What can we do to better the experience for our kids out on the lake? Seems like an easy question to answer, but I have my doubts as to whether or not they are actually enjoying themselves out there unless they are pulling up a fish every minute!
“DAD, how come they aren’t biting”. “Dad, when is my bobber going to go down?”. “Dad, do we have any more chips and cookies?” “Can I play with the minnows?” I sit here and smile as I write this, thinking of my and Jewel’s fishing adventure this weekend. Her eyes were sparkling when I first told her about the “Fishing Competition” out on the lake that day. “Are we going out there? Really???” The excitement in her voice really showed her enthusiasm. I hoped it would last all day, but who am I kidding? She is only 5 lol.
It was a cold and blustery day, as predicted. A 20mph wind out of the north made it hard to get the Clam Bigfoot set up, but with a little anchoring intuition, it held up just fine. She sat in the Jeep and played on my phone as we got the house set up and ready. The heat was on full blast and the holes were drilled and cleaned. The snacks and beverages were laid out within an arm length of her so she could binge at anytime. “Which one is my pole dada?” I let her choose whatever one she wanted and she picked the one with the pink OPS flutter jig on it, not a bad choice my girl!
She watched me impale the minnow, she had a disgusted yet worried look on her face, I assured her the minnow was still alive and moving and would help us catch a fish! It didn’t take any longer than the bobber stop hitting the float that we had our first bite, I set the hook and handed the pole over to Jewel. She said “You do it dad, it’s too hard,” but I refused to let her give up, I instructed her to reel nice and steady and slowly and we will see just what we have on! She smiled that big heart melting smile the whole time she was reeling, a sight only a dad watching his daughter reel in a fish can appreciate. Her eyes lit up when I pulled that 12″ crappie out of the hole, she screamed with excitement at first, but then a scream of terror ensued after I asked her to hold it. I didn’t make her hold it, I’m not that mean!
We gave each other smiles, high fives, and hugs, and proceeded to fish on for the rest of the day. The action slowed down and the questions and doubts ran through her mind and out of her little mouth, I snickered as I heard her sighs and her moans of boredom. In times like these, let them entertain themselves, she spent her time counting and killing the minnows (unintentionally of course). She read her little books, and colored, she ate cookies and drank Sierra Mist. She even found time to drop my favorite scooper down the hole. Hey, things like that happen and can be replaced, but memories like these will always remain. Make sure to take your kids out, if you don’t have kids, take someone else’s kids out. They’ll value it, and appreciate it. Oh, and they’ll even appreciate it more when they are collecting a check for the biggest panfish of the derby, like Jewel did that day.