Kids fish anymore? 2024

Stone reply :

I've seen over the last few years quite a drop in kids fishing.

Used to be I'd see a guy and one or two kids out for a day of fishing. Now, it seems to be mostly middle-agedish guys.

I live in Mass, and we have never been know as a big fishing state, so maybe it's just where I live?

I've tried getting my son into fishing, but he gets bored after about 5 minutes.

My fishing buddy has 2 sons, neither one is interested in fishing at all.

Is this a trend? Too much video game play and fishing just isn't that exciting to them?

What do you folks think?

BayouBassAssassin reply :

I'm a teenager and I fish almost every day of the week.

tnbassfisher reply :

I am also a teenager. I have very few friends that are completely opposed to fishing.

Brush Hog20 reply :

My boys do. I go straight to the baitcaters with them no worms under bobbers for my boys. They do well with it to. Since they are starting out they don't know its an aquired skill just the norm. My 10 year old I had to drag off the water that last time we fished and it wasn't like we were tearing em up either. It was slow fishing but he wanted to be out there anyway..I have started teaching my oldest the fly rod as well. Throws nice loops too..but enuff bragging from a proud papa.... ;D

topwater.va reply :

I am in college and I fish along with my school's bass fishing team which is 25 strong. But, I understand what you are saying about younger children I dont see that many fishing when I go out.

backpain... reply :

I am always taking teenagers and kids fishing.

slonezp reply :

My son is 19 and fishes tourneys with me, but sad to say when it comes to fun fishing many times I have to twist his arm. I understand he has school and a girlfriend and thats ok with me. I'm trying to corrupt my 9 year old niece with this whole fishing thing. She gets up at the crack of dawn with us and normally without complaint spends the day on the water. Although if the fish aren't biting she insists we go back in and get the innertube. My 7 year old nephew would rather play video games, oh well.

hookingem reply :

i just turned 17 last weekend and i fish everyday usually ponds around my area for a few hours

Elite Image Fishing reply :

This is the honest truth. I have a 7 year old nephew who doesn't ever want to play video games. He loves fishing even if he does get bored, we did around for craw-fish, tad-poles, or even throw rocks. Also he would rather watch fishing DVDs and the outdoor channel than watch cartoons. He is a pretty awesome kid and it reminds me that there is still hope out there.

kms399 reply :

my son is just turning 4 and loves fishing every time I go without him he looks hurt, breaks my heart. I still get him out 1 or 2 times a week though. I think the trick was bringing all kinds of snacks and toys. he will sit and play with what ever and if i catch one i will hand him the rod and let him reel it in.

b.Lee reply :

We still fish!!!! (im 26 )

Pez reply :

I love Fishing, but being from one of the 5 boroughs of NYC, you don't see many kids into fishing!

Hornytoad 10 reply :

i'm 14 and LOVE fishing, in fact i just got back.

soccplayer07 reply :

I work at a high school and in my opinion very few of them fish. Students always see my lake maps on my desk (yes, I have an addiction) and ask about it. I tell them its for fishing and they instantly loose interest. I always follow up with do you fish? The answer is almost always, NO.

90x reply :

kids are a type of their own. they are like fish, you have to take them out during the right conditions and they never like to stay in the same place for too long. Then again, we all have different likes and dislikes. It might also be an issue of time. Without anybody to take them, they have no way to go. Perhaps their parents work a lot. During a time like this, people are working more. Some people do not want to invest the time or money on fishing. It could be beneficial to dedicate one for work and saving.

Hooligan reply :

My four year old cleaned house on me today. We were fishing a local pond with stocker trout in it and he flat waxed me. I'd be happy t have him continue doing that for the next 60 years if it means he's still fishing with me.

basser223 reply :

15 and been fishing all my life I have noticed this but I think its because kids have internet video games ect that the choose to stay inside instead of enjoy the wonderful world before them. I usually see the biggest crowd of fisherman mid summer when its the hottest me I go ice out to ice in

soccplayer07 reply :

Quote
My four year old cleaned house on me today. We were fishing a local pond with stocker trout in it and he flat waxed me. I'd be happy t have him continue doing that for the next 60 years if it means he's still fishing with me.

very well said!!!

basspro215 reply :

I'm 24,I've been fishing as long as i can remember and love it with a passion but i also like to play video games too,i have to twist my dads arm to get him out fishing with me and hes the one that taught me

thrawn67 reply :

17 and I Fish as much as I can. Most of my friends don't mind going with me either.

