Jp's Trout Fishing Trip

[Phil Lilley]

We took my grandson out fishing on Lake Taneycomo before he was 1 year old. He could barely walk, but he had fun playing with the trout in the live well. This afternoon, I took him on his first catch-fish fishing trip.

Grandma, JP and I left the dock about 4 p.m. in one of our pontoons. The kids has to have room to move around, you know. We tried fishing close to the dock by the fish weren't having it. Not a bite on our inflated worms. So we boated up a quarter mile, anchored the boat on the shallow side of the lake and threw to the middle.

 

JP and grandma Marsha were more interested in finding music on the radio than fishing. JP really likes music--he's like his daddy. Jimmy leads worship at a church in NW Arkansas. But it didn't take long for a rainbow to find one of the night crawlers I had out. Then the other rod took off. I had a problem. . . the rainbows wanted to dance--together!

 

I got the rods straightened out and JP over to help me reel in the first trout. He immediately grabbed the first fish and held it, staring at it like, "what do I do with this!?" I cut the line and tossed it back. Picked up the second rod and started reeling in the next rainbow. I wondered what JP was thinking... "I thought we just did this!!" or "Is this the same fish??!!" He liked it although I think the experience had lost some of it's newness. He is only 20 months old.

He grabbed the next one but didn't hold it very long. Back in the lake it went and JP returned to the radio while I tied new hooks on the line.

Once the new worms were back in the water, it didn't take long to get bit again. JP was back to reeling... a little anyways. This time when the trout was brought into the boat, he back away like he'd had enough. Then on the 4th and final rainbow, he turned and acted like he'd never seen one before and wanted nothing to do with it (video). Don't want to ruin the kid on fishing this early in life! So we called it quits.

[Rickf]

Priceless

[grizwilson]

Awesome, those will make precious memories

[Johnsfolly]

Great post. I have a 14 year old that wants only to catch one or two to appease dad and then go back to his videos or games. He doesn't like to hold the fish either. My youngest daughter is ready to pull as many in as she can and she is a pro at unhooking the fish.