IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Miscellaneous => Ice Fishing FAQ => Topic started by: icefisher-45 on Jan 23, 2007, 03:57 PM
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What would be a good age to start, I have twin 2 1/2 yr olds, a boy and girl I want to take them out. Is this age to young
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Don't think you'll get any fishing done.
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Don't think you'll get any fishing done.
There was some good responses to my similar post Check it out
http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=42425.0 (http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=42425.0)
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I wouldnt expect a full day on the ice with them have the wife bring by for a while and break them in slow
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My wife would bring are son to the lake for like an hour or till he got cold when he was 5 years old now i can't go on the ice with out him
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My boys are 5 and 7 they have been fishing for 2 yrs now and love it they even out fish dad on a good Perch lake, as for people saying "you wont get much fishing in" so what its just as much fun if not more to see the smiles on your kids face as they pull up that 14 ounce "HOG" as my 5 yr old puts it//
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4
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My sons 3 and a half, and I hear the same from everyone- he'll be complaining about being cold all day. He loves open water fishing though, but he does kinda get bored- i.e. throwing rocks, playing in the minnow bucket, etc.........
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My sons 3 and a half, and I hear the same from everyone- he'll be complaining about being cold all day. He loves open water fishing though, but he does kinda get bored- i.e. throwing rocks, playing in the minnow bucket, etc.........
My son takes his game boy with so if the fish don't bite he can play that.
:) :)
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What would be a good age to start, I have twin 2 1/2 yr olds, a boy and girl I want to take them out. Is this age to young
Are you me, am I you? I am a fellow ice-fisherman with twins, one of each, the same age. I did not read your post until today, 10 months later. I took mine out for their first ever ice fishing trip in Feb. this year, they were 2 and 1/2 at that time. I did not plan to be there for more than 2 hours, and it was basically to show them something that Daddy likes to do, and catching any fish was a bonus. Much to my surprise, they did not complain about being cold or anything else either. We left after 2 hours, but I think they would have stayed for 4 hours without complaining about it. Good luck on your experience with your children, both with ice-fishing and everything else.
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its never too soon. just make sure they can be warm and constantly entertained
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Most of us still act like we are 5 years old, so age doesn't mean a thing! Start them out young, & teach them right, so someday they can outfish you, & teach you something too!
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I had the boy out at 3yrs old now all I hear is "When can we go ice fishing"
Always bring:snacks and soda I make hot chocolate.A portable DVD player +movies does the trick when kids get tired of fishing.
I also noted kids love to watch underwater cameras and flashers as much as us big kids ;D
(http://www.illinoiswaters.net/photos/small/18198)
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dont go fishing for big fish. go to a lake where there tons of fish that are easy to catch. if they are catching fish they are having fun. if they go sit on the ice for a few hours and dont see a thing its not interesting to them.
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I started my daughter at age 3. The first day I was thinking she would maybe last for a couple hours. Well after about 7 hours she and my buddy's kid were told it was time to go...and the crying began. She's been hooked (sorry) ever since. Here's a few tips to keep them excited and involved
-try to make sure there is at least 2 kids along if possible, they can play endlessly in the snow when the fishing is slow
-leave them at home when the weather is real nasty...you don't want a negative experience.
-bring LOTS of snacks, and warm drinks
-bring at least 1 extra set of boots and socks (they will inevitably step in the holes) along with at least 2 extra sets of mittens-kids love playing in water...those little handwarmers are great too
-go fishing for lots of little fish-save the days in search of El Gronko for when you're kidless, you need to keep their interest
-involve them. Whether you let them reel, hold a rod, bonk fish you're keeping or whatever. It's not fun for them to watch YOU fish.
-last but not least, MAKE IT FUN!
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I started my daughter at age 3. The first day I was thinking she would maybe last for a couple hours. Well after about 7 hours she and my buddy's kid were told it was time to go...and the crying began. She's been hooked (sorry) ever since. Here's a few tips to keep them excited and involved
-try to make sure there is at least 2 kids along if possible, they can play endlessly in the snow when the fishing is slow
-leave them at home when the weather is real nasty...you don't want a negative experience.
-bring LOTS of snacks, and warm drinks
-bring at least 1 extra set of boots and socks (they will inevitably step in the holes) along with at least 2 extra sets of mittens-kids love playing in water...those little handwarmers are great too
-go fishing for lots of little fish-save the days in search of El Gronko for when you're kidless, you need to keep their interest
-involve them. Whether you let them reel, hold a rod, bonk fish you're keeping or whatever. It's not fun for them to watch YOU fish.
-last but not least, MAKE IT FUN!
Well Said!
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i started mine out when he was 3, our first trip out he catches about a 8 inch calico in the first couple of minutes, he is standing there holding the fish in his hands and he said ok, lets go. i said are you cold, he said no, i got mine i want to take him home and eat him. the kid loves to eat fish.
he is now 8 years old and i do not feel the same when i don't take him because of the weather.
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I think I started my daughter when she was 9. And she still loves it!!
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Never too young...just start a little at a time and let them have fun. Take lots of pictures.
