I havent been fishing in about 10 years, (im 23) and that was in iowa/minnisota but i want to get back into it, i also want to get my 3 and 4 yr old involved as well,

im in copperas cove tx, right by Fort Hood so if you know of some good places near by id be all ears.

im planning a trip to academy, where im thinking about picking up a zebco 33 combo for me (ive read some good things) and those kids disney/super hero ones for the boys.

What would you all recommend for filling the tackle box, what # test? i remember the basics but all i did back then was really worm on a hook with a bobber, and while thatll be good for the boys i think im looking for a bit more...

Im looking for bass, crappie, anything really, i just want to get out there. im looking for some direction on where to lean and what to stay away from lure wise...

i wouldnt say im a beginner but i havent learned anything since i was about 13 and most likely forgot some of it. any tips about non-boat fishing (for now) would be appreciated as well.

Id like to keep it around $75 for everything for now, just to give you an idea on my budget...

thanks
Shane

You can get some line fairly cheap there right now if the store has it...Ranging from 1.88 and up, if you get lucky they may have some of the Trilene big game spools 10lb would be a good start they are 4.88. Can pick up some spinnerbaits fairly cheap as well as some plastics they have on clearance.. can get a bunch for 75.00

I would stay away from the zebco 33. the new ones are junk compared to the way they used to be made. I would start with a spinning reel combo, academy will have some decent ones for around 30. The little superhero ones are ok for the kids.

Try some stuff like this... mainly for bass..


http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_161425_-1?N=78002124

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_11441_-1?N=78002900

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores...9336+4294963664

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores...9336+4294954529

http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores...9336+4294956313

Best of luck to you and you're boys , in years past one could go on Ft. Hood and fish the many stock tanks on the reservation , the Rod and Gun Club had all the info. We caught a ton of fish there when growing up , lots of big ones too.

With the boys and the age they are, they will have a pretty short attention span (absolutely normal for that age). That means you won't get much time for you to concentrate on the techniques for them and for you to fish as well.
When I began my youngsters I didn't even carry my equipment and all they had were cane poles with line, hook, weight and cork baited with worms or grasshoppers. It didn't take long for them to want to upgrade to rods and reels. My task was to be a teacher as yours will probably be.
My advice, for what it is worth, is above all make it fun for the boys and they will always be constant companions as they grow older with a bonus you will, as they grow older, know where they are and it probably won't be getting involved in the troubles that we see young people getting into these days.
Good luck and have fun!

Instead of the Zebco 33,get the equal size reel for a slightly higher price in the Abu Garcia brand.Or get a 30 year old 33 on ebay.

PM me, I have some extra stuff. I will ship to you for free. Someone is sending me something free, so pay it forward.

Sorry folks, but I have to highly disagree with you that are recomending against the Zebco 33. No, it's not made like it used to be, but then again, what is? My wife absolutly refuses to use anything else and her PB is a 7 lb'er on Falcon lake. She has caught several 4 and 5 lb'ers and that reel has never hickuped. I keep expecting her to holler, "my reel just fell apart", but it just keeps on going. Don't be so quick to condem something unless you have used it like she has. The Zebco 33 is still a good little reel and will do fine.

Shane,

Throwback makes excellent points. Focus on the boys for now. It's essential they have fun early and it doesn't take too long to see some activity. With two of them that age you could have your hands full making sure they don't fall in, get hooked, rebaiting, untangling, taking fish off. I recommend you not fish, or if so, fish alongside them. If you want to try lures and other fish, go by yourself another time.

Find a neighorhood pond or park lake and get them busy catching perch/bream/bluegills/sunfish. They wont care how big they are. You can use a size 10 or 12 hook, little bits of worm or even hot dog, a bobber set maybe 12-18 inches and hopefully you can get them on some fast action and get them hooked on fishing for life. A lot of these ponds these fish get fed bread and such and come looking for it. I did that with my boy starting at 4 and though he's now 10 and catching blue cats and stripers, he still enjoys going and catching 20-30 bream in an hour or so at a nearby park pond. They wont bite good (at least here) until it warms up a bit - probably March.

In the meantime, watch Academy ads for their "Combo Riot", where they put ALL their rod & reel combos on sale, usually about every 4-6 weeks I think. I think you could even get them a Zebco or inexpensive combo. I would stay away from the ultra cheap Disney or whatever. You'll be back buying again in a year. Also, the cheap but decent combos can always be used as backup or to loan to a friend after they upgrade their gear.

Enjoy these years with those boys! They go WAYYYYY too fast.
Tom

Im trying to do the fishing now though it seems its the worst time of year, i called around and they dont start stocking the waters until march/april but unfortunatly thats when ill be off to Afganistan, i ended up getting a zebco open face 33 combo for $24 and im getting used to it...

one boy had fun, but the other (only one who caught something,) well it wasnt his thing...

i did enjoy the time but realized if i want to do any actual fishing it will have to be without them for now, i do understand that they need this time so they can become the boys i want them to be.

i cant believe a fishing license for my wife is $30 though, by the time i get her a pole and that im out almost $60 and if we want to fish on FT HOOD its another $15 each... (just a little venting) since shes not a big fisher she may go once out of every 3 times i do it seems like alot...

thanks for all the info and keep it comming, i can use all the help i can get

my boy uses a Zebco 33 and he holds a record....just saying. He endorses them...LOL. How many of the rest of us use much higher priced equipment and still haven't caught a record breaker???

Best of Luck to you Guys....Give us a report on how ya do!