TAKE A KID FISHING LATELY?

[John Miller]

My boys Gabe and Owen (5 and 7 yrs old) wanted to catch some muskies and earn plaques from the NMA again.  We decided to head south and started things out trolling deeper water.  Gabe choose the walleye Slammer bait that produced his first musky and Owen went with a Lil Ernie in gold sucker.  Only 5 minutes or so into our program Gabe got bit ...ZZZZZ.ZZ.zZZZ....ZZZZ ...off.  Awe fiddle sticks!  After a little disappointment we got back at it and not too longer later Owen's rod went off in 18 fow and after an epic battle Owie landed a beautiful 29 incher (even mid to high 20 inchers are epic battles for 5 and 7 yr olds). We worked the deeper water a bit longer and once things slowed we moved on to the shallow weeds.  The weeds were growing to within inches of the surface in 3-9 fow, so Owen picked a spinner bait and Gabe opted for a Believer on the shallow eye rigged on a 9'3 inch rod placed in a rod holder set at a 45 degree angle up in the air.  This placed his Believer only about 4 inches beneath the surface. The boys eyes were glued on the lures swimming at the surface in the prop wash.  In short order a mid twenty incher launch directly into the air with teeth flailing and the lure in it's mouth, landed and jumped again...game on! Gabe fought that fish hard and after a quick pic I handed the fish to Gabe at boat side to slide into the water.  Nice release!  Now there was a ton of positive energy in  the boat and both boys earned their plaques now.  Don't you love it when a plan comes together?  We got everything situated and went back at the shallow water program.  Needless to say the boys eyes were glued to the lure again and within 5 minutes at best Gabe's Believer got smashed exactly in the same way it did only moments before and once again we all seen the fish launch out of the water. How lucky are we?  I have never witnessed that before and now twice in a row.  I don't know who was more excited me or the boys.  We finished up with a swim to cool off and have a different type of fun.  Good times!!! Have you taken a kid fishing lately?  Let me tell you it is EXTREMELY rewarding.   

[John Miller]

Here are the pics.  Just to clarify Gabe is 7 yrs old and Owen 5.  Adam congrats on your fish, she is a real beauty.  Be proud.

[Stephen Glassic]

Sounds exciting. I know if I had caught fish like that when I was 7, I would be reelin.

[John Jarosz]

John...you're right about that.  There's nuthin' that beats taking a kid fishing & having him catch fish...ABSOLUTLEY NUTHIN'!!!  It's the best feeling in the world.

I have a couple of nephews that I take fishing & it's the best feeling in the world.