Teaching The Grandson To Fish

wcoffey81

I get to start with a clean slate starting my grandson's fishing experience and i would like some advice. I can start him off on either casting or trigger-spin gear. I, almost exclusively, use spinning gear so the idea of trigger spin would be more natural to me but i want to do what's best for HIM. He will be 5 later this year so i need to adjust my thinking to that of the average size and attention span of a 5 year old. i am thinking of a 4'-6" medium/light spinning rod and possibly a Pfluger trigger spin reel. The Pfluger seems to be a decent quality reel that we can move over to at least a couple of rods as he grows.

 Any and all suggestions will be helpful, Thanks everyone.

troutbom

I fogured I'd start granddaughter off with trigger spin. Either push button or trigger worked as long as she wasnt casting just reeling. But from age 4-7 pushbutton worked better for casting and now at 8 shes getting good with a spinner. The younger they are the better push button seems to work. 

capt louie

Welcome aboard wcoffey81 !  
Yes, attention spans at that age are pretty short so don't push it. Short trips with plenty of snacks some bait under a bobber will keep them busy. Any easy to cast push button reel is fine for starters.

JWT

i would start with a spin cast push button. spinners can get tangled if your not watching & can be frustrating for little fellas when they do. just get one with a drag! they got my youngest one a reel that doesn't have one & he lost a good fish this week-end cause of that. we will be visiting BassPro soon so he can help pick out his next rig (have to teach him how to shop for gear too ) . the main thing is to keep it fun! catching fish is only part of the goal!

wcoffey81

Yes, i plan on having his favorite " grandpa time" snacks and involving turtle and frog searches, getting dirty is mandatory. I already told his dad that he will be the one teaching how to cast. That way i can sit in my lawn chair and laugh at both of them without being the bad guy. Worms, small hooks and bobbers are a must. That way i can almost guarantee him catching something.There will be a few, well more than a few, gut hooked sunfish but that comes with it's own lessons. My own fishing will take a backseat to his. I will probably chuck something out to sit on the bottom for catfish.

capt louie

Waiting on the post of this adventure !

Lostconch

For a kid that young find a better quality zebco pushbutton and work up to a spinning outfit. I have taught 2 grandkids to fish and this was the least frustrating for them. I agree with keep the rig simple a float they can watch. Be prepared for anything, one day my granddaughter was catching fish and all at once she stopped. I asked what was the matter and she told me that she caught 6 fish
I said OK but can still fish and I was told well I'm 6 years old.

Picman

I have 5 year old twins and a dock thats been baited since 2005.. Had to go to no reel and only one rod..When I take them grunt fishing soon I’ll let them use My Symetres...

Picman

Grandkids...