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It's been a few years,as my son is now 25 yrs old& a board member(gonephishin19) but he must of been about 3yrs.,he totally controlled when it was time to leave,don't take your $100.00 rig for peace of mind,lots of junk goodies(hot chocolate,chips,candy bars,fruit,pickles,SLIM JIMS and the likes),extra clothes,realize you're not fishing so much as enjoying the time together,let them play with the bait if they want to,let them slide in the surface water & get cold(at least once,they'll find out quick why you're not joining them and probably won't try it again),be near enough to others so that they can go check out the neighbors catch(surprisingly most all fishermen give little guys/gals,tips,bait,lures and fish to take home,etc.)this is an outing so maybe hit a fastfood joint or the likes for a treat on the ride home,he also bow hunted, gun hunted and open water fished with me starting at the same time,but on all trips it was more about being together than catching or killing,have fun & enjoy em while you can,in just a few years they'll be outfishing you and asking to stay longer,then suddenly they're moved out and if you're as lucky as I am,they call everyday and see if you want to go with them to a new fishin hole even when they know you have to go to work the next morning,.Tightlines,Mark
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It's been a few years,as my son is now 25 yrs old& a board member(gonephishin19) but he must of been about 3yrs.,he totally controlled when it was time to leave,don't take your $100.00 rig for peace of mind,lots of junk goodies(hot chocolate,chips,candy bars,fruit,pickles,SLIM JIMS and the likes),extra clothes,realize you're not fishing so much as enjoying the time together,let them play with the bait if they want to,let them slide in the surface water & get cold(at least once,they'll find out quick why you're not joining them and probably won't try it again),be near enough to others so that they can go check out the neighbors catch(surprisingly most all fishermen give little guys/gals,tips,bait,lures and fish to take home,etc.)this is an outing so maybe hit a fastfood joint or the likes for a treat on the ride home,he also bow hunted, gun hunted and open water fished with me starting at the same time,but on all trips it was more about being together than catching or killing,have fun & enjoy em while you can,in just a few years they'll be outfishing you and asking to stay longer,then suddenly they're moved out and if you're as lucky as I am,they call everyday and see if you want to go with them to a new fishin hole even when they know you have to go to work the next morning,.Tightlines,Mark
Thanks
That was awesome. I have 2 little girls (9 months and almost 3) and my oldest is my shadow. We fish, hunt, and do the wildlife trips all the time. I sure hope she still is interested in the like later in life.
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Youve got to make the fishing and hunting trips special. if its just lets go catch fish and eat them its boring. Im only 18 but when i was little fishing was kinda a lets go do what we have to do and get the hell home kind of thing. I loved fishing because it passed time and it was me being a master of my environment. When i take my little cousing fishing i use the camera and show them how the tip ups work and let them catch fish, i will hook them and pass the rod on or with the tip ups we have races and i let them do it. When they lose a fish or a hooks its no big deal. if you grumble and be all you lost my 9 dollar chubby darter they start having negative experiences. laughing and having fun is waht its about, i know this. everyone has more fun and stuff, it doesnt matter if you catch 0 or 2343 fish, theres gotta be that something special about fishing that makes them want to come back. dont just abandon them in the tent and go try limit out, keep it interesting for them and they will keep comin back. ive tried lots of things and ive got a system down that keeps the kids comin back for fishing trips with big cousin ryan.
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it doesn't matter if you catch 0 or 2343 fish,
If anyone on here ever catches 2343 fish in an outing I am going to need a date, time and place to meet up with you so I can learn from a Zen Master how to accomplish this act of GOD!!!
Just Messin Ryan ;D Your post was right on!
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I've taken my 14 month old to a local pond and showed him a couple of bluegills, but haven't brought him on the ice yet... maybe next winter..?
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i wish i had an easy decision like that. my daughter is 10, and would love to go icefishing with me. my problem is that she lives in england with my ex-wife(who is british). i have to wait a few more years to get her over during the winter. this summer will be the first time she will be here since she was 16 months old. :clap: :woot: :icefish:
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As soon as they're done with the placenta, whole family should relax with a day of fishing.
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I've taken my 14 month old to a local pond and showed him a couple of bluegills, but haven't brought him on the ice yet... maybe next winter..?
Didn't wait till next winter; he came out about a month after this post. He seemed to enjoy walking around (and falling) on the ice. Trying to pull all of my tip-ups out of the holes was a fun game... he even got to watch me lose one at the hole!
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Not if you have a ice house
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We play football or run around and play hockey to pass time :)
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My daughter was 6 when she started going with me and we used to do fish bowling with soda cans and frozen bluegills that we had caught. She still laughs about that. Just keep the kids warm, have food and make it fun!
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As long as you can keep them warm take them now.
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I started my oldest son at 4 and he now takes me,he is now 28. One thing you have to do is help him to fish. Don't go and expect to get a lot of fishing done,when you first take him or her. I will come just like the other guys posted, they will love it.They will catch on real fast. A little patience goes a long way. Jerry
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We started taking them when they were 5. By that time, they could be counted on to say, "I need to pee," they could be counted on to actually do that (restroom duties) in an unusual circumstance, and they could and would accurately say, "my left foot is cold," etc.
As we neared the fishing spot, the oldest child would pass out the hand warmers, body warmers, and toasti-toes, and they would all be pre-warmed.
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Take them out as soon as you can if even just for an hour. I took my son out a few times when he has 2-1/2, always had a shack and a heater. When he was 3-1/2 he went with every time I went out and would spend lots of time outside fishing or playing and would go in the shack to warm up. When he was 4-1/2 he was stubborn(his mother said he got that from me) and wanted to bate his own hook and take most of his fish off. Now he's 19 and all grown up so we don't get to fish together as much as we use to. Don't wait and teach them right.