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TAKE A KID FISHING
By Jean-Marc Tasse
There are many reasons to get kids involved with fishing. You might want to pass your knowledge of the sport down to them like it was passed down to you when you were a kid. You might want to get them involved in an outdoor activity away from television and video games. You might want to get them involved in a sport that can be as competitive as they want it to be. They can compete in tournaments and make a career out of fishing if they want to take it that far. You might want them to catch and bring home a meal from time to time. Or you might just want them to take part in good old fashioned fun and spend some quality time with the kids and there aren’t many better places than out on the water. But the best reason of all is that '' They and You Want To Go Fishing''
The Most Important Things
Safety:
Safety is the most important thing to consider when taking a kid fishing. Fishing is exclusive to water and water can be dangerous if not taken seriously. Make sure that if you have a kid in a boat or kayak that they are wearing a life jacket that fits properly and is fastened. Teach them this from day one and it will become a habit. It will become second nature for them to practice safety in the future, just like wearing a seat belt. Kids are notorious for falling out of the boat from standing up or leaning over the edge.
Watch out for hooks. Kids love playing around with anything within reach and if the fish aren’t biting then they might get into trouble playing around the tackle box. Make sure they only have access to lures without hooks such as soft plastic. Keep the hooks away from them and keep a watchful eye on the hook you are allowing them to use.
Fun
After safety, the most important thing to keep in mind is that the kid has fun. Make it fun for the kid no matter what.
Catch and Release:
The conservation of the sport is very important after safety and fun. If generations had not practiced catch and release before us we would not have the great fisheries that we have today. Use circle hooks! They provide a conservation-friendly fishing tool which are proven to decrease mortality of released game fish. Perhaps you can join an organization like The Billfish Foundation (TBF) which is a global leader in billfish science, conservation, and policy. TBF is a membership organization composed of anglers, captains, scientists, and policy makers from around the world.
Enjoy Fishing !
