Take Your Kids Fishing
What better way to spend time with your kids is there than to take your kids fishing. You have hours of meaningful time to talk and answer questions without the interruptions of everyday life. These times together will not only be memorable to your kids but the talks you have with them will help shape their lives for years to come.
Fishing is also an opportunity to teach our kids about nature and our dependency on it. How they can keep it clean and safe for others and the consequences if they don’t. The future of our resources is in the hands of our children. If taught early on in life they are more likely to become informed stewards of our natural resources.
Fishing is an outdoor sport. It will get them away from the television and the play station. It will provide hours of what I consider healthy activity without being overly strenuous. Fishing will stimulate them to learn more about fishing and about the other things in nature they will see as they will be exposed to a large variety of plant and animal life they will never understand sitting in front of a TV.
Kids never forget the first fish they catch and who they caught it with. The reasons are simple. Kids will never forget the feeling of pure joy that comes from accomplishing something and being with someone who cares enough to spend time with them and share in their joy. When they do catch their first fish make a big deal out of it no matter what size it is. Take pictures and show them to all your family and friends in your child’s presence and they will be hooked on fishing for life.
Here are some tips to help make your first fishing experience together a good one.
-I don’t recommend using a boat unless you are willing to return to dock 30 minutes into your trip. Kids do not have a long attention span.
-I prefer to take my kids to a pond but lakes and rivers can be just as good. Look for open areas where your kids will have plenty of room to play in without disturbing others while you fix the hooks, snags, or whatever other damage they may have done to the tackle.
-Take them to a place with a high likely hood for success. Kids don’t care about the size. They need action to keep them interested. Bluegills and other sunfish are a good target.
-Provide the kids with simple tackle. Make sure you have them prepared and ready to fish before you leave for your fishing trip. Keep the tackle simple. A bobber, a split shot and hook with a worm on it work very well.
-Have realistic expectations when taking young kids fishing. Know that they have very short attention spans and may not want to stay as long as you do. Try exploring the area your at for a little while if they get bored and then try fishing some more. If they are still bored it is time to go home.
A Beginners Guide To Fishing
If you are new to the sport of fishing, you need to know some of the basic rules of fishing. Like other forms of hunting, fishing involves both your environment and those around you. Be respectful of both. You can responsibly enjoy this treasured pastime in several ways. Fishing is an ancient practice. It dates back nearly 10,000 years.
A number of various techniques and traditions have been used during fishing’s progression. Modern technological developments have changed the way people fish, but many of the same rules, regulations, and social norms involving fishing remain. Always practice good stewardship of our waterways when you are fishing. Remember that these waterways were around thousands of years before you and will remain long after we are gone. You can make a conscious decision to leave the areas in which people fish in better condition than when you found it. Take care of our lakes, rivers, and other waterways so that others will enjoy these areas for years to come.
Practicing certain behaviors will ensure that you are taking good care of the places where people fish. Never litter when you are fishing. Always bring a trash bag or other receptacle to use for the collection of your trash. You can easily deposit it in a nearby trash receptacle. Dump your refuse in properly assigned dumping stations instead of tossing it in the water. You do not need to spend much time figuring out the many ways in which this hurts the environment. As you fish, always use the correct type of bait and fishing gear. Certain areas allow for certain bait and gear. You will also encounter limits on the number, size, and kind of fish that you can keep. Become familiar with what these limits are and pay attention to them. Do not wait until you are at your fishing spot to search for what is allowed and what is not. Check with your destination before you head out on your fishing trip to see what the local regulations allow. If you plan on using a boat while fishing, research to see what kinds of watercraft are allowed where you are going to fish.
Every fishing location is different, so pay special attention to local procedures and cautions. This also applies when you decide to clean your boat after you leave the water. You do not want to spread non-native species to another body of water. Finally, never fish where it is not permitted. There is always a reason why it is illegal. Some reasons include the protection of certain wildlife, the proper care of vegetation, and the safety of you and others who want to fish. You should also follow a number of cautionary behaviors to ensure your safety.
As with all forms of hunting, safety is first. If you will be using a boat while you fish, always wear your life jacket. Make sure that your passengers wear their life jackets, as well. Be very careful when baiting and removing hooks. Make sure that you never fish on unauthorized waterways. Follow the posted speed limits and wake warnings that accompany the use of a boat. Bring with you all relevant safety items, such as water, flashlights, maps, and a cell phone. Fishing continues to be a favorite pastime. 2001 saw nearly 16% of the U.S. population over the age of 16 spend 16 days fishing. You enjoy the sport of fishing, so follow the rules that allow for the continuation of fishing. Be responsible and courteous of others and your environment. Take time to discover how you can be both a better and safer angler.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/A-Beginners-Guide-To-Fishing/449603
Catfish Fishing On The Fourth Of July
I usually go camping on the fourth of July and every other holiday for that matter. However this past year has been different as I have a new family that includes a twelve year old boy and a six year old girl. My fishing experience on these camping trips has changed greatly. I still do quite a bit of catfish fishing but I also spend a lot of my time fixing tackle and teaching the kids how to fish which I enjoy very much. Having done this now a few times I have learned some things that make it much easier for me to enjoy the kids and still get some real fishing in.
1 Choose your baits carefully. You don’t want anything that is difficult to keep on the hook. Some good baits for this are the Berkley Power baits and Berkley Gulp baits. I take a few varieties of these as well as nightcrawlers, shrimp and chicken livers. The chicken livers are for me.
2 Kids do not have a lot of patience and can become bored very quickly if nothing is happening. What I do is have them set one rod up for bottom fishing. I will get them to cast it out and then set it in the rod holder. For them this is generally set and forget until a catfish takes the bait. I keep them occupied by setting up the next rod for drift fishing. I set it up with a much smaller hook, usually a #6, and a nightcrawler. This almost guarantees that they will get bites and eventually catch something even if it is a sunfish. The kids are just happy they caught something.
3 Save a couple of those sunfish the kids caught to use as cut bait after they go to bed.
4 Get yourself a couple of rod holders called Lightnin’ Strike. These are spring loaded and will automatically spring up setting the hook whenever a fish bites. Very useful when you have your hands full fixing one of the kids tackle.
5 Be patient! Enjoy the kids first and do your real fishing later after they have gone to bed. If you do this you will not get frustrated with them and they will enjoy the time they spend with you. Believe me they will never forget these moments. I still remember the times I spent with my father and that was forty years ago.