Probably depends on time and whether and if they're in school or not?

bass or bass ? reply :

I'm taking my granddaughter fishing on the 27th for her first time and she can't wait. She turns 10 on the 28th. She has developed a passion for hunting and fishing that baffles everyone. I am the only one in the family that enjoys fishing and formerly hunting (not physically able, knees and hips), but I hope to kindle a lifelong love for the outdoors sports in my little girl's heart.

Beastie Bass reply :

My 5 yr old boy is a bigger fanatic than me! He screams and cries when its time to leave the lake. Since he was 3 he has been casting, retrieving, setting the hook and landing the fish (with a little help on the last one) He loves to release bass and always remarks "see you next time" LOL We occasionaly fish for keeper crappie and he always asks "you think we should keep some of these bass and fry em up, dad?" We were loading our boat at a local lake and he said to my buddy " hey, is that a Moja Bass?" I was so proud! ;D Fishing has been a family affair for as long as I remember, and I still cherish time on the water with my 72 yr old father. Nothing beats watchin Pops wrassle with a bass! 8-)

towmotor reply :

My son is very excited to get started on his third year of fishing, and he just turned 7. His sister (at 3) is already planning on starting next year. Locally, at the rezzy, I do see alot of younger kids, but it's more of a "casual interest". Really is sad.

JacobK reply :

I'm 20, I've been fishing since I was able to walk. I've gotten a bunch of my friends into the hobby as well.

Taylor Fishin 4 life reply :

im 16 and have been fishing since 3 years of age, got into bass fishing at age 8

SMfisher reply :

one of the reasons that we are having the Pulaski County Kids Fishing Day is to get the kids outside away from the tv games and introduce fishing it may be the first time a lot of them have gone fishing maybe the first time they get a chance to catch some fish

BassWhole! reply :

There is a steady decline in fishing participation.

grimlin reply :

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There is a steady decline in fishing participation.

Not just fishing....outdoor sport activities altogether.

Sfritr reply :

I only have one child. He is 10 and I have had him fishing since he was 3. He is a dropshotting, smallmouth fanatic. Saves his own money to buy Roboworms and dropshot wieghts. (Aarons magic is his color)

He has at least two friends that love to go with us. I try to take as many kids out as I can. If there IS a decline in kids fishing its because parents do not expose their children to the outdoors anymore.

Case in point: both parents work, little johnny is latchkey and plays PS3 till parents get home. Or, single family homes where there is NO father figure to introduce little Johnny to the outdoors and MOM is not an outdoorsy person.

bigfruits reply :

i was born in 76 and when i was growing up we had a huge bike gang in our neighborhood and we used to be riding to the lake to fish almost every day.

i dont see any bike gangs anymore. i also never see a group of kids, like my gang, on the shores laughing and messing around with a catfish or bluegill. i do think internet and video games have a part in that.

is it bad for fishing interest to go down? less people on the lake, right? but then you have less money going into maintaining fisheries...

something i need to learn more about.

Joe Boss reply :

My son is 6 and has been fishing with me for 2 years now. His interest in fishing is not to high, certainly not as high as interest in video games. When we are at the pond he is much more interested in chasing ducks, hunting for turtles or his Nintendo DS.

When I hook a bass I yell "fish on" and he knows to come running to reel it in for me. I see his eyes light up when he lands the fish and I know thats all I need to do for now. I have planted the seeds for his love of fishing to grow.

bear7625 reply :

My 3 boys started fishing around age 5, and are still fishing at 42,40 and 33. Out of 5 grandkids, 3 boys,2 girls, only 2 don't fish. My oldest grandson was never interested and the youngest is only 14 months old. I have been fortunate that we always lived in an area where fishing was easily accessible. I'm sure more kids would get into fishing if only given the opportunity.

bandsr4me20 reply :

im a teenager and i fish a lot

SoFlaBassAddict reply :

Both of my daughters are six, nearly seven. They both love fishing. One of them loves it far more than the other. She just enjoys going out and casting her rod and trying to catch fish. The other is just like most kids her age that fish, it's not really fun unless you catch fish.

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

We have 2 boys and 3 girls ages 20, 18, 15, 10 & 8 and each has a different level of interest. Many of our fondest memories are from days spent fishing, hiking, anything outdoors. One of the biggest challenges in keeping them involved, is that the hectic, blistrering speed of everyday life nowdays is the norm to them and they seem to have a hard time downshifting to enjoy any activity that isn't constant stimulation.

IDbasser reply :

My boys enjoy fishing

bassmedic46 reply :

I take my son and daughter who are five fishing all the time. My son prefers ice fishing and my daughter loves either so as long as she is out with dad.

florida strain reply :

thats because they wanna ride jet skies and wakeboards, and get in my way ,scare the fish off and then come back for another pass.. > i really hate that.

