I can still remember my first fishing experience. I fished from the side of a river bank with my Grandfather and my brother. My fishing gear consisted of an old fishing rod without a reel. Fishing line was attached to the last eye so it was rigged up to be used similar to how you would use a cane pole. That day is one of the top 5 fishing memories that I have. That was the day I was hooked for life.


I get asked a lot about when and how I started my own children into the hunting and fishing sports.





My first two children started fishing at about the 6 and 7. Now at the age of 16 and 17 they love to go out to the lakes and rivers to fish whenever they get a chance.


I have a son that is 5 right now and he is showing signs of interest so I will be starting him this year. The trick to starting them out is to know when they are ready. You don’t want to force them into fishing, or they will think less of it as being fun. You also need to make their first trip as memorable as possible.


On their first trip you need to make sure that this one fishing trip is for them and them only. You can take your rod along, but don’t spend too much time fishing yourself. Spend more time with them. Show them how to bait the hook correctly, how to cast without getting all tangled up, how to set a hook and so forth. If they see you catching all of the fish and they aren’t getting anything this may be their last trip. Boredom must be avoided at all cost.


When you take them out for the first time keep it simple but with a lot of adventure. I wouldn’t want to hand my son a fly rod and take him to a river and say “go for it”. Start out with fish that are not only easy to catch, but ones that will supply a lot of action. Bluegills and sunfish are great for starting out on. It is easy to find large schools of them to supply all of the action needed to get them hooked. Don’t be too concerned with size. Remember, what we are trying to do is give them lots of fish to catch.


Keep their setup simple, but practical. Don’t go out and buy that scooby doo rod and reel set just because your child loves scooby. These character sets are usally made very cheaply and won’t last very long. Get them something that will last a few seasons and will be esy to use. Zebco makes some nice inexpensive rod and reel combinations. A spincast reel is the easiest to start them out with if you don’t want them to use a cane pole.


Regardless whether or not the size of the fish meets your size standards, always try to keep some fish for the frying pan. Your child will be very proud when he can boast about how he caught that nights meal.


Location is very important. Remember that children need to use the restroom. If you are fishing from shore, they can’t stand for long periods of time waiting on a strike so you may need to be able to set up some chairs. You may need to have easy access to a cooler full of drinks and snacks. There is a website called Take Me Fishing. This site will help you find a great location to to take a child fishing regardless what state you live in.


There are other things that you need to take along on a fishing trip with children that you may not take when you are alone, so plan ahead to make sure that you don’t forget anything. Forgetting something like drinks can really ruin the experience.


Lits of things to remember:

1. Bait

2. snacks

3. Bug spray

4. An extra jacket or sweatshirt

5. Sunglasses

6. Drinks

7. Lawn chairs if fishing from shore

8. Baby wipes for cleaning hands (better than lake water for the kids)

9. Sunscreen (It keeps Mom happy)

10. Your child


Remember this fishing trip will be one of the most memorable fishing experiences that you and your child will have so make sure take pictures….and most of all have fun.


Happy Fishing!

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