limeyangler

Hi all, I've been hitting the lake with my boy(5 years old)lots the last couple of weeks. I owe lots to those members who have gone before me and posted about how to keep young anglers interested, occupied and interested while out for the day, Urban Fisherman and Mike Borger spring to mind but there have been many others who have posted their experience and advice on this subject. I have learned from them and my own experience that patience is key, as is preparing yourself mentally in advance not to get caught up in your 'adult' fishing mode, which in my case , although i'm in heaven, would seem pretty intense, focused and serious to an outside observer, and kids are perceptive….and Jack don't miss a thing. It does not hurt to hype up the event days before and every day leading up to the trip. Highlighting all the fun things we've done in the past and the new things we are going to see and do really gets Jack pumped to go (the trip can also now be used as a bargaining chip too…..but i'd never do that, that would be manipulative ). Food is also important. We are fairly strict with what types of food we allow Jack to eat, so relaxing that a bit(or sometimes a lot) is fun for everyone, nothing like chips,pop(diet) and some candy along with the healthier stuff. Making the outing an adventure that is not all about fishing is also important, take time out and explore, goof around, let them steer the trolling motor, get them involved in packing the boat, gassing up in town, buying bait (Jack love's it when he gets to do "dad stuff"). We have made a point of finding a new beach to explore each time we are out, Jack absolutely loves this bit, as do I, and we have a hoot collecting stuff, building stuff and learning about wildlife. Yesterday we added another dimension to our outings, we did our first Geocache find. Basically treasure hunting with a GPS…..found a few on the way to Lac Seul and there was one at a spring we always stop at…..the idea of TREASURE was almost too much for Jack to handle and he burst out of the truck when we stopped. Safety is also key….suffice to say I pack way more than I do when i'm going solo or with a buddy, basically everything i can think of that a 5 year old would need to make an unplanned night or 2 in the bush an adventure as opposed to a life and death incident. Nightime pull-ups(pampers) loads of zip locked extra clothes, including mosquito proof clothing, mittens, rain wear then also gallons of bug dope and sun screen, extra flashlights, a giant tarp to make a shelter, foil blankets, a hatchet, air horns, lighters, water proof matches, multitool etc…etc…etc…and i leave a google earth map up on the desktop at home tracing the path we will be taking on the lake and stick to that rigorously so the rescue teams have a chance of finding us! This allows me to relax, and a relaxed dad has more fun than a stressed one…..lol. Well I have rambled on and on. ABSOLUTELY LOVING BEING A DAD , LOVING THE ADVENTURES WITH MY BOY……just thought i'd share and make a mention of the help i have received from members here with advice on how to get kids involved and keep them happy when out. Here is a short video with some stills of our latest adventure, we collected quite a few creatures at the beach and jack took the bucket (aquarium) with him in the boat for the second and final fishing session of the day, certainly kept him entertained in between frequent bites. YESTERDAY @ LAC SEUL

It does take a lot to keep 'em occupied, but fun too.

Hi all, Friend posted one of those story things on Facebook…..after reading it I felt vindicated for moving out here. I don't get to take afternoon siestas very often, but the main point of the story fits well with my view of things. WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? A boat was docked in a tiny Mexican fishing village. A tourist complimented the local fishermen on the quality of their fish and... asked how long it took to catch them. "Not very long" they answered in unison. "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" The fishermen explained that their small catches were sufficient to meet their needs and those of their families. "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" "We sleep late, fish a little, play with our children, and take siestas with our wives. In the evenings, we go into the village to see our friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. We have a full life." The tourist interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat." "And after that?" "With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City!!! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise." "How long would that take?" "Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years." replied the tourist. "And after that?" "Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting," answered the tourist, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!" "Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the fishermen. "After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends." "With all due respect sir, but that's exactly what we are doing now. So what's the point wasting twenty-five years?" asked the Mexicans. And the moral of this story is: Know where you're going in life, you may already be there! Many times in life, money is not everything. “Live your life before life becomes lifeless”

Actually the fish finder cost me nothing, someone with a big fancy boat gave me it when they upgraded. The GPS (Garmin 62S) was on sale from GPSCity for $149 reduced from $349 and the I-Pilot cost me $400 and the trolling motor was an Xmas present. Don't get me wrong, I would love a fancy boat with all the bells and whistles, but I can take mine anywhere (almost), don't mind the odd ding here and there, and like you say….its highly functional and comfortably seats 3 people and a dog!

Lol Brian....we actually camp out at our place most of the time in the summer, The tent is a permanent fixture. The Provincial Park up the road is just a tradition, Jack loves it.

Thanks, cool your boy is Jack too, he was named after his late, great grandad 'Jacob'. LOL….I tried to get him to use the rod holders but he likes his way better! LOL, The Carpenter's, my guilty little pleasure.

Nodootabootit! Thanks man!

He's 5 and a bit Mike. He is not that into fishing really, but he loves the whole outing thing taken as a whole.

Hi all, Jack insisted we head back to Lac seul after our fist successful outing. Weather was pretty poor in the morning but warmed up by the afternoon and we hit a beach that Jack 'discovered'. Another great day out with excited stories being told all the way home….awesome.

Hi all, Family went camping this weekend at our local provincial park 10 minutes up the road. Snuck out yesterday morning, was fun as usual, always impressed with trout lake walleye. They can be hard to find but once you do…well…. They were very scattered, had to move to various areas and even once there would leave the trolling motor down, troll around on the 30hp and watch the screen like a hawk. As soon as I marked a fish i would engage the spot lock on the Minn Kota and drop the jig. There would be a couple of fish and then you would have to move around again.

GOBSMACKED!

STUNNING report, will have to come back to it on night shift. Awesome pics and vids. My wife and I are sitting here discussing a fly in next year !

LOL….I had to change spark plugs the other day while we were out on the lake, made a SHOCKING discovery when I touched one of the coils while it was running….probably why each one has a sticker on it saying don't touch…..lol….DARWIN AWARDS!

Yup, was worried I'd get all kinds of questions asked when I bought a second hand one a couple years back, but it really is as simple as walking in and saying "its homemade".

Glad it came together for you Cliff, this forum is a great place for sure.

Nice fish there Daveybouy….must get me a smoker next year.

Its gonna be a brutal winter again….they is already talking about the dreaded 'Polar Vortex' here again.

Holy chunky munkies! Nice fish….looks chilly.

Some nice basses you guys got. Thanks for the in depth report….great read and great pics.

Thats really cool….almost makes me want to go musky fishing(almost).

Looks fantastic TJ…Camp Jiggy is a GEM!

Congrats, really nice pike!

Hi all, Took the family out to a tiny local lake 5 minutes up the road for a calm evening relaxing and hopefully seeing the bobbers go down. Plan came together and the stress of the day was gone in the hour we spent out there together. Nothing fancy, jigs,minnows and slip bobbers with the big one going to the missus with a leech. Fish were on the edge of the weeds in 12' FOW.

Thanks man, I did not even ask him to get the net or how to jig….he does just have it! Thanks John, we're very lucky to have this on our doorstep. LOL…thank goodness for Moosebunk, you have a way with words dude. Thanks Tomcat!

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