I have a question about kids

[robalo]

Hi There,

This is probably not the best place to post this thread but I could not find a better one. Moderator, please feel free to move my post to a more suitable forum. My question is about the best age to introduce your son to the world of fishing. I know there is not a simple answer to my question. I would like to know what other fathers and mothers have thought is the best age to take their children fishing. My first son is 2 and 1/2 years of age and he already has his first fishing pole. We are waiting for the spring so that we can go together. I do not expect to fish with him yet as he does not have to coordination to do anything on his own. I also do not want him to have a bad experience with a hook. I figure that if I can let him move the crank of HIS rod and fish something, he is going to start liking it. We have been talking about it all winter.

Thanks for your comments.

Robalo.

[Fish-Aholic]

My daughters have been spending time with me fishing on the beach since they were babies. I was on a beach in Hawaii when my daughter was probably 18mos or less. I was casting in a sandy area just inside a reef, she saw me do it, grabbed the top half of a spare rod and started imitating my casting movements. On actual fishing, well I'd say first off, crush your barbs off the hooks just in case of an accident. But, as soon as the child is old enough to actually hold the rod and reel it in (with help is acceptable) then let them start fishing. Boats aren't the best place to get them started only because a child's attention span is very short and you need something around for them to play with. so a beach, riverbank or lakeshore work the best. Bobber fishing is the way to go. The kid can associate the bobber's movement with a fish and they will pick it up quicker. Oh, DON'T plan on fishing much at all when you take a kid. You need to find a hole that produces TONS of fish, even if they are small sunfish. You will spend 90% of your time rebaiting and casting. I would recommend a spincasting setup at first. My daughters didn't quite get the hang of a spinning reel until somewhere around the age of 6-7. At the time they can master the casting of a spinning reel is also right around the time they can start casting and retrieving a lure. I tried lures with my daughters on spincasting. they could do it, however got bored quicker. Now my girls 9 and 10 are rock stars. Here I thought that once I got them tossing grubs and other lures, my fishing time would increase...yeah not so much, I'm now spending all my time retying jigheads and unhooking fish. My oldest can do everything BUT tie on her lure now (unless she's using something with treble hooks) and I'm hoping the younger one will step up to the plate this spring/summer and really start removing all her own fish :) Wow I rambled on there. So let me sum it up.....GET THEM OUT NOW!!!!!! nothing beats the times I spend on the water with my girls. Oh, if you want to get them started with lures a little earlier, start with something floating, you cast and let them retrieve....if its a more difficult retrieve like proper movement of a topwater, you retrieve and then pass the rod off once a fish is hooked. This however makes the kid idle and can increase boredom. :) Sorry I was so long winded, but I hope It helped out some.

[Sudsy]

As young as possible but, and this is extremely important, be sure its for something that they can catch hand over fist. If they have to sit and wait patiently it's over, you've lost em, possibly forever.

Sunnies and snappers are probably the best choices.

[Jimmy Z]

Over this past summer I took my son on a few daytime excursions to the shore. I didn't pressure him into fishing. I let him do his own thing. There were some other kids fishing with sandworms, for small porgies and small blackfish. Well my son caught a small blackfish. He still talks about it, and how he wants to go back there again. It has got to be something the child is going to want to do. My son knows I love surfcasting, lol, he knows about poppers, and swimmers and pencils and..., you get the picture.
My son is my buddy, we do all together, and have a blast doing it.
Jus tlet it flow my friend. Good things will happen, that's just the way it is.

[fishyboy]

Well to tell you the truth, i am a kid. i am twelve years old, and i just started this forum. i was introduced fishing when i was 6. from that day on i loved it. at the age of eight, i won a five day fishing trip, and caught my first albacore, and yellowtail. fishing is fun if you know where to fish, and if you go fishing on the shore, your kids would still have a blast fishing because they can play and throw rocks, and stomp in the water. recently i caught a 110 pound black sea bass, and my first striper. Well good luck to introducing them into fishing.

fishyboy

[Striperjim]

Wow..

Welcome fishboy.
Andy (stmo) Mike O. stripers777 started on this forum when they were just 12. (they were supposed to be 13. Coppa laws)
Now they are in high schhool and 15 and 16.
Kkevvy too but hes too busy with the girls now.


Check out the arcade up top.

[Striper777]

yup ha sounds about right. Welcome to the site Fishyboy