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tackle for kids


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HI I WOULD LIKE SOME DETAILED INFO ON WHAT YOU WOULD DO HERE IS THE DEAL I HAVE A 13 YEAR OLD NEPHEW AND 7 YEAR OLD NIECE I HAVE BEEN TEACHING THEM HOW TO FISH I WOULD LIKE TO BUY THEM THEIR OWN (SEPERATE) TACKLE BOXES WITH TACKLE WHAT SHOULD I BUY THEM I ONLY FISH PIKE MYSELF SO I DONT REALLY KNOW WHAT TO GET THEY WILL FISH FROM SHORE MOSTLY SOME FROM A BOAT AND MOST OF THE LAKES ARE WEEDY THE NIECE LOVES SUNFISH AND THE NEPHEW SUNFISH AND MAYBE PIKE IM WILLING TO SPEND A FEW BUCKS TO GET THEM SOME BETTER STUFF. I FEEL IF I BUY THEM QUALITY AND NOT JUNK HOPEFULLY THEY WONT GET FRUSTRATED AND GIVE IT UP. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREAT I COULD REALLY USE A LIST OF WHAT YOU WOULD BUY THANK YOU PS I BOUGHT THEM RODS BUT NOTHING ELSE.

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First off, way to go getting them interested in fishing!Can't really go wrong with some beetle spins and mister twisters of various sizes. You can catch just about everything on those! My basic list would include, bobbers, swivels, small pan of sinkers, long shank hooks, a few small feather jigs, stringer, forceps, Maybe a surface lure like a rapala skitterpop. I'd hold off on most pike lures untill you know they know how to cast without getting the back of their head or someone elses and then surprise them with a pike lure or two when you take them out fishing for pike. Something I had alot of fun with when I was a little tike was just practicing my casting with a rubber casting plug out in the yard. My .02.

Tunrevir! cool.gif

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Quote:

Something I had alot of fun with when I was a little tike was just practicing my casting with a rubber casting plug out in the yard


I still do that with the rubber plug, or whatever I can find grin.gif

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My 2 cents are as follows:

1) Get reasonably good equipment. If they are too young to easily handle a spinning reel, then get them a Zebco or Johnson spincasting reel setup. It was much easier and enjoyable for my kids. As soon as they developed to the point where I thought they should use a spinning reel, I let them use mine. Then I eventually got them each one of their own.

2) Bluegills and other panfish are the greatest thing that ever happened to fishing with kids. Use them. And take the fish off the hooks for the kids.

3) You are a guide. Select equipment, lures, and baits that you know will work. Equipment is not important to kids. Catching fish is imporant.

4) When the time comes, let them pick out some of their own tackle to try. I think it's natural for them to want to try something new of their own choosing (just like adults.)

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Good equipment is important. You will lose them fast if they have a cheap reel they can't cast so stay away from snoopy. Johnson or zebco are the best spin casts around. Slip bobber hook and sinker catch a lot of fish and easy to cast too. When they are better at casting a couple of floating rapalas are effective and will not sink to the bottom ans snag. Or even spoons for northerns, if they can get them through the weeds.

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The slip bobber has to be the greatest thing ever invented for kids (maybe the rest of us as well). Get the ones with the little weight ring on the lower tube. Not only will they be able to cast without all that line hanging below the bobber but the weighted bobber makes casting easy. Most of the time you don't need the little plastic bead. Show them how to wet the bobber stop as they tighten it and it will stay tight on the line. The other thing is some little jigs. They make it easy to hold the hook while hooking live bait or plastic and fish will not swallow them as they do bare hooks so the kids won't always need help getting the fish off.

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Try a small jig with a small peice of Berkley® Micro Power Wiggler bait. Find a weedy spot / dock that holds sunfish and you will have fast action. If your getting bites but not hooking them switch to a smaller jig / hook.

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Way to go, they're lucky to have a thoughtful uncle.

A few suggestions: Gypsy Jigs, red Gamakatsu hooks, Lindy Rig for walleyes, one of those line hole paint punches, pointed bobbers (some with weights for easier casting), Polaroid sunglasses to see fish and protect their eyes from hooks. A needle-nose pliers, for hook removal

"The Fisherman's Ultimate Knot Guide" is printed on rainproof plastic and held by a rivet; got mine at Thorne Brothers, or check out: www.jesherry.com

I like live bait for kid action, especially leeches. They can catch anything on them: sunfish, bass, crappies, walleyes, northern pike and more. A second live bait option is sometimes needed until they get used to handling leeches (sometimes they have to bait their own hook, but they don’t want a leech).

If you are taking them, let them run a small motor. Teach them how to start it, dock it, and put it in reverse. Bring snacks and beverages. Teach them nicknames for fish.

My 3 boys liked fishing with Suicks (my first choice is white and red), for pike in the shallows, wearing their Polaroid sunglasses this spring. Watching the follows and the strikes is a blast for them.

Good Luck!

