When you take your child fishing, the most important thing to keep in mind is their safety. What kind of fishing are you trying to introduce? Are you thinking about a day of bottom fishing? Does pier fishing suit your needs? Are you going to go all out and take your child for a deep-sea fishing excursion?

Regardless of what you decide is best, you should have the basic safety essentials with you at all times. A first aid kit is mandatory because whenever a kid is involved accidents will happen. Children tend to get poked, scratched, and barbed, so you need to be prepared. If you are going out into the sea and away from the shore, make sure that you have life jackets and make sure that your child is wearing one even he or she has no intention of getting into the water. Keep in mind your child’s abilities when it comes to swimming. If you do not think that they are a strong swimmer, you may want to keep your boat docked.

Make sure to buy and stock your child’s tackle box. A youngster’s first tackle box should be small and lightweight. There is nothing complex about the contents of a beginner’s tackle box. All a child needs are some pre-tied hooks, some bobbers, a couple of weights, swivels, and small scissors or fingernail clippers to cut their line. A tackle box is a fingerprint for many who view it as a personal expression. Let your child see the basics so that they can build their own to represent themselves one-day.

Make sure to lead by example when you take your child fishing. Teach them how to keep the line taut so that they will be able to respond properly if a fish bites their line. As soon as your child feels the bite, teach them how to set the hook. Tug back on the rod in order to firmly set the hook in the fish’s lip. Take the time with your child to let them learn techniques like “playing the fish”. Part of the fun of fishing is the struggle between the man and the fish, so let your child have the entire experience and not just a partial one.

When you introduce fishing to your child, you have certain advantages to teaching them at a younger rather than older age. Younger child have a greater absorption rate with a desire to soak up as much information as they can. Take the time that you and your child are sharing to educate them about catch and release regulations and fishing for food as opposed to pleasure. If your child decides that they want to let the fish that you catch go, make sure that you know the right way to release. Cleaning the fish can either make a child vomit or ask when the next trip is going to be, so use discretion in regards to age when preparing your catch for dinner.

There will be good days and bad days when fishing with your kids. Kids have a tendency to not listen, become disinterested fast or fall asleep at inopportune times. Patience is the key to taking children out for a day of fishing. Repetition will also make your child more comfortable with the whole process. Regardless of whether a fish is caught or not, take the time to bond with your child while using fishing as an excuse.

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Many people covet their tackle boxes because they represent a lifetime of trials and tribulations regarding what methods work for which fish. If you are a novice in the world of fishing, you could find yourself overwhelmed with the possibilities and choices that are available. Starting your tackle box can seem challenging, but if you stick to the basics, you will be able to get started without a hitch.

The first thing that you need is to pick out a box. A tackle box should be strong and able to handle wear and tear easily. The plastic tackle boxes are usually thick and come with strong handles making it easier to lug back and forth between boat, river, and pier trips. The most important thing when deciding on a box is the latch. Your tackle box must have a sturdy latch because you do not want everything to spill out on the dock or into the water. When you are in a boating store, pull on the latch and test it before you decide on a purchase.

Some essentials to keep in a tackle box are hooks, lines, and sinkers. Hooks are an important part of fishing because without them you will not be catching very much. The larger the number size of the hook, the smaller the hook actually is. When you buy line, make sure that your line fits your reel. Keep an extra spool in your box for just-in-case purposes.

Sinkers are important for helping your bait to catch fish below the surface of the water. In order to get your line to the bottom you are going to need split-shot sinkers. Sinkers are made from different materials, but the safest are the ones that are made from steel, tin, and non-toxic metals. Some of the sinkers are made from lead and they can potentially poison some types of fish.

Lures are going to be the next thing that you add to your tackle box. There are many different types of lures ranging in all colors, shapes, sizes, and material. Different fish are attracted to different types of lures. For instance, a kingfish will be more attracted by a lure with glitter while a bass will be more attracted to a worm shaped lure. Make sure to know what the fish you are trying to catch like to eat before you buy.

Some fun gadgets that may be useful are the leaders, snap swivels, fingernail clippers, needle-nose pliers, practice plugs, stringers, and maps. Maps are obvious because you need to know how to get to your favorite fishing spots. However, the other things may need some greater explanation. A leader is a piece of line with a metal core that will keep a fish from biting off the line and escaping. A snap swivel will prevent tangles in your line and a practice plug is for casting. Lastly, a stringer will help you to keep your catch fresh in the water.

Once you start fishing regularly, you will find out which lures are useful and which one don’t help at all. You will discover the tools that you use the most and the ones that are just collecting dust. Hopefully, you will try new things and maybe put your own spin on some old ones and build the perfect tackle box for you.

Until next time — “Keep your lines wet and your bait fresh!”

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Now you might think to yourself, “What in the blue blazes is he talking about?” And normally you would be right, but think about it this way. It may not be reflected in the fishermen’s wallet or checkbook and you may have a poor credit rating, but even the modest fisherman is a millionaire — his wealth is in his heart and in his experience.

