People who love fishing are usually itching to take their kids fishing as soon as they hit the right age to be taken along, but the question they often ask themselves is at what age is a kid ready to be taken fishing. The answer to that question highly depends on the activities being done on the fishing trip, as kids can accompany parents on these trips before they turn two.
Fishing With Kids Below 6-Years-Old
Kids Get Bored Quickly
Fishing can get quite boring for kids who aren’t used to just sitting there and waiting for fish to come around. That’s why taking kids below the age of six to a shallow, populated lake is recommended as there are usually tons of small fish that get hooked onto the rod really quickly. Once your kid has seen some action, end the trip before they start getting bored and they’ll remember it as a lovely time.
Prioritize Safety
Younger kids generally don’t see how they can get injured from specific things so ensuring that your kid is safe the whole time is essential. Always stay on guard when casting out your fishing rod, especially if you’re using a sidearm cast with your kid around as they can move very unexpectedly. Make sure you debarb your hooks and keep a close eye on your kid the whole time.
Keep It Simple
Trying to teach a kid about specific fish when they’re too young won’t really teach them anything so keeping the wording simple and the activities fun is as much as you can do at that age. The same goes for teaching them how to cast a rod as their muscles aren’t yet developed enough to fling a fishing rod around. Letting them hold on to the rod after it’s been cast and play with the reel is enough to keep them entertained.
Keep Them Well Fed
Even though you should keep fishing trips short during this age, your kid is still going to end up getting hungry and you need to be ready with some snacks. Remember to always prepare well for your trip as a hungry kid is not a happy kid, so stock up before heading out to the water.
Fishing With Kids Above 6-Years-Old
Take Them Out Into The Water
Once your kid is old enough, it might be time to spice up the action. Getting out on a kayak in the middle of the lake to fish can be a lot more fun than staying out on the shore. Picking a kayak can be difficult without help though, but finding reviews of these fishing kayaks online can solve all your issues as reviews generally go into depth about the size, weight, capacity, and quality of any kayak you search up. Spend some time researching about which kayak is going to work best for you and your kid before you decide on purchasing one.
Teach Them More Tricks
Kids getting older means that you can now teach them tricks with more details. You still have to keep it entertaining for them to pay attention, but they’ll be able to comprehend much more of what you’re teaching them. They can also learn how to cast a rod as their muscles are usually developed enough to handle it, just make sure you debarb the hook as you don’t want the trip ending with a bad casting accident.
Only Carry One Rod
At this age, you shouldn’t be concerned about your own rod as you’re simply going to focus on your kid throughout the whole trip. Having one fishing rod means you’re there to unknot the line and give them instructions. Keeping the rod primarily in your kid’s hands makes the trip a lot more fun for them.
Celebrate Their Achievement, Regardless Of Fish Size
Regardless of the size of the fish that they caught, always celebrate their catch as an achievement as kids are just happy to catch anything. Your reaction to your kid’s first catch is very important as telling them that the fish they caught is pretty small will ruin their moment of triumph but celebrating it with them will make them feel accomplished.
The right time to take a kid fishing is always when they’re in the mood to go as forcing this hobby on to children without them enjoying it will cause them to slowly start to resent it. Always prioritize having fun on a fishing trip instead of catching big fish as that’s the least important factor to your kid. Don’t overdo it too much by taking them out much more than they want to go either as that could wear them out of the idea of fishing altogether.