Advice for Teaching Your Kids to Fish

written by evan anderson

In this episode of Sweetwater, Joey Nania takes his two sons, Zeke and Eli, fishing out on Lake Chickamauga. With two very excited young boys, Nania’s passion evident in them, it makes for an exciting and uniquely rewarding day for the Sweetwater host. Miles Burghoff joins Nania to talk about the importance of teaching kids to fish and some of the best ways to do that. “It’s so important to take your kids fishing,” says Burghoff, “and at least allow them to experience the outdoors from an early age.” Here is some advice from the Sweetwater team on how to teach your kids to fish.

Bobber Fishing

Fishing is a complicated sport. There are so many different techniques for casting and animating a lure, different types of bait/line/rod combinations, there are fly rods, spinning rods, different types of reels, and all of it comes down to an angler’s personal preference that they gain over years of experience. So where do you start? Like anything, start simple. The best way to get kids on the water and to get a fish on the end of their line is bobber fishing, and that’s exactly where our hosts begin. “With minnows and bobbers,” says Nania, “there’s no doubt, if we just hunker down and find the right dock, we’d be able to catch some fish.” Burghoff remarks, “Fishing with a bobber, something visual, something to keep them engaged is so important.”

Most kids have a hard time staying focused on one thing for extended periods, which may result in a rough start. But don’t get discouraged, stay with it! The first time they see a big catfish yank that bobber beneath the surface the odds are high that they’ll want more. “I really feel like bobber fishing is kind of like a stepping stone,” says Nania, “It’s like that beginning block where if you can get them hooked on seeing a bobber go under, you can really get them to grow into great anglers.”

“It’s so important to take your kids fishing and at least allow them to experience the outdoors from an early age.”

— Miles "Sonar" Burghoff of Sweetwater

Instill Good Habits and Respect for Wildlife and Other Outdoorsmen

This is probably the most important part of this process. There are plenty of rude and inconsiderate hunters and anglers that give our sport a bad name. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to change those people. But we can affect the next generation of anglers, and it starts with our own children. The habits that we teach them and that they see exhibited in us will shape the future of the outdoor community, so let’s teach them to do it right.

Nania starts this process by teaching his son Zeke the proper way to handle and release his fish, pointing out things to look out for like the spines on a catfish and encouraging Zeke to say thank you to one of the bass he’s caught. That last part might just seem like cute nonsense, but it’s instilling in Zeke the lesson to respect the wildlife that he pursues as a fisherman.

“I’m super grateful for my dad actually taking the time to take me fishing and putting his love for fishing aside to let me really experience the joy of it.”

— Joey Nania of Sweetwater

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Be Patient

Sometimes kids get distracted, especially the younger ones. They might want to just play with the worms or grab handfuls of dirt and sprinkle them in the water. That’s ok! They’re outside and they’ve got a big smile on their face. You’re creating a positive experience for them connected to the outdoors, and as they get older that will cause them to seek more experiences like that. “It’s not always easy taking kids out on the water, but it’s so important,” says Nania. The Sweetwater host experiences this to some degree with his youngest son, Eli. “Eli really just wanted a boat ride,” says Nania, “He got to do his fishing. And Eli’s 3, so for him just the fun aspect of going out and riding around on Lake Chickamauga, I mean that’s one of the coolest things for him.”

And sometimes it just clicks with kids as it did for Nania’s oldest son, Zeke. “Zeke gets it,” Nania says, “he just eats, sleeps, and breathes it, and it’s just amazing to sit back and watch him catch fish and just be as excited as possible when he catches them.”

Involve Them in the Process

One of the best things you can do for a kid you are teaching is to involve them in every part of the process. As they fish more and more, have them release the fish they’ve just caught the way you’ve taught them to. Have them choose the minnow or worm to put on the hook and, as they get more comfortable, have them put it on. Take them to Bass Pro Shop when you go so they can ogle at all the rods, lures, and tackle with you. “Bass Pro Shops,” says Nania, “they’re really family oriented and their whole mission is to get more people into fishing and to get kids into fishing.” It’s so easy, when you teach kids, to just do everything for them. But the more you get their hands involved in the process, the more confident they will feel in their own abilities and the more they will strive to learn and grow as anglers.

Another important thing to keep in mind, according to Nania, is to let them experience it for themselves. Sometimes people get so caught up with fishing that they forget what they’re actually there to do and the day just becomes about them. You’ll notice that Nania doesn’t even carry a rod in this episode; it’s all about getting his sons involved. Nania says of his own father, “I’m super grateful for my dad actually taking the time to take me fishing and putting his love for fishing aside to let me really experience the joy of it.”

With a good load of catfish, bass, and crappie in the well, Nania brings his boys back to the shore for a good old southern fish fry at the Burghoff’s house. Even through his shades, the wonder and excitement on Zeke’s face shines as the boat returns to the trailer. And the joy on Nania’s face in seeing that wonder shines even brighter.

To get even more tips for teaching your kids to fish, check out the full episode below and experience that joy for yourself on S6:E2 of Sweetwater.

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