5 Ideas To Make Fishing With Kids Fun

By Harold Baldwin

I think all children should be exposed to fishing as do many other folks, but doing it with kids is fundamentally different than with adults. Hopefully they will enjoy fishing and it may become a lifelong hobby or even a healthy obsession. Kids have shorter attention spans, vary widely depending on age, and enjoy a great variety of activities. They like to fish, but if taken too seriously like some adults take it, it becomes almost like work to kids. Here are some ideas to make it fun with kids.

1. First of all, forget about fishing yourself! Yes, you may get some in, but for the first quite a few trips you will be simply helping them out. Trust me, they will need help! Don't consider yourself to be fishing, even if you wet a line. You may go alone for serious adult fishing later as I do.


2. Combine fishing with other activities, for example perhaps a picnic, a swim, or a walk. Hopefully they will get to enjoy fishing, but you do not want them to get the attitude that they do not like fishing. Fishing is one of many activities, perhaps combined as part of a family outing. We rarely go fishing, but go out and often fishing is one of the things that we do.


3. Make the fishing relatively short unless they want to keep fishing. Leaving them wanting more is fine, but "Dad (or Mom) always want to fish too long" is not something you even want them to think or say. Remember they have short attention spans, and that is normal and OK. They have their entire lives to get deeply into fishing if they would like. You are just exposing them to it and perhaps sparking an interest.


4. Don't concentrate on catching fish, but on the process of fishing. For example my son loves to cast, so I let him cast like crazy. If he catches a fish it's a plus. You don't want them t o develop a mentality that if you don't catch fish it is a waste of time. Don't talk about being "skunked" with kids, but rather about the fun you are having, the beautiful things you are seeing, and so forth. Now if you have somewhere that they will catch fish almost for sure, for example a farm pond full of sunfish, for all means take them there!


5. Have fun yourself and smile. It will be infectious!

About the Author

For a lot more on fishing and fishing gear for kids, please visit Ugly Stik and Ugly Stik Tiger. Above all, try to take a kid fishing! I've taken my kids as well as neighborhood kids and relatives, and we always have a great time!