at what age can you start teaching a boy to fish?

[bluetreefingers]

i was just curious as to what time do you all think it is right to start teaching a boy how to be a man (how to fish) haha.

3 sounds like a pretty good age for me!

start him off on bluegill n stuff!

[btcprince]

depends on the kid but 3 or 4 is good. just dont expect him to stay in tune long. i took mine out at 4 to a dock loaded with bluegill and stuff, and we had a blast. now i took my daughter out and she caught the big bluegill of the day. we used the tip of a cane pole and crickets, but corn or other stuff works too. have fun. at 7 i started him on a spinning outfit and he has good control of it, just hasnt landed his first bass yet, but summers comin'

[fishinfiend]

As soon as he can stand on his own!

[=Matt 5.0=]

Started my nephew at age 2 with a Spiderman setup. My son will be 2 this year so it's his turn.

[bluetreefingers]

spiderman setups rock!

heck i would get one for myself if they had an adult sized one!

[jemackinnon83]

I take my 2 year old son fishing with me all the time.  He's got a Spongebob squarepants setup:).  Usually he gets a bobber and no hook.  Every 15 minutes or so I have to untangle the line from around him, so he's not quite ready for a hook:)

[Quinn]

I had my nice and nephew (twins) for a year, and i took them to a small lake, they both were casting an open face spinning reel about 25 yards and caught some small crappie. They were about 3.5 years old. Their attention span was something to deal with. I didn't get my fishing in, 'cause I was untangleing stuff from trees and stuff so take the kidds fishing to teach them how. When they get older, it is only technique from that point on. They had a blast..... That's what counts right????

[SenkoBasser]

My daughter is 3 years old and I have her casting pretty darn good now. Last season, she was only 2, I brought her to a trout farm, casted in for her, hooked one, then handed the rod to her to reel in. And she did! Now that she can cast I want to see if she can catch some crappie for my frying pan. I'm stoked. Come winter this year Ima try her on some skis. Oughtta be fun.

[-ebby-]

just a idea cut the barb or buy some barbless hooks incase they get hooked

[bassmedic46]

I have twin 3 year olds a boy and girl. I work as a paramedic and I work 2 days a week and take them fishing everyday for a short time. My son has a shreck pole and my daughter has a princess pole that they practice casting with, both are getting pretty good. Tight lines

[bassmedic46]

Kids love ice fishing

[Daiwa]

Kids love ice fishing

Im not sure thats the best thing. Its slow fishing and might lose interest.

[GatorTom]

Both my boys started when they were 2.  Just don't expect their attention span to be very long.  I would take them to some different holes where the bream were thick or take them to my mom's stocked catfish pond and let them pull them in one after another.  My dad started me out really young.  In Michigan, we used to fish for walleye from the shore and I couldn't even reel when a fish was on.  So, I would just start backing up.  I was just under 2.  Now my oldest son (he's now almost 7) is the best fishing partner I have.  I bought him one og those AVS youth baitcaster setups and he's learned to throw it pretty well.  His PB LMB is 7lbs 2oz.  He caught it late last year.

[brgbassmaster]

caught my first silver salmon in alaska at 3 so thats not a bad age at all.

[CJ]

I caught my first one at four. My boy caught his first at three!

Only advice is to make sure they're having fun whether they are catching fish or not. I let mine bring along his Gameboy in case he gets bored (I don't think he has ever played it on the boat though). I'm always trying to entertain him by acting goofy or cutting up and ofcourse I always make him feel big by asking him if this lure will work or if this spot is a good one. And I try to never get on to him or get frustrated cause he just messed his rig up or is jumping around to much. The main thing is that when Gavin goes fishing with me, it's our day, not just mine.  

[burleytog]

Same age you teach them to shoot.

1

[CL]

i started my son around 3 with trout up in branson. he did fine, but the attention span is short. he is almost 6 now and LOVES to fish, but he still has a short attention span for it. he runs around the pond and then casts a couple times, then goes off to something else. ponds are a good place for kids.

[CL]

I caught my first one at four. My boy caught his first at three!

Only advice is to make sure they're having fun whether they are catching fish or not. I let mine bring along his Gameboy in case he gets bored (I don't think he has ever played it on the boat though). I'm always trying to entertain him by acting goofy or cutting up and ofcourse I always make him feel big by asking him if this lure will work or if this spot is a good one. And I try to never get on to him or get frustrated cause he just messed his rig up or is jumping around to much. The main thing is that when Gavin goes fishing with me, it's our day, not just mine.  

i need to take this advice for myself with my kid. i need to remember its our day, not mine.

[MALTESE FALCON]

I started my kids fishing around three, they all loved it. Last Friday my three year old grandson caught his first LMB. I set up his Snoopy pole with a Senko and he tossed it out to the middle of the canal and within thirty seconds he was pulling in an 15" bass.

The best advice was make sure they are having fun.

Falcon

[ba7ss3in]

My daughter turns 1 tomorrow and she will be getting her first combo.

[Popeye]

My wife and I just bought our two grandsons and two granddaughters fishing combos last Sunday. I got the girls Dora setups and the boys Zebco 202s w/small tackle boxes. We are hoping to take all of them fishing on the fishing dock at Otay lake as soon as the weather warms a bit more. My wife suggested a Mother's Day outting/picknic for our whole family. The girls are 4 and 2 1/2 and the twin boys are going to be 6 in May. Hopefully the bluegills and crappie will be biting good by then. I find that if a young child doesn't catch something in the first 10 - 15 minutes they loose all interest and want to go play or go home. I want all our grandkid's first fishing experience to be a good one.

[key chain bass guy]

I took my daughter on her second birthday.  The advice about it being our day, not mine is good.  I hope I can remember that next time we go.  

[guitarkid]

The first time I really remember fishing, I was about 7, by that age they could probably get some of the point. But that is my opinion. Now about the combo spincasters, I had a kermit the frog one with about a 2.5 foot pole.

                        -searoach

[lookatmybass]

it's never too soon to start

[MDbassinmike]

Here is my son Rhenn at 3.  He caught this one and several more last year.