Kids fish anymore?

[SMfisher]

one of the reasons that we are having the Pulaski County Kids Fishing Day is to get the kids outside away from the tv games and introduce fishing it may be the first time a lot of them have gone fishing maybe the first time they get a chance to catch some fish

[Deleted account]

There is a steady decline in fishing participation.

[grimlin]

There is a steady decline in fishing participation.

Not just fishing....outdoor sport activities altogether.

[Sfritr]

I only have one child.  He is 10 and I have had him fishing since he was 3.  He is a dropshotting, smallmouth fanatic.  Saves his own money to buy Roboworms and dropshot wieghts.  (Aarons magic is his color)

He has at least two friends that love to go with us.  I try to take as many kids out as I can.  If there IS a decline in kids fishing its because parents do not expose their children to the outdoors anymore.

Case in point:   both parents work, little johnny is latchkey and plays PS3 till parents get home.  Or, single family homes where there is NO father figure to introduce little Johnny to the outdoors and MOM is not an outdoorsy person. 

[bigfruits]

i was born in 76 and when i was growing up we had a huge bike gang in our neighborhood and we used to be riding to the lake to fish almost every day.

i dont see any bike gangs anymore. i also never see a group of kids, like my gang, on the shores laughing and messing around with a catfish or bluegill. i do think internet and video games have a part in that.

is it bad for fishing interest to go down? less people on the lake, right? but then you have less money going into maintaining fisheries...

something i need to learn more about.

[Joe Boss]

My son is 6 and has been fishing with me for 2 years now. His interest in fishing is not to high, certainly not as high as interest in video games. When we are at the pond he is much more interested in chasing ducks, hunting for turtles or his Nintendo DS.

When I hook a bass I yell "fish on" and he knows to come running to reel it in for me. I see his eyes light up when he lands the fish and I know thats all I need to do for now. I have planted the seeds for his love of fishing to grow.

[bear7625]

My 3 boys started fishing around age 5, and are still fishing at 42,40 and 33. Out of 5 grandkids, 3 boys,2 girls, only 2 don't fish. My oldest grandson was never interested and the youngest is only 14 months old. I have been fortunate that we always lived in an area where fishing was easily accessible. I'm sure more kids would get into fishing if only given the opportunity.

[bandsr4me20]

im a teenager and i fish a lot

[SoFlaBassAddict]

Both of my daughters are six, nearly seven.  They both love fishing.  One of them loves it far more than the other.  She just enjoys going out and casting her rod and trying to catch fish.  The other is just like most kids her age that fish, it's not really fun unless you catch fish.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

We have 2 boys and 3 girls ages 20, 18, 15, 10 & 8 and each has a different level of interest. Many of our fondest memories are from days spent fishing, hiking, anything outdoors. One of the biggest challenges in keeping them involved, is that the hectic, blistrering speed of everyday life nowdays is the norm to them and they seem to have a hard time downshifting to enjoy any activity that isn't constant stimulation.

[IDbasser]

My boys enjoy fishing

[bassmedic46]

I take my son and daughter who are five fishing all the time. My son prefers ice fishing and my daughter loves either so as long as she is out with dad.

[florida strain]

thats because they wanna ride jet skies and wakeboards, and get in my way ,scare the fish off and then come back for another pass.. > i really hate that.

[Captain Obvious]

I'm 19 and I think you guys know I love to fish ;D

But I have two younger brother ages 11 and 9 that love to fish so much that I find myself wanting to go fishing alone sometimes so I don't get beat

[intheweeds]

I have been taking my 2.5 year old daughter fishing with me. She likes it a lot. She even has her own pole. I hope she will stick with it and fish with me for years to come. As far as kids fishing anymore. I think it all depends where you live. I am the only one in my or my wife's family that fishes. I believe that if you live in an area that has a lot of fishermen and easy access to the fishing grounds it is easier to pick up, even if your parents aren't into it.

