robert Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 A friends 4 year old has been aching to get out fishing for a while now, had wednesday afternoon off so I packed him in the car with the gear and off we go to cardiff - figure it's a small lake, get him in the inflatable and catch some fish... I'm always nervous about taking responsibility for someone elses young child - especially where water is involved but it's too weedy to fish from shore now... Well, we get there and he's all excited - took me 10 or so minutes to get set up and get the boat in water. All the while, he's saying hurry up and lets go. get him into his life vest and in the boat, anchor 20 feet off shore past the weeds, set him up with his rod and power bait and a bobber and into the water it goes. Now I'm not about to bring a flyrod with me with a young feller around, and i haven't used lures in 20 years for trout but I rigged up my line as well, figure if either rod hooks a trout, let him reel it in and call it his. Before I could cast - not 2 minutes after setting him up - he looks at me and says in his little pronounced voice "I don't want to fish no more, let's go home". All I could do was grin and smile. He wants to go again, and I definitely will take him... it's a good thing we didn't stay cause the storm that ripped through Morinville an hour later was a good one. This is the first time i've been out with someone so young and it was fun while it lasted... anyone have some tips on fishing with young kids? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reevesr1 Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 It's all about action. You did the right thing in taking him to a lake that had a great chance at him catching fish. But when he gets bored, walk the shore with a little net. Look for minnows and bugs. Throw some rocks if there aren't a lot of other fishermen around. Let him set the agenda as much as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simpson Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Hilarious! Thanks for sharing...now I know what I have to look forward to in years to come. Great suggestions from Rick too, it is about exposure to nature not just catching fish! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted August 31, 2009 Author Share Posted August 31, 2009 Yeah, it was quite funny... Thanks Rick, i'll try that next time, didn't even think about it. Always lots to find around the shores of a lake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crowsnest Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Took my two little girls and the wife a few weeks back to a pothole guaranteed of success. Minutes into the trip and shortly after getting my 5 year old and 3 year old set up with their Barbie 'Princess' fishing rods with bh olive woolly buggers tied on (hey I wasn't about to TOTALLY prostitute myself with hardware) & a couple of splitshot, the youngest reels in a small 12" rainbow. 15 minutes later, she starts shrieking as her rod fell into the water. I don't know if a big trout pulled it out of her hand (yeah, that's what I'll go with) or she just dropped it, but she was crying and wanted to get a submarine and scuba divers to go and get it. As she now had no rod, she and mom went to shore to play and the 5 year old and I continued to fish. Minutes later the 5 year old hooks a small rainbow and begins to reel it in. It takes a couple of minutes when she says: "the trout sure are wiggly in this lake", I chuckled. We netted the small trout and she couldn't wait for me, she reached into the net, grabbed hold of the rainbow, kissed it, gave it a name (Jessica) then quickly threw it back into the lake. 10 minutes later, it was repeated, grabbed hold of the trout, kissed it, gave it a name (Jenna Genevieve) then quickly threw it back. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert Posted August 31, 2009 Author Share Posted August 31, 2009 now that's what it's all about LMAO I wasn't there long enough for him to catch a fish though, but would have loved to see the reaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simpson Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 15 minutes later, she starts shrieking as her rod fell into the water. I don't know if a big trout pulled it out of her hand (yeah, that's what I'll go with) or she just dropped it, but she was crying and wanted to get a submarine and scuba divers to go and get it. not the first time I have heard of this event taking place, thinking that buying two princess rods at a time and keeping one in the truck out of sight will be a good idea! Plus I could use it when no one is looking!! Really want try that one that shoots the ball and then the lure falls out of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveM Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 It's all about action. You did the right thing in taking him to a lake that had a great chance at him catching fish. But when he gets bored, walk the shore with a little net. Look for minnows and bugs. Throw some rocks if there aren't a lot of other fishermen around. Let him set the agenda as much as possible. Yep, this is exactly what I do when I take Rick out & he gets bored... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golfman09 Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 Right now I am on the second Lightening McQueen rod although the first princess rod is the only one to catch a fish at this point. Hopefully that will change through the fall. It is a blast getting them out and seeing their reaction to the fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ÜberFly Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 Geeze, I thought I was the only one that kissed the fish when I threw them back Great story! P Took my two little girls and the wife a few weeks back to a pothole guaranteed of success. Minutes into the trip and shortly after getting my 5 year old and 3 year old set up with their Barbie 'Princess' fishing rods with bh olive woolly buggers tied on (hey I wasn't about to TOTALLY prostitute myself with hardware) & a couple of splitshot, the youngest reels in a small 12" rainbow. 