Tips for Taking Kids Fishing

Start Early, Keep It Fun, and Watch Them Fall in Love with the Outdoors

Looking for tips on taking kids fishing? Here's how I've been doing it since my daughter was 5 DAYS old — and everything I've learned along the way while taking her, her cousins, and kids out fishing.

If there's one thing I've learned as an outdoors mom, it's that there's no such thing as "too young" when it comes to fishing with kids. In fact, I now argue that the earlier the better. They might not remember those first trips out — and that's okay. Because it's not really about them yet. It's about you. It starts a habit. A habit of packing them up and bringing them along. It makes a habit of making room in the boat and room in your routine. And that habit? It sticks. Before you know it, you're not even thinking twice about bringing them — it's just what you do.   I've been taking my daughter fishing since she was 5 days old — and I never regretted those early trips once.

It doesn't always look picture-perfect. When they are infants, it can be crying fits. As they age, it means snacks everywhere, attention spans measured in minutes, and yes, sometimes the iPad makes an appearance. But that's okay. That's the point. Because if kids grow up fishing as just a normal part of life, they know no different — it just becomes who they are.

Whether you're wondering how to take toddlers fishing, what to bring to keep kids entertained on the water, or how to make fishing with kids at any age fun — this guide is for you.

1. Start Taking Kids Fishing as Early as Possible 

As a mom, the pack-n-play is a perfect place to let your kid nap, or play, when out on the boat.

Seriously — don't wait until they're "old enough." There is no magic age to start taking kids fishing. I started bringing my daughter out when she was just 5 days old, and I will never regret it. Fresh air, the sound of nature, watching the world from a boat seat— babies can handle more than we give them credit for.

A little gear can go along ways in comfort for both of you.  For really little ones (think newborn through about 18 months), I swear by the pack 'n play. Set it up in the boat, toss in some toys, and you've got a safe little space for the baby while you fish nearby. They're contained, comfortable, and still part of the experience. As they get older, that same pack 'n play becomes their base camp — a familiar space they already associate with being outside.

The goal at this stage isn't to teach them to fish. It's just to make the outdoors feel like home and to create a habit of taking them along.

2. Target Fish They Can Actually Catch 

Catching matters when taking kids of any age fishing. Target easy fish, not the biggest catch, when introducing kids to the sport.

When you're fishing with kids, leave the ego at the dock. A full day grinding it out for walleye might be your idea of a perfect day — and honestly, it might be mine too — but a kid who hasn't gotten a bite in two hours is a kid who's done fishing. Target the easy wins: sunnies, crappie, even bass. Fish that are active, plentiful, and willing. There is nothing better than constant action to keep them coming back.  The species doesn't matter to them — the tug on the line does. We can chase walleyes in our own time. When the kids are with us, we fish for smiles.

3. Make Kids Fishing Trips Fun First, Fishing Second

Letting her pretend to captain the boat.

This is the biggest mindset shift when it comes to fishing with kids. When I fish for myself, I'm focused and patient. When I fish with kids, my job is to make sure they are having the best day ever — and sometimes that has nothing to do with catching fish.

Here's what's always in my bag when I have my little ones on fishing trips:

• Coloring books and crayons — a coloring book from the dollar store has saved many a slow afternoon 
• Stickers — I cannot overstate how long a sheet of stickers can entertain a 3-year-old
• Small toys — favorite things to pass the time.
• The iPad — yep, I said it. Zero shame. If we're waiting for a bite and she's over it, the iPad comes out. Keeping it fun means not forcing it, and sometimes that means a little screen time so we can stay out longer and get that next bite together.

A happy kid on the water is a kid who will want to come back. That's the whole game.

Tips for Taking Older Kids

As I take older kids, it becomes about praising them. Constantly. I keep them involved and praise them for their help and their successes. When I get excited, they get excited. We cheer the wins and laugh at the losses. We leave any disappointment at home. At this age, it’s about teaching how fun a day on the water can be and it’s about praising them for what they learn, and how hard they try.

4. Let Kids Be Involved in Every Part of Fishing

I always let my little one feel like she is helping.

One of the most important tips for taking kids fishing is this: let them actually do stuff. Kids this age want to do what you're doing. Let them. Yes, it's messier and slower — do it anyway.

Let them play with the minnows, make a mess of the worms, lose the plastics.

Let them help carry the tackle box. Let them pick out which lure (even if it's the wrong one). Let them drop the line in. And most importantly — let them hold the fish.

A great way to start is with fish grips. They make it so much easier for little hands to hold onto a fish without it flopping away — and it removes a lot of the intimidation factor. My daughter was way more confident grabbing a crappie when she had grips to hold on to rather than trying to wrangle a slippery fish barehanded. I have found this to be true with kids of many different ages. It's a small thing that makes a huge difference. Once they get comfortable with that, they'll graduate to holding fish on their own no problem.

Watching her face light up the first time she held one herself? That's the moment. That's why we do this. She was so proud. She still tells people about “her” fish.

When kids feel like they're actually participating — not just along for the ride — they buy in. They get excited. They start asking when you're going fishing next.

5. Be patient No Matter the Age

Teaching my nieces how to crappie fish.

No matter the age - don’t force it on them. Whether they are 3 or 13 - a 45-minute trip that ends with everyone happy beats an all-day session that ends in meltdowns every single time.

Read your kid. The second it stops being fun, give them something new to entertain them or start packing up — before it goes south. Leave while they're still smiling. They'll be begging to go back.

But here's the thing — it builds. When it came to my first born, we started with short little outings when Savannah was tiny, and over time, as she got more comfortable and more into it, those trips got longer and longer. Now? We have full 10-hour days on the water together. Ten hours. That didn't happen overnight, but it happened because we never pushed it too hard too early. We let her set the pace, kept it fun, and she just naturally wanted more. The foundation you build in those early short fishing trips with kids is exactly what makes the long days possible later on.

Fishing Safety Tips for Kids 

Make the life vest part of the experience from an early age.

When it comes to kids fishing near or on the water, there are no compromises: 

• Life jackets - of course for young kids, this is a non-negotiable. If you keep it on, they eventually realize it’s part of the experience.
• The pack 'n play - your best friend for creating a safe, contained space on the bank or dock for infants and toddlers.
• Sun protection — sunscreen, hats, UV protective clothing. A good day of fishing can be wrecked by a bad day in the sun.
• Supervision always — nothing beats keeping an eye on the kids. Be present. Teach them. This creates a safer, and more enjoyable environment for all of you.

Making it safe makes it sustainable. The goal is a lifetime of fishing together, so protect that from day one.

Raise Kids Who Fish: Why Starting Young Changes Everything

I started fishing from an early age and have continued fishing since.

Here's the truth about teaching kids to fish young: you're not forcing them into a hobby. You're just making fishing part of their world. It's what our family does on weekends. It's where we go when the weather is nice. It's the sound of the boat motor and the smell of sunscreen and the excitement of watching a fish being reeled up.

When kids grow up with something, they don't question whether they like it — it's just part of them. My daughter doesn't know a version of her life that doesn't include being on the water. And that's exactly what I wanted.

The rods will get more sophisticated. The attention span will grow. The days will get longer. But it all starts with that first trip out — pack 'n play in the truck, coloring book in the bag, just spending time together outside.

Start them young. My parents did, and I’m still fishing today.

Frequently Asked Questions: Taking Kids Fishing