Teaching Someone To Fish

[Patrick Morrow]

I`m sure we all have some relatives or friends who are looking to start fishing when weather gets more and more warmer. So far I have about 2 colleagues and even my wife that have asked for help in terms of me helping them get started this year. I have had bit of teaching experience in past, but I`m still curios how you all guys teach newbies who ask for fishing help? Do you point them to some article that covers all the basics like this, show videos, take them fishing with you or recommend some gear and lures and let them learn at their own or what?

[Sam]

Patrick, it depends.

 

Depends on.....age, sex and interest in fishing.

 

Age

Younger the harder as their attention span is so short.

Use live bait to make fishing fun.

Teenagers can do well but they, too, need some action or they will board.

Young adults can do best and learn what you tell them.

Older folks will do the best.

 

Sex

Girls do better than boys at younger ages.

Then boys catch up around age 12 to 14 with the girls.

After age 15, the boys can do great until the find girls, cars and money.

And the girls will, too, but their interests seem to change faster to clothes, makeup, nails, beauty parlors, dating and school work.

 

Interest

Depends on the type of fishing.

Saltwater is fun as you can catch something on almost every cast and every fish can be different.

Freshwater can be a challenge due to the time between strikes if they are not really interested.

Anyone can say they want to bass fish but since it is not as easy as it looks they can lose interest, fast.

It takes a special person, male or female, to bass fish due to the hunting that goes on and the frustration that can follow.

[Matthew2000]

Senkos.

[bassinbrady03]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[CRANKENSTIEN]

Well said Sam.  I have 2 18 year old boys that loved pan fishing then bass fishing up until 14.  Now they have other interest.  Oh well the seed is planted and they have some skills.

[BassinLou]

Anyone who I have taught, I taught hands on, on the water. An open body of water with no obstructions around preferably.  I start with spinner if they are older and with little kids I start with a spincast outfit. Mechanics is the first thing I teach. After they grasp that concept I start with a soft plastic and begin to show them how to fish it. Once they get the hang of it, I leave them to it and stay close by for any help or questions. 

[Bladesmith,]

What is going to work best is going to depend upon the individual.That being said; I usually just take them fishing, being careful not to overload them with more info than they can digest. I do try to arrange it so they can catch a few fish as soon as possible so their interest doesn't lag. After they have caught a fish or two we can start with such things as casting accuracy and different tactics.

[Ozark_Basser]

I take my nephew out sometimes to ponds and creeks. He is five years old, but honestly I haven't had to teach him much so far. I just tie on a beetle spin and he casts pretty darn good for a kid and catches fish too.

[EvanT123]

Senkos.

I would not recommend this unless you want to practice your gut hook removal as well. Also what a boring way to get someone excited about fishing. Cast it out and do nothing doesn't sound exciting to most beginners.

I like to start people off with a fluke or grub. These keep the bait and person moving. If you really want to teach someone. Leave your pole at home and dedicate the experience to helping them.

I have a new rule this year for newbies(adults) One free trip. What I mean by that is I will tie your lures on for one trip. Anything after that if they want to fish with me they have to learn how to tie their own lures. They can use anything in my plastic box but continuing to tie on lures for a grown person is something I will not do.

[Choosylobster]

Anyone could learn how the fish if they are willing to put the time and effort into it. You're not just going to cast a line and catch a fish. It takes practices. This is what a lot of my friends don't understand. I been fishing since I was 8. I truly learned how to fish when I was 13. But like Sam said it really takes a special person to bass fish. You really need to love the sport and appreciate the fish.

[BW208]

I have this problem as well.  I usually shun them off unfortunately because I know they will probably just get bored or frustrated.  They see my pics I post and they think its easy lol.  I have a bad habit of not being able to give people some simple instructions and let them go.  I always want to tell them everything I know and thats hard to digest as said above.  If I do take anyone I usuallty start with catching bluegill or something easy with live bait.  Then go from there if they are still interested.

[Paul Roberts]

Get them catching fish, and let them own the moment. Don't try to "teach" too much. Teach on a need to know basis, or when questions are asked. The magic lies in the experience, not the knowledge. Experienced anglers can forget that.

