Both my daughters love to fish. (7 and 5 years old) I started them out catching perch on a Barbie pole with a worm and a bobber.

My 7 year old is pretty good at casting and I'm starting to let her throw a spinner bait in a pond at our house on a 5 and a half foot rod with a cheap zebco reel... Do ya'll think this is a good lure to start her on? if not what would you choose?

I'd suggest adding road runners and beatle spins to the mix because they tend to catch sun fish as well as bass. Also, they're usually in expensive, so losing them is not a big deal.

Maybe even a small top water bait too because everyone, young and old, gets excited when you can see the fish hit.

Thanks Nate... I can't wait for her to get her first bite on a top water lure... She'll be hooked for life then.

Beetle Spins are great because they'll catch anything. Spinnerbaits are good also. Texas rig worm would be next. I would try & stay away from anything with multiple hooks until she gets used to a bigger rod.

you can't go wrong with a beetle spin. Used to be my go to when I was that age.

spinnerbait

4 inch finess worm

she may loose a few fish until one hooks itself and she will have a huge smile then.

a good inline spinner (like a rooster tail) catches anything.

My daughter is dang near throwing everything I am already, and she is seven. She is using a spin cast reel already...and has been using one of those for about 3 years now...
She is mainly using whackey worms?the hang up worm, and spinner baits.. She loves to burn the spinner bait through the water, and sometime them bass and a some big sand bass hit it.. and then the fun times are on.. I have 10lb test on her reel,, and the only issues I have is getting the loopty loops out...

Mo

TexasMo, a good braided line will take care of that.

Texas Rookie, the spinnerbait is an excellent choice. I would also have her throw a T-rigged worm. I am just starting to use them more and I'm 36. Wish I would have started a long time ago. As for the topwater, I'd go with a Ribbit frog. Only has one hook and talk about an explosion. If that doesnt get her heart rate up nothing will.

I had the braid on there as well, and since that stuff floats, she would gripe that her whackey worm does not sink fast enough..lol

plus,, I could not break it off once she hung up on something..lol...

but thanks for that insite....

Mo

Yea, usually when I get hung up, whatever I am hung up in gets pulled to the surface. One of these days I'm going to break a rod.

Bettle spin. When would fish Fork years ago. This is what my son would throw on his Zebco at the time. He caught a lot of small fish and had a blast. They'll catch about anything.

I would try a spinnerbait. Only 1 barb to mess with.

One thing I did with my kids was show them how to fish a drop shot. You can rig it weedless and be able to flip and pitch in vegetation and cover if they want while you are flipping or they can drag it behind the boat. Both ways will catch fish for them.

Thanks for all the tips ya'll... I'll definately keep her on spinner baits, and I'll pick up some beetle spins, a ribbit frog and some more worms... guess I better get her her own tackle box too.

I think she would like her own tackle box. Mine did as a kid. Gives them a sense of ownership.

Texas Rookie,
Send me a PM with a mailing address and I will get out a package of VibraSpins and VibraShocks for your daughter. My partner (Karl) and I put these on our kids lines to throw. Seemed the extra action (when the spinnerbait bite is on) helped them to keep catching not just fishing! Great work on getting another youngster out of the house and onto the water!
Rudy

My son is 5 and has his own tackle bag/box. I took him with me to pick it out. Also let him pick out some baits to go in it. He throws T-rig worms, split shot, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and recently got him some small crankbaits but he hasn't had a chance to throw them yet. He caught his first bass on a Meps spoon on Tawakoni when he was 3.

TexasMo, thry rigging a small swivel on the line to help avoid twist, without adding alot of weight to change the action.

Thanks alot Team Illinois... I sent you a PM... Your lures look great. Can't wait to get em in the water.

Spinnerbaits and beetle spins both work really well for my 6 and 4 yr olds as do weighted and weightless t-rigs. Most anything "weedless" that will allow them continous movement has been the key for my kids.

Mine really like using flukes in the small pond we fish.

I started my son at about 5 with a wacky worm rig using a trick worm and a insert weight on a zebco reel with a six foot rod and a weedless live bait hook (eagle claw). This has worked becuase you cant really work it wrong. Heck he has caught them when he was almost asleep just dragging it behind the boat and also reeling it in at a pretty good clip. I hope this helps.

