For those of you teaching kids to fish.......

[outdoors forever]

How do you go about teaching them how to cast? My older brother has 3 kids and he ALWAYS buys them little peices of plastic JUNK rods and reels that he spends more time messing with than actually fishing. My FIL also only uses closed reels, and seems like he spends more time untangling and taking his reel apart than fishing. Drives me crazy.

So when my girls ( now 7 - twins ) got bored of jigging and wanted to try casting and reeling, I went straight to the open reel, flip the bail type rods. No screwing around with closed reels and junky "kids" rods. At first it was a little frustrating for them, but they "got it" pretty quick, and are very good with the adult rods, open reels. In fact, last Thursday we all went out in the boat on Winagami Lake, and I can honestly say my seven year old Alison put on a fishing school for all of us! Probably out - fished me 4 to 1! ( proud dad alert! )

Anyway, just wanted to hear what or how you other dads out there did to teach your kids to fish. Comments?

[Fish Hunter7]

get them a spinning outfit with decent line(not what it came with) and your good.
the cheap stuff is crap line and your always gonna be untangling stuff i started with a closed reel and it pwns.

[chubbdarter]

Quantum snapshot reels are what my kids learned on

[dragon]

I used ice fishing rods and reels to start. I also put 20 lbs braided on the reel as they can't outcast the quantity of line. I don't use a leader just a swivel and quik connect as the kids like to change hooks. This allows them to real it right to the tip so you don't have a hook swinging around. I have a rule that they are not allowed to use any hooks with more than a single treble on it for now as the multi hooked lures tend to be bigger.

From a ice fishing rod I went to the push buton closed reels. I seldom have trouble with the reels tangling up or anything. After one season of that my 4 year old picked up using an open face rod real fast. I usualy let him fish with my rod while I spend some time with his younger siblings.

It also depends how much you get out. Practice makes perfect.

[fitzy]

I went straight to a pair of cheap spinning rod real combos ( canadian tire 9.95$ ). My 7 year old caught on imediately and loves it, my 5 year old took a little practice but within the hour was casting as far as his older brother. I went with the cheap combos this year because they are 7 and 5, good thing too because they both broke off the tips.

As with anything practice and patience make perfect.

[Isopod]

Never understood the prejudice against closed-face spincast reels, that's all I use. I find tangles are far worse with spinning reels, but I guess that's just me. If your kids have an easier time with spincast reels, leave them to it. Whatever casts easiest for them will be most appealing, they can explore the other options in a few years.

[Joe Fehr]

I think what ever they are most comfortable with, mine started with closed face cheap reels spooled with good line (cost more then the rods) and now both of my kids have open faced reels. Not super expensive but decent rods for kids to beat up and break!!

If they're fishing then they're golden in my eyes!!!

[Speckle55]

Mine(around age 4) got thier first rod and reel(open face) in the 30 to 50$ range and they still have .. heck i still break a rod here and there.

3 boys now 25 ,23 ,20Picture%20592.jpg

[ksmitty]

I bought both my boys an Abu Garcia closed faced spinning combo from Sportsmen's Den in red Deer. Paid $40 each but the rods are awesome. They have caught 6 lb rainbows and 10 lb pike on them and they operate flawlessly. I think its worth it but its just one guys opinion.