Is 2 years old too early?? How old did you start your kids????

[Mooter]

This weekend I took my 2 year old daughter out for her first ice fishing trip to Keyhole Res.  She had a blast just trucking around on the ice.  The fishing wasn't really good but she sure showed interest. 

[The Ny]

She's a doll, Mooter.  If she shows interest then she's not too young.

[Mooter]

She's a doll, Mooter.  If she shows interest then she's not too young.

I agree

[walleyechaser]

I took my oldest son out at 3.  He still talks about his pike he caught.

[The Ny]

Just gotta keep an eye on her, they're pretty quick at that age.

[Mooter]

Just gotta keep an eye on her, they're pretty quick at that age.

She was mimicking my buddy Rod when he was putting his tip-up out and just dropped one straight down the hole.  Gone forever.  I've never seen him laugh so hard.  She sure gives it her all. 

[hawgerdawger]

That's great! She's as cute as they come.

Took my son out for the first time in December and he's been out several times with me since. He'll be 4 in February and has been having an absolute blast. (His photo is in my avatar)

My mom asked him this weekend if the cold weather bothered him while fishing. "It didn't bother me, but it bothered Uncle Mark." Love it!

[The Ny]

That's good.  If she stays interested, it'll be something that you guys can do together.  I miss those days.
My daughter is almost 13 so the thought of spending any time with her parents is just lame.

[diehard22]

My 4 year old niece has been fishing since about that age as well. Over the Christmas break we had a blast just playing in my ice shack in the yard pretending to run outside to pull up imaginary fish on imaginary lines and bring them back inside for a fish fry. I think the most important thing to remember when getting young ones into ice fishing is to do what they want and leave when they want. To many people are put off by ice fishing because of bad memories of freezing on the ice. Beter to take them home when they want than for you to ask if they want to go fishing and they decline because they think ice fishing means going out on the ice for hours and freezing.

[Rat-Man]

My three grandsons started out by setting on my knee and holding the rod, they were just starting to walk and what better place to start !

Looks like she will grow up enjoying it with her dad, thats great !

[bigdave1018]

real thick hard ice and maybe a helmet so when and if they fall they wont hurt their head? seeing any yong kids on the ice always worries me but hey thats me. very cute kid there mooter and heres to many more years icefishing with dad .

[Mooter]

real thick hard ice and maybe a helmet so when and if they fall they wont hurt their head? seeing any yong kids on the ice always worries me but hey thats me. very cute kid there mooter and heres to many more years icefishing with dad .

Thanks
She was able to get around pretty good.  The 14 layers of clothes forces the penguin walk.  The snow help.  Glare Ice is hard for me to even walk on.  Do they make ice cleats for toddlers??

[A- bomb]

Had mine in the boat since 1yr old in stroller
REMEMBER: Now is the time to find the things you will both enjoy together, because if you don't they will find things on their own to do that might not intrest you!! And i don't mean soccer and the silly playstation thingies 

By the way you traded a tip up for a cool memory. My little one (8)still talks about the rod that went FLYING out of the boat!!

[tbtool]

Heres some pics of my daughter fishing.  Ive taken her since she was walking

[Mooter]

she's a cutie

You better tell her nice fish from the shanty

[slimechaser]

Holy smokes Moot, she's a doll dude!

Keep her into it, she's gonna have to land a man someday

You too TB, another little cutie. You fellas do nice work!

[Mooter]

Holy smokes Moot, she's a doll dude!

Keep her into it, she's gonna have to land a man someday

You too TB, another little cutie. You fellas do nice work!

Thanks

Years of practice

[littleoldlady]

This weekend I took my 2 year old daughter out for her first ice fishing trip to Keyhole Res.  She had a blast just trucking around on the ice.  The fishing wasn't really good but she sure showed interest.  (Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)
(Image removed from quote.)

