continued... The best way to interest the kids in fishing is to go fishing yourself. Kids generally imitate their parents’ behavior (which explains a lot about lots of things). If they see you fishing or hear good accounts of your angling pursuits, there’s a good chance they will want to learn more. It is important to keep the children entertained. Try to find a location with a decent population of fish even if these particular fish are not ones you would normally pursue.
The tackle must be simple. Do not try to teach a five-year-old how to present a dry fly to a clear-water trout. Instead, get a small spin or spin-cast outfit. Bait up with worms and fish for whatever will bite. In today’s market there are spin-cast rods and reels available in every cartoon or superhero motif known to man. I have found using a bobber gives the kids something to watch and may extend their interest by a few more minutes. Teaching a child to fish is not necessarily the job of the father. I grew up in what they now call a broken home and was lucky to have a grandfather who loved to fish and hunt. For parents who aren’t able to teach their kids to fish themselves, head to your local tackle shop where you can find the gear you need and have any fishing-related questions answered. The staff may also recommend a good place to take the kids, or you can check online with various state or city parks and look for a location where everyone will be safe and the fishing can be good.
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Chesapeake Bay Powerboating
Another good source for help is your parents. As I said, my grandfather got me into fishing, and if your father likes to fish, I expect he would leap at the chance to teach the kids. Please don’t expect a small child to concentrate on the task at hand for any length of time. A kid will want to check the bait, reel in the line, make more casts, move to another spot and walk off to examine a frog or a stick. This is all good. The idea is to entertain, educate and instill a love of the outdoors, not win a tournament or show off the catch to your buddies. When I ran charters, I would have fathers bring their children along and say the kid wanted to catch a cobia, tuna or billfish. Who were they kidding? It was the old man that wanted to catch a big fish. The kids would be happy catching spot, croaker or perch. Fishing is not only fun, but it gives a chance for you to bond with your kids. Without a phone, tablet or TV to distract their attention they might even talk with you.
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