Advice Needed on taking Youngsters Fishing

[Kahi]

I have recently come back in touch with some distant family members that I had long forgotten about. I was pleased to spend time with them, and even better, to know that they live around the corner from me in Miami. I have lived down here for so long, that I have forgotten what it's live to spend time with kin. It's amazing, and warms my heart.

With that said, I decided to bring cousin, an 8 year old boy fishing with me offshore. We picked the perfect calm seas, I loaded up on live bait, and I even bought two new spinning rods up to the offshore challenge, but light and short enough for him to handle. I tried everything, we fished my lucky spots, we crammed tight up against boats that were catching, I chummed, I begged and pleaded to the fish gods, I slow trolled, I speed trolled, but noT a fish in sight. I hefty turtle, and not a Ramora beneath to bend a rod. I bottom fished with squid, and livies, jigs and heavy metal. You guys get my point.....but nothing, not even a trash fish.

The kids was bored, annoyed and wished I stayed out of the family (I think).

So the question is, what do you do to keep his attention and keep him happy?

[whowantstoknow]

all kids are different and until they really experience the excitment they dont get..but even then they still are hard to entertain...

adults give em a beer and they are cool....for the most part.

my old boss had a 16 yrs old son, and whenever he was on the boat and his friends 1/2 the time they were inside tha salon sleeping..eating..ipods..handheld game things were all they cared about.

however, i started teaching them how to rig, set lines. when its slow and there really isnt anything going on teach them. make them work.

There was a 8 yr old at Ripley Light- Ann Mcloud, we called her Capt. Ammo
her father owns the oyster catcher. she was a miracle child. best kid to ever have on board...cleaning ballyhoo from morning to night (FOR FUN!!) and her sister Polly caught the winning tuna that got her one of the best female angler awards at charleston harbor hilton - Those kids never complained and stayed up all day. caught fish after fish......but...Rooster made them work..and he loved it and they loved it.

My dad taught me - his dad taught him -

Moral of the story - TEACH are future fisherman thats how you keep em coming back and entertained.

[Robja]

Thats why they call it fishing and not catching. my son always carried a handheld video game when times were slow.

[joeksr]

If you can get him to go out again try taking him inshore or anywhere
he is likely to catch anything. Even bait fish. At 8 yrs old lots of small fish are better than 1 big one. Before he can take a slow day offshore you have to hook him on fishing. Then, maybe, he'll want the big one.

[hubris 1]

that aint that bad. i remember a friends daughter used to bug him to take her flounder fishing with us all the time. cmon, daddy i want to go........no corey next time. well next time never came. until the one day he just couldnt take it anymore. ok, get your stuff. she hopped into her bathing suit convinced this was the day she was looking for. she and her dad were going to have the best day. well, we got right out front of wildwood and it was a pretty good chop............finally she was laying on the deck of the boat, moaning, groaning, and finally puking......without even lifting her head. cmon mark, we have to take her back. no way he said, give it another 30 minutes. well neither corey or i could stand it anymore and he brought her back to the dock. there was her mother to rescue her, too sick to even know what happened. we turned the boat around and went back out front. i looked at him in amazement, and he gave me that look, she'll never ask to go again. and sure enough, she never did. to this day she and i still talk about that day. i dont think she ever went on a boat again.so maybe just being bored, aint so bad.

[merry marlin]

Florida without fish that's a bad day!
My kids have always come offshore since they turned 2. Was it easy, Hell No.
Our No 2 is has quite a character as has often almost been thrown overboard!!! But they've turned into good fishing fanatics and can now take me fishing....
MM

[whowantstoknow]

that aint that bad. i remember a friends daughter used to bug him to take her flounder fishing with us all the time. cmon, daddy i want to go........no corey next time. well next time never came. until the one day he just couldnt take it anymore. ok, get your stuff. she hopped into her bathing suit convinced this was the day she was looking for. she and her dad were going to have the best day. well, we got right out front of wildwood and it was a pretty good chop............finally she was laying on the deck of the boat, moaning, groaning, and finally puking......without even lifting her head. cmon mark, we have to take her back. no way he said, give it another 30 minutes. well neither corey or i could stand it anymore and he brought her back to the dock. there was her mother to rescue her, too sick to even know what happened. we turned the boat around and went back out front. i looked at him in amazement, and he gave me that look, she'll never ask to go again. and sure enough, she never did. to this day she and i still talk about that day. i dont think she ever went on a boat again.so maybe just being bored, aint so bad.

- i know "adults who lay out from sickness from a slight chop!
and on a side note.....i got called Hubris this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!do you believe it

[austin ensor]

some kids dont like it

[Capt. Lyndon]

Judge it by the child. Ask them if they would rather keep fishing, or if they want to see porpoise's, etc. If they want to keep fishing, I will anchor over any reef, rock, wreck, you get the point, and drop a chum bag to the bottom on the downrigger. Give a rod with a larger sabiki, with the hooks tipped with squid, and let 'em have at it. Pinfish, pigfish, sea bass, bee-liners, whatever is down there doesn't stand a chance. Younger kids (under 8 or so), this is how I will start the trip, to get them interested, and after a little while ask them if they want to try for a bigger fish.

[Talbot29]

Don't spend too much time fishing (long trip) and make sure they catch fish. Even if the fish is a grunt or whatever. As long as there is pullage, the kid will be happy. Bottom fishing or casting into breaking fish is the best because it gives them something to do.

I used to do "family" fishing trips and "guy" fishing trips. The family trip you leave at 9:00 am and get back by 2:00. You don't run very far and you focus on having the kids bend some rods and reel in some fish. The most fun for the kids was when we would get into breaking bluefish (little guys). The kids just loved casting into the school and hooking up by themself. Now they are growed up only my son is really into it. We still do a couple of family trips a year but the girls mainly focus on their tans and/or their boyfriends...