So, we go to San Diego a couple of times each year for family vacations :) ...I have two daughter's (12&10) who love to go fishing with me here in AZ, and I take them many times a year! Great times together. In San Diego I take them to the pier a few times, and early morning surf fishing most days while people are still sleeping, and they love it. A couple months ago they asked if they could come on the fishing boats with me this year! Why not, right? So I set about getting them some of their own gear. But now.... I need to teach them to cast, gently, to at least get their little anchovies out past all the others...All their other fishing has been with spinners! But now they will have some modded 155 Beachmasters!
So, my question! Has anyone had experience teaching kids to cast? How much weight? I've read some people use a 1oz swimbait. Others a 1/2 of an old wooden clothes pin. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. I want to get them out practicing before we go in July...
Thanks
Brett
Run off a bit more line than they will be casting and tape the spool so backlashes do not go deep.
Great tip Lee
You can use some cheapo Golf balls
Put a self taping screw with eye/hook on it, that way they can cast with no worries
Surf casters train with baseball balls or actual 6oz weight inside of a tennis ball
Keta, steelfish
thanks, tape and golf balls..awesome ideas,never would have thought of either of those.
I will give them a try! they are both proficient with spinners, but never used conventionals! I figure every bit of casting practice will help! Who knows, if they learn to cast before we go I might be able to fish some myself ;D
Either way it will be a fun experience, and I will post some pics of them!!
Brett
Fist casts use the spool tension cap a little bit too tight and release the cap as they progress and feel comfortable
That's how I learned
steelfish,
I plan on starting them off slow. Maybe tell them they are casting an egg and don't want it to break ;D,,,
My main goal is just to teach them to cast 30-40 feet or so with a little live bait... it seems every time I go on one of these party boats you can catch more fish if you can cast,(even a little bit) instead of just feeding it away from the boat ??? Just want to give them some practice ahead of time for a better chance of hooking a fish, Then they can back me up when we tell mom (wife) we need more fishing equipment...and so it begins..
Thanks for the advice
Brett
.....as a side note, I don't want to teach them too much(of my extremely limited saltwater fishing knowledge), since they outfished me 2 to 1 on our last fishing trip trolling for lake trout.... of course I was steering the boat and fixing tangled lines most of the time ;D...
Tell them to watch their back cast!! The ocean is soooo big, very rarely does some one miss. The deckhands and other fishers will appreciate it. And some may even tell you that you taught some very considerate fishers!!
Jim,
good point! And again something I didn't think about. I will make them do it as we practice, and hopefully it will become second nature. My late father-in-law taught me that about the party boats. I also verbalize, "going out" before each cast...even if I'm alone on the bow :), and I watch the lure/bait, not the target...... your absolutely right....its kind of hard to miss the water
Thanks
Brett