TKP fam,
My 8-YO daughter has shown a big interest in freshwater fishing (we live near Lake Norman in NC). Does anyone have any recommendations for a kit or something that would be a good Xmas gift? This is something she's been asking about since we went camping this summer and got the bug.
Thanks!
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I would just start with a basic spincast combo. They'll probably be easier for a kid to use than a spinner. You can get a UglyStik for around $40. If you buy from a chain store (Dicks or similar), and are signed up for emails, you can probably get a coupon and save a few. I bought my Father-in-Law an UglyStik GX2 spinner combo on sale. It's more than capable for what he needs. But, he looked confused when he saw the spinner reel. Had only ever used something "with a button".
Thanks for the advice. Super dumb question (I've never bought fishing gear), what else do I need to get? Does it come with fishing line, hooks, etc? Live bait is the only other thing I'm familiar with.
Those combos do come with line. It is usually junk. I am a Suffix Tritanium guy- 8 or 10lb mono should be your best bet. You want to tie it to the spool with an arbor knot.
Hooks- Size 6 aberdeen Eagle Claw hooks are a good catch all for bluegill and trout. The long shank will make it easier for you and her to unhook fish if the hook goes deep. Split shot sinkers in different sizes- most stores will get little plastic lazy Susan's filled with a variety of sizes. Always use the least weight that she can cast. Some reliable bobbers- I prefer the styrofoam instead of the plastic floats, many are defective out of the package.
Nightcrawlers with little pieces are always a good starter bait.
If she isn't the patient type but casts pretty well, you could get her a tiny torpedo or a jitterbug and just tell her to play motorboat with it (SLOWLY.) If there are bass around, she could get surprised by a bass busting it on the surface. Worst case, she gets to watch it chug and gurgle across the surface.
I know 8 yr olds who can comfortably use bait casters, but it's all in the teaching and the dexterity and interest of the kid. Problem with push button reels is that you don't go through the learning curve and get to the better equipment, but with an 8 yr old, who knows if that'll even occur. Just avoid the cutesy Little Princess or Minnie Mouse outfits and at least get a reasonably reliable product. Nothing is more frustrating for young anglers than equipment failure. Ugly Sticks aren't the best for a lot of fishing, but they work for a lot of it too, and are pretty damn near unbreakable.
No, you need hooks, weights, bobbers and line, and live bait is a great way to get a kid started. A decent tackle shop can help you with all of that, and it shouldn't be expensive at all. Good luck, and show us pictures!
yes- avoid the cheap plastic reels at all costs.
I was started on Zebco 33s. I hear they are not made well anymore. I would spend a little extra to make your life easier. You will do enough untangling that not having to worry about a reel breakdown will be welcome.
Here is a quick list of spincasts I found: https://www.outsidepursuits.com/best-spincast-reel/
Also, if you want to teach her right and she has the patience to learn, you could always go right with the spinning reels. I started using a spinning reel around her age. The Shimano Sedona or Penn Battle II are good starting points.
I concur, French. I was started on Zebcos, but after a year of surf fishing for spot in the OBX, I'd thoroughly trashed it and my father moved right on with a spinning reel. Took very little time to learn when to let the line go, as it did for letting go of the button on the Zebco. The casting thing is the same. I had clients who never made the switch and they seemed lost without their push buttons. At that point, it might not be too late, but you can see it from here.
Main thing is to match size with the kid. Don't want too big to hinder dexterity. I like your choices for reels, and agree that if line comes on it, it ain't worth leaving on it, but decent reels seldom come pre-spooled. Again, though, for learning purposes, any reasonably decent line will do. As interest and experience wax, those things can be more important, but for starter stuff, you just want it to work, not break, not be too heavy for the quarry and decent casting.
Pro tip: From the get go, teach her not to use the reel handle to close the bail if using a spinning reel. Use your off casting hand to do that and you'll eliminate most of the bird's nests and tangles that will frustrate both of you. Believe me, this is so much tougher to do once muscle memory is set, and is the best advice I've ever been given for avoiding those annoying loops that cause the biggest problems. That, and NEVER reel while a fish is pulling drag.
