Teaching Kids To Fish Day

A Plan To Teach Our Kids To Fish

Author: Danielle "Dani" Schaeffer

I've been fishing the saltwater Gulf of Mexico since I was 10 years old, always from a boat, whether it was my parent's boat when I was a kid, or my own boat as an adult. My dad started teaching me to fish when I was eight years old and I have always loved it. I no longer have a boat, so we'll be shore fishing, or fishing from a pier.

I must admit, I never thought about what my Dad did to 'prepare' to teach me how to fish.  Of course, I was an only child, and a girl (we're more mature than boys), and I didn't have my eldest son's problems with paying attention.  Before I adopted the mindset of the self sustaining/survivalist lifestyle, I loved to fish because I like to eat fish, and because I loved the quiet and serenity of fishing.  My boy can't shut up for 5 seconds.  I have avoided taking him fishing because of his incessant yammering.  But I know that this is one of those things he must learn if I am to ever have any peace of mind that he will have survival skills.

So I Started Researching "Tips For Taking Kids Fishing"

I wanted to make this an activity they would enjoy and want to do again, and again, so I started looking for tips. 

• Take them where there is action.  This is the most likely way to get and keep them interested and keep them from getting bored too quickly.
• Bring a book of the fish species in your area, so they can identify the fish they catch.
• Don't push. If they do get bored with fishing after only a couple of casts, and would rather play in the water, let them.  They'll probably come back around when they see you actually catch a fish.
   

Then I added my own 'tips':

• Watch Fishing shows with them on tv to get them interested.  YouTube works too.
• Read The Fishing Report together to teach them how to plan to fish.
  
• Bring a camera, video camera if possible, and let them know that they can put the pictures of their fish up online to share with their friends.

We're on a crescent moon today, not the best for fishing around here.  The High Tide is at 11:24 am, which is our best time for fishing.  So we'll be scooting out soon to pick up our bait and head over to our fishing pier. From what I've read in the fishing reports, the fish we can catch at the pier are:

Jack Crevalle, Spotted Sea Trout, Spanish Mackeral, Cobia, Redfish, Sheepshead, Flounder, Snook and Mangrove Snapper.

I know we can eat the spotted sea trout, and flounder. I think we can eat spanish mackeral, but they have been listed on the 'high levels of mercury' list, and I really don't want the kids catching them- they have teeth like barracuda. The rest of the fish, I have no idea, but flounder is absolutely delicious, so I will most likely get bait specifically attractive to flounder.  Here's to hoping the kids enjoy our very first fishing trip.