Taking a kid fishing for the first time

I am taking my 9 year old nephew fishing for the first time. I was curious what you guys do when getting them started?Should I just buy some shiners, use a bobber and let him drag them behind the boat? or do the same with a senko and tie on small crankbaits he can throw. Hes never fished before so I don't care species I just want to help him catch fish.

Go get a box of worms and go bream fishing or find some schooling sand bass. Find a species that will have non-stop action when you get into them. The worst thing you can do is carry him out and only catch a few fish or get a few bites. ACTION ACTION ACTION!!!! Good Luck..........he'll NEVER forget that first fishing trip and especially that first fish!!!!

You'll get some great fishing advice on this forum, so I wanted to provide some other advice.

Do your best to create a kind of video, or snapshots, in your mind. Not to be cheesy...but for me, life isn't always the easiest. In those "not easy" times, these types of videos can be tapped into and remind ya what it's all really about!!!

Spoil that 9 year old...get some kicka** snacks, share some sayings, point out other things like gar, turtles, birds...show that youngster some love...etc. Always keep safety and respect for the water and nature at the forefront.

The fish will bite - or they won't - guaranteed! Focus on smiles and memories and ya can't go wrong!!!

Signed,
A Grandpa

I've taken many kids out fishing for the first time. I have found the best thing to do is take a box of worms and go perch fishing. Keep the trip short so they don't get bored. Hope this helps.

Plus #1. That's how I started. When I was a kid I got a carton of night crawlers and went to the golf course ponds and caught Bluegill. The love of fishing has stayed with me all my life.

Jump on whatever decides to bite whether it be perch, sandies or bass. Show him how to tie the knots, use the reels, drive the boat (fully supervised of course!), run the trolling motor, etc.

All my kids started with minnows and sand bass school or crappies. I know perch are easy with a box of worms, and that is not a bad idea, but my kids just liked having the minnow on the hook and kept saying that the minnow was the fish.

DO NOT put them on a point with a c rig. Lol

For real, excellent advise from all above.

Also, don't rule out finding a school on the graph and rigging up a drop shot with a roboworm. Easy to catch and lots of action.

Snacks and drinks first and foremost.

Red Wigglers and a light rod, perch are mean little dudes and good to eat!

Go in when he is done not when you are done.

Does no one in Texas fish with crickets? Must be a Bama thing. That's how I got started fishing as a kid.

Take him out to flip and pitch reeds with a 3/4oz jig on a 7'6" XH rod


Kidding of course. I would try first for sandies if you have knowledge on where to find them. Drop some minnows down and have a good time. It that fails, find some shallow cover and get some bluegill with night crawlers like others have said. Be sure to tell him fishing isn't always catching if you have to make the transition.

Spinning reels are a lot cooler to kids than a spincast too btw. My nephew was ALL ABOUT fishing once I invited him to use my spinning reel instead of his zebco 33.

Oh! And if Bass is the absolute go to, and the kid understands fishing can be tough sometimes. Give him a spinning rod/reel with light line and rig him up a wacky rig trick worm or senko with a weedless hook. Tell him where to cast it (docks, stumps, laydowns, ect...) and hopefully he'll get some dinks and the occasional good sized bass.

Snacks, swimming, sunscreen.

I would put all treble hooks in the box.

My son is 10 and loves to hop in the water and hang onto a rope that I drag him around with the trolling motor. He has been doing this for years.

Let him have an empty tackle box to put toys in.