There are a lot of people out there who want to learn to fish and are looking for someone to teach them how to fish. If you’re that person don’t be afraid to ask until you find help.
The toughest part about writing this article is picking from the collage of stories that I had the opportunity to live with my kids over the years. The one that sticks out is a quick trip the family made to Lake Audubon many years ago. The kids were seven, five, three and one years old and we were hitting an easy night bite for some small eyes. It was a perfect scenario. The kids could catch all the fish they could dream of in a short time and the ride home usually put them all to sleep. It was about two weeks into this pattern and the kids were getting it figured out. They would catch a fish, measure it, throw the really small ones back and put the keepers into the bucket. Then it happened. Peter heard the bells on the rod ringing. Racing his brother to the rod he yelled “it’s huge.” As he pulled the rod out of the rod holder it was almost ripped from his hands. Struggling to fight the monster on the other end of the line you could see the wheels spinning in his five year old mind to figure out how to land the biggest fish of his life. My wife saw him figure it out first, as she pointed. He turned around and put the rod over his lowered shoulder and with the form that would make a football coach proud, Peter drove in-land. When he thought he went far enough, he whipped around and ran back to the shore, reeling as fast as he could. When he got to the shoreline he turned back around and repeated the process. My wife and I laughed as the brothers cheered him on. When it was all said and done, Peter landed a carp that was pushing 14 lbs. What a night.
When you’re taking a youngster fishing there is a balancing act between art and science. There are a few things to consider. What are their capabilities, attention span, limitations and maybe most importantly, how much do they like to fish. For those of you who have been reading the Raising an Angler series, you may be sick of hearing me say it, but we can’t forget the definition of success: a positive outdoor experience. It’s all about having fun, learning life lessons together, while building relationships. Picking the right fishing technique for the trip can make or break the day.
Cranking
You are reading this and thinking,”this guy has lost his mind, cranking with kids.” Cranking has a reputation it didn’t ask for and is in my opinion made over complicated by many anglers. In my home state of North Dakota, cranking is viewed as an experts walleye tactic. What I love about cranking and kids is, covering a lot of water with the chance of catching almost everything. As my kids grew up, we would go to small lakes and pull cranks in the canoe for pike. We rarely caught any huge fish, however you can’t get the smile off a kid’s face that just had a 75 fish day with a four pound average. When you’re in the boat it’s easy for smaller kids to reel with the rod in the rod holder. All of this with limited snags. Cheap cranks on a spinning rod/reel combo is all you need to catch perch, trout, bass, pike, walleye and don’t forget white bass. The other thing about cranking is that it can be done really simply when kids are small. As they gain experience and confidence it is easy to keep stretching them technically so they learn something new each trip.
Rigging
When the bite is hot, rigging live bait is very similar to cranking, but has the ability to get complicated fast. I can’t count the hours of boredom I endured as a kid with guys who couldn’t find the fish, got mad at all the snags, and fill in the blank, we have all been there. Rigging even when using rod holders take a little bit more skill than many of us think. I know many of you are reading this saying, “Olson’s never fished before, how can you screw up a bottom bouncer and spinner.” Well, we have all taken that guy who knows everything, but has never been in a boat before, fishing. As simple as rigging is there is a lot for a new angler to capture. When I was teaching the kids to rig, we always shared a rod until they had it down. Once they have learned the needed rod handling skills, rigging is a great way to teach fish behavior and locations.
Bobbers
I am getting to that point in life when people are telling me I should start acting my age. Is it my fault if I can’t help getting excited about little things like a bobber slowly submerging out of sight? Bobbers and kids are iconic, however casting a traditional bobber for a small kid is tough. Slip bobbers and a small jig is definitely the way to go, especially when they are learning how to cast. There’s less chance of needing to learn how to remove a hook in the field. I confess, one of the mistakes I made with my kids is trying to wean them off of bobbers when they, “were old enough”. Like everything in fishing we need to use the technique that catches fish. The boys and I were at a fishing retreat this past June on Devils Lake and had 3 days of the funnest fishing. Yep, it was all on bobbers. Like cranking, bobbers are super simple but you can implement some pretty complicated tactics as their skill levels increase.
Shore
We are spoiled in the Dakotas when it comes to shore fishing. There are countless miles of shoreline that you can pull up and fish, with almost every kind of structure any angler can dream of. What’s nice about shore fishing with kids is that you can have lines in the water while playing catch, working on knots, having a camp fire or whatever keeps them occupied between fish. My kids love catching frogs for bait and catching big smallies and pike while eating their weight in brats and smores. Shore fishing is also great for the whole family because regardless of fishing interest, there is always something to do. It is fun to watch a disinterested youngster’s shell crack when all of a sudden they are reeling in a fish that they didn’t care about minutes before. My kids are far from little anymore but I can’t wait to get out and shore fish with them this fall. It is one of my favorite places to talk and build relationships in the outdoors.
The Thought Process
When you’re picking the technique for the day it all boils down to a few things: what are their capabilities and limitations, attention span and interest. Catching fish helps with attention span and interest. Fishing within their capabilities helps them catch fish. Picking the technique that fits each angler each day helps to have a positive outdoor experience and builds life long relationships.