15 minutes later, she starts shrieking as her rod fell into the water. I don't know if a big trout pulled it out of her hand (yeah, that's what I'll go with) or she just dropped it, but she was crying and wanted to get a submarine and scuba divers to go and get it. As she now had no rod, she and mom went to shore to play and the 5 year old and I continued to fish. Minutes later the 5 year old hooks a small rainbow and begins to reel it in. It takes a couple of minutes when she says: "the trout sure are wiggly in this lake", I chuckled. We netted the small trout and she couldn't wait for me, she reached into the net, grabbed hold of the rainbow, kissed it, gave it a name (Jessica) then quickly threw it back into the lake. 10 minutes later, it was repeated, grabbed hold of the trout, kissed it, gave it a name (Jenna Genevieve) then quickly threw it back. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annapolis Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 I'm glad I'm not the only one with two princess rods and a barbie tackle box. My daughter has had limited success so far but can chuck a rod a good distance into the lake. Three rod lost, one fish hooked and when she was reeling it in she chucked the rod in with the fish, hopefully the fish isn't still pulling the princess rod! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walker1 Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 We have the 2 Spiderman rods. My Spidy senses are tingling............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfie Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 I'm glad I'm not the only one with two princess rods and a barbie tackle box. My daughter has had limited success so far but can chuck a rod a good distance into the lake. Three rod lost, one fish hooked and when she was reeling it in she chucked the rod in with the fish, hopefully the fish isn't still pulling the princess rod! among all of the posts this one is "Priceless!"..........................Wolfie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverDoctor Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 With the grand kids that are about that age I find the following handy Choose a spot close to home that has restrooms. Make the trip in the morning on a sunny day, and limit fishing to about an hour between breaks. Take snacks and cold drinks with you and a coloring book (nature related). Have the kids take breaks from fishing and give em a minnow net and pail to have fun. Life jacket that fits. Pack a first aid kit. Bring a hat and sunglasses. I often go to the dollar store and pick a few fun things up to occupy them when the fishing bug fades, which is usually pretty quick. Don't count on fishing yourself, this is an adventure for the little ones and don't forget that. My own very fine arsenal includes, the Shakespeare Princess and Barbie Fishing Kits, and of course the ever present Batman Backpack Fishing Kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rehsifylf Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 This is the first time i've been out with someone so young and it was fun while it lasted... anyone have some tips on fishing with young kids? Fishing bug at 4 - thats a good lad there. Easy answer to your question bring lots of snacks (bars, candy, chips...) Then wait till he gets bored/antsy and bring out the next round. Works for kids at hockey games too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest girlsfishtoo Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 Great stories and priceless memories to look back on.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenPeter Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 Great stories and priceless memories to look back on.. My two daughters have somewhat impatiently watched me leave to go fishing mountain streams, during our 3 week holiday here in Canada. Promises had been made to take our 3yr old and 6 yr old fishing. Plenty of "Can we go fishing today Daddy" requests were made. Their enthusiasm grew, and the day approached. Anticipation is, I think most important for kids(of all ages!), even if the actual fishing is limited to a short time. I personally favor the Dora the explorer range, as we can count the fish they catch in Spanish. The rig also comes with a heavy plastic fish, which we have been using for casting games. We set off for a stock pond, rods in hand, and they had a great hour and a half, catching suicidal stockies. It was a great day, even the bites lost were very exciting for the girls, at times. Other times they have the potential for I agree with a previous sentiment; don't think that this is a fishing trip for you, as it will take away from you ability to observe and enjoy the kids excitement and discovery! I wonder what the next generation will teach us all about fly fishing? Dirk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gil Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 As a father and now a grandfather I've had to entertain other peoples kids on occasion. I've noticed with really young kids (2 - 8) they can get nervous very quickly in an unfamilar situation unless they are beside a parent, even if its a really fun activity. Try taking along one of his parents or an older sibling and my guess is he'll have a blast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.