Try your best when fishing with kids to have them catch something. In my book puffers and catfish count too! As long as the fish are biting and the kids are catching, they remain interested. Plan your trip in short time frames to begin with to find out how much your kids will tolerate without getting burned out. If the bite is slow take a break on a nearby island or shoreline area and let them explore a little. You want to make every trip a fun trip if at all possible.
I know, in the real world the fish don’t bite every time, but if you bring along some shrimp you are likely to catch something. I think that is the key to getting the kids hooked on fishing. It doesn’t take anymore than a nice little pinfish to make a kid happy.
Keep it simple. Live shrimp or cut bait presented under a bobber is a great way to introduce kids to fishing. There is no doubt about when the fish bites, and there is a certain thrill to seeing that bobber go down. I always use circle hooks and instruct the angler to just start reeling when they see the bobber go under. This also makes release easier as the fish is likely to be hooked in the corner of the mouth.
Talk to the kids about conservation and catch and release fishing. They normally think they want to take everything they catch home with them so take time to explain why you might put some of the fish back to grow up and fight again. There’s nothing wrong with taking some fish for dinner, but it doesn’t have to be everything. Even the flounder pictured below was willingly released by the happy angler. He realized the real fun was in the catching
There’s no way of knowing what you might catch next, so the key is keeping the kids interested and sooner or later they will catch some quality fish. The point is, it doesn’t have to be on every trip. Just take them with the idea of having fun and the catching will take care of itself. As the kids grow up the fish will too!
That’s what it’s all about. Good fishin’.
Announcement: I want to take this opportunity to announce my upcoming book entitled Secrets From Florida’s Master Anglers. It is a book intended to provide many tips and pro secrets to fishing success. It is based on interviews with 20 of Florida’s top guides on various fishing topics. The book is being published by University Press of Florida. It will be available in bookstore across the state, on Amazon.com or from the publisher directly, sometime this fall. Regardless of your level of fishing skill this book will have something for you.
Here is what some early readers of the book say:
"Ron's highly privileged interviews with many of Florida's top guides expose lots of secrets that are sure to improve fishing success."--Phil Chapman
"A great peek into twenty of the finest fishing minds of Florida! No matter your current skill level, this book will improve your confidence on the water."--Brett Fitzgerald
"Unique in that it includes a variety of approaches to inshore saltwater fishing, provided by a broad selection of some of Florida's finest fishing guides. There is something for almost everyone who fishes the Florida coast."--Richard A. Davidson
If you are interested in the book send me your name and mailing address and I will send you a pre-publication order form that is good until October and you get a 20% discount. Send to Capt. Ron, 516 S. Plumosa St., #19 Merritt Island, FL 32952.
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