[77railer]

I have taken all four of my kids fishing. The boys do seem to like it more than the girls but each of them have gone...

[basswitch]

Going fishing with my mom was the highlight of my childhood, I did get bored often and wander off to play in the water or catch frogs. As I got older, I had "better things to do". I came back to fishing in my 20's when my kids were little, but trying to fish while baiting and unhooking for 4 little people got to be frustrating, especially when it was sometimes me that I was unhooking! After awhile I gave up.

They've all gone with me since they've been teenagers, but of course more and more they're finding "better things to do". My daughter is the only one who shows any real interest, and when she gets bored she takes pictures or reads, she just loves to be in the boat. Maybe they'll come back to it when they're older like I did.

I see quite a few kids fishing here in Wisconsin, but it also seems like the outdoors is a far larger part of the culture than where I grew up in Illinois. I ran into this little guy last summer, he couldn't have been more than 9, talked to me about fishing with a passion that I recognized. There was nothing in the world he'd rather do, I wanted to take him home and talk to his mom about taking him fishing with me sometimes, but I can only imagine how I'd react if some stranger came to me with a question like that. It's sad but you can't trust anyone. Kids like that make me wish I had a spare boat lying around, the way he was drooling on my little tin boat made me want to give it to him!

[wisconsin heat]

im 15 and crazy for bass, i see lots of kids fishing, but they seem to be more "whatever is biting" fisherman...not my kinda deal...i for one like the idea of more kids not fishing...less competiton for when  i make it in the elite series  ;D ;D

[EasternPAfisherman]

I'm a teenager and I fish almost every day of the week.

me too. Whats with you people in saying we dont fish! haha. I have 7 bass for this year and now im gonna keep a log book for this season. It also might help me in my first tournaments this year. But I always fish anytime i get the chance.

[CJ]

What a great topic. I have 3 kids, 2 of them are boys. One of them doesn't really care much for fishing and the other one is a rare breed. Gavin is 9 years old now and will fish for hours not getting a bite and never complain or stop watching his line. I think the new technological world has robbed some of the younger generations of experiencing the outdoor life. Here's some pictures of how Gavin's patience has paid off! And the one in my avatar was from a day when he had over 15 lbs. by himself fishing 15-20 ft. deep on a worm. Don't mean to brag.......or well...YES I DO!

[aarogb]

I'm 16 and I love to fish.  I also love to fish tournaments more than just fishing.  Hopefully I can find a career in the fishing industry when I graduate college.

[Brendan Duffy]

17 years old here and love to fish

[DINK WHISPERER]

My 4 year old girl LOVES to fish with me. She prefers the local ponds to the bass boat though. I already have some gear waiting for the boy too(8 months).

[sambrochill]

I'm 18 and I have been fishing for about two years now. Prior to that my dad had taken me fishing before but the fishing was slow and uneventful due to the fact that i was only fishing for small fish like bluegill. I do believe that video games and different things have caused kids to lose the excitement that fishing can bring, and they only see it as boring.

Last year my two brothers and I (they are also 18), we all went fishing, my brother Ryan loves to fish but my other brother doesn't like to fish at all (He is more interested in team sports, cars, and Music). So i set up a pole for my other brother with a Strike King Red Eye shad and after a few casts he had caught a 13 inch Large Mouth Bass. He said it was probably one of the most fun things he has ever done.

I think the only reason why kids aren't that interested in fishing anymore is because of the pace. Its not a very fast paced sport and in today's society people (especially kids) are accustomed to receiving things quickly and do not really have patience.

I guess I am one of the lucky few that has realized patience is a virtue and in the words of some guy "good things come to those who wait"

like a 22 pound large mouth bass

[santacruz]

I have a buddy who as a now 5yr old but he as been fishing since he was 2yrs old.He can cast a spincast reel by himself and for the most part put it close to where it needs to be.He started out on live bait,but now he can cast and fell the bite on artifical.