BUILD A BETTER
FISHING
PARTNER BY CHRIS FUNK photo by Chris Funk I watched the little fella struggling on the back deck of that glitter rocket. His dad was on the front deck, eyes glued to his electronics, fishing a ledge about 50 yards from the bank. The kid was having trouble casting, launching the bait straight up in the air with a massive splash a few feet from the boat. I could only imagine the wind knots, tangles and other carnage that spinning reel held but Dad never took his eyes off the screen. Where I sat there were small bass and bluegill as far as the eye could see just begging for that little boy to throw a Roostertail or small Rapala to. I was glad the guy got the kid out on the water but I was seeing the opportunity he was missing for building an awesome fishing partner. It can be challenging fishing with kids, but it can be a real blessing to as well as an awesome investment in the future for you and for them. It helps to keep a few things in mind when dealing with kids on the water. Number one is safety and the best way to get them to wear a PFD is if they are following your example. I never had to worry about my son wearing his because he always wanted to do it if I did. Another thing to remember is; small fish are better than no fish every time! That little guy would have been tickled pink with any one of the bass that was swimming around my kayak or the bluegill for that matter. When you fish with kids, it needs to be more about them than you. Yes, you may have to get a lure out of the trees a dozen times a trip, but each one of them will be a learning experience. Use those “training times” to teach them about how bugs in the trees attract smaller fish that bring in big fish. Or teach them how to check the limbs for snakes or wasp nests before going after a lure. Teach them to make sure they get all the line out of the tree to protect the birds that also use the tree.
photo by Chris Funk
Smaller lures will be easier to cast and retrieve and will also catch a large assortment of fish. More targets mean more opportunities for tight lines and happy kids. Small crankbaits and inline spinners were always my son’s favorites for several reasons. They don’t require much attention, just cast and retrieve. They were relatively inexpensive so if we did lose one, Remember to downsize gear and lures for downsized anglers. daddy didn’t blow a gasket. And they flat out catch fish, often When I was a kid, there were very few choices for rods and way more than daddy did! reels and most of what we fished with was hand-me-downs. These days, there is a great assortment of really good gear Also remember to watch your tone with “instructions.” Often that fits kids well. Having gear that “fits” will help keep them I would tell my son “do it like this” or “this is how you work from tiring out and greatly aid in their accuracy with casting. it” and it was often in a tense, frustrated tone. I forget that I KAYAK BASS FISHING MAGAZINE
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