Captain Obvious reply :

I'm 19 and I think you guys know I love to fish ;D

But I have two younger brother ages 11 and 9 that love to fish so much that I find myself wanting to go fishing alone sometimes so I don't get beat

intheweeds reply :

I have been taking my 2.5 year old daughter fishing with me. She likes it a lot. She even has her own pole. I hope she will stick with it and fish with me for years to come. As far as kids fishing anymore. I think it all depends where you live. I am the only one in my or my wife's family that fishes. I believe that if you live in an area that has a lot of fishermen and easy access to the fishing grounds it is easier to pick up, even if your parents aren't into it.

77railer reply :

I have taken all four of my kids fishing. The boys do seem to like it more than the girls but each of them have gone...

basswitch reply :

Going fishing with my mom was the highlight of my childhood, I did get bored often and wander off to play in the water or catch frogs. As I got older, I had "better things to do". I came back to fishing in my 20's when my kids were little, but trying to fish while baiting and unhooking for 4 little people got to be frustrating, especially when it was sometimes me that I was unhooking! After awhile I gave up.

They've all gone with me since they've been teenagers, but of course more and more they're finding "better things to do". My daughter is the only one who shows any real interest, and when she gets bored she takes pictures or reads, she just loves to be in the boat. Maybe they'll come back to it when they're older like I did.

I see quite a few kids fishing here in Wisconsin, but it also seems like the outdoors is a far larger part of the culture than where I grew up in Illinois. I ran into this little guy last summer, he couldn't have been more than 9, talked to me about fishing with a passion that I recognized. There was nothing in the world he'd rather do, I wanted to take him home and talk to his mom about taking him fishing with me sometimes, but I can only imagine how I'd react if some stranger came to me with a question like that. It's sad but you can't trust anyone. Kids like that make me wish I had a spare boat lying around, the way he was drooling on my little tin boat made me want to give it to him!

wisconsin heat reply :

im 15 and crazy for bass, i see lots of kids fishing, but they seem to be more "whatever is biting" fisherman...not my kinda deal...i for one like the idea of more kids not fishing...less competiton for when i make it in the elite series ;D ;D

EasternPAfisherman reply :

Quote
I'm a teenager and I fish almost every day of the week.

me too. Whats with you people in saying we dont fish! haha. I have 7 bass for this year and now im gonna keep a log book for this season. It also might help me in my first tournaments this year. But I always fish anytime i get the chance.

CJ reply :

What a great topic. I have 3 kids, 2 of them are boys. One of them doesn't really care much for fishing and the other one is a rare breed. Gavin is 9 years old now and will fish for hours not getting a bite and never complain or stop watching his line. I think the new technological world has robbed some of the younger generations of experiencing the outdoor life. Here's some pictures of how Gavin's patience has paid off! And the one in my avatar was from a day when he had over 15 lbs. by himself fishing 15-20 ft. deep on a worm. Don't mean to brag.......or well...YES I DO!

Dock Master reply :

I'm 16 and I love to fish. I also love to fish tournaments more than just fishing. Hopefully I can find a career in the fishing industry when I graduate college.

Brendan Duffy reply :

17 years old here and love to fish

DINK WHISPERER reply :

My 4 year old girl LOVES to fish with me. She prefers the local ponds to the bass boat though. I already have some gear waiting for the boy too(8 months).

sambrochill reply :

I'm 18 and I have been fishing for about two years now. Prior to that my dad had taken me fishing before but the fishing was slow and uneventful due to the fact that i was only fishing for small fish like bluegill. I do believe that video games and different things have caused kids to lose the excitement that fishing can bring, and they only see it as boring.

Last year my two brothers and I (they are also 18), we all went fishing, my brother Ryan loves to fish but my other brother doesn't like to fish at all (He is more interested in team sports, cars, and Music). So i set up a pole for my other brother with a Strike King Red Eye shad and after a few casts he had caught a 13 inch Large Mouth Bass. He said it was probably one of the most fun things he has ever done.

I think the only reason why kids aren't that interested in fishing anymore is because of the pace. Its not a very fast paced sport and in today's society people (especially kids) are accustomed to receiving things quickly and do not really have patience.