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i like the triggerspin reels for a kid who is too big for the snoopy. it makes a nice transition to a spinning reel.

you have two different ages there for sure. the 13 year old is ready to fish smarter and put his own action on a lure. i would stock his box with rapalas and senkos.

a seven year old needs to cast and reel and still catch fish. i second beetle spins and twister tails 2" and smaller and one or two original raps, so she can be like her big brother once in a while.

if they are shore fishing, a small soft sided taklebox works better than a hard case. a couple of plano takle organizers will be easy to carry and keep them organized.

i can't wait for my little ones to be big enough to get serious about fishing (3 and 1 1/2) cool.gif

you must be the favorite uncle grin.gif

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As soon as they developed to the point where I thought they should use a spinning reel, I let them use mine. Then I eventually got them each one of their own.

And this gave me an excuse to buy myself a news rod and reel. cool.gif

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My nine year old has used a spinning reel for a couple of years now. So I get to buy her new rods and reels too.

A twenty dollar cabelas gift card and she is buying her own tackle now. Real proud to catch fish on her tackle she picked out. Last week we tied some snells she set up cant wait to get some Eyes on them and see her face.

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HEY THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP I BROUGHT THEM TO A STORE. THE ADVICE TO HAVE THEM PICK OUT SOME OF THERE OWN STUFF REALLY HELPED. FOR MY NEPHEW I BOUGHT 2 FLOATING RAPS 2 SPOONS 2 ASSORTED PACKS OF JIGS AND 3 PACKS OF TWISTER TAILS. SLIP FLOATS FLU FLUS ICE JIGS (THEY HAD A GREAT TIME PICKING THESE OUT)BEETLE SPINS NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS LEAD SHOT PACK BOBBER STOPS FOR BOTH OF THEM MY NIECE PICKED OUT A PINKISH COLERED RAP SHE WAS TICKLED WITH THAT. SHE SAID SHE WANTED TO TRY A SPINNING REEL SO I GAVE HER A ULTRA LIGHT REEL TO START WITH I FIGURED EASY ON SMALL FINGERS. SHES GREAT AT IT AND LOVES IT THANKS FOR THE ADVICE I WILL CONTINUE TO CHECK BACK FOR MORE ADVICE. ON ANOTHER NOTE I WAS FISHING ON A PIER WITH THEM WHEN MY NEPHEW HAD A COUPLE OF FRIENDS STOP BUY. THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO FISH BUT DIDNT KNOW HOW I SAID I WOULD SHOW THEM. THEY BIKED HOME GOT THERE STUFF AND I SHOWED THEM HOW THEY LOVED IT NOW MY NEPHEW AND HIS FRIENDS ARE FISHING BY THEMSELVES THIS IS GREAT ITS SO TRUE TAKE A KID FISHING THEY WILL LOVE IT

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that is awesome mrcarp. every teen on the water is one less hanging out on the corner.

on a safety note, i removed the trebels from a rap and put one single barbless hook on the back. i wanted to be sure my little girl didn't get hurt. i used the lure last week and only lost two fish. and sunglasses are a must for little eyes for both hooks and sun. cool.gif

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thanks mrcarp for helping set two more people on a down ward spiral of tall tales and smelly clothes. Im sure the sun and fresh air will have some effect on them. Next thing you know they'll have worms and leeches in their fridge and then they are going to want ma and pa to buy a boat. Just think of what you started and feel very proud.

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Quote:

You will lose them fast if they have a cheap reel they can't cast so stay away from snoopy.


On the other hand it seems like a lot of trophy fish are caught by kids using the "snoopy" pole. grin.gif

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"Snoopy" poles do work and do catch trophies but in my experience they do not hold up well. After a few casts they get rats nests and dont cast very well.

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Have we really gone this far into the thread without anyone saying "barbless"?

Pinch down the barbs until you're comfortable with them having safe, confident fishing skills.

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Kids have a hard time getting slack line up enough to set the hook, bobber fishing when there is a good breeze. The stubby "Snoopy" poles do not pick up any extra slack line and kid's short arms and tentative hook-sets don't help any. Try it sometime...I did, and hated it.

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All I needed to know about fishing tackle, I learned from my grandfather. He gave me my first fishing rod, which was an absolutely horrid old "wonder rod" with matching reel. I absolutely hated it. It was truly one of the most vexing mechanical devices I have ever experienced. But I liked catching fish.

That rod was so bad it motivated me to go out and cut lawns and do other chores so I could get enough money to buy a decent spinning outfit. It was a black and red Sears "Ted Williams" brand relabeled Mitchell reel and matching rod. I loved that thing and caught tons of fish with it. Cost was $10 new, which was a lot of money back then.

Among the many lessons I learned with it is the fact that tightening the drag is no way to stop a tarpon.

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If you are a little bit handy you can find some older but very nice quality spinning reels at the local flea markets. Just clean off all of the old hard grease, re-lube and fill with new line. Be sure to put enough line on the spool so that it will cast easily. A short (5') rod is easy to handle and makes a good casting rig. When my daughter was 5 got her this set up and it has worked great ever since. easy to cast, has a working drag (unlike the "snoopy" rig) and can reliably bring in the panfish!

A kid catching fish is a happy child and won't want to go right back home!!!

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My kids have the Shakespear "Looney Tune" type setups.. and they REALLY work well.. I even will bring one along just for some sunfish fun when I'm bored with the bass. smile.gif

best bait... beetle spin with little tubes.. lots of fun!

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