Taking my kid to a stocked pond - help please.

[myhippocket1]

Hi all,

I am eager to take my 2.5 year old daughter out fishing this spring at one of the stocked trout ponds around the Edmonton area. Can someone give me some suggestions on the best way to set her up? I have never fished with a small kid like this before so any pointers would be appreciated.

I am an avid fly fisher but obviously that's not going to work for her.

What's the best tackle to use? Bobbers (and what depth)? We will try casting an reeling but I suspect that she may too young to get the hang of that, but you never know.

Thanks in advance!

Hip

[Icatchfish]

I think a bobber might you your best bet or maybe a drop shot rig.
either way I think most 2.5 year old kids would have trouble with casting and retrieving but hey why not try it for fun and you might get lucky.
try size 12 hook with some worms fish at 3 to 4 ft depth

good luck and take some pics

[Jamie Black R/T]

tough to beat a weighted bait rig...like a pickerel rig

make sure the lake allows bait obviously.

set the rod against a branch, tension up the line and hook a bell on the rod tip.

thats how i grew up fishing pothole lakes around town.

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by myhippocket1

Hi all,

I am eager to take my 2.5 year old daughter out fishing this spring at one of the stocked trout ponds around the Edmonton area. Can someone give me some suggestions on the best way to set her up? I have never fished with a small kid like this before so any pointers would be appreciated.

I am an avid fly fisher but obviously that's not going to work for her.

What's the best tackle to use? Bobbers (and what depth)? We will try casting an reeling but I suspect that she may too young to get the hang of that, but you never know.

Thanks in advance!

Hip

What I did with my kids was use the flyrod, put a corkie on it and suspend a small leech or chironomid. Hit Cardiff with a picnic, candy, frisbee, soccer ball. Cast and sit down and watch the corkie. Set the hook on any bites and let her reel it in.

If you fish another method and not have as much success with what you know best you can diminish the experience. Nothing is more fun that catching fish with kids. Not catching can limit their understanding of the recreational fun. You can even bring a small toy that goes to the one that fishes hardest. ;-)

If slow. Fish for a short period then break it up with a snack, lunch, soccer game (she can score everytime) and frisbee (you will get lots of excercise).

Trick with 4 year olds is DONT let them get bored. Better to leave when they are still having fun.

You can also take a small aquarium and aquarium net and let her scoop up some bugs and show how they look like what Daddy makes to fish with.

Fun, educational, never boring and you can make a fisherman for life.

just my thoughts.

Sun

[bwackwabbit]

Originally Posted by Jamie Black R/T

tough to beat a weighted bait rig...like a pickerel rig

make sure the lake allows bait obviously.

set the rod against a branch, tension up the line and hook a bell on the rod tip.

thats how i grew up fishing pothole lakes around town.

X2 but also plan lots of snacks/drinks as well as a shorter trip than you would do yourself. You want her to have nothing but positive takeaways from this so she can't wait to go again!

Good on ya, and good luck to you both.

[maverick_8teen]

I'm actually in the same situation in the seance that I'm taking my son fishing for his first time this weekend except well be on a boat on a lake. My main concerns are that he'll hook a fish that's to much for his rod and or not be able to hold on. He's 5 though. I wanted to set him up for perch so he won't hook something bigger like a walleye or pike.

[Jamie Black R/T]

Originally Posted by maverick_8teen

I'm actually in the same situation in the seance that I'm taking my son fishing for his first time this weekend except well be on a boat on a lake. My main concerns are that he'll hook a fish that's to much for his rod and or not be able to hold on. He's 5 though. I wanted to set him up for perch so he won't hook something bigger like a walleye or pike.

my buddies little girl landed a 10+lb pike on a hannah montana kiddy rod a few years ago.

them things are tougher than you would think lol

[jinx]

my little girl had no problems catching walleye or pike with her little pink barbie set up but casting she tossed her rod right into the lake the first time.
bobber and bait was always the easiest for kids because the adults can always watch for a bite while the kids are doing something else
i always take a little dollar store net for the kids to keep them entertained chalk and washable markers or paint for coloring rocks always seemed fun for the kids too.

