Adam Brown
Tips for a fun Family Camping and Fishing Trip
Story & photo by Adam Brown
Fishing can be a fun experience. It can be a time for bonding, laughter, and fun. A fishing trip with family, particularly kids, can be different than when you're fishing on your own or with others who could fish all day, every day.
Here are a few tips on making a family fishing trip the fun bonding experience it can be:
Remember safety
Life vests, sunscreen, and situational awareness are key to a safe fishing trip. Life vests should be on all children when on a boat or dock, and sunscreen needs to be mandatory for everyone.
Being aware of who and what is around you is key for everyone to avoid getting hooks caught on the hands or faces. Don't let young children handle hooks or knives, and keep them out of reach.
Cool, sunny days
Look for a day with plenty of sunshine and moderate temperatures. For true fishing fans, the best memories might be made when they're standing in a boat, shivering from the cold rain, and catch the biggest fish they've ever caught.
But for small kids, or someone who is trying fishing for the first time, those days will make for miserable memories that they don't want to replicate. A sunny day with no wind or rain will give them beautiful memories that they'll eagerly want to relive.
Find an active fishing location
You might enjoy the challenge of trying to catch a trophy fish in a hard-to-fish location, but your family probably won't. If you want them to love fishing like you do, and you want to create lasting family memories, take them to a location that you know has lots of active fish.
They don't need to be trophies. A few decent-sized fish that you can fry up later will create amazing memories for your family.
Keep the equipment simple and easy
Feel free to bring your more advanced equipment for your own use, but for kids and first-timers, stick with easy stuff. Bring push-button reels for easy casting and less bunching, and for small kids, look for smaller fishing rods specially designed for their tiny hands.
Equipment they can actually hold, and easily figure out, will make for a much more pleasant experience than hours spent trying to unbunch, untangle, or merely hold on to the rod.
Use live bait
Artificial lures might be your preference, but live worms are practically irresistible to smaller, active fish. Plus, it's likely to be far more exciting to your kids to use live bait than a lure that doesn't seem to do anything.
Keep it somewhat short
You could spend all day on the water. Who wouldn't? Little kids, for one. A spouse who discovers that fishing isn't for them would be another. You want your family to love fishing as much as you do, and the best way to ensure that happens is to make it feel fun, rather than a hostage situation.
Limit the trip to about two to three hours, four at the most. Kids get impatient and lose interest, even in things they enjoy, after a while.
Plus, if you're on a boat, there are likely to be those who are going to need a bathroom by then. Keep the trip short, and go out again the next day for another short period.
Forget the count
You judge the success of your solo fishing trips by how many fish you catch. But for this, set that aside. A catch count, particularly for an unskilled child or other first-timer, is going to lead to stress and frustration, rather than fun.
Make fun the goal. Make smiles and laughter the ruler by which you judge the success of the trip. If everyone is happy and had a good time, that's a successful trip. If they want to go again, even better.
Family memories are made by having fun, being relaxed, and enjoying the time together. By following these simple tips, you ensure that fishing feels like a fun, relaxing way to enjoy time together. Maybe next time, the whole family will want to join you for a full day on the water.