Survival Guide to Fishing with Children

Every summer, on any particular day in the Midwest, millions of fathers awaken with one goal for the day. They want to take their children fishing. While some dads may have spent many hours, or days, and sometimes even weeks planning their outing, far to many fathers are unprepared for the event. Here are a few basic guidelines that may make the difference between an enjoyable day of outdoor recreation and a disastrous event.

First, count the number of children that will be accompanying you on your expedition, then add 1. This is the minimum number of fishing poles you should bring. Remember that when it comes to children without much angling experience, the simpler the better when choosing reels for those poles. The closed face of a Zebco reel has been the standard for many decades.

Second, make sure you have plenty of tackle in your box. You don't have to have a dizzying array of jigs, crank baits, or spoons. The tackle I am referring to is simple hooks, sinkers, and an extra spool of line. These are a necessity because if there is anything in the area to get their line caught on, your children will find it. Third, you will need some sort of bait to put on the hooks.

My personal favorite is night-crawlers, those big pinkish brown earthworms you can get at a bait shop, some gas stations, or straight from the earth itself. You should also consider getting some artificial worms because some children may not like the idea of having to impale a slimy, wriggling, living being onto the end of a sharp hook. Having the artificial worms also means you will not have spend the day baiting hooks.

Fourth, the most important thing you need to have when fishing with children is patience. Kids have a tendency to get bored when the fish just won't bite, so it is usually a good idea to have something like a deck of playing cards around to keep them occupied during any lull in the action.