05-03-2011, 04:12 AM
Personally and from experience - if you go out expecting to catch fish without knowing at least in the ball park what they'll respond to bait / lure wise, you probably won't be catching fish. So take the expecting to catch out the equation and do a littly itty bit of research on family fishing waters in your area and what fish will generally bite on and stick with that.
Here in Idaho we have a lot of trout, and trout will bite on worms at least somewhat reliably when they're hungry...so if you're going out here, stick a worm on your line, cast and wait for about 10 minutes. Re-cast in a different spot when the 10 minutes is up and change the bait up when it stops wiggling. It's about the same technique if you're still fishing on a bank anywhere, the bait just changes. For cats it's different, and I'm not at all familiar with TN, so you'll need to check your regional forum and ask about decent spots in your area and what to use to just lounge and have a relaxing day with (hopefully!) some fish catching mixed in.
As for rod / reel - there is absolutely no problem with a cheapie combo. Go in with your son, direct him toward some shorter (5.5' - 6'), lighter poles with either spinning or spin-casting reel on them, and have him hold it and jerk it up and down a time or two to see if he's comfortable with it. I'd suggest you probably do the same. I picked up a light Shakespeare for my 7 year old a few weeks back and he's done a decent amount of catching on it. His first fish was the attached brown trout and he just lit up when he hooked into it.
[inline brown.jpg]
I also bought a cheapie little 2.5' rod for my 3 year old, and he pulled in a sucker-fish with it that was about the same size as one of his legs.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that the rod and reel doesn't matter so much as long as it'll send line out and bring line in through the eyelets and keep upward pressure on a fish when it bites. If you decide you really enjoy the sport a year down the line and you want to get into some more advanced techniques, definitely upgrade, but you will catch fish on a stick with some string if you're going when the fish are biting and you have what they want to eat on the hook.
Get a cheap tackle box, some hooks (ask about size and type on your regional forum), split-shot, maybe some slip sinkers and some bobbers. If you intend to cut the fish into fillets and you don't already have a fillet knife, you might want to look into getting a cheap one. Cooking them whole you don't really have to worry about it so much. And make sure you're tying a decent knot! Look up the improved cinch - I've never lost a hook to a fish using this knot. Most guides will advise 3 to 6 wraps, I generally try to get 8 in. And on line, 6lb test should be all you need, and make sure throughout the day that there aren't any kinks and such from the hook to the reel when you have it at a casting length and it shouldn't snap on you. If there are, cut off the damaged line and re-rig it. Also, make sure your drag isn't too tight - when the fish is pulling hard, you want to make sure your line will let out instead of snapping.
You'll have a blast, and you'll learn a lot about your son...and that's what this is really about. Fishing with kids is about the conversation and focus on something positive, and when a fish does hit the feeling of accomplishment that comes with bringing it in. Sure, with some rods you won't feel the nibbles as much as others, but fish do have a tendency to gobble up bait at times and take off with it, hooking themselves just a bit in the process, which makes even the heaviest rod jump up and down on you and when you yank up hard, he's hooked!
Have fun.
[signature]
Here in Idaho we have a lot of trout, and trout will bite on worms at least somewhat reliably when they're hungry...so if you're going out here, stick a worm on your line, cast and wait for about 10 minutes. Re-cast in a different spot when the 10 minutes is up and change the bait up when it stops wiggling. It's about the same technique if you're still fishing on a bank anywhere, the bait just changes. For cats it's different, and I'm not at all familiar with TN, so you'll need to check your regional forum and ask about decent spots in your area and what to use to just lounge and have a relaxing day with (hopefully!) some fish catching mixed in.
As for rod / reel - there is absolutely no problem with a cheapie combo. Go in with your son, direct him toward some shorter (5.5' - 6'), lighter poles with either spinning or spin-casting reel on them, and have him hold it and jerk it up and down a time or two to see if he's comfortable with it. I'd suggest you probably do the same. I picked up a light Shakespeare for my 7 year old a few weeks back and he's done a decent amount of catching on it. His first fish was the attached brown trout and he just lit up when he hooked into it.
[inline brown.jpg]
I also bought a cheapie little 2.5' rod for my 3 year old, and he pulled in a sucker-fish with it that was about the same size as one of his legs.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that the rod and reel doesn't matter so much as long as it'll send line out and bring line in through the eyelets and keep upward pressure on a fish when it bites. If you decide you really enjoy the sport a year down the line and you want to get into some more advanced techniques, definitely upgrade, but you will catch fish on a stick with some string if you're going when the fish are biting and you have what they want to eat on the hook.
Get a cheap tackle box, some hooks (ask about size and type on your regional forum), split-shot, maybe some slip sinkers and some bobbers. If you intend to cut the fish into fillets and you don't already have a fillet knife, you might want to look into getting a cheap one. Cooking them whole you don't really have to worry about it so much. And make sure you're tying a decent knot! Look up the improved cinch - I've never lost a hook to a fish using this knot. Most guides will advise 3 to 6 wraps, I generally try to get 8 in. And on line, 6lb test should be all you need, and make sure throughout the day that there aren't any kinks and such from the hook to the reel when you have it at a casting length and it shouldn't snap on you. If there are, cut off the damaged line and re-rig it. Also, make sure your drag isn't too tight - when the fish is pulling hard, you want to make sure your line will let out instead of snapping.
You'll have a blast, and you'll learn a lot about your son...and that's what this is really about. Fishing with kids is about the conversation and focus on something positive, and when a fish does hit the feeling of accomplishment that comes with bringing it in. Sure, with some rods you won't feel the nibbles as much as others, but fish do have a tendency to gobble up bait at times and take off with it, hooking themselves just a bit in the process, which makes even the heaviest rod jump up and down on you and when you yank up hard, he's hooked!
Have fun.
[signature]