Taking Newbee's fish'n

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I think I was put here mostly to bring fishing to others. I love it. It all started when my brother and sister had kids and fishing with uncle Russ became the thing to do. I learned I had a knack for teaching. It's not somthing I would want to do for a living like a George W, because teaching fishing is only one tiny aspect guiding.

One tip that works well in teaching the dynamics of a cast is the term "loading up the tip"  In the backswing, the weight of the lure combined with inertia, will load up the tip of the rod with energy.  That energy is transferred back to the lure when unloaded, or thrown forward.

But anyway, for me, I'm fine with teaching friends and whoever wants to learn.

This also explains my involvment with the C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation.

Share the knowledge

(this was my one post, for the day, back to the big brown truck to bring xmas to everyone.  bah humbug,lol)

[KU_Bassmaster.]

I took one of my best friends "Bass" fishing last summer for his first ever bass trip. The only fishing he had ever done was trout fishing with power bait and catfishing with night crawler. I showed him how to use a senko, crankbait, etc. It was a great day to teach a newbie how to bass fish. It seemed like anything you threw at them worked. He caught 16 and I caught 14. I thought he was hooked for sure and I had a new fishing buddy. Nope. Didn't seem to thrill him. Why, I have no idea. He as well as all my other non-fishing friends never let me forget the he out caught me that day. Then I try to explain to them that he was in the front of the boat and that I found the fish. You know, bringing out every excuse in the book. They just don't get it though. O well ;D

[Guest avid]

When I first take someone fishing I see myself as a guide and a teacher not a fisherman.  I'll work on keeping the boat positioned properly and pointing out targets.  I never start someone out on a worm.  Spinnerbaits are usually the starting point.  Jerkbaits, crankbaits and topwaters are also good starting points.  they are easy to feel the strike and set the hook.  Worms take a little more skill so I work them up to that.

[K_Mac]

One of my favorite fishing experiences ever was watching my 12 year old daughter catch a 4 lb. channel cat on an ultralight with 4 lb. line, while crappie fishing. She is 26 now but it is still a great memory. Catching big bluegill on a small farm pond with her is also high on my list.

I took one of my nephews fishing a few years ago. Brad was (and still is) a very hyper kid, so I knew we had to find fish in hurry or he would probably bounce out of the boat. We started in a spot that I felt sure we could catch some small fish. I gave him a Zebco 33 with an 1/8 oz. Roadrunner jig and told him to throw it out, count to 3, and reel it in slowly. As I turned to get my rod he yelled. I turned back to see he had hooked a nice fish (3 lbs. plus) about 10' from the boat. He was reeling for all he was worth. I told him to take it easy so I could grab the net. Before I could grab the net, he reeled the fish all the way up to the eyelet of the rod. ;D It was a sight to behold. ;D ;D I didn't know if the fish would pull free, the rod and reel would end up in the lake, or all of the above with Brad attached would be pulled in. ;D Fortunately the fish pulled free. I told Brad we were going to let it go anyway so we could count it. He still talks about the big bass he caught.

Sharing the joy of fishing with someone, especially a child, is a joy in its self. I love fishing alone; experiencing nature in quiet solitude is good for the soul, but most of my favorite fishing memories are shared with another person. Teaching someone else this wonderful sport is noble work. Seeing somone else "get it" makes it worth the effort.

[Whopper Stopper]

I don't agree with the "leave the rod at home" theory. .

What I mean by that is when you teach a kid to fish, you will constantly have to tie/bait hooks; or unsnag lines out of a tree which gets really annoying when you're trying to fish too.

I figured this out a few years back when teaching my younger brother how to fish. I was outfishing him 10 to 1; and I wasn't even trying to. It made him feel bad. He made me switch spots with him and I started catching just as many in his spot as I was in mine. Even though we were fishing for bluegill w/ worms there was still technique involved. So I put my rod down and sat behind him; first I told him where to cast. Then I showed him how to twitch his rod tip to make the bait move to grab the fish's attention etc. It took a while for him to understand that he had to keep slack out of his line to get a good hookset.

It seemed like he was having more fun with me coaching him instead of fishing.

When a kid isn't catching as many as you, it makes them feel as if they've failed.

