One of the greatest gifts we can give our young people today is the passing on of our inshore fishing traditions. Getting kids into the “outdoors” and away from the television set and computer should be a major priority today… because there are fewer kids than ever picking up a fishing rod and heading to the water’s edge. That could spell serious trouble for our sport in the coming decades. What can we do to change this trend and in the process seed our future with anglers that will help protect our fisheries and rights as recreational anglers? It’s really simple… just take a kid fishing and expose them to the mystique of our light-tackle sport.
Not only is it important for the survival of our sport to get young people involved but by sharing our coastal lifestyle with our kids… we can cement a bond with them and the outdoors for a lifetime. Here are a few tips that will make your fishing experience with the kids more enjoyable and guarantee that they’ll be looking forward to the next trip.
- Make fishing trips shorter in duration (couple of hours; not all day) and target fish that are easier to catch such as mackerel, ladyfish, and school trout. Don’t over achieve and try targeting species that require lots of patience or skill… that will come later.
- Kids love to cast and reel… let them do it. Tie on a jig and let them catch all the macks and ladyfish they can stand. Introducing kids to fishing with artificial lures early will build confidence and guarantee that they will stay interested without becoming bored just holding rod as in traditional bait fishing.
- Take lots of pictures… kids love to see themselves in photos with fish. It also promotes “catch and release”… now that they know you have photo/video evidence of their angling accomplishment they are less likely to want to always put fish in the cooler. These treasured pictures can be used for screensavers or printed and placed on the fridge just like report cards for all to see! Pictures definitely make kids anticipate the next fishing trip.
- Take advantage of the time you spend on the water with young people to teach them respect for the environment and angling etiquette along with the obvious skills of catching fish. Kids are impressionable… so teach them valued lessons on how to handle fish with care, not to crowd fellow anglers, and overall how to be responsible & respect our fisheries. These younger anglers will ultimately be the future stewards of our sport… help them understand that by setting a good example.
- Finally don’t ever force or push the child into fishing every time you go. I’ve watched more avid inshore anglers burn their kids out on fishing because of their own personal passion for the sport. Each child is going to have their own level of interest in fishing… some will really like it and others won’t at first but if you slowly introduce them to it and make it more about fun, odds are they’ll stay with it. Just let it come naturally and you’ll have a future fishing buddy!
Fishing is just not about honing our skills or bringing home some fresh filets for the grill… it’s about spending time with our friends and family. The memories that we build with our children when we get them into the outdoors will stay with them forever and the stories that are re-told…priceless!
Take a kid fishing…
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Good article on a great topic. My dad got all of us kids interested in fishing at an early age and I still love the whole experience of being on the water. Make sure you check out Hooked On Youth – Kids and Conservation on Facebook. This is an effort to teach kids not only wabout fishing but also about the importance of taking care of our resources so they can fish for a lifetime. Jeff Harrell is really doing a good job getting the message out.
well-worded article on kids – enjoyed reading it.
CA,
You do a great job as a professional. Your article helped me relive the 2 days we had. Will is still talking about it and I am sure he will for a long time. It was a good time and I applaud you for the approach that you take with kids…. and fishing. I wish you the best …Bill