ML

My son has a lot of luck with a 4" yumdinger texas rigged, but pulled up on the hook so it is kinked. he casts it out, and as he reels it it does a "barrel roll" type of motion that you think would prevent him from getting anything, but small bass and bluegill seem to like the action. He can get 10 or more 6-9 inch bass in an hour at our honey hole with this lure. And since it is fairly weedless I dont have to unsnag him much, but the kink in the worm makes it easy for the fish to set the hook itself when it bites.
btw. this was totally discovered accidentally, but since it worked we do it purposefully all the time now.

Thanks for all the help... She ended up catching her first bass the other day with a spinner bait from KaRu Lures... the VibraSpin got her a bite on the first cast, but she wasn't ready for it and missed it. but about 10 minutes later she finally got into a fight with her first bass and was thrilled.
http://www.KaruLures.com

Not sure if they'll show up, but I'll try to post the pics below...

Spinner baits are good. You might also try a whacky worm or Senko on 10 # Flourocarbon when they don't want to chase.

if you all's kids are anything like I was, don't teach them to bass fish with any lure that requires a hook set.

You don't get enough bites throughout the day when you don't know what you're doing, and missing one of those strikes is so frustrating.

I learned on H&H spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps and medium-light spinning gear.

I have five kids, so I have a little experience with this one.

First of all teach them to use a baitcaster as soon as possible. It just makes throwing a spinnerbait or a rattletrap so much easier. Almost any seven or eight year old can do it with just a little practice. I just learned with my first one that when they get where they can cast a baitcaster, you can take them fishing with you instead of trying to baby sit them while you fish.

All of the baits that have been mentioned are good, but I am a big fan of Texas Rigged Worms and Spinnerbaits at first, just to stay away from the treble hooks. All of my kids have been able to set the hook and catch fish on a t-rig at any early age. In fact my 12 year old is the best t-rig fisherman that I have ever fished with and I am convinced that it is because he started fishing it at about seven.

If you start them off right, by the time they are eight or so they will be able to fish any bait that you can fish.

I have to say that watching my kids catch fish has been some of the most enjoyable times in my life.

Good luck,

Pat

Just make sure you use a light wire hook & you will not have much problem with hook sets.

Depending on area, but a Trap is what Mine heave throughout the day. No problem casting it, really no wrong way to work the Bait, kinda feels like their doing something versus the others mentioned. Cheap and plenty of colors to choose from. If yall's are like Mine they always want another color to try..

Glad to hear she caught a fish... woulda broke my heart to hear she got skunked!
I'll send ya a PM. Give me a shout on the cell! I might be coming down to Fork at the end of the month to hang out with Cameron and some of the KaRu guys (might even bring my wife for the first time!) and would love to take a picture with you and your daughter for the website!

My daughter got her firts on top water when she was 8. Then she fished a lot of crankbaits.

Don't forget the ole Beetlespin

Rattle trap.

Watching my kids reactions to top water "hits" was one of the coolest things ever.

Take an old Pop-R or similar and replace both of the treble hooks with single hooks - If you get into a school (whites, blacks, hybrids, trout) - they will be able to see the fish hit the bait. I get just as many schooling hookups with single hooks as I do with trebles.

I think one of the most entertaining baits for people new to bass fishing and will catch fish on it's own without worry about hooksets is a good ol' Jitterbug.

I have used it to keep beginners interested in what they are doing and I am amazed at how many fish get stuck on this thing. The "bloop bloop bloop" of the bait in the water keeps the beginner interested.

All they need to do is reel it fast or slow and it catchs fish. Has worked for me to keep 'em watching what they are doing.

Bettle Spin.

My six year old boy likes to do a lot of casting so I like to tie on a Blakemore Road Runner and let him get after it. They will catch just about anything that swims and have a single hook which seems a lots safer than a crankbait.

He did catch his first bass on a worm last year and that was pretty cool. Thank god the fish set the hook on his self because he got a tap and just started reeling.

It's a blast seeing him catch em and makes a world of difference when he knows he did it by himself.

Hey Rudy... Sounds good. Just let me know when you'll be around and we might be able to work something out.

Monte... I agree buddy, it's a blast to watch 'em bring in that bass all by themselves

anyone feeling the H&H? grew up using them, still have friends that live by them.

Fishing in a pond, stick with the spinner bait. They work, are somewhat safe, and beginner proof. If you go to a lake you might try some other lures, but for ponds, the spinner bait is awesome.

I have several ponds and my son greatly prefers the spinner baits. I do take people on guided trips to the ponds if they want to catch a LOT of bass, great place to learn worm fishing for those who want to learn to recognize a bite versus a weed or a branch.

fisherfesser at yahoo dot com

That is exactly what I have done with my kids. It only takes one day getting 15-20 bites for them to understand what they are looking for.