TAKING A YOUTH FISHING: IS ANYTHING BETTER?

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Taking a youth fishing is a subject that is often heard of; and it is certainly a subject worth repeating. As a Northwoods Fishing Guide I have a deep passion for musky fishing and the preservation of this sport; it will continue with me well into my future. I grew into this obsession from my most early days as a youth. Reflecting on my tenure as a professional angler I have asked myself, what have been my most memorable experiences in fishing? Without a doubt it is fishing with a Father and Son, or some family type outing that includes our youth. In the last few decades it seems we, as a generation, have lost many of old-time traditional values; everyone today is too busy with their blackberries, computers, video games, sports schedules, and many other things that are demanding on our lives. They keep us in the house longer or on the run, and we have lost that enjoyment of the pristine and solitude of the outdoors. Do not get me wrong; I am all for progress and I too indulge in these busy topics in my life, but everyone needs a break and time to relax, including kids!

When I look back to "my" youth, my father took me fishing quite often, I remember going to those dinky little marinas, renting a boat, and my dad would tote around his 71/2 horse Scott-At-Water, we would pack a lunch and go out fishing all day. These were memorable times when I was young and most likely is the reason I perused a tournament fishing career and now my time as a guide. Today; I often receive the new father and son generation and the memories of my youth come back to me when I see this age group of new anglers. This is an experience that most of today's youth do not get a chance to see, and they should! A father and son, father and daughter, the entire family can enjoy this outdoor experience. I once had a mother and daughter wanting to try to fish and they had a blast. The investment of fishing is small compared to today's many other activities and is easily stored. A license for a youth 15 and under is not needed, a parent license about $10.00, some bait about $15.00, some terminal tackle about $20.00 a couple of good rods and reels about $100.00… and "A rod bending experience with a jumping fish, on a pristine lake, a kid's smile"… PRICELESS!!

Taking a youth out fishing is a fun and rewarding experience, the bonding of families and friends is great when it come to this sport, but do not forget that camera! Big fish like muskies are fun and if you want to see a kid get excited let him battle a big musky. However, musky fishing is not an easy sport and sometimes they are hard to catch but you can have a greater time in some fun fishing with walleye, bass, crappies, bluegills, and perch. Rod bending action can keep a kid's enthusiasm high! They will long remember a day of fishing with you, and will be thankful in their future.

Fishing with the different age groups of kids is definitely one to consider, I started fishing at the age of 2 and this is where I would suggest you can start. The old cane pole, a bobber, a hook, and a can of leaf worms is all you need to start. Find a nice weed bed and you should get some good bluegill and perch action, as long as you are catching fish it will be a fun time. Normally the attention span on a youth from 2 to 6 can be short so if you're not catching fish try again another day, keep the fishing time short unless they are really in to it. As your children get older take the next step, the ole Zebco rod and reel is ideal from ages 4 to 8; teach them some casting skills in the back yard and now your can try for some good crappie fishing. Crappies are a schooling fish and casting pinky jigs or minnows on a small bobber can really be fun and crappies are great to eat, but only keep a few for a meal. Keep the mid-size crappies, let the small ones grow and let the bigger ones go to spawn. Crappie holes can be fished out so keep some of those special places quite. After the age of 8 to 10 it is individual achievement time and time to graduate to a nice spinning rod and reel or a bait casting rod and reel. It is now time to start learning finesse fishing for some walleye and bass fishing. The use of ultra-light tackle is another type of fishing that can be introduce. Near the age of becoming a teenager would be my suggestion for learning the art of musky fishing. This maybe difficult based on the individual, as you now use much heavier tackle and it can be tiresome on two accounts; 1) the actual weight of the rod and throwing the heavy baits, and 2) they do not call this the fish of 10,000 cast for no reason. Musky fishing percentages are low. However there are always the lucky ones who get one on the first cast; but when you do look out you might get hooked on it. As you scan this years Scales & Tales look closely at the many smiling faces of today's youth and the fun they had, many from my own submission.

The one thing about youth fishing and the age variation is that you as a parent need to make some choices as what might interest them. Start out small and easy, make it fun, and never force a kid to fish if he/she does not want to. Best tip: When you take your son or daughter fishing once in a while take their best friend along as well, fishing buddies can be friends for life!

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