I found this article (below) on Capt. CA Richardson’s website http://www.captaincarichardson.com, and thought it was worth sharing on this cold, practically unfishable day. The recent posts by Rapchizzle and PeaPod got me thinking about this…
One of the best local captains I have observed with kids is Bob Sanders (www.fishingwithbob.com) He has a gift with kids and really engages them and shows them the passion of fishing. It would be cool if he shared some of his secrets (are you out there Capt Bob?) I think he’s duck hunting, but I’m sure he will be along eventually
I have tried to do the same with my 2 boys. One of them isn’t too into it (thats cool too) but the other is very passionate and is now my fishing buddy hopefully for life. We have shared some incredibly memorable and awesome times together fishing, not all involving catching a fish.
Here is Opti-Jr with his brownie caught by pitching a livey to it, fighting and landing all by himself.
“Passing on the Tradition” by C.A. Richardson
One of the greatest gifts we can give our young people today is the passing on of our inshore fishing traditions. Getting kids into the outdoors and away from the television set and computer should be a major priority today because there are fewer kids than ever picking up a fishing rod and heading to the waters edge. That could spell serious trouble for our sport in the coming decades. What can we do to change this trend and in the process seed our future with anglers that will help protect our fisheries and rights as recreational anglers? Its really simple just take a kid fishing and expose them to the mystique of our light-tackle sport.
Not only is it important for the survival of our sport to get young people involved but by sharing our coastal lifestyle with our kids we can cement a bond with them and the outdoors for a lifetime. Here are a few tips that will make your fishing experience with the kids m
Optiker - well said and so important! Thanks for sharing! Read the article in my thread ‘So Sad’. It has to do more with hunting but the point is close.
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Key West 17’ Stealth Yam 115
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I see alot of guys posting and talking about fishing with their kids lately and wanted to get a feel if there would be any interest in maybe getting some boats together with the kids and having a little “tournament” for them on a Saturday in the spring. I fish alot with my 6 yo and 13 yo grandson and they enjoy striper fishing, but much prefer fishing down there.
We could always figure out specifics, but what I have in mind would be:
1- Figure out a $ amount and we all kick in for some burgers, hot dogs, chips…etc along with a few $ to pick up some prizes.
2- Take off from anywhere and meet to weigh in at a spot where we can fire up a grill for the hot dogs and hopefully some fish. (would need some help with suggestions on this one).
3- Only boats with kids (under 16?) can enter. Only fish caught by kids are eligible for weigh in, but fish caught by adults are eligible for the grill.
We’ve been doing something similar (adults and kids weigh in) for years up here on Murray and the kids have a blast.
Excellent post opti…I’ve got 2 boys, one 17 and the other 10. My 17 yo is just now showing some interest in the great outdoors but his little bro has been hunting and fishing since he was 2. I literally had him in the swamps at 2 years old with me. He wanted to go and I wasn’t about to leave him at home.
Striperskiff are you involved with the MSC on Murray?
My daughter loves to fish. Always took some chicken necks with us in case we weren’t catching and she got bored. Nothing like a backup plan. Drop a line and start crabbing. Haven’t found a kid yet that could resist that.
I would add one to the list for little kids. Bring a big bucket full of baitfish (mullet and/or mudders) or a bucket of fiddlers. They will keep the kids interested even if the fish aren’t (or are) biting!
Agreed…Anytime we are using live bait 6 yo insists on being the one to get the bait anytime someone needs one. But then again, we’ve only just started fishing for sheephead the last few trips out and he hasn’t been on the boat…Can’t wait to see his face…“Austin, please reach in there and hand popop a fidler crab, would ya?”
Curlydog, I know of MSC and have fished with a few guys that are in it, but I’m not a member.
Teen Anglers is a great program for things like this. So far I think Wando HS is the only group involved in it in SC, but down in Florida its really popular. We don’t really have an age group, since all of our members are teenagers, but some of the Florida chapters do. Here’s a link to their website. http://teenanglers.org/
