Take the Kids Fishing!
by Alex G. (Holdempyer) - September 23, 2008
Taking a child fishing is can be one of the most rewarding experiences an angler can take part in. The smile that crosses a youngster's face when the fight is on, and the fish is landed is priceless!
 One of the first things you will want to consider when planning a family fishing trip is if you want to make it a strictly fishing experience, or a general outdoors day of fun. If the fish are not biting, challenge the always inquisitive mind that most children have. Ask them find a butterfly, a blue flower, a tadpole in the shallows or fossil among the rip rap that is prevalent at so many Nebraska lakes. Bring along items that will help keep them occupied when they are not catching fish. Simple things like small plastic buckets and shovels can provide hours of entertainment, weather it's digging a hole in a nearby beach and then filling it with water, or filling the bucket with acorns and other nuts to take home and feed the squirrels. Picking a lake, city park, or State Recreation Area that has playground equipment near the lakes can also prove to be very fun for all. Heck, when's the last time you played hide and seek, skipped a stone across the water or chased a toad across the sand???
If fishing is your primary goal, the old adage of LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION will never hold more true. Your normal trophy lake may not cut it with the kids. You want to find a lake, river or stream where quantity of fish is more important than quality.  This way there is more fish on and smiles as opposed to sitting around waiting for that big one to finally bite. Nebraska is peppered with SRA's that have multiple lakes within the park. Louisville, Two Rivers, Fremont Lakes and Ft. Kearny are a few that come to mind.
With kids, what to fish for is the easy part! Bluegills are abundant in Nebraska, willing to bite more often than not, put up a great fight for their size, and don't require any fancy lures or other equipment. An appropriate sized J style hook, some split shot, pencil float, and worms are always a great start. Want to really make it a game? Have the kids hunt for bait, things like grasshoppers, and crickets can be found just about anywhere. The Nebraska Game and Parks also routinely stocks  bullhead in some of the Omaha metro lakes that are perfect for kids. A hook, worm, and small split shot will get the job done. Just don't forget the pliers and remember that those fins can be sharp!!!! For bigger fish, try lakes that have carp in them. Carp fishing can be lots of fun as these fish are fantastic fighters! Small split shot, hook and a can of corn is just about all you need!
Most young children have a very impressionable mind, so now would be great times to teach things like conservation and stewardship. Take a couple of grocery bags and pick up trash in your area, explain why using barbless hooks can be beneficial to the fisheries, talk about selective harvest. You may be amazed what things a child's mind will grasp.
Other things to bring along, a picnic lunch and plenty of juice and water for the hotter days, sunscreen, extra clothes/shoes/sandals for the kids, jackets in case it gets chilly, and of course, a CAMERA! Nobody can turn down looking at pictures of kids holding their prize catch!
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