First time ice fishing

[Cangl]

Took my 10 year old daughter, tip up and jig fishing with the portable today. A couple of hours of fun. We set 3 tipups and she swam a minnow in the shanty as I worked the decoy (no spear at first)
Wellit was not long and dad, theres a fish in my hole, a big fish in my hole. I was execting a perch or bass but a large female pike was right at her feet 30 + inches and no spear. It had no interest in the minnow but did grab hold of the plastic decoy. Now I know of boy's a little older then her that screamed and ran out of the shanty with a fish like that under their feet but she hardly moved or panicked!
Their were quite a few other fathers out with their kids today, trying to get a kid to fish can be a challenge but that snowman we left behind, and the gum we chewed, and water we laddled was fun.

[SPORTSMAN]

I can't wait to take my daughter out fishing too. I tink at the age of 2 her mom would put the kybosh to that in a hurry:)

[knockoff64]

My 4 year old daughter keeps pestering me to take her ice fishing, I think I'll wait till her attention span is a little longer!

Cangl, was she bugging you to go again on the ride home?

[Ruler]

It's never too early to get them started in fishing. I helped baby-sit my neice this past fall and actually got her to turn the bail over and crank the handle of my new spinning reel (no rod attatched) and she was only 4 months old at the time! She's going to be a tournament winner for sure. :D

For those of you interested, she also enjoys helping play strategy games, especially Red Alert 2. Spots those missle launchers and makes a little "unh" noise when they start attacking, like she's telling me- "Hey, you see those? Call in an air strike!" One of the cutest things I've ever seen. :)

[Cangl]

Seem as though the snowman needed eyes and a nose and that willow tree ought to provide a descent set of arms shes trying to figure out a hat right now. Yesterday was alot warmer then today so when its cold be I'll be prepared to go for a walk and do other things also, cut a unneeded hole out aways away from the set, drag and thump the spud we do catch fish also but to much of an emphasis on that and I know of adults that can't handle that. The perch decoy I slid in with out her noticing it, was good for a few minutes of serious fishing, but that dumb fish is not hungry dad?!?? She caught a perch that caught a pike on the tip up. And yes she want's to go again.

[Skeeter]

What a great bunch of stories. I had mine out at a young age. They enjoyed it as much as I did. They grow up and are gone fast enough so enjoy them while you can! Life is to short not to. Maybe some day when we are to old they will take us. ???