When you spend as much time in the outdoors as I do, you realize there are many things that just naturally go together.For instance, spring – mushroom hunting, summer – walleyes, fall – pheasant hunting or the fall colors and winter – ice fishing and of course – kids and the outdoorsWhen I think about kids, I think fishing. Because kids and fishing just naturally go together.

Kids have a lot of energy and are always looking for their next great adventure. Of course, one thing they are short of is a whole lot of patience, but that can be something fishing can teach them.

To a kid, fishing can be an adventure into the unknown. All you’ll need to do is to make it interesting and keep the action going.

You don’t want to make it to complicated as you want them to catch a bunch of fish.

Bluegills and sunfish are a great place to start, as they are eager biters. The fish don’t have to be big; they just need to bite.

Once you’ve figured what you’re going to be fishing for and where you’re going, you can have the child help you get bait. When my daughter Cassie was younger and we started fishing together, She’d help dig the worms, pickup night crawlers and catch grasshoppers using a small net.

Then we’d set down and figure out a game plan, you know, map out our strategy just like the explorers Lewis & Clark did a couple of hundred years ago.

We’d talk about the fish we’re going after, where we’d be fishing and any other little detail that will make the trip interesting to a youngster.

When the day finally arrives, we’d put together a lunch, usually from our local Stop-N-Go as I’m not much of a cook!

Then we’d head for the “hot spot’, which is generally a small pond not far from town.

Once we’d arrived, we’d have a little safety talk and then see who can catch the most fish. Generally, it was my daughter and honestly, if you’re going to get a child interested in fishing, that’s the way it should be.

She’d pick out her bait and then slowly attempt to bait her own hook, with me helping her. At first, I’d have help her cast out and to take the fish off for her.

At that time, she was young and I didn’t want to spoil a perfect trip by getting a hook stuck in her finger.   After I’d unhook the fish, she’d hold the fish and release it back into the pond.

She had already learned in order to have fish for the future that we have to let some fish go.

Braedon & Ashlynn

We’d talk about the fish. How it finds its food and what it eats. Since she was at that inquisitive age, we’d talk about nature, the birds, grass and all of that stuff that a Dad and daughters might do.

We both enjoyed the time we spent together because she’s asked to go out many times since.

It’s too bad that there are so many young kids out there with no one to take them fishing. These kids could really learn a lot from a trip into the outdoors.

Of course, everyone is busy, but if we took part of a day and took a niece, nephew or neighbor kid fishing to the park, lake or river, it would mean a great deal to them.

Many kids out there don’t have the opportunity to see all the great things that the outdoors has to offer. You don’t have to be an expert to do it; you just need to take the time to introduce a kid to a sport that we all love.

There are several groups or organizations that have mentor programs for both the fishermen and the hunters.   Your state Game & Parks or D.N.R has the aquatic education programs and hunter education programs. Your local Pheasants Forever group has their mentor hunts that help to introduce kids to the outdoors.

These groups can’t reach all of the children that would love to get outdoors.

Why not take a little time and take a kid fishing, hunting or camping.

Let them see what the outdoors is all about, it would mean a lot to them and a great experience for you!

When you spend as much time in the outdoors as I do, you realize there are many things that just naturally go together.

For instance, spring – mushroom hunting, summer – walleyes, fall – pheasant hunting or the fall colors and winter – ice fishing and of course – kids and the outdoors

When I think about kids, I think fishing. Because kids and fishing just naturally go together.

Kids have a lot of energy and are always looking for their next great adventure. Of course, one thing they are short of is a whole lot of patience, but that can be something fishing can teach them.

To a kid, fishing can be an adventure into the unknown. All you’ll need to do is to make it interesting and keep the action going.

You don’t want to make it to complicated as you want them to catch a bunch of fish.

Bluegills and sunfish are a great place to start, as they are eager biters. The fish don’t have to be big; they just need to bite.

Once you’ve figured what you’re going to be fishing for and where you’re going, you can have the child help you get bait. When my daughter Cassie was younger and we started fishing together, She’d help dig the worms, pickup night crawlers and catch grasshoppers using a small net.

Then we’d set down and figure out a game plan, you know, map out our strategy just like the explorers Lewis & Clark did a couple of hundred years ago.

We’d talk about the fish we’re going after, where we’d be fishing and any other little detail that will make the trip interesting to a youngster.

When the day finally arrives, we’d put together a lunch, usually from our local Stop-N-Go as I’m not much of a cook!

Then we’d head for the “hot spot’, which is generally a small pond not far from town.

Once we’d arrived, we’d have a little safety talk and then see who can catch the most fish. Generally, it was my daughter and honestly, if you’re going to get a child interested in fishing, that’s the way it should be.

She’d pick out her bait and then slowly attempt to bait her own hook, with me helping her. At first, I’d have help her cast out and to take the fish off for her.

At that time, she was young and I didn’t want to spoil a perfect trip by getting a hook stuck in her finger.   After I’d unhook the fish, she’d hold the fish and release it back into the pond.

She had already learned in order to have fish for the future that we have to let some fish go.

We’d talk about the fish. How it finds its food and what it eats. Since she was at that inquisitive age, we’d talk about nature, the birds, grass and all of that stuff that a Dad and daughters might do.

We both enjoyed the time we spent together because she’s asked to go out many times since.

It’s too bad that there are so many young kids out there with no one to take them fishing. These kids could really learn a lot from a trip into the outdoors.

Of course, everyone is busy, but if we took part of a day and took a niece, nephew or neighbor kid fishing to the park, lake or river, it would mean a great deal to them.

Many kids out there don’t have the opportunity to see all the great things that the outdoors has to offer. You don’t have to be an expert to do it; you just need to take the time to introduce a kid to a sport that we all love.

There are several groups or organizations that have mentor programs for both the fishermen and the hunters.   Your state Game & Parks or D.N.R has the aquatic education programs and hunter education programs. Your local Pheasants Forever group has their mentor hunts that help to introduce kids to the outdoors.

These groups can’t reach all of the children that would love to get outdoors.

Why not take a little time and take a kid fishing, hunting or camping.

Let them see what the outdoors is all about, it would mean a lot to them and a great experience for you!