I have been fishing for over 40 years. Some of the best times of my life were going fishing with my Dad and Grandfather. As a kid I always enjoyed fishing with them. When I was little, I noticed they never caught as many fish as I did. I thought it was neat to outfish them since they were older. As I grew older, married and had my own children, I realized that I was not a better fisherman than them, they were just smarter than I. You see they did not try to catch fish, but instead made sure that I caught fish. Now I have a granddaughter and I have gone fishing with her only twice. Both times 'Papa' made sure she was the one catching fish. Next year she will make her first trip out on the lake in my bass boat. She will again be the only one catching fish. Below I have few tips that might help you when you are fishing with your kids or grandkids.

• Make sure that you have a life jacket handy that fits the child. It is real difficult trying to explain why little Johnny drowned today. You also need to wear yours. Set an example.
  
• Have the fishing rods ready before you leave. Kids have a short attention span and will want to fish as soon as you shut off the motor.
  
• Always take refreshments with you no matter how long you are going. Some soda pop, juice, cookies, candy bars are good to have along. If it is a day outing a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are good too.
  
• Make sure you have live bait with you. This may sound silly, but most bass fishermen don't use live bait and forget this important item when fishing with children.
  
• Set the kids up, then you can start to fish. Remember they are going to have to catch fish so if you get the first bite, give your rod to the child to hold. He will be amazed that he caught a fish on your rod. I caught a lot of fish on my Dad's rod!
  
• If you are not catching fish in a half-hour of arrival… move! The kids want to catch fish!
  
• A very important item you need is sunscreen. Mom will usually apply a ton before you go but it is handy to have in case you need to add more. Make sure you wear it too!
  
• Keep an eye on the weather. You don't need to be caught out in a storm. This will turn a kid off from fishing real quick.
  
• The most important tip that I can give you… Have Fun!
  

I hope this will help you on your next fishing trip with the kids. If you don't have kids then take the next door neighbor's kid fishing. He will love it and you will have a friend for life!

Gary

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