?'s about Taking a toddler fishing

[chef]

I have started taking my 3 ½ year old out ice fishing this year and have two questions. I have been putting 3 tip-ups out 2 for me and one for him and then letting him use a jigging pole to play around with. (in 5 trips out he has never even gotten a bite.) question #1 is this, is this legal? he will help me with the tipup but he can't actually do it by himself. Question #2 my name is on all of the tipups should I paint his name on his tipup or is it OK the way it is?

[boehr]

Originally posted by chef:

I have been putting 3 tip-ups out 2 for me and one for him and then letting him use a jigging pole to play around with. question #1 is this, is this legal? he will help me with the tipup but he can't actually do it by himself. Question #2 my name is on all of the tipups should I paint his name on his tipup or is it OK the way it is?

As long as your son is trying to help, that is legal and GREAT. Your boy is entitled to 2 lines and his limit of fish too. Your name on the tip ups is fine.

An officer will only have a problem with this is if your son was never helping and off playing and it was just an excuse for you to use 4 lines.

[caswana]

How old is your son? I am asking because we didn't think our almost 3 year old could learn how to do this. And what is a jiggly pole? Please explain how you taught your son as well. I love to fish, I would like my daughter to as well, or atleast try her at it.
Blessings,
Cassie

[Ferg]

How old is your son? I am asking because we didn't think our almost 3 year old could learn how to do this. And what is a jiggly pole? Please explain how you taught your son as well. I love to fish, I would like my daughter to as well, or atleast try her at it.
Blessings,
Cassie

Just so you know - that post is 3 and half years old :-)

ferg....

[caswana]

I understand that that post is old now. However my question still remains what is a jiggly pole and can i teach an almost 3 year old to fish.
Blessings,
Cassie

[Ferg]

He stated his child was 3 - so I assume they can be taught to at least 'help' and I'm not sure about the jiggy poll - but I"m guessing its just a little short light poll with just line and bait - no real.

ferg....

[Burksee]

Cassie, I took my daughter out when she was 3 years old. She'd always loved playing in the snow and going on the ice so I thought "what the heck!" It took her awhile as she couldn't understand why she wasn't catching a fish every 10 seconds! If the weathers nicer and there's not much wind its' safe enough for the little ones to be out on the ice for a few hours. She's six now and getting the hang of things, still kinda hard to keep her interested when its slow. As far as teaching them, well just let me say I'm still learning myself! :lol:

There have been some other threads posted about "kids" and "Icefishing", if you do a search I'm sure you'll find them.

"Jigging Pole" - usually a little/shorter ice fishing pole, stiffer than some of newer "noodle rods". You can get a "combo" at most sporting goods/bait shop for under $10.00. It's best to get them a cheap one with a plastic reel, just in case they drop it in the hole! Good Luck!

[caswana]

Thanks so much! But wich one is easier to teach, fishing in a lake in the summer off a boat or boat landing or ice fishing? Mind you while I love Michigan in any season, I really hate the cold. So does she. We both just are very sensitive to it. I can't even get her to play in the snow or walk in it and she had her snow outfit on and boots that kept her feet dry if she walked in it. So how much easier is it to teach her in the summer off a boat or boat landing?
Thanks for helping me with all this. I would really like to see her like to camp and fish and hunt one day. I love being out side even in the winter, I just have to bundle up with layers of clothes and a heavy coat. Seriosly i look like a kid that's mom bundled up lol!
My next question is how can she help? May be you mean that this time she just watch us fish and see what it's like? theres nothing i can think of, i do not allow her to touch sharp objects so she cannot bait the hook and I usually throw back what I find unless I can't. Also please understand I haven't fished in 2 years and I caught nothing when I went lol. Still had fun though lol.
So anyways any help is greatly apprichiated. Sorry I am the type to ask 20 or more questions on a single subject however I am extreamly interested in getting her out there so she continues to like it and teach her kids if she has any.
Thanks!
Cassie

[Brian S]

Cassie, I think if you just started off with something simple like bluegill fishing from shore or even a boat and then let your daughter watch and if she gets interested, let her try to reel one in. Maybe help her hold the pole and help a little with the reeling. Or even put the fish in a bucket and let her watch the fish. Most kids have fun doing things like that. I started my kids off by letting them fish off a dock so when they got bored they could throw rocks in the lake or do whatever else they wanted to do. Just get them exposed and their natural curiosity will take over. Use some pliers to pinch the barbs on the hooks, nothing worse than a 3 yr old with a hook in their thumb. Here's a pick of my youngest when he was 3.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/3322b-gill.jpg