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Why is it that some kids really take to and enjoy fishing while others don’t? Undoubtedly individual personalities and preferences plat into it. However, it seems to me that a good portion of it could be summed up in the word “successful”.

A child who goes fishing and consistently hooks into fish is a lot more likely to become a life long fisher than a child who rarely, if ever, gets the thrill of reeling in a fish. One has a rush of excitement and joy while the other may be fairly bored. With that in mind, I want to share about what we will call the “8 S’s Of Making Successful Fishing Kids”.

The 8 S’s are simple, small, squirmy, snacks, study, sense, sense, and systematic.

The first “s” is in the area of tackle. It stands for SIMPLE. Keep the tackle simple in the beginning. A basic spin cast reel is just fine to start. Most kids can handle spinning gear fairly early, but when they are young it is usually better to use a spin cast they can actually control. Many good models of each are on the market today. Tough, dependable, and ease of use are the critical keys for younger kids. A second consideration on reels is their size. Look for reels that will fit in a child’s hand. As far as bait and lures go simple is again the key. There are no higher percentage lures than crawlers, minnows, and leeches on a hook behind a sinker or under a slip float. Keep it simple.

The second “s” is for SMALL. This is in reference to baits. Smaller baits translate into more bites. At a young age the size of a fish is not nearly as important as catching a few. They can hunt muskies later on—but for a child use small baits and hooks. Aberdeen and bait hooks in size 6 down to size 10 are excellent. Remember to use smaller pieces of crawler, say 1 to 1 ½ inch slices or small minnows, leeches, etc. This will absolutely translate into more hook ups and for small kids that is the name of the game. Keep it small.

The third “s” is also for bait and stands for SQUIRMY. Yes, keep the bait squirmy. Fresh bait will almost always out produce dead or dying bait. Keep crawlers, minnows, and leeches fresh and lively. You can use ice, aerators, coolers, or whatever the weather demands to keep your baits fresh. It will almost certainly pay off with more fish on the end of your kid’s line. Keep it squirmy.

The fourth “s” deals with the common idea of food and stands for SNACKS .Normally several small snack breaks are preferable to one lunch for younger kids. It adds variety, creates contrast, and can help keep them even keeled. When fishing with kids remember to keep some snacks.

The fifth “s” is for STUDY. This means to conscientiously make the study of nature part of the trip. On any trip to the river, a creek, pond, lake shore, or in the boat, a myriad of interesting nature studies are in front of us. Investigate and discuss the unique bird species, reptiles, mammals, plants, and aquatic life you see during the day. Teach your kids about how they interact and work in the ecosystem you are in. Keep a study of nature part of the experience.

The sixth “s” is for SENSE—a sense of perspective that is. They are kids. They have short attention spans. We may be able to fish hard for 16 hours but they probably aren’t, particularly if they are younger. A little trick many dads have used is the three prong approach. The play, eat, fish approach. Let them bring a toy of some sort in the boat, buy plenty of snacks, bring simple fishing gear they can use. The alternating of these three can enable them to stay happily in the boat, or on the bank, for a good long while without becoming bored. My kids have caught numbers of fish just dragging their lines behind the boat while they ate an apple or played with a toy. Keep a sense of perspective.

The seventh “s” is also for SENSE—this time a sense of humor. It is awful easy to get frustrated as you unhook your child’s line from a lure he has tangled for the tenth time in an hour as you see a 15 pound northern spit your bait out and the opportunity is lost. But with kids humor abounds! One day my oldest son and I were in the boat fishing a small 300 acre lake in Northwest Wisconsin. I was using the three prong approach mentioned under “keep a perspective”. He had reeled in and had his crawler in the bottom of the boat. He wolfed down some trail mix and played with a match box car for five minutes or so. He then put the car down, picked up his crawler, held it up close to his face and told the crawler, “OK, coffee breaks over Jim. Time to get back to work”. He was just under five years old at the time. I laughed long and hard. I have also laughed over that many days since. With kids there is always a humorous side to the day. Keep a sense of humor.

The eighth and final “s” is for SYSTEMATIC---Keep a systematic teaching of conservation as part of your day. It takes a little more focus to remember this one. However, all through a day of fishing opportunities arise to teach our young folks about conservation, why we value our resources, and what we must do to maintain and improve them. It doesn’t take long for them to start getting the picture. It seems to me that appreciation for creation is much more caught from those who have it than just learned from a book. The sharing and teaching of this to our children has to be a key element in our ability to have quality outdoor endeavors for years to come. Keep a systematic teaching of conservation part of your day.

There they are---what I call the 8 S’s of successful fishing kids. May we truly be folks who can use them to help create life long fishers of our kids. Good Fishing, Jason “The Fisher” Pence

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