If fishing is your favorite hobby, there is no better way to spend quality time with your family than out on the water waiting for the pike to bite. And if you are planning your first Saskatchewan fishing trip with your young children this season, you may be wondering how best to get them prepared to cast their reels into Reindeer Lake.
While weekend trips to your local fishing spot are always fun, there are plenty of other opportunities to practice with your family. TakeMeFishing.org has a great list of ideas for practicing on land – perfect for trying together on a weekday evening.
Here are our favorites for trying with your kids:
Yard Work Accuracy
Make a game of practicing your cast accuracy, removing the hooks from your line, adding sinkers for weight and placing targets throughout your yard. Start simple – with a paper plate in the middle of the yard – and slowly test your skills by placing your targets by trees, bushes and other obstacles.
You can also practice fly casting in the backyard, repeating the casting and reeling motions until they feel like second nature. Your children will be pros at the basic cast in no time, allowing you more time to teach them the tricks you have learned throughout the years while you are out on the water.
Knots and Rigging
Knowing how to bait your hook and tie different types of knots and rigs is just as important as casting, so spend some time practicing this skill at home too. Start by teaching your children some of the most basic styles, and work at them until your children can tie them on their own.
Not only will this help boost their confidence in their fishing skills, but it will also make upcoming trips more enjoyable for you. Instead of prepping each of your children’s fishing poles for casting, you will be able to relax, cast your own line and watch them put their new skills into action.
Practice makes perfect, so make these exercises fun and keep trying them until everyone feels confident they will be able to land a big fish! Once your children are ready for the open waters, it’s time to book your stay at Lawrence Bay Lodge. Visit us online to learn more about our accommodations and give us a call at 701-262-4560 to make your reservations.
