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Robert Woll

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Hi all,

at some point of time many of us may want to share their fishing experiences with their family and so am I. Actually, I already got my girlfriend and my kids (8 and 9 years old) into fishing but thus far we've only been fishing in freshwater lakes with not so powerful fish. Now, I am considering taking them with me on a saltwater fishing trip to the Maldives but I am worried about what could happen to the kids if they hook up into some brute. So I thought let's ask you guys and see whether anyone has got some experience with taking kids on a saltwater fishing trip.

I should mention though that the kids will certainly not be able to throw heavy surface lures. I rather thought of introducing them into light jigging. My idea was to let only one kid fish at a time with me sitting just next to (or behind) it, always being ready to jump in case of a heavy hookup. Of course, the kids would have to wear life vests. But then I am also wondering whether it makes sense to tie the rod to some heavy rope in case its ripped off the kids' hands. Or should I even tie the kids to myself? What do you think? Should I rather wait for some more years (until they are more physically strong)? How have you managed letting your kids fish safely?

I am curious to hear any opinions.

Tight lines,

Robert

Thomas Maxted

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Re: Taking kids fishing (in water with big fish!)
November 26, 2014, 03:40:08 PM
Kids defenetly enjoy fishing and get a real buzz from it. Consider their phisical ability and fish fighting skills what fish were you thinking of taking them fishing for.

Sachin Chaudhry

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Re: Taking kids fishing (in water with big fish!)
November 26, 2014, 08:04:39 PM
Taught my daughter to pop. (What else). One of the most rewarding things you could do as a parent. She can chuck a 10 gram popper a fair way in 10 lb braid and the biggest trevor so far has been around the 4 kg mark.

Andrew Susani

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Re: Taking kids fishing (in water with big fish!)
November 26, 2014, 08:51:59 PM
I would fish shallow reefs with small bibbed minnow lures. 

We have been doing it up here for years and it really is non stop action.  I don't have kids but have fished with plenty of them, and they are very much the same as women or blokes who don't fish very often - i.e. they get bored easily, and don't have experience with tackle to be able to be doing things like lots of casting, or popping.

We use small minnow lures like 8cm rapala xraps, with an 8-15lb braid spinning outfit and 20lb leader - barbless hooks of course.  Just drift along the edge of the shallow reefs and cast onto the shallows, or around any bommies.  If the tide is high enough we go right onto the flats and just cast around the shallows.  Make sure they watch their lure the whole time and just use a simple, slow rolling retrieve. 

The only accuracy required is to hit the water, and with floating shallow divers that run through the top half of the water depth, you don't have to worry much about snags.

Last weekend we were fishing a shallow reef off the coast, north of here, and were literally catching a fish every couple of minutes.  There's nothing better than seeing a little reef bullet come flying out and attack the lure, and you never know what it will be.  Cod might drive me nuts but it is a whole different story to someone catching their first fish on a lure.

Plus they will see turtles, clams, sea cucumbers, stupid longtom getting spooked and bolting across the surface, baitfish getting smashed, all sorts of things.  This regular action and activity is what will make them fall in love with the sport.

And once they are comfortable with the gear, you can move them onto bigger fish.  A few years ago I made the mistake of putting my new girlfriend onto a mack tuna (which I hooked for her) when the biggest thing she had previously caught was a baby bream  :o  I watched in horror as my spin rod was bent into all sorts of crazy shapes and had several near misses with the gunwhale as the fish powerdived under the boat!









Focus on the pop

Thomas Maxted

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Re: Taking kids fishing (in water with big fish!)
November 27, 2014, 08:35:21 AM
The best thing about the mangroves and the shallow reefs are if you don't catch anything you can always see the awesome wildlife turtles,dolphins and even some stingrays the only problem is if you hook a big fish stopping it with a first timer on the rod. although 40kg GT's are not on the target list you can have fun on fly gear and small lures.

Titahi brown

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Re: Taking kids fishing (in water with big fish!)
November 29, 2014, 10:41:48 AM
Its possible for little kids to actch really big fish, just make sure the gear your using is set appropiately for them, ie dont screw the drag up above what they can realisticly hang onto for the expected fight time.....15 kg line class would be a good starting point













Thomas Maxted

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Re: Taking kids fishing (in water with big fish!)
November 29, 2014, 12:38:43 PM
Awesome I landed an 80kg stingray.

 I was using 24kg stand up gear, 50lb mono connected to 100lb leader via 150lb snap swivel and a 5/0 live bait hook with a whole slimy mackerel as bait all without a gimbal or harness.

 Although it didn't start tail walking on the surface it got pretty close to going airborne you can check the picture out on Macullams Tackleworld Facebook page.
 love the mini kingfish even I have had a bit of trouble landing them and I am way older but then again that's what happens when you lock your 10-15kg outfit up when its spooled with 80lb braid (weirdly)  ;D     
Last Edit: November 30, 2014, 11:00:31 AM by Thomas Maxted

Thomas Maxted

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Re: Taking kids fishing (in water with big fish!)
November 30, 2014, 10:51:09 AM




Pictures of stingray, the tail had been cut off by someone so we hopped in the water and  let it go.
Last Edit: November 30, 2014, 11:01:12 AM by Thomas Maxted

Thomas Maxted

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Re: Taking kids fishing (in water with big fish!)
December 16, 2014, 09:06:42 AM



 More pics
Just to note the knife in my hand is only to cut the leader and releases the stingray not to cut its tail off. It was caught with no tail.

Mahmoud Salem

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Re: Taking kids fishing (in water with big fish!)
December 16, 2014, 04:42:56 PM
Light tackle is a nice start,make sure they wear good gloves if they are fishing with braid

Thomas Maxted

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Re: Taking kids fishing (in water with big fish!)
December 16, 2014, 06:46:40 PM
Light tackle is a nice start,make sure they wear good gloves if they are fishing with braid
Agreed I have a heaps of braid cuts from everything you could imagine.
 Once while trying to land an eel the rod got stuck is a tree so I had to hand line the 5kg eel in with 30lb braid (ouch!)
Thomas