FIRST FISHING TRIP FOR THE LITTLE LAD

[Guest Rabbit]

I have three sons and they all had the whip

I can't ever forget the excitement when catching their first fish, better than any Play Station Game.

[crucian1995]

Hello,

 

My little boy (he's only 4) has been pestering me to take him fishing for ages now. I know he's only young but he is dying to go.

Can anybody give me any tips on taking a little lad on his first fishing trip?

 

Hey im only 13 but when i started which was about 8-9 1st fishing trip my dad didnt do any fishing he taught me how to cast and how to strike and play fish, we fished for roach and perch, they wre nice sizes as well ranging 1oz-12oz it was such great fun, just like let him fish and always help him when he needs it thts what happened to me and ended up loving fishing!

[Dick Dastardly]

Yes definately dont fish your self.Just sit next to your "pupil" and concentrateon helping him.

 

The best tip to make a life long angler though is not to make it to easy for them to catch fish. They can get bored just as quickly if you make it to easy to catch as if they catch nothing! the secret is to take them somewhere that with a bit of feeding you can get a bite a cast. Now heres the strange bit,blunt/bur over the point of the hook slightly after they have sussed out striking and caught a few.The bite a chuck will keep them concentrating but the "sabotaged" hook will stop them landing every fish so keep them keen for more.

 

The biggest trouble when we take kids is that we can make it far to easy for them.We are putting in to practice all our hard won knowledge for them to catch.This making it easy causes many to loose interest if not sooner but certainly later. Just think about how many good anglers sons you know who despite having caught a rake of big fish no longer bother...

[lyn]

I started mine on a whip, much easier all round. He will have a lot more fun and keep his interest if he is catching rather than sit behind a static rod waiting for the big one. Oh, and don't even think about fishing yourself at the same time, trust me you will need all your concentration on him.

 

Good luck and I will be looking for the photos of his first catch.

 

lyn

[Andy Macfarlane]

Don't forget the sea as well. Take him 'rock-pooling' for crabs, limpets, blennies, stickleback, wrasse, mussels etc. Show him anemones, tell him what they do. Dig some lug/rag....especially raggies and show him the pincers etc. Collecting things that squirm is almost as important as the fishing itself. Take him crabbing off a pier (especially good because it teaches persistence) with a hand-line and make sure you have a huge bucket so he can examine everything in close detail. Let him feed the crabs with bits of fish. Collect feathers and show him how to tie some and then catch strings of mackerel/saithe/pollack. Make everything seem amazing. Buy him his own 6 foot spinning rod because you can do a million things with a spinning rod and teach him to look after it. I've still got my first Shakespeare starter rod!...lol. The sea is probably the best place for variety and colour. I never really realised until now how much influence my Dad had in my fascination for aquatic life. I grew up 10 mins from Glasgow city centre. There's a very good chance that I would never have been into fishing had I not been bitten by crabs, skinned my knees on the barnacles and bubbled when it was time to go home.

Now I'm a 34 year-old all-rounder with enough fishing knowledge to set up virtually any rod and target almost any fish in the UK or at least have a decent stab at it.

[KarenC]

I Started by son, off on a little telescopic 7 ft rod and reel, and a tub of maggot on the Norfolk broads, the look on his face with his 1st catch was pricless he just turned 7

 

I found with a rod and reel it kept him amused if he wasn't getting a bite within 5 seconds lol his cast is great now and getting into the swing of it, even though he is nearly 9 I still find it a struggle to fish WITH him ...You can bet ya life if you don't fish he gets on fine and no help needed...As soon as you attempt to set up your own rod all sorts of birds nests fly off the spool, prize specimen "Tree" fish hooked, the back of his coat hooked...................Get the feeling he don't want me to fish!!!! lmaoooooo

 

Good luck and enjoy you can get as much pleasure watching your children catch as catching yourself