Fishing is your sport of choice, your favorite pastime, your lifelong hobby — and you want nothing more than to share this part of your life with your kids. But depending on their age and attention span, you could have a hard time getting them interested.
To spend quality time with your children and squeeze in more time doing what you love, check out these five tips that will get them as hooked on fishing as you are.
Buy Them Their Own Pole
You can easily get away with letting them borrow your spare rod for the first few trips, but if you want your kids to take fishing seriously, consider getting them their own poles. Remember, just like a kid’s first bicycle, a kid’s first fishing pole can make each trip more fun if it fits their age, frame, and skill level.
Let Them Lead the Way
Picking the best fishing spots might come easy to you, but you can make the experience way more enjoyable for your little ones by letting them lead the way instead. Feel free to give them some pointers of the kinds of areas fish tend to flock to, and watch as they try to figure out where to cast first.
Show Them Your Skills
As your child’s biggest role model, you can make fishing one of their favorite activities just by showing them how much you love it. Teach them your special baiting tricks, reeling technique, and other unique quirks that you’ve adopted over the years or learned from the anglers you look up to.
Explore the Area Together
Fishing trips can take you to some of the most beautiful bodies of water surrounded by endless amounts of natural scenery. So, anytime your kid gets anxious, fussy, or bored during your outing, you can easily turn the trip into an outdoor expedition that will reel their attention right back in.
Bring Their Favorite Snacks
A day out on the dock isn’t complete without plenty of water and energy-fueling food. Knowing this ahead of time, you can use break time as an opportunity to pack your kids’ favorite snacks, drinks, and on-the-go meal — so they can see fishing as just as much of a treat as you do.
Have Nothing but Fun
Don’t get bogged down with the idea of bringing home a trophy-sized fish or turning your kids into overnight anglers. Make your day more enjoyable by putting your attention on bringing home the best memories instead.
Stay at a Fish Camp in Florida
Immersing your child in the fishing experience is a great way to turn an afternoon outing into a full-fledged vacation. Out of the many fish camps in Florida, stay with one built on family fishing traditions: Grape Hammock Fish Camp. With dock and boat access to the bountiful Lake Kissimmee and an on-site shop to stock up on fishing essentials, you’ll have all the ingredients for a perfect fishing trip with your kids. When you’re ready to show them the ropes, reserve a cabin for the family or a camping site for your RV.