[bassattack1990]

well i hate to say it but i learend from a pro aka my dad and well teaching me when i was older was harder but i learned and then i tought my brother and well the chain goes on i think teaching epe is almost as good as caughting a five pounder on a top water lure in the evening the fun u can have after both of u learn or how ever many epe u take when they learn in the futer u will have a fishing partner.

[GobbleDog]

When I started this thread, I was mainly talking about trying to teach adults how to fish.  With kids, it's a whole different can of worms (punz r funz).

With my little nephew, I let him cast around, but whenever I hook a bass, I hand him the rod and let him reel it in. Then every fish I catch (legal or not), I toss it in the livewell. After he gets tired of fishing (in about 15 minutes) he spends the rest of the time checking on the fish and watching it swim around in the livewell. Then after about an hour, we toss them all back and go home. He seems happy.

Yall are right with adults, you do feel like a guide. Putting them in the best casting spot, constantly re-tying their line, giving tips, doing whatever it takes to put them on fish. The last guy I took, wasn't nearly as bad as some other newbies I've seen. Ever take that guy who sets the hook way too hard? The lure gets ripped out of the fish's mouth and is now flying at the boat. "ummm, you might want to calm down a little when setting the hook."

[SCarter]

My dad was the ultimate fisherman. No matter what he was fishing for he caught fish. Some of my best memories are sitting on a creek bank (yea I'm from the South) with a cane pole or bank fishing. He taught me the love of the sport and now I am passing it on. For those of you that have a 13 yr old son, you know how trying it can be to TELL them anything. He has got the bream, crappie, and catfish down pretty good so it was time for higher education. Bought an old baitcaster at a pawn shop and put a chunck of lead on it for practice. Well when out in boat he wanted to throw as far as the old man and you know what happended, major bird nest. Just like RW, mounted a Zebco 33 on a 6' BPS Extreme with a Strike King buzzbait. No picking out bird nest, no major dings in cowl, and you should have seen his face when that 3 # bass busted the buzzbait. Kid him still have the stains on the deck where hw was standing. Next test - 9 yr old daughter wants to catch a bass.

[Matt Fly]

My first bass experience was my dad taking me along the banks of Lake Amistad my first summer from school, I was fixing to be a second grader.  My dad tied on a Lucky 13, didn't know that then, and we plugged as he called it all day,  This was not my first time to cast, but 8 hrs of casting the same plug all day and not a single bite that I was aware of, was my first bass fishing experience, thats about 37 years ago and it still seems like yesterday.  I was bitten by the BaitMonkey that day and didn't know it just yet.    

I was getting to do what I had seen my dad do for years, keep casting all day long, isn't that what most kids want to do, grab that rod and cast it out like your older brothers and family.  Up until then, if casting a long ways was needed, someone would grab your rod from you and do it for you.

My dad said later in life on that day, he took me to an area he wouldn't normally walk or fish, but offered a kid a chance to cast without trees on the bank and objects in the water that would keep me hung up.

I have had 50 rods and reels, 20 small plano tackleboxes that I never use.  About 11 yrs ago, I started cleaning them up.  I try to take a new kid fishing, big brother program for awhile, I give them a rod and reel with tackle box that just collected dust.   And Yes, since moving to Terrell, I have found another Kid whos father is gonna be away for awhile, to take fishing, he's 7, and casts pretty well, his first trip skunked me 2-0, 2 white bass on a firetiger spinner.

I may never win that big tournament, but maybe some kid we turn on to bass fishing will, and that would be as good as it could be.  

[Hillbilly_Hooker]

I think I've been blessed with a fishing partner... my 6 year old grandson.  It doesn't matter if he's catching anything or not, he's happy to be at or on the water, no matter how long I stay.  He's nearly hyper with any other activity and quickly loses interest in most things... but not with fishing.  If I want to stay out on the boat for hours, he's always right there with me... never complaining, no matter how slow the bite might be.  No matter what my largest fish of the day is, my greatest pleasure and excitement is in watching him catch something, no matter how small

[Guest avid]

I know this may sound cold, but I don't have the patience or desire to teach an adult how to fish.  A grandchild is a completely different story.

