Ten tips for making childhood fishing memories

Expensive equipment and long-distance travel aren't on the list.

JEFFERSON CITY-Early summer, with its cool mornings and blossom-scented breezes, evokes powerful memories of lazy days strung together into endless summers. For many, those memories include fishing. It is natural to want to make similar memories with children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. But for a surprising number of would-be fishing mentors, the dreams fail to materialize. Two reasons account for most failures.

Lack of time and resources is first on the list. People are busier than ever today, and any activity that requires significant travel is likely to be replaced with something easier.

Missourians are lucky in this regard. The Department of Conservation maintains hundreds of fishing areas on streams and lakes statewide. Active hatchery and fish management programs ensure that these waters have good numbers of fish. No Missouri resident is more than a few minutes from a public fishing spot.

With plenty of good fishing holes, the key to fishing with kids is knowing what makes fishing enjoyable for them. Here are 10 tips to make sure your fishing trip is a success.

1. Consider comfort

Fishing with kids requires slightly different supplies and equipment than adult trips. A youngster who is hungry or uncomfortable won't have the patience to fish, so bring snacks, drinks and lawn chairs for them.

Equip your young angler with a broad-brimmed hat to avoid squinting and eye strain, and be sure to use sun screen. The memory of pain-filled days after a fishing trip will overshadow good memories.

Think about comfort when deciding where to fish. On a hot summer day, a tree-shaded creek might be a better choice than a treeless pond. A lake chock-full of bass but hemmed in by tall weeds is less desirable than a less fishy public lake with a fishing dock and mowed banks.

2. Stack the deck

Children quickly lose interest if they don't get lots of bites. Younger children don't care how big the fish are, as long as they catch lots of them. Before your trip, check with a trusted local angler or pre-fish the chosen area to be sure the fish are there and biting.

3. Forget about fishing yourself

Beginning anglers require lots of attention. You are likely to have your hands full untangling knots, rebaiting hooks, unhooking fish and offering advice about how to cast, where to cast and when to reel in fish. If you try to fish yourself, both you and your youngster will be frustrated. Instead, concentrate on making the trip fun for them. The fishing buddy you initiate today could be the one who takes you fishing in your old age.

4. Take identical fishing poles

You can hold one and pretend to fish while standing near your young companion. When they snag a log or get their line tangled, hand them your rod and let them keep fishing while you take care of the problem. That way they are less likely to get bored and distracted by other things. And who knows, you might actually hook a fish yourself.

5. Cheat

If you do hook a fish, quickly release the line and pretend something is wrong with your child's gear. Trade rods and act surprised when they discover they have a fish on. Young children will never catch on, but you may have to be a little more cagey with those age 8 and up.

6. Use bait

Casting is the most difficult fishing skill to learn. Fishing with spinners, crankbaits and other artificial lures that require continuous casting and retrieving can be frustrating and tiring for new anglers. Worms, minnows and doughbait are a much better choice. You just cast these to one spot and let them sit until a fish bites. They also are highly effective.

7. Keep gear simple

Don't try to turn your youthful charge into a pro the first time out by saddling them with equipment they can't handle. A short fishing rod with an inexpensive spincasting reel is easier to use and less likely to cause problems than more complicated gear.

Tie a No. 8 or smaller hook on the end of the line, clip on one or two split-shot six inches above the hook, and add a small bobber just far enough up the line to keep the bait off the bottom. Tell your child to watch the bobber and reel in when it goes completely underwater.

8. Go where the action is

If you don't catch a fish in 15 minutes, move. Try casting your bait to a different spot first. Cast close to shore and out in open water, in the shade and in the sun, next to trees and next to water plants. The fish have to be somewhere! If that doesn't work, move to a different area.

9. Use a net

A small, inexpensive landing net will reduce the number of fish that get loose at the last moment. Besides cutting down on disappointment, a net can be used to catch frogs and other critters when the fishing is slow.

10. Stop and smell the roses

Children are not as goal-oriented as adults. They instinctively pursue whatever is most interesting at the moment. Take time to catch frogs, explore a spring branch or wonder at the beauty of a butterfly. The goal is to have fun. If they do, they will want to go again, regardless how many fish they caught.

Finally, pick up a copy of the 2005 Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations from a fishing permit vendor before wetting a line. This will help you observe statewide regulations and those that apply on specific areas.

-Jim Low -

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