My son just turned 10 and really wants fish with more artificials this year. We got him a nice pair of polarized sunglasses a couple years ago ($15 Solar Bats on eBay) because he wanted to see what I was looking at underwater and understand how to fish the underwater structure. He has fished lures a couple times in the past and caught fish, but he has expressed interest in really wanting to learn how to fish them and how to feel the bite on them starting this Spring. My question is what should I start him on that will give a young and inexperienced angler confidence? I figure most of us were introduced to not only fishing but fishing with lures by our fathers or other fishing role models and have done our fair share of introductions to the next generations, so I figure collectively we have stories and instances when some lures and techniques worked and some didn't. Thanks for the help, yall!

Lure Choices multiple choice, up to 2 choices
	jig/soft plastic
	jig/spinner
	float n jig combo
	mini split shot rig
	drop shot rig
	nano hard baits
	other lure technique
Votes accepted starting: 03/08/16 09:52 AM You must vote before you can view the results of this poll.

i chose jig-spinner because 1) they generally produce and 2) they're pretty much just cast and retrieve. Later you can teach him to work a plain jig.

I choose the jig / soft plastic. I had a 10 year old fishing with me for white bass in the creeks this weekend. I taught him how to bounce a 1/16 ounce marabou jig off the creek bottom. He caught 6 white bass. Learning finesse techniques with light jigs or weightless plastic worms would be a priority for me to teach. I suspect he is already an accomplished fisherman so he should catch on quickly.

I personally would buy him a 5 weight fly rod and some betts fancy poppers. My dad bought me a fly rod and betts fancy poppers when I was 11. It was the greatest fun I ever had fishing. I didn't pick up fly fishing again until I was 50. It's still the greatest fun I have ever had.

I started out as a kid using small spinner baits such as Rooster tails and Little Georges. I would fish the local golf course ponds. They were easy to cast and direct to a target spot. Also I have fished with "Dhogdogs" two boys on several occasions and they loved using the Curly Tail Grubs.

beetle spin

Voted jig/spinner. I grew up on those cheap H&H spinner baits from Wal-Mart. I think they're still only a buck. They catch fish and won't hurt much to lose a few.

Plus #1. Still use em along with my fly rod. Love catching sunfish on artificial baits. Small spinner baits and flies.

This is what I'd do. I got my first fly rod when I was 12 and it's very versatile. I've used live bait, jigs, flies, and a few other things that you're not supposed to use with one, but it works. I'd get one of the kits from wally world or one of the other big stores for cheap so he can learn and not have a lot in it. Once he's learned the basics then get a better one. I try to use my fly rod as much as possible because it has a habit of catching more fish as a rule, but that's just me.

No question, there are many situations in which a fly rod is far more successful than artificial lures. The ability to throw light flies and the improved presentation is a big advantage. I'm also more accurate, can throw it into tighter spaces and get it there much quicker if I have room to back cast.

I was fly fishing below the dam a few weeks back. I caught 8 hybrids and 20 white bass while 50 other people were fishing around me didn't catch a single one. They were throwing in on top of me with conventional gear and couldn't buy a bite. They quizzed me the entire time and even took pictures of my fly.

I still use a $20 BPS fly rod with my poppers. It doesn't have the sensitivity for subsurface flies but it works great for using top water flies.

Any fly-fishing shop will have some tiny red-ants of soft plastic. They are killer on bream and a great teaching tool.

There's always the "hybrid." And it works. Put a Clouser minnow with bead or lead eyes on 2 feet of line tied to the rear eye of a floating plug, like a Tiny Torpedo. Fish the plug pop-and-stop style. You get castability and if there's a fish in there the fly will get hit. For a kid I'd remove all the hooks from the plug because otherwise landing the fish can get dicey.

When I "graduated" from worms, Black and Chartreuse tubes with an unpainted jig head was the first artificial I used. Some times I would cast and retrieve other times I would fish under a bobber.

I also drop shot flies on UL gear for certain kinds of fishing.

For a starter lure, this is hard to beat.

I'll second the fly rod suggestion, but not sure I would go with the cheap 'kit' rod. One thing about that though, it sure makes you appreciate a nice one when you finally get your hands on one!

If you do decide to seriously consider trying him on the fly rod, I'd suggest to post the question over in the fly fishing section and see what some of the guys who teach casting say.

Like most of us, I started out on the cheap-o rod and caught plenty of fish on it, but I'm thinking a little better rod that casted easier would have sure helped me a lot in the beginning. I had hell (and still do have trouble) breaking some bad casting habits that were the result of being self-taught with a POS fly rod.

I think TFO has some entry level rods that won't break the bank. Something to think about anyway.
I also could be totally wrong about this whole line of thinking but it wouldn't hurt to ask around.

flukes,..rigged weedless,..catches fish, and less hangups..

[/quote]

I'll second the fly rod suggestion, but not sure I would go with the cheap 'kit' rod. One thing about that though, it sure makes you appreciate a nice one when you finally get your hands on one!

If you do decide to seriously consider trying him on the fly rod, I'd suggest to post the question over in the fly fishing section and see what some of the guys who teach casting say.

Like most of us, I started out on the cheap-o rod and caught plenty of fish on it, but I'm thinking a little better rod that casted easier would have sure helped me a lot in the beginning. I had hell (and still do have trouble) breaking some bad casting habits that were the result of being self-taught with a POS fly rod.

I think TFO has some entry level rods that won't break the bank. Something to think about anyway.
I also could be totally wrong about this whole line of thinking but it wouldn't hurt to ask around. [/quote]

I can't argue with that train of thought. I have a TFO rod. I had to teach myself as a kid as well. That wasn't a pretty sight. Matter of fact, it still isn't, LOL.