Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Fishing With The Kids for the First Time - 7 Hot Tips - Part 2

Last week we looked at a few simply tips that will help make fishing with your kids a lot more enjoyable. This week, read the rest of our hot tips, and see THE most important rule of all when fishing with kids


5. Teach them about conservation & nature!

You don’t need to be a tree-hugger to know how important the natural environment is. Share that with the kids. When they catch a fish, hold it for them. Show them the fins and how the fish use them to swim. Show them the eyes and how they see through the water.

If you bring fish home, teach them to only bring home what they can eat, and release the rest.
Make sure you clean up and take all your rubbish with you, and explain to the kids why.

6. Safety


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Bring and use sunscreen and mossie repellent.  Make sure the kids wear a hat. Most schools now have a “no hat, no play” policy. Our family has a “no hat, no fishing” policy and the kids have never known anything else. I also encourage my kids to wear sunnies and sunsafe clothing is a must. Bring, and make sure the kids drink, lots of water (not fizzy drinks).



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 If you're on a boat, a properly fitted childs life jacket (PFD) is a must. Even on shore, a floatation vest of some sort is a good idea for the very little ones.


Banana Boat
Sunscreen


Be strict about taking care with knives, hooks and swinging rod tips. Kids need to know they can hurt. A lot!

Hot Tip: Consider flattening the barb of the hook with a pair of pliers. It makes unhooking the fish easier, and also clothes, trees, siblings etc.

7. Get help if you need it.

There are heaps of resources to help you give your kids a love of fishing including free fishing clinics. Google “kids fishing clinics” and your town/city.  The people who take these clinics are professionals. Just like a teacher at school can help your kid to learn to read, a good fishing coach/instructor can give the kids some pointers in the right direction. Just like reading, it’s then up to you to make sure the kids practice and reinforce the lessons learned.

8. The Final Word!

The final word: Patience. A fishing friend told me “I used to pray that my kids would be well behaved. I am older and wiser now. Now I just pray for patience.”

You will struggle to get the kids to follow your instructions, get huge birds nests, have kids tell you they need to go to the loo just after the lines are in the water  and lose interest, whine and fight. Be ready for it. If you don’t think you can handle it, refer to point  7. If you can handle it, it will be worth it because soon enough it will be you and them standing side by side, lines in the water, thinking “how good is this!”

What to pack

When taking the kids fishing, in addition to the usual gear make sure you pack:

  1. at least 1 extra kids rod/reel
  2. camera
  3. kids’ hats & sunglasses
  4. sunscreen
  5. water
  6. toilet paper
  7. lots of snacks & lunch/dinner
  8. Liquid hand sanitiser
Follow these few simple guidelines and you are sure to have a great day.

Bonus Kids Fishing Giveaway:

We're giving away the great kids fishing items featured on this page. Click here to find out more.

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