[Hillbilly_Hooker]

Avid,

I certainly understand that we each have different personalities, strengths, weaknesses, etc.  However, if you're afforded the opportunity to teach another, even an adult, you may consider the circumstances prior to making a decision.  I certainly am not pitying myself, but my parents divorced when I was young.  My father wasn't 'on the scene' much after that to teach me anything, and my older brother was at the age that he didn't want his little brother tagging along on his fishing trips.  Consequently, I've had to teach myself much of what very little I know about fishing.  Most of my experience has been with trout fishing and I've only recently discovered the thrills of bass fishing.   I've also always had too little income or too many expenses to hire a guide to teach me anything.  In short, because it's so hard, particularly as an adult, to find anyone willing to pass along their knowledge and expertise, I would have welcomed the opportunity to learn from another experienced fisherman.  In fact, I still would.  Books and magazines help, and this forum has been a spectacular find, but none will replace what I could've learned from someone else 'on the water.'

[bronzeback_NW]

I have a 3yr and a 5 yr boys that I take out with me.My 3yr is already a fanatic.I do find that I have a very hard time teaching and I feel bad about it.Like someone already said I can fish for 12 hours without catching a fish but have a hard time haveing the patience to sit there and go over stuff again and agian.This is something I need to get over,my boys will need me to teach them.The look on their faces when they hook a fish and bring it in is pricesless.They both love bassing so much already and I don't want to sour that by showing discomfort with them while their fishing.With adults it is much easier for me.I will take them out to my favorite spots get them set up explain what we are doing.The most important part is keeping it simple.If they catch a fish or two right away they will want to learn faster.GB..jim

[L.D.]

Being a guide, I get to teach kids how to fish many times durring the season. They come with Mom, Dad, Gramps, or Uncle who do their own fishing and the youngster and I catch fish. Each child is unique in their learning ability and patience. But it's the greatest thing to watch them catch their first fish on their own. You,ve go to keep their interest up at all times. Even if it's a game you make up like how many casts you can do without getting caught on the bottom,(we fish in a river), they will eventually catch a fish with no assistance. Having fun is priority #1 so they will want to go again.

L.D.

[srv1990]

This is my first post... after seeing some of the great posts on this thread I felt compelled to jump in.

I read somewhere (not sure if this site or not) that if you introduce a child to fishing before they are ten yrs. old there is a good chance they will enjoy fishing into adulthood. My great-uncle had a place on the Mississippi about an hour north of St. Louis, where we live, and he took me there a few times when I was around 7 or 8. We fished for catfish, nothing fancy, just some stinkbait on a treble hook and a bobber. We always caught fish and I've loved to fish ever since.

Well, I'm 40 now and through the years I've fished off and on, and fortunately two of my best friends were always there to take me with them and teach me the ropes. I am far from an expert now, but I can hold my own on the water and have my two buddies to thank.

By the way, I have a 7 yr. old daughter and 5 yr. old son, and have taken them both fishing a couple times. They love it, although they have only caught a couple small fish. Heck, most of the time my son doesn't even want a hook or lure, just likes casting and reeling! I'll continue to take them fishing, to try and teach them as much as I can and let them decide for themselves if they want to continue. If all goes as planned, I'll have fishing buddies for life!!! TC

... & go Cardinals!

[bronzeback_NW]

Welcome srv,this is probibly the best bass site you will ever find.Use it as much as possible.It is awsome to see your kids catch fish.My little boys look at me when they hook one and say"Dad he's fighting me what do I do?Fight back son,fight back".It is great.GB...Jim

[cart7t]

Years ago there was a well liked guy in our bass club who decided to bring a newbie fishing to one of our tournaments.  We all promised to take it easy on guy.  Apparently he assured Gordon that he had a rod n reel he was confident with and knew how to cast. Gordon promised to supply the baits.  The guy showed up at the lake................

With a Popeils Pocket fisherman.   ;D   Man, that was tough not saying anything.  

[GobbleDog]

The guy showed up at the lake................

With a Popeils Pocket fisherman. ;D Man, that was tough not saying anything.

I always tell people "it's cool, I have plenty of tackle! You don't need to bring anything. Just show up and I'll take care of everything else!"

But they always end up bringing their Snoopy pole anyway.