Bass Class: Timing your youngster

Many novice fishing instructors make two common mistakes when working with young children. The first mistake is trying to force one specialized fishing style upon the child. Ironically, the other mistake, which can be more disastrous than the first, is to spend too much time fishing. Kids usually have their own outdoors agenda and sense of timing. We as instructors must constantly remind ourselves of that issue.

FLW anglers all have one common bond: We like to fish for largemouth and smallmouth bass. Unfortunately, bass fishing is not the way to start off a young angler. After teaching hundreds of young sprouts, I quickly learned kids like to catch lots of fish. And, the more they catch, the happier they become. Bass, as tournament anglers learn, simply are not accommodating enough for a child’s first few trips. We know how tough bass fishing can be. If a child is subjected to such difficult fishing, he or she will become frustrated and lose interest in the sport.

Fear not! The Good Lord created the panfish. Sunfish, yellow perch, bluegills, crappie, rock bass, bream and the like are all waiting to bite on a child’s hook. These same fish that sometimes plague us on bass fishing trips, will enhance the future generation of the bass fishing sport. Therefore, whenever you go fishing with a kid, take full advantage of the panfish. They are usually cooperative and easy to catch.

Time is on your side

On the clock front, adults view time completely different from kids. Adults can usually focus on a subject. After all, we know life is short. By concentrating, we can complete our mission and be off to the next hurdle or tournament.

Kids, on the other hand, think time is unlimited. And they must use every second to make new explorations. This combination gives the younger set a very short attention span. They know they can fish for a while now and, then, there will be plenty of time to get back to fishing later on.

To overcome this attention deficit, the fishing instructor should keep the actual fishing portion of a trip short. All-day affairs are possible, but break things up. One example would be to start off your day with an early anglers’ breakfast. Most kids love to eat anyway. After breakfast, visit the local bait shop. The youngsters will enjoy looking at the bait tanks and endless racks of fishing lures. These pre-fishing activities build the excitement of the upcoming fishing adventure.

Continue to break things up at the lake or pond. Try fishing for 30 to 60 minutes. If the panfish are biting well, you can stick to fishing if the child is into it. Otherwise, stop and look at the birds, animals or some other item of nature. This fishing recess creates an appreciation for nature and the surrounding environment. Whatever agenda you set up for the trip, let the youngster tell you what they want to do. If they want to keep fishing, that’s great. If not, don’t push the issue. There is nothing wrong with taking a hike or going home early.

Teaching patience

Patience is something kids lack.

“Are we there yet?”

“When are we going to catch something?”

“Can I reel it in?”

The questions are endless – sometimes to the frustration of adults. But this lack of patience is very evident when the youngster casts out a bobber. Almost as soon as the bobber hits the water, the youngster is reeling it back in. The panfish are rarely given enough time to find the bait.

There is a simple way to overcome this anxiousness. Tell the youngster to count to 10 after the bobber comes to rest on the water. They will usually make it to five. To stress your point, have your student count out loud so both of you know you are waiting the full 10 seconds. If the fish are active, a 10 count is all you need to insure a catch.

“Positive reinforcement” for this hard-fought patience comes after the first fish is hooked. Soon the youngster learns that if he waits a short period of time, a fish will bite. This lesson will not only help the youth catch more fish, but may carry over to other things later in life.

Time is up. After a good day on the water, you pack things up for the ride home. Your fishing buddy climbs into the seat. Suddenly, there is a silence that hasn’t been heard before. You look over to see your partner dozing away dreaming of your next fishing trip.

It as at that very moment that you realize your patience has paid off.

Frank McKane Jr. is a nationally known outdoor writer with over 4,000 magazine and newspaper pieces published during his 12-year career. He caught his first fish at 6 months of age and, ever since, has studied the ways of the outdoorsman. With a degree in environmental chemistry, he is dedicated to protecting the environment and promoting outdoor sports for children and adults.