Yes, drag is pulling, chillax.
And SHUT THE CLiCKER OFF (pet peeve)
Agreed, Zebco products have went downhill quick. I learned to fish using one with my grandpa and a reel would last 10 years easy. The last Zebco 33 I bought didn't make it half a year before the gears started to strip and make a lot of noise.
Keep whatever combo you get simple and make it fun. My 8 year old son goes bass fishing with me on the New River several times a year. I bought him a good reel and pole but he insists on using his R2D2 cheap Walmart pole because it's his lucky pole (he caught a 17 inch smallmouth on it last spring). I figure eventually a big fish will yank it out of his hands and it will end up in the river anyway. Lastly, have patience. It took me a good year of not getting to fish much before I could teach him to get unhung, tie a hook, bait a line, etc.
The good news is that I'm as much of a beginner as she is. It's a good excuse for both of us to get outside.
The best advice I can give you is find a place where there will be plenty of action, even if it is small bluegills. You won't get much time, and the best way to sour her on fishing is for her to get bored.
Also, when she catches one, make it a friggin big deal. Talk about how hard and smart they are before you go. Make it an accomplishment!
That may sound silly. However, when I started trout fishing, my dad had me convinced that they could fly like superman, hear me sneaking up on them from a mile away, and steal my wallet while I could see them finning in the current. When I finally caught one, I thought I had really pulled a coup!
+1 on both comments from New River and French. My kids (similar ages) have tried several different rod/reel combos (from super nice to super cheap), and their favorites are what's called a spin trigger (something like this - cabelas link). It's easy for them to cast, plus the short rod is easier for them manage. Get some worms and a bobber and find some bluegill. She'll be hooked on fishing, and then you move on to the bigger stuff.
I would get her a small spincast (closed face/push button) set up. Something all metal, no plastic junk unless a Barbie pole would get her more excited about fishing. A Zebco 33 would suffice even though they're not made like they used to be. You should be able to wear some bluegills out with a small bobber and a nightcrawler. After she learns the basics of fishing a guided fishing trip would be great for both of y'all.
She fished in a creek this summer in Craig County, VA and caught two fish and loved every minute of it. No need for a Barbie pole.
We go to Hilton Head a few times a year thanks to a family condo, and I'm already thinking about a fishing trip for her and I this spring!
If you fish in the surf, fish in the slough for sea mullet. I can't remember if South Carolinians call them whiting or kingfish (pretty sure it is whiting.) Small (fingernail sized) chunks of fresh mullet, sand flea or bloodworm fishbites in tiny pieces (1 cm by 1cm tops) with size 6 aberdeen hooks. If there are sea mullet around, that will be the biggest, hardest fighting fish (that is plentiful and easy to catch) she can find. Late April should be the ticket, although I admittedly don't know SC like I know NC.
Fish just behind where the waves break on the beach. While when I was 10 years old, I loved catching bluefish, it was hard hitting and fighting sea mullets which saved many a dull day on the beach.
8 is not too young to learn to use any kind of reel, especially if she does really any activity that requires a little coordination (dance, gym, t-ball, soccer). i think staying with a shorter rod is probably more important than what kind of reel.
the sole advantage of a spincast is minimizing backlash. but they are hard to keep clean and if it has a plastic retrieval pin, it won't handle a larger fish or braided line. the gear/retrieval ratios also typically suck...they're very slow. they are freshwater panfish reels. if that's all you'll be doing, fine. otherwise, i'd get a spinning reel, some casting dummies, teach her to be aware of what's around her before she casts, and
then just point at the target when she releases the line. it will take less practice to get good at that than timing releasing the button with her thumb, imo. if she's a righty, definitely learn a left handed retrieve
Yep. As for backlashes, as I suggested above, get her used to closing the bail by hand. Most of those backlashes are caused by reeling slack line onto the spool before the retrieve, thereby causing a loop that will come off of the reel when casting the next time, resulting in the aforementioned bird's nest. Drumming this into my clients saved me a lot of trouble and time out of commission on the water.