Tailor the training when teaching kids to fish

We woke up Christmas Day to find that Santa Claus had left two child-size bicycles next to the Christmas tree, one blue and one red. Since both came with training wheels, that meant someone would be helping my grandkids learn how to ride their new bikes. Such an endeavor involves a certain amount of running, so I recruited two of my 20-something children and then supervised the process.

During the training operation, I was reminded of certain principles that come into play whenever one is teaching children to do something, including fishing and recreational target shooting.

First, kids have a relatively short attention span. For my grandkids, an hour or so of bike riding proved to be enough, but even that is in question. Leighton stayed engaged that amount of time only because she was not about to let her older brother Kylan outlast her. When you take a young angler fishing for the first time, keep their abbreviated attention span in mind. For them the fishing experience is not about being outside; it's about catching fish.

If the fish are biting, young anglers will stay engaged longer than they will if the action is slow, but even then, they will not want to fish as long as you will. Watch for signs of waning interest. If a young angler repeatedly leaves his fishing rod unattended, wanders off or starts skipping rocks, it is time to do something else. Join them and skip a few rocks yourself. Switch up while they still have a desire to participate. Whether they fish for 15 minutes or two hours, leave them wanting more.

Second, keep in mind that it is not about you. Focus your attention on the youngster and their needs. If you are one of those guys who have difficulty putting them first and your needs second, don't even put your line in the water. This principle also holds true when taking a youngster hunting. To help them find success, you might need to leave your gun behind.

Third, you like equipment that works like it is supposed to; so do they. Rod-and-reel combos based on cartoon characters are cute and inexpensive, but they are a waste of money. Spend a few more dollars and get them an ultra-light spinning or spincasting combo. These will work better and last longer than the time it takes to reel in a rainbow trout or two. They can also be purchased at any of the Mart stores and other sporting goods outlets.

Fourth, go with a lightweight fishing line. Many of the rod-and-reel combos available on the market come from the factory pre-spooled with heavy-weight fishing line. Do your youngster a favor and replace it with 6- or even 4-pound test fishing line if the reel will hold it. A quality line, such as Berkley's Trilene, will be smaller in diameter than an off-brand line of equal test strength. This smaller diameter line often means the difference between catching a trout or not.

And last, but not least, match the hook you use to the fish you are pursuing. Most local ponds, such as the urban ponds in the Las Vegas area, hold fish with small mouths like bluegill or rainbow trout. One of the most common mistakes I see is people fishing for these species with a large hook covered with enough PowerBait to plug a bathtub drain. A 10- to 12-inch rainbow will never be able to take that bait simply because it is too large.

For the urban ponds and their rainbow trout, use a size 14 or smaller hook and just enough bait to cover it. This will enable the fish to take the bait, instead of simply bumping it.

Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His "In the Outdoors" column, published Thursday, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions he states in his column are his own. He can be reached at intheoutdoorslv@gmail.com.