I've often wondered how many youngsters start fishing, then give it up and never fish again. Many times, this is due to the person who is teaching them to fish.I was lucky to have an older brother who taught me the basics of bass fishing back in the mid 1960s. He never scolded or laughed when I made a mistake, and I made plenty of them. Because of him being patient, I had this as a background when my grandson started fishing with me at 10yrs old. For his first couple of years, I wasn't sure if Aiden really liked fishing very much. He didn't really seem that interested, and I spent most of our time untangling his line, and helping him with. other problems. At age 13, he hooked and landed a 4lb bass on a spinnerbait, and everything changed. Now at 16, Aiden is a pretty good bass fisherman, and I'm sure he'll be fishing for the rest of his life. We also have to remember that not all kids are the same. Some take to fishing right away, while others may need more time to develop an interest, and may never really love fishing as much as you do. The main thing is patience. When they make a mistake, don't jump on them, or scold them. This can shut them down, and cause them to dislike fishing. When they make a nice cast, or hook a bass and bring him to the net, let them know with a " nice job" or " you did great on that one, keep up the nice work". And, " your getting better every day, stick with it". Take the skills you've learned, and teach them in a calm, patient way. Before long, you'll have a good fisherman tagging along. Keep in mind that you were a beginner at one point, and had many of the same struggles along the way. A few words of encouragement, and hooking and fighting that first nice fish, can make all the difference.
