Take your kids fishing

Some of my favorite memories as a boy were fishing with my dad and brother.

Our daughter grew up on the water – fishing, swimming, and playing. We have so many great memories of fishing together, father and daughter, then stopping at Dairy Queen on the way home. She still loves to fish and looks forward to doing so with her children.

Remember, the goal is to have fun and make great memories.  With that in mind, consider these suggestions for those first fishing trips:

BE PATIENT. This is perhaps the most important suggestion. Even more than actually catching fish, the goal of those first outings is to have an enjoyable time. Expect tangles, snags, and lost fish. Just take it in stride. Avoid negative criticism, don’t raise your voice, and concentrate on covering a few basics while having a good time.

DON’T FRET.  On that first fishing trip, don’t worry if your child’s line is a bit too slack or their rod tip held a bit too low. Once you have covered the basics, a good rule of thumb is this: unless it’s something that will really prevent them from being able to catch a fish that day, don’t mention it.  Consider even teaching them to cast in the backyard before that first trip to the water.  At first use a simple to use rod, reel, bait and tackle. For teaching kids to fish, live bait often works best.  There will be plenty of time in the future to teach more advanced techniques.

PACK THE SNACKS (AND OTHER SUPPLIES). Bring a mid-morning snack, a picnic lunch and plenty to drink.  What if unexpected rain clouds appear – remember the raincoats.  If you are fishing from the bank, a comfortable lawn chair could make a difference.

CATCH SOME FISH. You can certainly have fun even if you don’t catch a stringer full of fish. But it is definitely more fun if you catch fish.  Instead of going after that big monster bass on those first fishing trip, it might be more fun to go after easier to catch bluegill.

STOP FISHING BEFORE: It gets too hot, too cold, too rainy, or the fish stop biting – too bored.

Make some great memories – take your kids fishing!