There’s nothing better for parents than doing things you love with your kiddos. If you love the idea of your kids becoming your best fishing buddies, then it helps to start teaching them early. In this post, we’ll go over five tips for introducing your kids to fishing.

1. Don’t Focus on Your Own Catches

One thing parents often don’t realize about going fishing with kids is that the adults don’t really get to fish much. You’ll spend most of your time helping your kids hold the rod and reel in fish. Plus, you’ll be the one putting on lures and taking fish off the hook. As long as you know what to expect, fishing with your children can be lots of fun.

2. Let Them Pick Their Own Gear

Plenty of fishing pole manufacturers make children’s fishing poles. To get your kids excited about fishing, take them with you to the sporting goods store and let them pick out their own pole and tackle box. You can even turn decorating their tackle boxes with stickers into a fun pre-fishing trip activity.

And don’t focus too much on getting the perfect lures—while it’s important to teach, it’s also vital that your kids get to own the experience. If all they want are pink, sparkly worm lures, that’s OK.

3. Take Lots of Snack Breaks

Most kids can’t focus on things for very long, so don’t expect them to sit with you in a fishing boat for hours and hours. Instead, let them warm up to fishing in small intervals. They can fish for 20–30 minutes, and then it’s time for a snack break. Healthy snacks to bring include the following:

  • Granola bars
  • Fruit (fresh or dried)
  • Carrot sticks
  • Pretzels
  • Nuts
  • Cheese cubes

4. Celebrate the Experience

Regardless of whether your kids catch any fish, celebrate the fact that they got to spend time with you. Take lots of pictures and tell your kids how happy you are to have them with you. If you feel like being extra creative, you can design and print out a certificate to give them for becoming a fisher.

5. Go on a Fishing Excursion

Another way to introduce your kids to fishing is to take them on an exciting outdoor excursion. This makes fishing part of a larger experience with lots of things for kids to do and see. One thing you never want is for your kids to get bored with fishing because then they won’t want to do it again.

If you’re looking for an exciting excursion to take your kids on, you should check out the Hells Canyon fishing trips from River Adventures. Our expert guides will take you and your kids out on the Snake River in one of our unique jet boats. We’ll be able to show you and your kids exactly where the fish are biting, so you know they’ll get to catch something. Contact us today for more info!