Taking a young person fishing

[Lottabass]

Advice needed.  I have the opportunity to teach a young lady to bass fish.  I fish small, 60 to 80 acre, watershed lakes from a small boat.  There is no fishing pressure.  I'm 74, she is 20.  I feel like I should have a game plan.  I want her to learn, catch fish, and have fun.  How would you folks do this?  Thank you for any help you can give.

[Swamp Girl]

Sometimes when a teacher is loaded with 74 years of wisdom, they want to impart all of that knowledge right now. Don't. Teach her the bare minimum to cast and let her fumble along with her casting for a bit. Then teach one more thing. And let her chew that like sweet cud. Then another. And so on.

 

I say this as a lifelong teacher who's worked with kids beyond counting.

 

Also, don't do all the talking. Ask her about her life.

 

Lastly, note what she's doing right and reinforce that with praise. Here and there. Don't drown her with praise like you can drown her with info. 

 

Here's my student's biggest bass this year:

 

[Lottabass]

Awesome advice!  Thank you very much!

[Spankey]

I think what as worked for me with my grandsons (started them younger then the 20 yo you are working with) was even though I wanted them to establish a PB from day one, the most important thing is for them to catch fish. Bigger bass and PB will come. My older grandsons fished with worms, night crawlers, minnows, crickets, grubs, small crawfish and have caught everything in the lake but a musky. Now days they toss artificial and have a PB they look to break. Now I have a 3 year old grandson in the mix. 
Having fun with it is a big part. 

[Catt]

First thing you need to evaluate is her desire for the sport. Second is her level of expertise.

 

These two two tell you where to start.

[Pat Brown]

Eager students are fast learners but taking someone fishing - even for one afternoon of pretty sights and sounds in God's creation - is worth the cost of admission!

 

I say go for it and keep expectations low and open mindedness high and good times will be had by all.  And who knows - you might just introduce her to something she grows to love.

[Koz]

I host a weekly fishing program for kids and adults at my hotel. We use spincast rods, tiny hooks, small bobbers, and redworms and have the kids catch bluegill all morning long.

 

We fish along the banks of the hotel and each kid catches at least 5-10 bluegill, pumpkinseed, small catfish, or small bass every single week. For safety reasons I bait the hooks and unbutton the fish, but I teach the anglers how to gently and safely release the fish.

 

I'd start there. Hopefully that builds confidence and makes them want to fish more. Then progress to different baits and fishing for different species. To get someone interested in fishing I think it's important to get them catching as many fish as possible right away, and that starts with small panfish. If you head right out of the gate fishing for bigger fish, especially in the summer, it can get very boring very fast.

[Swamp Girl]

@Koz is cool.

[Koz]

9 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

@Koz is cool.

I get paid to fish 😀

 

That some what makes up for running a business that is open 24/7/365.

[fin]

I don't think it can be repeated enough how important it is that they catch fish early in the game. They can get turned off to something really quick, and once they decide it's boring, you'll probably never get them interested again. Make sure you go somewhere they will catch fish quickly.

 

I think maybe learning the equipment good enough to cast without trouble before ever getting to the water might be a good tactic. Set up a target in the yard or something. Once they get out on the water they're distracted by a million things, and they want to DO, not LEARN.

 

Or you know, they may not care about fishing at all, they may just want to spend time with you doing something you enjoy, so don't stress over the learning too much.

[Rockhopper]

Anytime I am taking a newb fishing, I always approach it as I am taking THEM fishing, not myself.  Then I can go into the day with the mindset that it is not for me and it doesn't matter if I get my line wet.  I used to be the opposite and would get frustrated when I couldn't fish when someone new to fishing came along.  Approach it as their day, not yours. You are there for support and wisdom.

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, Rockhopper said:

Anytime I am taking a newb fishing, I always approach it as I am taking THEM fishing, not myself.  Then I can go into the day with the mindset that it is not for me and it doesn't matter if I get my line wet.  I used to be the opposite and would get frustrated when I couldn't fish when someone new to fishing came along.  Approach it as their day, not yours. You are there for support and wisdom.

 

So true. Position the boat so that your student has the best cast. And be ready with the net or to unhook a fish or retie a line. As Rockhopper wrote, it's their day. If the teacher catches the big fish or the most fish, the teacher earned an F. 

[Bazoo]

You might try 2 things...  first: topwater. That will get them on the edge of their seats the first time a fish grabs it.

 

Second: Texas rigged worm. It's slow - not as exciting, opposite ends of the spectrum (explain briefly that there are various techniques between those extremes to suit the angler and the fish's mood). When they feel the nibble, and set the hook, they too will be hooked.

[Catt]

On 7/20/2024 at 10:31 AM, Catt said:

Second is her level of expertise.

 

 

Again what is her level of expertise?

 

Does she have zero experience?

Can she at least cast?

 

Leaning to cast can be done in your yard. 

 

If she wants to learn bass fishing don't waste time perch jerking.

 

I agree with @Bazoo except i would start with a Texas Rig. But Catt that's the hardest to learn! Exactly! Learn the hardest first, the rest will fall into place. 

 

Started him out with a Fluke.

 

[Lottabass]

Thank you all for taking the time to give me great advice!  Our adventure is coming up in the next few days.  I will post a report then.

[Swamp Girl]

2 hours ago, Lottabass said:

Thank you all for taking the time to give me great advice!  Our adventure is coming up in the next few days.  I will post a report then.

 

Fingers crossed she hooks some fish and gets hooked on fishing. 

 

[Zcoker]

Fish first. Hook a fish and then give her the rod. Let her reel in the fish. Let her feel the weight, the pull, the vibrations....the REALITY of another living thing at the end of the line. Work it like that until she has an UNDERSTANDING of what she's dealing with. Through it all, she will watch and listen to you cast. She will see your body mechanics. Let her do it after a while. Build up the momentum until she can confidently catch her first fish. Might even try some live bait just to get things moving quickly and assuredly.