Epic Father and Daughter Fishing Day!

May 20, 2018

Epic Father and Daughter Fishing Day!

Epic Father and Daughter Fishing Day!
May 2018, Carl Garrard

My daughter just turned 7yrs old this month. She's been watching fishing shows and nature shows with me since she could talk. Earlier this year, she expressed interest in fishing with me, not once, not twice, but three times in one day. I realized that it was time for her to try it out. A nearby lake is being reconditioned and had no fish in it, so we went there a couple of times to "practice". I wanted to see if she could maintain interest in me making casts with lures long enough to warrant a trip together. She loved it, and loved reeling in lures on my baitcast equipment. So a week later we went out and did the same thing, and again, she loved it. So I realized it was time to purchase her very own rod and reel, and take her out serious fishing with me. On her first outing, she casted a spinning rod perfectly on her very first cast. I knew she was a natural, right then. I caught a couple of bass with a frog in the weeds, but she didn't get anything, just one small blow up. Today we went out again...

The morning started off slow while I was trying to figure out the bass at Laguna Nigel Lake. I started with a topwater, then a frog, and then spotted a couple of bass spawning (its late May...hello?). So we bed fished for a bit, and I got a male bass on her 4lb line spinning set up, then handed her the rod, the male took off and broke the line. But, she had a taste of how a bass would pull. And the look in her face was priceless. My daughter loves to talk, but she was momentarily speechless. All she could say is "Dad those fish pull hard! Omg!". So I asked if it scared her, and she said "Scared me!? No Dad, that was awesome!" You can imagine the smile on my face.

We switched spots, and I switched tactics. Pulled out the 7' Berkley Lightning Rod spinning outfit with 20lb Kastking braid on a Kastking Sharky Baitfeeder III (links for all four below), tied on a texas rigged grub, and casted out near a dock. Second cast, I hooked up to a bass deep, who came right up, jumped, and spit the hook (with braid? lol). Okay I thought, this is the ticket. Plastics it is. So I let my daughter use that rod and reel (oh yeah, she man-handled it like a pro too!). I pulled out a baitcasting outfit with my texas rig on it.

Combo I used for my plastics today. Love that Diawa Fuego reel with 10lb fluorokote (Kastking). The rod will go back, but the reel is nice, I have three now. Link for reel below.

Berkley Lightning Rod (7' Med Action)
BerkleyLightning Spinning Rod (7' Medium Action) Best Price

Kastking Sharky Baitfeeder III (3000 Series)
KastKing Sharky Baitfeeder III 3000 Best Price

Daiwa Fuego Reel
Daiwa Fuego CT Best Price

Kastking 20lb Braid
KastKing SuperPower Braid Fishing Line 20lb Best Price

I had her cast off a point on the dock area into open water without any weeds. She made nice long cast, her best yet. Super impressed I gave her some pointers on how to work the grub, and she listened perfectly with awesome technique. Satisfied, I casted out and put on my serious face knowing she was doing just fine ("wow, the kids a pro" I thought...). And a minute later with her standing next to my left side, I hear her say "dad dad, I I ..... I got a fish..." I look over thinking she probably hooked weeds or the bottom and her big rod is bent over with a fish on it! Wow! Oh my god, my 7yr old hooked up!

So I let her reel it in alone, the bass was man handling her, but she hung in there well, and muscled up. The bass jumped twice trying to shake the hook but she set the hook right (another amazing feat). I grabbed the line and told her to lift her rod hard so we could get the bass over the rail. We did. My daughters first fish. A 1lb, 4oz largemouth bass. I was absolutely stunned, shocked, surprised, and super super proud! I couldn't believe it, she did it. Then again, I could believe it. She's a fast learner and a great listener. She may even have a decent teacher. ;) And of course, she had to kiss her first bass, it's tradition!

I never dreamed my daughters first fish would be a largemouth bass, and of course never did I think she would be able to catch one fully on her own so soon after I started teaching her. I'm proud beyond words. Later on in the morning she told me she cant wait to go fishing again, and catch an even bigger one. I think she's hooked. Just like her Dad.

Taking the time to teach your kids, to be with them out in nature, is the greatest reward I could have ever asked for. To see her catch her first fish, with me at her side, is a memory I will cherish for a lifetime. And best of all, I know she will too.

Epic.

-Carl Garrard