How to Take Your Kid Fishing: An Expert Guide

I took Lainey fishing the other night and based on the success of the whole ordeal, I decided I’m definitely qualified to write a How to Take Your Kid Fishing Guide for you. Feel free to pin this and reference in all fish catching situations.

How to Take Your Kid Fishing: a Handbook for Rookies

1. Build Credibility. Regardless of your fishing background, I’d suggest you begin by making your kids believe you are well-qualified for the job. Make up some fish stories from the past, pick up a pole and swing it around like you know what you’re doing (be careful of hooks), spew some fish words–any of them will work–like cast and bobber and hook and large mouth bass. The order doesn’t really matter because I threw out “I bobber’d that large cast like a hook-mouth bass,” and Lainey totally bought it and trusted me for the job. If your kid asks if you’re going to put a worm on a hook, just  say yes. You’ll figure it out later.

2. Bring Fishing Stuff. I’m not really sure what you’ll need, but I think a fishing pole and worms is a good place to start. Maybe some hand sanitizer. And some crackers if you get hungry. So yes bring that–a pole and worms and crackers and hand sanitizer.

3. Transport to Water. You’ll need to get to the place where fish are, so a boat would be great. If there’s a row boat available, take that. Nevermind having never rowed a boat in your life. When the boat starts going the opposite way you want it to go and you’re kind of freaking out inside and your kid is yelling, “Do you know how to drive this thing?” just smile and say “Of course I do.” Keep smiling. Pull out the crackers for distraction.

4. Put Worm on Hook. When you get to “a good place to fish” (pretend like this is based on your rich fishing experience), stop rowing and put worm on hook. I don’t really know how to explain this because I closed my eyes while I did it. Talk to the worm while you are doing it–apologize, thank him for his service on earth. If you’ve ever been to a yoga class, try and remember the meditations the instructor used and maybe recreate them for the worm.

5. Hand Fishing Pole to Child. Just say “here” and pretend like you’re letting them “learn by doing” when really it’s because you don’t know what to do next.

6. Duck. When child is casting, duck out of the way. In fact, you might just want to lie down flat in the boat. Or maybe jump out and hang on to the back of the boat for a little bit.

7. Praise Child. Once the baited hook is in the water, start praising like mad. Wow, you’re so good at this! That cast was amazing. Look at you, fisherman! You’ll be fishing like me in no time!

8. Freak Out. If, on the off chance, your plan of not catching anything fails on the first cast and your kid is screaming “I caught one! I caught one!” and you see a giant fish flopping in the water, just go ahead and freak out. If she reels it in perfectly on her own and it’s hanging there in the air and she’s screaming “What do I do? What do I do?”….scream loud for help. If you hear your dad yell back, “Awesome! You’ll be fine!” make note that he doesn’t know what the hell to do either and he’s leaving you for the dogs.

9. Facetime Your Husband. Try facetiming your husband so he can lead you through the next step. If he doesn’t answer, don’t cry. Your kid is still watching you and you wouldn’t want all those big fish tales from your past to go to waste. Don’t let her smell fear. Try and recall the fish shows you pretended to intently watch with your husband. Those guys usually hold up  the fish by the mouth. Yeah–do that. Pick up the fish by the mouth.

10. Take a Picture. You’ll want to remember this happened.

11. Unhook the Fish. I don’t really know how to do this either and it might be because #2 needs altering. Maybe other stuff in a tackle box would help. Just wiggle it or something. And pray. If it miraculously works, drop the fish back in the water. Then hand sanitizer for all.

12. Confident Conclusion. Finish on a confident high. Might I suggest, “and that, my sweet daughter, is how you catch a fish.”

Addendum: #2. After careful consideration, the following should be added to “fishing stuff”: a tackle box, a person who has fished at least once in the past 10 years.

And now that that important business is out of the way, let’s carry on.

Summer happies in favorite places with favorite people.

Sleeping Bear Dunes:

Top of Bluff. Also known as ALL EYES ON DASH.

The sight is breathtaking–Lake Michigan for as far as you can see.

I found this little Michigan barrette in a shop in Traverse City and fell in love.

M-22, most beautiful highway ever.

We ended our Sleeping Bear Dunes day in Glen Arbor again, this quaint town that magically comes alive in the summer.

 

As we were walking down to the beach, we passed a jewelry shack where the owner had set up a table outside for free rock drilling so that kids could turn their beach finds into jewelry. We all picked out the perfect pendant rock, stood in line to have it drilled and have been wearing our Michigan summer treasures ever since.

My brain is writing memories, storing happies, stashing all these looks on my kids’ faces.

Found by lake: “Fairies Welcome”

I’m continually processing all the feels, packing them up and looking forward to figuring out how to bring home the treasures of this summer and meld them with our life and routines at home.

In the meantime, grateful and content for this season.

I have more Michigan adventures to share and at the end of our trip will include a list of favorites for anyone traveling to this beautiful state.