I guess I am one of the lucky few that has realized patience is a virtue and in the words of some guy "good things come to those who wait"

like a 22 pound large mouth bass

santacruz reply :

I have a buddy who as a now 5yr old but he as been fishing since he was 2yrs old.He can cast a spincast reel by himself and for the most part put it close to where it needs to be.He started out on live bait,but now he can cast and fell the bite on artifical.

rat-l-trapper reply :

I'm 17 and I fish as often as I can. I love fishing and I spend most of my free time either reading about fishing, fishing or watching it on t.v. I started fishing with my dad when I was really young. It's only been the last year or so that I've moved past bait fishing for trout though. Fishing is my favorite thing to do and I wish more young people did it. I do see kids out fishing, but it's usually with families who don't look like they fish much. I never see any kids out on bass boats with their dads, I'm not sure why.

Luke at Gouldsboro reply :

I see kids fishing with adults, but not much . I used to fish alone off the shore in front of our cottage when I was 8 ( mom looked out the window to check on me), but mostly I was unsupervised. My dad taught me how to fish when I was about 4. I take my niece and nephew fishing whenever they ask. I think kids these days have a big disadvantage with tv and video games. When I grew up we had to use our imaginations , video games were in an arcade...

crank reply :

My daughter fishes with me pretty regularly. In fact, she got me back into it after many years...pestered me regularly "can we go fishing!"...One day it dawned on me how much I loved it as a kid, and realized it would be a blast to fish with her...and it has been. We both just caught our biggest fish together last night...Can't think of a better way to spend the time.

the lone fisherman reply :

yea thats true im 24 i play xbox alot but thats if i dont have the money to go fishing.i try to go every chance i get.none of my friends fish nor want even go.at least u got a fishing buddy.My father got me hooked and now id rather catch nothing all day then set at home

BACL reply :

I personally am only 14, and I love fishing. I live in VA and I have quite a few friends who fish. A couple of my friends got me into it a few years ago, and I have been trying to get all my other friends into it. Fishing so peaceful and relaxing, but I feel that rush when I get a big bite. I love it and I hope to continue at it all my life.

Peace

bass or bass ? reply :

Quote
I'm taking my granddaughter fishing on the 27th for her first time and she can't wait. She turns 10 on the 28th. She has developed a passion for hunting and fishing that baffles everyone. I am the only one in the family that enjoys fishing and formerly hunting (not physically able, knees and hips), but I hope to kindle a lifelong love for the outdoors sports in my little girl's heart.

Well little Sarah caught a bluegill about 1 pound and now she's really wanting to go fishing again.

Skeet22 reply :

My little girl will be 2 this month. For the past 6 months I have been slowly introducing her to fishing and she has been in the boat since 10 months, she has her own little rod with a casting plug and has got the reeling part down. We are going out Sat in the boat to hopefully catch her first fish and reel it in on her own. If and whatever she catches is going on the wall. I think I will have more fun teaching her to fish than fishing myself.

Dalton Tam reply :

I'm seventeen and we have a bassfishing club at two schools within our Parish (County) here in Louisiana. We have tournaments on weekends probably about two per month. We had one last saturday and I finished in first and big bass. We had 13.8 Pounds and our big bass weighed 5.92 lbs. So we definately have alot of yound fisherman down here in the Who Dat nation. I'll post some pics of the next tournament which may be this weekend.

B A S S E R reply :

I'm 17 and am out there almost everyday. My first word was "pole-pole" so I guess I was just born to fish ;D

TeenageFishAddict reply :

you know, i am 15 years old and im im more addicted to fishing than the crackheads you see on tv are to drugs. im not really sure why i like it so much but i do have many theories that might help answer your question. for one, i love fishing b/c its so unique in the fact that it goes outside the normal baseball/football trend, its different and its a way to overcome boredom. Its also very rewarding, you work hard, you catch fish. But mostly, i think i love it so much because i am completely 100% self taught and almost every fish i have caught has been on my own skill, not someone else's. The funny thing is that my dad is not really a fisherman, i live in a city, my uncle mostly fly fishes and fishes ofr crappie, i have to pay for all my rods ,reels, and equipment.....yet i am so addicted to it. And the 8.4 pound moster i caught the other day didnt really help the cause either.

timothy_spain reply :

i say it's part kid, part parenting

Red Bear reply :

i was taking my neice and sister fishing saturday down to my uncles pond, driving through the field to park and turned around for easy exit. all of a sudden i hear POP PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. so i drove back up to the house without even stopping. i ran over some deer antlers apparently, had one piece sticking out of my tire. i felt bad we didnt get to go fishing, especially my 5 year old neice, she loves to fish. now i have to make it up to her, shes already told me as much that i owe her a fishing trip...

XPSbasser reply :

Im taking my cousins (12 and 8) fishing for bream tommorow afternoon. They love to catch fish but get bored fairly easily so bream it is. Hoping to burnemup tommorow on some nightcrawlers..

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