A day spent catfishing can put a smile on any kid’s face but only if the
grownups involved know a few tricks to make each outing fun and exciting.
Catfish Kids: How to Start Little Kids in Fishing
by Brad Durick
When fishing with kids, you need to think like a kid. Ask yourself: what things can we do that will make our outing more enjoyable for the youngsters?
“Don’t force him in the boat all day every day or he will learn to hate fishing.” This is some advice I received from a fellow angler right after my son Braden was born. He went on to tell me he was trying to make it on the professional walleye circuit, and to practice his fishing, he would fish from sunrise to sunset every chance he got and kids were not going to stop that. He kept his kids in the boat that long, too. Over time, both his sons came to hate fishing and now refuse to do it.
This is a sad scenario, and those kids are probably lost from fishing forever. I took this to heart when introducing my son to fishing. I also picked up a few other tips along the way and sacrificed time on the water for a kid who loves to fish years later.
Limit Time on the Water
My opening story illustrates this lesson. When I started bringing my son out, we started with a two-hour limit. Some outings were not much more than a boat ride, while others included some fishing. The goal was to have at least a few minutes with him holding the rod and have some success. Not every day is a set time. Some days, especially when they are younger, trips get shortened.
Over time outings were extended to three hours, then four and eventually I had a kid who wanted to stay until I wanted to leave.
Allow Other Activities While in the Boat or on Shore
As the time fishing gets longer, sometimes fishing must take a backseat for a little while. I don’t like the idea of screens or phones during fishing time, but sometimes you have to allow other things. When fishing from shore, let your kids run a little bit, play in the dirt or even get wet in shallow water with you overseeing their activities. When fishing from a boat, allow snack time, play with the bait and, if warm enough, even jump overboard and swim a bit.
Bring Snacks, Lots of Snacks
I found out the hard way that you cannot ever bring enough snacks on a fishing trip. It turns out if a kid is feeding him or herself, they are happy. I usually brought fruit snacks, carrots, crackers, cheese sticks and juice boxes. This would get us through a few hours and keep the kid on the task at hand.
Make Fishing Fun
You may think doing these things will ruin your fishing trip, but in the long run, you’ll produce a kid who loves fishing for a lifetime. That’s worth all the effort you put into it. Break youngsters in at their own pace and enjoy every minute of it because it does not last long. Before you know it, you’ll have a forever fishing buddy who loves being on the water as much as you.
(Captain Brad Durick is a nationally recognized catfish guide on the Red River of the North, seminar speaker, and author of the books Cracking the Channel Catfish Code and Advanced Catfishing Made Easy. For more information go to https://redrivercatfish.com/.)