How can you count in dollars the beautiful sunrises you have seen. Or the peaceful sunsets when the receding sunlight is flickering off the water. Or the serenity of the delta that is broken when you know you’ve caught the big one.

“What kind is it?” “How big is it” “Will I land this fish or will it get away?” Then it comes tumbling across the water. You have won the match. You drop it in your lave well for the evening meal or gently release it to thrill another. It’s your moment of glory and you are happy.

You are also wealthy in friendship. Think of the times you said to your buddies, “Hey guys, lets get our gear together and go fishing.” It may have been a day or evening trip or a weekend camping and fishing. It’s time you spend with your buddies and swap stories and tips. You might discuss Joe’s new rod, Pete’s new reel, Charile’s new tackle box or Fred’s new boat. Work might come up in the conversation, but you don’t let it get you down.

You gain wealth when you introduce fishing to somebody who has never fished before. You might learn something from them just as they may learn something from you.

If it’s an overnight or a camping trip, the wealth also comes from the camaraderie. It comes from the dusk of evening and a little fire flickers under a blackened skillet. The sweet smell of frying fish floats close to the ground and perking coffee adds a little noise to the serenity.

You look at your invisible bank book. You can’t count the amount fingers. You have wealth beyond measurement.

So now you see that what I said at the beginning is true. Every man or woman, rich or poor, who has fished is a “millionaire.” The wealth is in the experience. How wealthy are you?

So until next time, keep your lines wet and your bait fresh.

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Bill Dance Tackle Box

There can be a lot of differences between the professional angler and the fish-for-fun weekender. Yet one of the differences should not be the basic approach to equipping the tackle box.

My tackle box for bassing is a Bill Dance Tackle Box by Plano. According to the Bass Pro Shop:

Legendary angler, Bill Dance designed this durable tackle box with the serious angler in mind. Offering a huge storage capacity, this Bill Dance Tackle Box features up to 46 worm-proof compartments and up to 25 adjustable storage spaces in the top section, the longer compartments and a see-thru lid are two more smart features anglers will love. Size: 16-7/8” x 5” x 12”. Color: Tan/Green.

Now what to fill it with? The novice Basser, like me, is faced with a virtual jungle of lures when he visits any well stocked sporting goods or tackle store. and now with the Internet there is even more to choose from. Almost all tackle websites carry not only the same brads as each other but many also specialize in lures made in Japan and other places overseas. It’s no easy task for the beginner to sort through the many displays and websites to select the lures that will be the most practical for the conditions they fish in. The beginner can accomplish the same versatility of the pro by categorizing.

The tackle box should consist of the following items:

• Hooks
• Sinkers
• Extra Line
• Swivels
• Lures

For practical purposes, the angler may lump the Bass lures into 3 (three) basic categories. Those categories are, along with a description:

Assorted Crankbaits

Crank Baits — or Plugs are a popular type of hard-bodied fishing lure. They are widely known by a number of other names depending on the country and region. Such names include crank bait, wobbler, minnow, shallow-diver and deep-diver. The term minnow is usually used for long, slender, lures that imitate bait-fish, while the term plug is usually used for shorter, deeper-bodied lures which imitate deeper-bodied fish, frogs and other prey. Shallow-diver and deep-diver refer to the diving capabilities of the lure, which depends on the size of the lip and lure buoyancy. All things considered, plugs of this grouping probably get more action than the others. At any time of the year, bass can be picked off with these.

Spinner-baits — any one of a family of fishing lures that get their name from one or more metal blades shaped so as to spin like a propeller when the lure is in motion, creating varying degrees of flash and vibration that mimics small fish. The two most popular types of spinner-baits are the ‘in-line spinner’ and ‘safety pin’ spinner-baits, though others such as the ‘tail-spinner’ also exist.

Plastic Worms — a plastic fishing lure, generally made to simulate an earthworm. Plastic worms can carry a variety of shapes, colors and sizes, and are made from a variety of synthetic polymers. Some are even scented to simulate live bait. Plastic worms can be rigged on the line many different ways. Commonly they are used with a small fish hook and a split shot weight to keep the lure deeper in the water. The fishing equipment recommended is a 7 foot fishing rod with 8 to 10lb fishing line.

Your Tackle box is your toolbox to a successful trip. It is up to you to keep it organized and full. I personally do not let anyone take anything out of my box as I have it set up the way I want. In the top portion of the box I have my weedless frog and weedless mouse along with assorted crank baits in individual compartments. One third of the top portion is not separated and it contains my extra hooks, line, slip-shot and bullet sinkers, swivels and cutters along with anything else i think I might need. In the bottom compartment I have Plastic Worms and more crank-baits along with some rubber shad and various other plastic and rubber lures. The spinner-baits will be added as I get them.

That’s all for now, so until the next time keep your lines wet and your bait fresh.

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