She is a doll, and 2 years old is about right!! I started fishing with my dad at that
age, and over five decades later I am still fishing.  It's the greatest legacy you can give
a kid!!  I was out on Cold Lake, Alberta today....there was a guy fishing with his four
year old...and the little gal latched onto a big one...darn near pulled her into the hole.
Any dad who takes the time to teach their kids how to fish deserves a huge

GOLD MEDAL!!

[Mooter]

She is a doll, and 2 years old is about right!! I started fishing with my dad at that
age, and over five decades later I am still fishing.  It's the greatest legacy you can give
a kid!!  I was out on Cold Lake, Alberta today....there was a guy fishing with his four
year old...and the little gal latched onto a big one...darn near pulled her into the hole.
Any dad who takes the time to teach their kids how to fish deserves a huge

GOLD MEDAL!!

Well
Thanks for the virtual hug

[maineduckhunter]

Thats GREAT man!  Thats our future!  Can't wait to have some kids of my own.

[Desperado]

I started mine young too.

One thing to be most careful of is:
CAN THEY SLIDE RIGHT THROUGH A 10 INCH HOLE?

my youngest is pretty slim, and when he was 3years old, he could fit right into a 10" hole (even with his winter coat on)
when testing for this, do so with their arms straight up.  At that age; if they go in, they don't have the strength to keep their arms straight out and hold themselves in a hole at shoulder level.
 With my son, we put his lifejacket on him over the top of his coat.  This gave him enough girth to get wedged in the hole at about belly button level.
make sure to buckle that strap that goes between their legs; this will keep the lifejacket from riding up and slipping off over their head if they do get wedged in a hole.
Sure would hate to see a wee one end up on the wrong side of the ice. 

[bud]

my daughter started at that age.  keep her pullin in fish and she's hooked.  my daughter killed more shiners than the fish I caught did!!!  at about 6yo she said one day..........dad we bring the boat here.......i said yep........she got a funny look in her eyes and said ohhhhhh.  she was a little freaked at first because in the boat she loves looking at the fish finder to see fish and to see how deep it is.  Like I said the look on her face when she put 2+2 together was priceless! Must have figured any old hole in the snow would catch fish.......lol.  She is now 10 and is still wild about it!

[Maine-e-ak iceman]

I have 3 boys and we all started icefishing when they were 3,5 and 6.  My oldest is now 10 and we all still love being on the ice.  I can even get my wife out there sometimes.  It's great.

[Pasquatch]

By the look on your girl's face, obviously not too young. She's having a blast, and seems really competant. Impressive, she's a natural!

tbtool- Great pics, she really seems into the "hands-on approach" Great stuff!

[jayswimmer09]

its never to early!!!! as long as theres enough ice that it isnt dangerous and it isnt -20 out get them out there! i wish i would of started it earlier

[A- bomb]

One other note, ALWAYS take along 3 sets of gloves,2 pairs of socks and 1 extra pair of boots. My boy had more fun opening holes all day than fishing. Once  we even loaded it all up with a box of toys to boot. accross the lake we went! 

[Logan22]

I was fishing since I was that age.  I wish my dad took me out more.  I think that is one of the best thing that you can do with your kids.  It is 1 on 1 all the time, and time spent like that is much more valuable than anything.  Give her/him something to remember!

[ICU]

What more can you say but priceless.only thing I can say is to keep close eye on hands and feet.as when we were young and got the question asked to us, are you cold,was having to much fun to say yes.extra mittens and socks along with hand and feet warmers are a must.I would sit my daughter down every so often and remove her boots and check and rub her feet.she usually couldn't hold still long enough.put the boots back on and of she'd go.they grow so fast.start a fishing album for her ,that she will be able to look back on.

[yooperdave]

my kids always came with me, boys and girls, from the time they could walk. always had a portable shanty for them to warm up in.

[tbirdbassr]

The younger the better mine is 4 and she's gonna be a character out there so if you IL boys hear someone yelling at a 4 yr old she's gotta bite ITS PROBABLY ME lol