[bwackwabbit]

Originally Posted by maverick_8teen

I'm actually in the same situation in the seance that I'm taking my son fishing for his first time this weekend except well be on a boat on a lake. My main concerns are that he'll hook a fish that's to much for his rod and or not be able to hold on. He's 5 though. I wanted to set him up for perch so he won't hook something bigger like a walleye or pike.

Prepare all you like but my experience is Pike, when hungry enough will eat anything. I caught an 11lb one on a wireworm under a slip bobber in Sylvan last season.

When kids that age are fishing with adults it's best to plan on not doing much fishing yourself. That way if he gets in over his head you're there to help land his first "Monster"...lol.

[myhippocket1]

Great suggestions - Thanks a lot folks!

[fishstix]

I flyfish with my 2.5 girl. When she wants to fish I cast out a wooley bugger , let her hold the rod and I strip the line back in. She usually only does a few casts between snacks and rock throwing. Fishing with a toddler is not quite the same as fishing by yourself, but I find it to be just as satisfying. Maybe even more so.

[dragon]

IMO watching a bobber sit there for hours on end waiting for a bite is a good way to get your kids to never come fishing again.

what I have done for my 3 kids is start them off with a push button style reel. Make sure you tie a clevice on so they can switch hooks often. For the first trip you may want to remove the hook and just let the kid cast a spoon.

If they like the worms like mine to cut up a jig into small bits and put a piece over the hook so you don't take one in the leg or worse. As their skills improve you can add the hook as you want.

Now my 6 year old and 4 year old use full open reel setups. my 3 year old daughter still likes to jig pink jigs right over the edge of the boat.

Also note: kids are attracted to re-organizing your tackle box. the first couple goes are frustrating at best but now my kiddos re-organize my tackle box and count hooks and leaders every rainy day at the lake.

[HunterDave]

A 2.5 year old is going to have no ability to fish and the attention span of a flea. IMO bobber and worm is the best bet and be prepared to keep chucking it back out every 5 minutes after she wants to reel it in every 5 minutes....lol. That to a 2.5 year old is fishing even if she doesn't catch anything. I wouldn't be too concerned about her catching a fish at this point and if she wants to pick up sticks or throw rocks in the water scaring the fish away who cares? As long as she is exposed to the experience and it's enjoyable for her then let her have fun. Enjoy, they grow up so fast.

[densa44]

I have tried 2 ways, one was a very cheap (less than $1.00) bamboo rod, no reel, and a worm off a wharf in lake Erie. She was 2 and got bored soon. When she went to haul up the hook it wouldn't come and she just hauled harder, it was a sheepshead, which she insisted I put back. Then off to the swings.

Daughter #2 I thought that we would troll around Chestermere Lake, she had a mickey mouse rod and reel, and I think a spinner on the end. We had just left the boat launch under the bridge and were passing the shallow water near the east side, when a good sized pike hit the lure, too much fish for a little girl. That was it, no more fishing for that one.

I should have stuck with still fishing.

Lots of pics, I hope you both have fun.

[Jamie Black R/T]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

A 2.5 year old is going to have no ability to fish and the attention span of a flea. IMO bobber and worm is the best bet and be prepared to keep chucking it back out every 5 minutes after she wants to reel it in every 5 minutes....lol. That to a 2.5 year old is fishing even if she doesn't catch anything. I wouldn't be too concerned about her catching a fish at this point and if she wants to pick up sticks or throw rocks in the water scaring the fish away who cares? As long as she is exposed to the experience and it's enjoyable for her then let her have fun. Enjoy, they grow up so fast.

good advice....fishing with young kids should be a pressure free environment....i had many days growing up where we didnt get a bite and it never discouraged me from wanting to go out again.

[Lmil]

This is how I got my kids into fishing. Started slow with only a few outings a year and never for more than a few hours per. We have a small pond about 45 mins north of here with stocked trout, never more than a foot or so long. Great for kids. My oldest is 12 now and loves fishing. My other 2 are 7 and 8 and just can't wait to go out each time. They haven't caught a fish yet, but the inthusiasm is there.
The pond we go to also has a camp site and large playground with a basball diamond so there is never a shortage of things to do. At their ages now, they put their rods down when they start to get bored and make their way back to them quite often.