First Fishing Outing with the Kids this Season

I took my two kids fishing last Sunday because I could no longer suppress the urge to go, but more importantly, to rekindle the fervor and excitement my kids used to have for fishing. Over the winter and spring they kept telling me things like (bass) fishing was now boring because they had no luck.

The cold, stormy, and brutal weather this past winter and spring only compounded their notions and practically ensured poor fishing prospects from the shore, the only fishing that we do.

Matter of fact, we just had our first week of warmer and stable weather in the 70s and being the dad I am, I decided to take advantage of this opportunity to quell their current notions about fishing.

We get to the canal and I rigged my daughter’s rod with a drop shot rig and the bait of her choice and she starts fishing immediately. My son decided it would be more fun to sit down on the bench and eat some snacks.

Her first cast went plop, right in front of her. “I guess it’s been a while, huh?” I asked as I grinned.

And indeed it has been. Not since late August or September last year. She managed to shake off the rust and made a long and lovely cast. She starts working her bait and I proceed to set up my rod.

She makes her third cast right as I was going to slip on my drop shot weight and says abruptly, “Papi! I got one!”

As I looked up to see for myself, I was thinking to myself that it was probably the weight settling in-between some of the riprap. The instant my eyes caught sight of her line, I saw it dip slightly and move to the side. I quickly said, “You’ve got one!”

Like she didn’t know; She was already reeling in the slack to set the hook, before I even uttered my first word.

Although it was a little smallmouth bass, I didn’t care and I don’t know why, but I went a little Iaconelli in my own way. Two persons on the trail gave their approval with wide smiles. More importantly, my daughter was very excited and happy and it really showed on her face.

Her brother stopped snacking, snapped up off the bench, and insisted that his Spiderman rod be set up. I suppose he wanted in on the action now.

I manage to hook into and land my first bass for this season, a smallmouth before packing up. Whew! Nothing worth fretting over a picture for, but it was just less than two pounds as a best guess.

Closing thoughts

Before we arrived at the canal, to say she was luke-warm about fishing would be about right. I told her that I had no doubt she was going to catch at least one bass and that she was going to have a ton of fun. I also told her that all we need was about thirty minutes of an earnest effort and we’d leave after that, fish or not.

That all changed. She didn’t want to leave. She wanted to keep fishing and we did for about an hour and a half. While she missed the rest of the hits she felt, she was still excited and her fish catching desire was definitely restored. She can’t wait for the next time around.

I am glad that I had the chance to help them rediscover the joys of fishing. I just hope I can keep it up in them so that they fish with me until I am old and gray.

Date: May 31, 2009
Conditions: Sunny, Clear Skies, 75 degrees
Location: Lake Union, Seattle, WA

Son’s Rig: Spiderman Pole, 3” Senko
Daughter’s Rig: 6’6” Rapala Rod, Abu G Cardinal 101a reel, 6# Trilene XL, Sniper Snub
Dad’s Rig: 6’6” Shimano Compre, 2500 Symetre reel, 8# Spider wire Red Mono, Sniper Snub (Bummer my bass rigs had to stay home)

-ib