The first rule of fishing with kids is...

[Little_Flatty]

...that it's not about fishing! That's it, have them bring a friend along, bring the food, things to play with, swimmers for a bit of a splash etc. And maybe they might do a bit of fishing on the side. Anything more serious than that, and you're going to get disappointed. If you set low expectations about the fishing, on the other hand, a good time will be had by all.

So that's how it went today. Texted the parents of one of my daughter's school friends to see if they were up for doing some fishing with my girls this afternoon and the challenge was accepted.

We arrived at Hunters Hill ferry wharf just after 2:30 in the afternoon. Salted prawns for bait, with a small running sinker rig with size eight hooks. We got a few toads, a few little bream, a silver biddy, an odd blenny-looking wrasse thing (which we all thought was really cool) and the surprise of the afternoon came from my three year old daughter. My eldest had lost interest in fishing and was playing with her friend, and my three year old asked to have a turn. No worries, so I cast the line into the shallows and taught her to wind slowly in. On the second cast, something tightens up her line and starts taking drag! It was a 23cm whiting! Not bad at all for a first ever fish.

She's mostly a pretty chilled out kid managed to keep her cool throughout the whole ordeal. I'm not even sure if she realised that it was a milestone.

All fish released after the kids had a good look at them in a bucket of water. A different kind of trip with a different focus.

Nice afternoon with great weather and good company.  We'll be doing it again.

ps. Not sure if it was my camera or the lighting, or if in fact this fish wasn't a sand whiting. Any ideas?

[Fab1]

In my case when I can’t catch a fish for them or show them how to catch a fish I lean over and quietly whisper in their ear…….I’m not your real father.😂😂It makes me feel better for being so useless.😂😂

[masterfisho7]

Well done love the report and photo 

Edited August 21, 2022 by masterfisho7

[Yowie]

Sounds like the kids had fun.

Looks like a sand whiting. I was thinking possibly a trumpeter whiting, however, no obvious stripes present along the body.

[Isaac Ct]

Good thinking mate, not all about the fishing when the kids are there and it sounds like they had a blast.

Well done.

[bessell1955]

I bet your daughter will remember her first fish for a lifetime!

[Rebel]

Great fishing with kids.

Nice whiting.

Well done.

[HawkesburyParadise]

Well done. Your 3 yr old is doing better than me 😛

[Pickles]

Words of wisdom @Little_Flatty the way to raise anglers of the future and kids that love you because you show THEM a fun time. That’s a cracker whiting for your daughters first fish mate, we’ll done- give he Reg an extra scoop of ice cream tonight from Pickles.

Edited August 22, 2022 by Pickles

[Little_Flatty]

21 hours ago, Fab1 said:

In my case when I can’t catch a fish for them or show them how to catch a fish I lean over and quietly whisper in their ear…….I’m not your real father.😂😂It makes me feel better for being so useless.😂😂

They've seen their dad donut an awful lot as well Fab! They know it's part of the experience. I teach them that the truly fun things in life are hard. What I haven't told them is that parenting is simultaneously the most fun and most challenging of all pastimes! 🤣

21 hours ago, masterfisho7 said:

Well done love the report and photo 

Thanks Masterfisho.

8 hours ago, bessell1955 said:

I bet your daughter will remember her first fish for a lifetime!

Yep, she talked about it at show and tell today.

11 hours ago, Isaac Ct said:

Good thinking mate, not all about the fishing when the kids are there and it sounds like they had a blast.

Well done.

Thanks Isaac. I'm sure you were well taught as well. Hoping they will be as keen as you by the time they reach your age.

21 hours ago, Yowie said:

Sounds like the kids had fun.

Looks like a sand whiting. I was thinking possibly a trumpeter whiting, however, no obvious stripes present along the body.

Yeah I think it could be the lighting that made the colouring funny. There isn't any evidence of a trumpeter whiting's blotches and a weed whiting (which was one of my thoughts) is more green than that.

1 hour ago, HawkesburyParadise said:

Well done. Your 3 yr old is doing better than me 😛

You're doing fine Manish. It's a lot easier when you're not targeting legal fish, and your dad is there to rig, bait and cast for you!

50 minutes ago, Pickles said:

Words of wisdom @Little_Flatty the way to raise anglers of the future and kids that love you because you show THEM a fun time. That’s a cracker whiting for your daughters first fish mate, we’ll done- give he Reg an extra scoop of ice cream tonight from Pickles.

Thanks Bob. I only aspire to one day be able to put their kids onto fish the same way you can put your grandkids onto them! Her mum did give her an ice block when she got home, so she was happy 😎

 

[Little_Flatty]

7 hours ago, Rebel said:

Great fishing with kids.

Nice whiting.

Well done.

Thanks Rebel. Kids fishing is growing on me.

[JonD]

I love fishing and diving with kids. I cater to them so that they have action packed days even if this means fishing the shallows for sweep and wrasse. You end up behaving like an excited kid yourself when you see them buzzing after yet another sweep!!!!!.. Im always prepared to bring them home if they feel a bit sick which I believe helps them not worry and bring on feeling sick.

Taking them underwater is the same, calm gentle easy stuff where things like toady's and mullet are prolific. Its not long before they are so excited that they can't wait to do it again and with each session they become more adventurous. 

Edited August 27, 2022 by JonD