It’s the little things that make life enjoyable, especially for youth fishing in Texas.
Such as a wriggling bluegill that doesn’t know he’s not the biggest fish in the pond but still yanks the red and white bobber from the surface. Or the slimy, whiskered catfish who has a face only a mother could love and an appetite for anything you stick in front of him. Better yet, it’s the ear-to-ear smile of a youngster who just released their first or biggest fish — whatever variety it might be — and the accompanying grand angling tale that describes every detail with no shortage of exuberance and hand gestures.
Youngsters make the best fishing buddies because they tell it like it is and can have fun in almost any situation whether the fish are biting or not.
Sadly, it seems most people don’t have enough time for the small stuff nowadays. There are still 24 hours in a day, but those 86,400 seconds often get diverted to other endeavors that we think are more worthy of our efforts. As a result, some of the most rewarding experiences for young and old go for naught and many people miss out on some of the best the outdoors has to offer.
It’s real easy to settle into a groove and keep the nose to the grindstone, but it’s also great to take a break every once in a while. And there’s no more rewarding experience than taking a youth fishing, whether it’s their first time or 100th time.
Whether it’s your child or someone else’s, there’s no excuse for not cutting out a half-day here and there and ferrying them to a local fishing hole in hopes of scaring up perch, catfish or any other willing quarry that isn’t all that picky about its diet.
Whether it’s your child or someone else’s, there’s no excuse for not cutting out a half-day here and there and ferrying them to a local fishing hole in hopes of scaring up perch, catfish or any other willing quarry that isn’t all that picky about its diet.
The best concept to understand is fishing principles haven’t changed much in the last 2,000 years: It’s still locate, approach, present, hook, land. Some of the best fishing days I can remember involved a Zebco rod and reel, night crawlers or minnows and a little patience. I’m willing to bet there also have been millions of fish that succumbed to the backbone of a cane pole after pulling a bobber under.
Cutting down on the gear is important if you’re introducing someone to the pastime. If there is too much to learn or think about, they’ll move on to something else that’s easier. You don’t need to take the professional angler approach complete with 10 rods rigged up for running and gunning and five tackle bags loaded to the gills with every color and size of plastic on the market.
Keeping it simple — and fun — should be the focus on any fishing excursion but especially those involving youngsters. In Texas we are blessed with millions of acres of water in lakes and rivers — and miles upon miles of coastline — so there is no shortage of angling opportunities. You don’t need to drive four hours and burn through your gas budget looking for a lunker since there is likely some little pond or creek near your town filled with plenty of scaly targets that could make any kid squeal with delight.
Now and in coming months the weather will be superb for carrying out a rewarding fishing trip with a youngster. Planning a half-day outing at most that begins in the cooler morning will assure that they don’t get too hot or dehydrated. Be sure to pack plenty of drinks and snacks and don’t forget to include sunscreen and bug spray. If you’re lucky enough to have access to a boat, throw in life vests for everyone and use them as a teaching tool to promote boating safety. Since they don’t work unless they’re worn, be sure to select a life vest that’s comfortable and fits youths properly.
As far as lure choice, it’s tough to beat live or prepared baits for youngsters. It often maximizes the catch rate and cuts down on technique that could frustrate some young anglers. When they’re ready to start casting, by all means let them rip, but in the beginning they’ll be just as enthused as the bobber submarines below when a chunky catfish gulps down some stinky concoction.
More than anything, these fishing trips should be about talking, listening and learning — on both ends. You may not catch a lot of fish, but that doesn’t diminish the impact on a child’s life. You can use an outing as an opportunity to get some insight into what your kids or other youths have on their minds and teach them about the outdoors and the conservation of releasing fish for someone else to catch. If you’re going to catch some fish to eat, by all means applaud a young angler at providing for their family, but if not, applaud them anyway for letting undersize fish go. That’s how sportsmen are made.
Fishing may be the perfect hobby no matter how old you are or feel and it also is a great teaching tool that you should share with this generation of youths. What may be a little thing to you might mean the world to a little boy or girl.
Even if all you did was enrich someone’s life for a few seconds, it would be well worth it.
You might just pick up a fishing buddy for life in the process.
