5 keys to a successful fishing trip with your kids!
Last weekend I had the pleasure of bringing my 5 year old son and 4 year old daughter ice fishing. This was the second time for my son and first for my daughter. These are 2 kids that love to be outside and love to fish. Why you ask? Here are 5 tips that can help make fishing with kids very successful!
1. It’s about the kids, not about you! Don’t bring your rod and expect to fish. It doesn’t work!
2. Plan on a very short time to fish and/or have other activities to do with the kids. If they get bored, let them throw rocks, hunt for crawdads or yell and scream.
3. Find a spot where you know they’re going to catch fish. FishExplorer is the best resource for this. The first time I took my son ice fishing we caught one fish right away then nothing for an hour. A local boy came down and fished about 100 yards from us and caught a ton of fish. I picked us up, moved near him and we had a blast. We went right back to that spot the second time we went fishing.
4. Let your kids do almost everything. Cast, bait the hook, remove the hook from the fish, hold the fish, and even kiss the fish if they want. I pinch the barbs incase they get a hook in the finger. Supervise to keep them safe, but let them feel like they’re doing it.
5. Have fun! Laugh with them, give them high fives. Let them show off their fish to other people. Bring a bucket and let them keep some fish for awhile. Sit back and watch them fish.
These tips are good for summer and winter fishing. Keep the kids safe, comfortable and happy!
Now the big question you all want to know is, “where did we go?” I may get in trouble for this, but it’s not a secret and it’s for the kids!
Evergreen Lake has been fishing great. The fish aren’t big but they are eager to eat. Make sure you check the conditions before you go; the ice was starting to melt.
I’m sure many of you have other ideas and tips. Feel free to add them to the comments below.
Tim now lives in Denver after ten years of being a fly fishing guide and shop manager in Vail. Tim has become an urban fisherman focusing on fishing within an hour of Denver. He uses his fly rod to fish for anything he has time for and he fishes often. You can follow him on Twitter @TimFishmanEmery or like him on Facebook.
Tim's day job is a Real Estate agent and property manager in the Denver area. Rumor has it, he will buy you a fly rod if you buy or sell a house with him!
