Summer is here, and so is fishing.  The fresh air, the endless teaching and learning opportunities, the hugs, snuggles, and shared secrets...no other outdoor activity allows a family as a whole or a parent and child duo by itself to bond this naturally. Of course, anyone who has been a parent for any length of time will tell you that any venture with children must be well planned, or it is doomed to fail. The easiest plan is often the best, and for a first-time outing, be sure to be upbeat and positive, focusing on making this a fun outing for the child; it doesn't matter if you catch anything or just something really, really small.

Choices, Choices

Plan your fishing trip in an easily and quickly accessible, safe location: the younger the child, the shorter the drive and/or walk to the fishing hole should be: i.e. a stocked city park pond (provided that fishing is permitted), a pier, or a pay-per-catch lake. If you are unsure where to go, call the local state Fish and Game Department. The staff can direct you to appropriate locations and also suggest appropriate baits.

This is a great occasion for a family devotional involving fishing.  Make the most of the props and visual aids you'll have with you.

For younger children, be mindful of their naptimes and similarly, don't drag a small child out of bed before the crack of dawn to catch a fish.  Emphasize the fun; if the child gets hooked on fishing, sooner or later you will find the little one shaking you awake before the crack of dawn to be the first ones at the fishing hole. Consider going in the morning or early evening; fish bite well, temperatures are more moderate, and the kids have more fun.

Safety

Even if you and your child feel as comfortable around water as, well, fishes, always, ALWAYS have a child wear a life jacket near water and while on a boat, and never, NEVER leave a child unsupervised around water. Practice safety also with respect to handling the hooks and bait, and the actual rod. When going with younger children, an adult should be baiting hooks; when going with very young children, stress the "no eating" rule, since much commercially available bait resemble some forms of candy. A quick checklist for the outing could include:

1) Insect Repellent (be sure it's formulated for children's skin)

2) Sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses

3) Snacks and drinks; maybe a small ice chest

4) A first aid kit for the inevitable cuts, scrapes, and bruises

5) Child-sized life jacket

6) Camera

7) Moist towelettes (how else can you effectively clean off hands after handling worms?)

8) A plastic bag (for trash; don't leave empty bait containers sitting around!)

9) A Bible (who can resist all the fishing stories in the Bible while watching the bobbers?)

Nuts And Bolts

Buy an inexpensive fishing rod for your child (close to the same length as your child's height), some bobbers, (since they make it easy to detect a fish's nibble, children love to watch them), and a little tackle box (children enjoy to organize their things and it will allow them to study all the items -- NO barbed hooks).

The Grand Finale...

What will you do with the fish? Save the fish for dinner or practice catch and release? Older children will want to eat at least some of the fish they caught or helped catch. In this case, come prepared with an ice-filled cooler to transport the fish. Consider taking the fish home for cleaning and frying, so that you don't have to take your attention off your child. Also, you may not wish to expose younger children to the cleaning and disposing of remains just yet. The other choice and usually the wisest, is to "catch and release." This can be accomplished by carefully removing the hook from the fish's mouth and lowering the fish into the water, with a slow back and forth motion to allow water to pass through the gills.

In closing, plan for safety, remember snacks, and don't forget the camera!