Introducing kids to fishing (long read)
So my sons (my fiance's kids technically, from previous marriage) are from New Mexico and never saw a lake until they moved here. Now a little history on me.
I didnt start fishing with my dad until I was 8 or 9. I was blessed to be able to fish a part of the lake seperated from the main lake because dad worked for the power company. While fishing wasnt always better there then the main lake, there was no boat traffic, etc. We always caught fish. My dad was a born a again fisherman so to speak, we were both new to fishing really, and had a decent place to go, although we fished the main lake as well. Most of the tactics were learned here and there, not so much from my dad, as I hate to say, he learned a lot from me as well, which is odd as a father/son team. He stuck to conventional methods a lot and I experimented, and he'd follow suit if he saw fit. I was fortunate never the less, to have a dad that loved to take me fishing, and give me a small allowance (I thought a LOT back then) to buy a few things here and there along the way. Now I primarily fish with my buddies or by myself, as my dad doesnt generally want to go unless he knows theyre biting. We started fishing for crappie, and jugfishing for catfish, then moving on to rod and reel catfish and stripers and the such, and pretty much 'modernized' if you will. I wasnt started with the traditional bobber and bream or bobber and minnow method really. Mostly jigs and jigheads and minnows, casting, or tightlining near a concrete wall where shad stacked up.
Back to my point. My sons are 3 & 5. Soon to be 4 and 6. I would love to get them started fishing in the spring. They keep wanting to go when I go in the winter, but to be honest, even I am scraping for fish in the winter. I want to take them in the spring, and start them traditionally with bobbers, worms, and bream, and possibly bobbers and minnows during the crappie spawn. and simple equipment. Ive got some telescoping poles I thought about using, but then again, just thought about buying them a zebco combo or something simple that way, instead of the 'complicated' stuff I use, because they'll want to do it themselves, thats just how they are. I also want to teach them the whole process, from baiting hooks, to teaching them that we can eat what we catch. Full circle so to speak. Although I dont think we'll have any problem with eating, as they love to eat "Bambi" lol. I want the first impression to be a good one. I know I can slam dunk some bream come warmer weather, and crappie as well, I just dont want to give them the bad impression during the winter, when even dear ole dad scrapes for a few keepers.
How did you guys do it? The ones that got their children successfully hooked on fishing anyway lol