[wuchr20]

remember to be patient

[Brayberry]

Find a pond or local lake full of fish, I found a lake packed with stunned fish that maxed out around 10 inches, but there were 100's of them, when I taught me girlfriend to fish.  I started her off with the small super flukes, so they were weedless, and she was able to learn to cast, work the bait, set the hook, all by herself.  Also she was able to get constant bites and catch tons of fish her first time out, now she's addicted  Beginners care more about constant action and quantity then quality. 

[southernson1989]

Can't beat a bucket of crickets or box of worms and a cane pole for their first experience. Cat fishing with a rod and reel is a good way to learn what a bite feels like too.

[Patrick Morrow]

I have this problem as well.  I usually shun them off unfortunately because I know they will probably just get bored or frustrated.  They see my pics I post and they think its easy lol.  I have a bad habit of not being able to give people some simple instructions and let them go.  I always want to tell them everything I know and thats hard to digest as said above.  If I do take anyone I usuallty start with catching bluegill or something easy with live bait.  Then go from there if they are still interested.

I think one of the key points is helping them land a fish quite soon. I imagine if I would set everything up: choose lure, tie it, show her one of my "lucky-spots" and just let her handle the reeling part then I`m sure she would be interested. After that I would slowly leave her to pick his own lures, gear and locations. At least then she knows what she is working towards. Of course, I can´t probably go through this entire process with each of my colleagues. I agree with keeping the information simple part.

[scaleface]

I set them up then forget about them and go fishing . If I'm lucky I will catch some fish and they will want to know how . If they dont want to know how then they dont want to take fishing seriously . 

[Patrick Morrow]

That`s some great advice here. I think I am going to start teaching this weekend, forecast promised a hot and dry weather, so that will definitely make the whole experience better for everyone. Do you guys think it would be better to stay in shore the first time or instantly bring them to boat?

[DocNsanE]

That`s some great advice here. I think I am going to start teaching this weekend, forecast promised a hot and dry weather, so that will definitely make the whole experience better for everyone. Do you guys think it would be better to stay in shore the first time or instantly bring them to boat?

 

If you have access to a boat I would think it is best to start on a boat because it adds to the overall experience and for newbies the most important thing is having a fun, memorable day.

[Crestliner2008]

I like what Sam wrote above. However, before I'd even start, I'd try to find out just what they are interested in accomplishing. Just to catch a fish - any fish? Or, after watching some TV shows, do they want to catch a bass? Or a trout? Don't try to get too technical with gear and stuff. And explain that if the do NOT catch anything, it may not be because they are doing anything wrong. Most of fishing is "Location, location, location". After that, it will all fall into place.

 

I actually find that teaching kids to fish is so much easier than adults! They have no per-conceived notions to break.

[Thornback]

There is no perfect teacher and no perfect student. Do the best you can and adjust your instructions as you observe how the student is responding. I taught a bass fisherman how to fish with shiners as bait and he showed no initiative. That was discouraging. I taught another guy to bass fish for the first time and we used shiners. He wanted to do everything and it wasn't long before he was catching. That was rewarding.

[Ski213]

As was said before I think the best thing is to not over load them. Especially if they are young or have very little fishing experience. I try to take them somewhere I'm pretty sure I can put them on fish quickly. Then I give them a white bang tail or rooster tail. I teach them how to cast for a minute in open water then I run them through a section and just tell them where to try to put the lure and how to retrieve it. I figure thats enough to start. Most of the people I've taken for their first time are children of girlfriends and they've all been young. They've all done well with that approach though. I'm not a great teacher but they've always been able to make it happen. Very rewarding to take a kid or adult to catch their first bass. My favorite time was with my neighbors kid. His first bass was a 3lb largemouth on his second cast. I was as excited as he was. Awesome to see how pumped up they get over it.

[Senko lover]

1. Take them to ponds.

Teach them about common cover and forage.

Throw some proven lures.

[SirSnookalot]

For a younger person I would start them off bass fishing with plastic worm.  I would not take them to the ocean.

[frogflogger]

Taught lots of people young and adult, if they have any interest at all it is more fun than a barrel of monkeys - it is hard to beat the ned rig or a beetle for newcomers to the sport. Teaching the rudiments of casting and line management is much easier if they are getting a few bites along the way.