Alright Dads. My young ones are getting old enough now to be able to cast and retrieve.

Kids are noisy...and this time of year most fish are shallow...
1: How do you get the kids on fish in shallow water when all they want to do is talk?
2: Should I start them with bait or lures?
3: What species of fish will give noisy impatient kids the best chance to boat fish? Ages 5 and 7.

I have taken them out fishing for crappie with minnows and bobbers (1 or 2 fish). I have taken them out with worms and bobbers (skunked). I have even taken them out with jigging spoons (best trip to date) for the sand bass. Since I am a bass fisherman, I don't have the background knowledge in the patterns of other species, but it is time to learn.
Let's hear your thoughts?

take them out and give them something weedless. tell them they will scare the fish away. but it might be hard for them to catch a fish in the middle of a spawn. post spawn would be a good time. just remember they are not skilled yet. you may be the only one catching fish. let them reel it in as long as it is not a record or something. i myself dont know the other species. just bass. my 4 yr old cant cast well but i do it for him and he loves to reel in top water baits. sorry to run on like this but it can be fun but trying too.

Personally, when I want the kiddos to go out & catch a fish on every other cast...I take them sandbass fishing when they are schooling. Usually the kids can be screaming & it wont affect them. Just look for the birds.

take them sand bass fishing.that will hold there interest. and keep you busy

I GOT MINE STARTED ON SAND BASS. IT'S EASY AND WHEN YOU GET ON THEM IT'S NON-STOP.
GIVE THEM A SLAB AND TEACH THEM HOW TO BOUNCE IT OFF THE BOTTOM.

I have a 6 and a 4 yr old, and they are along way off from getting to go bass fishing. If they want to fish we go after the sandbass. Reason being is their patience, as well as mine. They can both cast and retrieve, but even in non-stop sand-bass action there attention is sometimes side tracked by a jet ski doing tricks, someone water skiing, an airplane, ect, ect. Just look for birds and tie them on a roadrunner.

Okay, let me preface by saying that I don't have kids. But I do have a Dad. Who just happens to be my fishin' partner now and has been forever.

For the other species try sand bass. The surface action should start picking up here in the next month or two. Before then, you can always do the slabbing. Looks like you've already started 'em on that one.

For crappie, you might want to hold off until after the spawn. Just my opinion on that. But, during the hotter months, if you can find a deep water brush pile you can sit on that thing for hours and catch fish on minnows.

Hope that helps.
Good Luck.

Try taking them to some of the local little ponds and fish for bream or catfish. If they want to run around because the action is slow, there is usually a park nearby for just that.

If your going to be on the lake from a boat then look for some of the rip rap areas that hold all kinds of fish. A worm or minnow suspended from a bobber will usually get-r-bit. Let them bring along coloring books, toys or other distractions for the slow time. Just remember that they are with you. It is easy to lose your attention when you are concentrating on your fishing. A boat is a dangerous environment with hooks, water, props, small weights, fish knives and tons of other potential problems. If they are casting, it is almost a certainty that someone or something will get hooked, be prepared to deal with that.

Have a big bag of patience. Snagged lines, lost equipment, temper tantrums all come along with the learning experience. I have found that short trips of one to four hours are best. If you can, have momma pick them up at the ramp. She gets a morning of sleeping in, you get an afternoon of fishing.

A little payment now can bring on a lifetime of rewards...have fun.

When I take my daughter to a pond for bass fishing, I tie on a Rooster Tail, or any other small in-line spinner. It will catch perch, bass and crappie, plus she stays more involved in the fishing process, and it holds her attention longer than just sitting and waiting for a bobber to bob. She's gotten to the point where she can cast with little to no problem and she usually catches more fish than I do. I do agree with Slide_R, keep it short, just a couple of hours, try to make each experience as positive as possible, and pretty soon they'll be begging you to take them fishing...

Find a good stock pond with big bream. use something simple - cane pole - bobber. Pieces of bacon for bait. They can quickly learn to bait the hook with it and it doesn't try to get away.

Or better yet. Demand that they make noise and throw rocks in the water and wander around splashing water and getting muddy. They will then quickly do the opposite and patiently fish.

foul Hook, sandbass, you get those kids in a school of fish, and they will be sooooooooo loud you will love the excitment....They can scream all they want while catching them..

Started my kids and grandkids on brown bass (pronounced Carp). Used corn for bait so they could bait their own hooks. From there moved them to sandbass then crappie. Now my 7 year old granddaughter will spend all day casting with me for bass.

Been taking my now 4 year old, almost 5, since he could stand up. I just tie on a texas rig with a good tough plastic. He just loves to cast and real it back in. This is great cause we are working on his technique. He has learned to let the bait sink and is starting to work the bait back pretty good. If I get a fish on I hand the pole to him and let him real it in. This works well for us. He can have fun casting and farting around and still get to real in a fish every now and then.
What ever you do do not keep them out more than a couple of hours. I have one that got burned out and never wants to go now.

I started both my daughter and son out on Perch with worms. The action was there and the jabber was steady. It really didn't take long for my daughter to decide it wasn't for her and for my son to decide that he didn't just want to catch perch so we moved up to bass. He wants to go as much as I do and we are able to make several short trips during the week. Good Luck


Jody

My son's first fish was a sand bass. He reeled it in on his purple Scooby Doo rod, and squealed the entire time. He was four and now he's six, and is already talking about catching some bigger bass.