Fishing With Kids

Camping and fishing go together like ham and eggs. So, if you're planning your first fishing adventure with young children this summer while camping here are a few tips that can really make everyone's experience last a lifetime.

Kids who have angling parents will be introduced to the sport early and hopefully with the proper sportsmanship/conservation ethic. Some of the problems arise when kids of non-fishing parents want to go. As a newspaper and magazine outdoor writer and editor for more than 30 years, I have quite frequently been asked by non-sportsman type co-workers about how and where to take their youngsters, grandkids, visiting nieces, nephews, etc. fishing. These guys were almost wringing their hands over what they perceived to be the ordeal at hand - as if the kids asked for tickets to the World Series or Disney World.

OK, stop sweating if you haven't done this before. Some simple tips: First - do keep it simple for starters, and that's your best bet for a fun day. Many campgrounds are situated on lakes or ponds or at least have a local fishing hole nearby that holds panfish. The latter, without getting too nit-picky, is pretty much your garden-variety sunny-bluegill deal. These fish will eat nearly 24-7. A worm and bobber combination is about all you need. We'll get into specific equipment a little later.

What you need to bring is a heap of patience, because kids have never heard the word. You can have the stamina to run a marathon, play 36 holes of golf on any given day, and wait out an IRS audit. Kids, on the other hand, have attention spans equal to the life cycle of a mayfly. One of the best ways to keep the tyke focused is to let him or her do as much as possible, keep them involved, explain the gear, the procedures, show them how things work...promise a special treat on the way back to camp or explain how you're going to show the folks back at the campsite how to cook fish.

As far as equipment goes, it need not be expensive. A rudimentary spin-cast system, the push-button variety, is easy for kids to operate. The old Zebco "capsule" reels taught many of us how to cast. Do not go for an open-faced spinning reel or baitcasting reel for first-timers. Veteran anglers can have backlash woes with the latter, and it took my father some time to figure that the open-faced models went on the bottom of the reel seat, not the top.

Nowadays, you can find ready-to-go outfits in most major sporting goods stores that are made specifically for kids. You're not going to subdue tarpon with the rigs, but then, that's not your goal.

On that note, stick to the perch, bluegills, and sunnies for starters. The occasional bass will be a bonus. I spoiled my own kids on a Pennsylvania farm pond where they could catch three and four-pound largemouth with relative ease. Trouble with that is once you get back on public water, things are a little tougher.

However, if you do want the youngster to get into decent fish, try a pay-to-fish commercial outfit. Check the Internet or ads in local fishing publications. Nearly every state, or at least region, produces local magazines for anglers, and these people do advertise. The basic deal is that you pay an entry fee and so much per pound for fish caught. The upside is that you know the fish are there, the downside is that it ain't the real world. But if it's only a day-trip fun deal, it couldn't hurt much.

For saltwater excursions, hopping on a family-friendly party boat is a smart idea. The captains are in business to make people happy, and if it's a boatload of kids, some simple bottom fishing, not far from shore is just the ticket. Don't take a five-year-old out in search of mako shark or 12-pound bluefish when a few sea robins will make him or her happy.

Finally, be encouraging, supportive, take pictures and laugh a lot. One of the worst experiences I had with youngsters was on the St. Lawrence River where we caught heaps of smallmouth bass. But the boat captain wouldn't let our kids, ages 11-12, even bait their own hooks, cast for themselves or do much of anything on the boat. The guy was a sourpuss, and the kids caught their fish without any joy in the endeavor.

The next day, we went out on our own in a rented aluminum boat and caught a bunch of rock bass, perch and northern pike. My son and nephew had a ball. They did it their way.

Help with the line tangles, netting their catch, and the like. But otherwise, let them have fun on their own. It'll work wonders for a "quality time" experience - and your blood pressure.

Happy Trails!