put a shakespeare closed face reel (which converts from left to right) on top of an ugly stick ice rod. Darn near indestructible setup for kids.

After a year or 2 I switched to underspin reels by shakespeare. Also taught him the fundamentals of spinning reel casting with that underspin when moved to a 4' ultra light for open water.

The only problem with the closed face or underspin types is slip bobber knots. You have to really trim the tags short otherwise they get caught. Not really that big of deal, but worth mentioning.

+1 on the whole post

[jcpmn82]

Zebco Dock Demon Combo Spincast (closed face)

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Zebco-Dock-Demon-Combo/19491283

[amateurfishing]

I am working on same thing this season, 3 kids 4-9, I am setting them all up with used/abused spring bobber rods so they can see the bite easily and cheaper in line reels. I would rather teach them how to pull the line out for an inline reel than dealing with all the issues of line twist and wrapping around stuff on a spinning reel

[Surface Tension]

Explain to a 5 year old girl why a Barbie Princess rod and reel are junk.

You can't so you better know your dept store well and not make the mistake of walking past the Barbie pole display.

Junk or not, boy did that Barbie rod and reel put a huge smile on Chiara's face. Don't know what that combo cost but some things are priceless.

I think I went through the same deal with JR and a Johnny Quest combo?

Whatever they outgrew both fast and get the same quality gear that I use. Not the best but good enough. Closed face reels are OK but just about all of them require you to take the slack off the line in order for it to retrieve.

A good spinning reel, one without a tendency to get wrapped under the spool is a good thing on the ice or in the boat. That means a time tested reel and if it was one of mine of went to the kids and I got a replacement for myself.

Now that both are older they get good new stuff.

Anyway this thread brought back priceless memories.

[rundrave]

I wanted to report that I bought a couple Zebco Omega 113 ultra light reels on evil bay for $5 each and they both have been awesome.

The small size works great on any ice rod and we have been tangle free with both my 3yr old's so far this year. The kids can reel them up really easy and we have been getting some small pan fish with them.

Just wish the weather would cooperate so it was a little safer/warmer to get my kids out on the ice some more. We were out over the holidays and it was almost 50 degrees out and it was a blast. Now today its -18 and windy.

[TroutYammer]

Rattle reels on a wood stick: Durable, easy to use, inexpensive, effective and when they lose attention the line is still fishing for them.

[rcr]

I got a few shakespheare synergy micorcast from bass pro and took them apart and put some new grease in them and cut down a couple baitcasting rods for my son.

[wbliceman]

I would say those under spins are a great option for you if you fish in a house. Other wise I know a lot of kids I take fishing in the summer prefer the spinning reels because they can open the bail and drop the hook & bobber faster. For them thats huge. I think with a little coaching from you they could handle spinning reels in no time. You dont need to cast them so it makes things a little bit easier. If you show them what to do 80% of the time they will follow exactly what you do/ showed them.