Fishing with Your Kids

Fishing with your kids should be a fun family experience, but it often can turn into a tedious chore. Tangled lines, a lack of action, and the suggestion of going fishing with your kids can turn from excited looks into bored faces in a hurry. Trying to keep up, especially if you have more than two children, can run a parent ragged, as he or she tries to make sure lines are in the water and everybody is having a good time. Here are some tips to make sure that fishing with your kids is a worthwhile and enjoyable adventure.

First and foremost, you need to catch fish. Nothing creates the potential for boredom more than a fishing pole that just sits there with no fish biting! Pretty soon the children are wondering why they are there to begin with and fishing with your kids goes from a great idea to a very bad one in a matter of a few minutes. There are many things you can do to increase your odds of catching fish, giving the kids the excitement that will keep their interest.

Go fishing with the kids in the early morning or late afternoon; these are the peak times for most species of fish to bite. During the summer, after supper is the optimal time to gather the equipment and head to the local fishing spot. If the kids are too young to bait their own hooks and cast out, you need to forget about doing any fishing yourself and concentrate on their needs. It's no fun for a kid to stand around and watch you fish. 

Proper equipment is crucial to success when fishing with your kids. Do not bother with those "kiddie" poles that cannot stand up to the rigors of actual fishing. An inexpensive spinning reel and rod will do the trick; you aren't going after world records, you simply want to catch fish. A spinning reel is the easiest type for a youngster to learn to cast with. If they are old enough to cast, make sure you put them in a spot way from trees and brush that will snag your child's line and hook. Find an open area along the river bank or shore of the pond. Nothing is more frustrating while fishing than having to break your line, tie another hook on, rebait it and cast again, only to get caught up in the same branch or log!