Gearing Up for Kids and Beginners

A hook, a worm and a string on a stick? Well, fishing can be simple but you might stretch your definition of "basic" just a little further than that!

There are some great magazines devoted to fishing, often carrying articles and suggestions on what equipment is best. Read a bit and ask a bit -- devoted anglers are always happy to share their opinions. Ask the staff at any sporting goods store for suggestions and assistance in making your choices. After that it's up to you to decide on the amount and selection of tackle you need for attracting fish. Novice anglers of any age can be on or beside the water without a huge investment of money.

If you are relatively new to the sport of fishing consider the following to make your fishing (and releasing of fish) easier.

Rods and Reels

Rods and reels can be sold as a unit or separately with a good starter set available in the $30 range. You'll need to know what type of fish you'll be after as the weight of the fish relates to the strength of the line you use.

Hooks

There's a wide variety available. A single hook for beginners is recommended from #6 to #10 (the higher the number the smaller the hook). As you become adept at reeling in fish and keeping tension on the line, consider making some barbless hooks by mashing down the barb on the end with pliers to make it easier to remove the hook.

Sinkers

There are many different kinds but for novices, split shot are inexpensive and versatile. Get several sizes of removable shot and squeeze them on with your pliers. Most sinkers are made of lead, but more environmentally friendly alternatives (bismuth, tin) are becoming available.  

  
Bobbers

Bobbers or floats attach to the line and do two things: they keep the bait suspended at a particular level, and they jerk or dance to indicate a bite. Small ball bobbers can be clipped on the line at the bottom and the top, and are easiest to use.
Snap Swivels

These do two things as well: they keep the line form twisting, particularly with lures that spin, and when tied to the end of your line, they allow you to easily switch hooks and lures.

Lures

There's an extremely large range of artificial lures available, no doubt as you become more devoted to the art of fishing you'll get 'hooked' on a few favorites. The most basic types are:

• Plugs  - these great little imitators consist of a hard body made of plastic or wood. Topwater lures or poppers splash and dance across the surface of the water pretending to be frogs, mice or struggling minnows. Floater/diver plugs float but when you use a pull/stop motion on your line it makes the lure resemble an injured minnow. Crankbaits dive deeper, where they can be seen by largemouth bass walleye or pike lurking near the bottom.
• Spoons and spinners - The weight of these metal blades makes them a preferred choice for casting in windy conditions. Since spinners spin, use a snap swivel to avoid twisted lines.
• Jigs - Attached to a hook jigs are sold with tails made of hair or plastic or they can be bought separately. Jigs are fished off the bottom by lifting the rod tip and dropping it again as the lure is slowly reeled in.
• Soft plastic lures - Because these lures feel more life-like fish may hold on to them longer. Attach them as you would live bait and retrieved them slowly along the bottom for the best effect.

Live Bait

Live bait is cheap, easy to obtain and usually catches more fish for novice anglers than lures do. However, fish will swallow more hooks with bait, and in some areas live bait is not allowed. If you are taking children fishing for the first time involve them in the preparations by looking for worms on lawns at night after a rain. Check the Fishing Regulations Summary for specific information about bait fish. It is important to remember that you should never dump bait fish into water other than that which they were caught in - you might be introducing species that could harm that particular ecosystem. 

Tackle Box

A small tackle box will keep things organized and easy to find. Plastic ones can be inexpensive and won't rust.

Needle Nose Pliers

Useful for squeezing split-shot and barbs. Also great for getting hooks out of fish mouths containing many sharp teeth!

Nail Clippers

Good for snipping off the tag ends of knotted line.

Cotton Gloves

If you're at all queasy about handling fish these will come in handy for use as you remove hooks. Make sure your gloves are wet when handling fish to protect the slime covering on the fish's body.

Bucket

A great carryall.

Net

This is optional as pan fish and smaller fish can be lifted straight out of the water, but if you've got your heart and mind set on bigger ones, well...take it!

Of course it's also recommended that you pack along your fishing regulations, sun screen, insect repellent, compass, and life jackets or PFD (personal floatation device), particularly for children and non-swimmers fishing next to flowing waters.

For more tips and ideas on introducing children to fishing, have a look at our booklet:  Take a Kid Fishing - How to Have Fun and Catch Something Too!  (PDF, 5.6 mb)