THE WASHINGTON OUTDOOR REPORT – WEEK OF MAY 15

 Want to introduce a child to fishing so that they’ll fall in love with the sport? Here’s a few surefire tips to help you and whatever kid or kids you’re taking have a great time on the water!

   Dress for success: Before you head to the river, lake or ocean be sure that kid is dressed comfortably. Nothing puts the kibosh on a fishing day faster than discomfort. If it’s cool out make sure they are bundled up and have a pair of gloves. Rain in the forecast? Pack some rain gear. Sunny and warm? Don’t forget a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and chap stick.

   Put your fishing rod away: Remember the reason for this expedition. It’s all about introducing that child to fishing so they fall in love with it as much as you do. With that in mind, you may want to keep your fishing rod at home, especially if you are fishing with more than one child. You’ll have scant time for fishing while you are teaching them how to cast, untangling snarled line, helping them get snagged lures loose, and cheering them on as they reel in fish that you’ll net for them.

  Increase the odds for success: Don’t start off that kid’s fishing career going after winter steelhead or another species where success is defined as getting one or two bites a day. Oh no, this is all about making sure that child has a great chance to reel in a bunch of fish in a hurry. Looking for ideas?

   1. Head to a recently stocked lake for trout. They are usually more than happy to bite and can be caught still fishing with bait (dough baits, worms, salmon eggs and marshmallows all work) or with artificial lures like spinners, spoons or flies. You can find out where trout are being stocked and when at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports/stocking

   2. Consider panfish. Crappie and bluegill are found in schools and the fishing can be fast and furious when you find one and put the right offering in front of them. Small jigs work well tipped with a worm, either cast and retrieved or fished under a bobber. No matter how old that child is, they’ll love watching that bobber go down in the water and setting the hook on that fish. As a matter of fact, I still love that!

   3. Shad are feisty, plentiful and fun! In recent years we’ve had five to six million shad returning up the Columbia River between May and July. They average one to four pounds in size and are scrappy fighters. They are not known as great table fare but the do make for great bait and are also fun to just catch and release. There are several guides that offer discounted half-day trips from late May through early July for shad with kids in mind. If you want to do it yourself you can either fish a small Dick Nite spoon or Mack’s Shad Slammer behind a weight out of a boat or cast a small jig called a shad dart (1/16 th ounce is ideal) on a leader behind a ¼ to ¾ ounce weight depending on river flow. The best places to catch shad from shore are right below Bonneville Dam and the John Day Dam.

   Snacks and hydration: The fish will not always be biting and both you and the kids with you will get hungry, playing outside just seems to do that. Be sure to bring some of their favorite snacks with you and dish them out as appropriate.You’ll want to make sure you and your young anglers keep hydrated too with water or Gatorade. Dehydration sneaks up on you and can turn a fun day into something less.

   Incorporate another activity into the day: Consider doing something else with the kids besides fishing. If you are fishing for shad near Bonneville Dam, take the kids to the fish ladder so they can see all of those shad along with salmon and steelhead moving through the fish ladder. Fishing a river or stream? Turn over some rocks and look for crayfish. Fishing in the saltwater? Head to a rocky area when the tide is out and explore the tidepools. Are these not options where you are fishing? Well, you can always go to a local diner or drive-in for a meal when you are done fishing and talk about the fun day you had together. Follow these tips and there is a very good chance you are going to hook some young anglers on fishing!

John Kruse – www.northwesternoutdoors.com and www.americaoutdoorsradio.com