The toughest part about writing this article is picking from the collage of stories that I had the opportunity to live with my kids over the years. The one that sticks out is a quick trip the family made to Lake Audubon many years ago. The kids were seven, five, three and one years old and we were hitting an easy night bite for some small eyes. It was a perfect scenario. The kids could catch all the fish they could dream of in a short time and the ride home usually put them all to sleep. It was about two weeks into this pattern and the kids were getting it figured out. They would catch a fish, measure it, throw the really small ones back and put the keepers into the bucket. Then it happened. Peter heard the bells on the rod ringing. Racing his brother to the rod he yelled “it’s huge.” As he pulled the rod out of the rod holder it was almost ripped from his hands. Struggling to fight the monster on the other end of the line you could see the wheels spinning in his five year old mind to figure out how to land the biggest fish of his life. My wife saw him figure it out first, as she pointed. He turned around and put the rod over his lowered shoulder and with the form that would make a football coach proud, Peter drove in-land. When he thought he went far enough, he whipped around and ran back to the shore, reeling as fast as he could. When he got to the shoreline he turned back around and repeated the process. My wife and I laughed as the brothers cheered him on. When it was all said and done, Peter landed a carp that was pushing 14 lbs. What a night.
When you’re taking a youngster fishing there is a balancing act between art and science. There are a few things to consider. What are their capabilities, attention span, limitations and maybe most importantly, how much do they like to fish. For those of you who have been reading the Raising an Angler series, you may be sick of hearing me say it, but we can’t forget the definition of success: a positive outdoor experience. It’s all about having fun, learning life lessons together, while building relationships. Picking the right fishing technique for the trip can make or break the day.
Cranking:
You are reading this and thinking,”this guy has lost his mind, cranking with kids.” Cranking has a reputation it didn’t ask for and is in my opinion made over complicated by many anglers. In my home state of North Dakota, cranking is viewed as an experts walleye tactic. What I love about cranking and kids is, covering a lot of water with the chance of catching almost everything. As my kids grew up, we would go to small lakes and pull cranks in the canoe for pike. We rarely caught any huge fish, however you can’t get the smile off a kid’s face that just had a 75 fish day with a four pound average. When you’re in the boat it’s easy for smaller kids to reel with the rod in the rod holder. All of this with limited snags. Cheap cranks on a spinning rod/reel combo is all you need to catch perch, trout, bass, pike, walleye and don’t forget white bass. The other thing about cranking is that it can be done really simply when kids are small. As they gain experience and confidence it is easy to keep stretching them technically so they learn something new each trip.
Rigging:
When the bite is hot, rigging live bait is very similar to cranking, but has the ability to get complicated fast. I can’t count the hours of boredom I endured as a kid with guys who couldn’t find the fish, got mad at all the snags, and fill in the blank, we have all been there. Rigging even when using rod holders take a little bit more skill than many of us think. I know many of you are reading this saying, “Olson’s never fished before, how can you screw up a bottom bouncer and spinner.” Well, we have all taken that guy who knows everything, but has never been in a boat before, fishing. As simple as rigging is there is a lot for a new angler to capture. When I was teaching the kids to rig, we always shared a rod until they had it down. Once they have learned the needed rod handling skills, rigging is a great way to teach fish behavior and locations.
Bobbers
I am getting to that point in life when people are telling me I should start acting my age. Is it my fault if I can’t help getting excited about little things like a bobber slowly submerging out of sight? Bobbers and kids are iconic, however casting a traditional bobber for a small kid is tough. Slip bobbers and a small jig is definitely the way to go, especially when they are learning how to cast. There’s less chance of needing to learn how to remove a hook in the field. I confess, one of the mistakes I made with my kids is trying to wean them off of bobbers when they, “were old enough”. Like everything in fishing we need to use the technique that catches fish. The boys and I were at a fishing retreat this past June on Devils Lake and had 3 days of the funnest fishing. Yep, it was all on bobbers. Like cranking, bobbers are super simple but you can implement some pretty complicated tactics as their skill levels increase.
Shore
We are spoiled in the Dakotas when it comes to shore fishing. There are countless miles of shoreline that you can pull up and fish, with almost every kind of structure any angler can dream of. What’s nice about shore fishing with kids is that you can have lines in the water while playing catch, working on knots, having a camp fire or whatever keeps them occupied between fish. My kids love catching frogs for bait and catching big smallies and pike while eating their weight in brats and smores. Shore fishing is also great for the whole family because regardless of fishing interest, there is always something to do. It is fun to watch a disinterested youngster’s shell crack when all of a sudden they are reeling in a fish that they didn’t care about minutes before. My kids are far from little anymore but I can’t wait to get out and shore fish with them this fall. It is one of my favorite places to talk and build relationships in the outdoors.
The Thought Process
When you’re picking the technique for the day it all boils down to a few things: what are their capabilities and limitations, attention span and interest. Catching fish helps with attention span and interest. Fishing within their capabilities helps them catch fish. Picking the technique that fits each angler each day helps to have a positive outdoor experience and builds life long relationships.
Original Published in Midwest Outdoors October 2018
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