Teaching kids to fish while using the right gear will make all the difference in the world.
Watching a child reeling in a fish pleases my soul. I mean, have you ever seen someone so excited, proud and pleased? I live for the look on their face when I make a scoop and their fish is safe within a net. Eyes open wide coupled with an ear-to-ear grin.
With that said, summer’s end can already be seen on the calendar. The good part about that? If your goal was to take a kid fishing this summer but time escaped you and the deed was never done, it’s not too late. Late summer and early fall are great times to get a youngsters on the water. Air temperatures are comfortable, the fish are biting and the bugs are not.
GEAR’EM UP
My granddaughter, Delaney, grew up fast. But although now a late teen, she still loves to fish; as well catch fish. Even to this day, it doesn’t matter the size, species or battle endured, each fish is still a trophy. And she’s very good at catching.
But Delaney did not become the accomplished anger she is today by chance or genetics; I had her using quality equipment from her very first cast. There was no “toy” fishing equipment for her. Instead, it was the real deal. And I know it made a huge difference.
And it will make the difference for any kid, young, older or in-between.
TAKE ADVANTAGE
The lack of sensitivity and the inability to cast well with a cheap, short, heavy, fiberglass rod coupled with plastic reel spooled with substandard line would frustrate the best of anglers. So why would you want any kid to have to suffer while using this type equipment? That question befuddles me, too.
Now I’m not saying you have to go out and spend $400 on a new rod and reel combo for them; but what I am saying is they should be using similar equipment as you. Feasibly, the very same equipment.
If you have been looking to upgrade your own rods and reels, then here’s a chance to hand down what you’ve been using and go out and buy yourself something new. Or better yet, purchase something new for them; gear that can truly call their own.
But whatever you do, don’t buy them an inferior rod a reel combo; you know, one that will just “do for now”.
Beginner’s equipment should be light in weight yet durable. A graphite Berkley Lighting Rod IM6spinning rod, for example, can be purchased for under $40, and is all of the above mentioned and more. A two-piece 6- or 6-1/2-footer, medium-light in action, is a good, multi-species stick.
A reel that balances well with a rod is an essential component, as well. ABU Garcia’s 6-ball-bearing Cardinal SX20 spinning reel, which retails under $30, is a great match for the Rod. The combo balances at the rod’s handle, just ahead of the reel, which allows for more sensitivity and less hand and wrist fatigue.
Line is the most important piece of equipment for every angler, by far. It not only is the one and only thing holding a hooked fish to a rod and reel, but cheap line often kinks, making it tough to cast even the heaviest lures.
Monofilament, or “mono”, is what I suggest for beginners. But make sure you spool on mono that’s soft and subtle, yet abrasion resistant, as this is essential for young anglers who are more apt to get snagged up more often.
Berkley’s Trilene XL (Extra Limp) of 8-pound test will flow off a reel smoothly, so it aids in making longer casts, yet still resists abrasions from rocks and wood.
As for terminal tackle, any child I take fishing will be using the same, high-quality products I do, such as Berkley Ball Bearing Swivels, Cross-Lok Snap/Swivels and Cross–Lok Snaps.
Hooks, too, should be the best money can buy. There’s nothing’s more frustrating than losing a fish due a dull one. You can be guaranteed I’ll be teaching kids the knots anglers use most while tying on super-sharp Daiichi and Tru-Turn hooks.
PATIENCE MAKES PERFECT
Taking kids fishing takes patience. Lots and lots of patience.
Even when the bite is good and the catching is steady, kids, especially the youngest of them, will lose interest after a while. And that’s okay. Messing around on shore or in the boat is part of experience.
Go ahead, let the kids play with the live bait. Reaching into a Plano Small Worm and Leech Lodge and grabbing the night crawlers and leeches and then watching them slither through their fingers is all part of the learning curve. And then there’s trying to catch the lively minnows from my Plano minnow bucket. I mean, could there be anything better on a late summer’s day? I think not.
As my granddaughter grew older, I’d even let her rummage through my Plano tackle totes and check out all the Rapala crankbaits and Northland jigs and spinners. It was a learning experience that hooks are sharp and are to be handled with care.
And like all kids, my granddaughter became more and more inquisitive, thus questions about my Lowrance sonar and GPS were common place when we were fishing.
She soon knew more about bottom composites, structure, and the environment that fish live in than many seasoned anglers four times her age. And when it came to the GPS and the Navionics mapping program playing in the background of the screen, she can now look at the hydrographic map and determine where the fish are likely to be holding on any waterway.
One of the greatest tools that allowed Delaney (as well Grandpa) to learn about life under the surface is MarCum’s underwater viewing systems. From the large 8-inch color display of my unit, any kid can get a firsthand fish eye’s view of the underwater world. And they’ll be intrigued for hours.
GOOD NOW, BETTER LATER
It’s taken me a long time and a lot of hard work to get where I am in the world of professional fishing. But I guarantee you it was my fishing experiences with my father and grandfather, learning from them while being able to use the proper gear that really got me started on the right path.
My granddaughter has become an experienced young-lady angler because I allowed her to use good equipment from her very first day with a rod in her hand. Trust me, it makes all the difference in the world.
And there’s still plenty of time to get a kid fishing before the weather turns for the worse. But just don’t take them; get them fishing with the right gear early on and the adventures will be better for all involved.
Mark Martin is a professional walleye tournament angler and instructor for the fishing/Vacation schools, who resides in SW Lower Michigan. Visit his website at markmartins.net for more information.
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