How to do it!

Kids today are not like the older, more seasoned anglers. Always wanting something to do, sometimes I wonder if they know how to relax. Constantly on the go, these kids need to be active.

In my mind, the only way kids are going to enjoy fishing is if they are catching fish. Most kids can't appreciate 'just being there'. Kids in their minds have 101 better things to do - like video games, according to my neighbour's son! So, to get kids interested in fishing, they need to be catching fish. This is where trout farms make a lot of their money. Kids can go along with mum or dad, and know they are going to catch a fish, within a few seconds. But these days prices for trout are quite expensive.

Ideally, the best options to take kids fishing, keep them occupied and get them catching fish, is to take them fishing for European carp. There are several good reasons for catching carp.

1) Carp are relatively easy to catch.
Worms, corn, meat, bread, just about anything will catch carp these days. Increasingly, carp are being caught on lure and fly. I landed (but he snapped me off and escaped on the bank!) a 6lb carp in the King River on a "Surf Candy" fly.
So bait is very easy to gather - basically whatever is hanging around the house!
Sadly, European carp and various other strains of the fish are just about in every inland waterway in Victoria - city parks, reserves and reservoirs included. Many carp are within easy reach of metropolitan Melbourne which makes them very accessible to kids of all ages. To find out where carp are, ask at a local tackle store, or call the National Carp Taskforce on 08 8226 0582 or 02 6021 3655

2) You are doing the environment a favour.
Dubbed the "Rabbits of the River", European carp are an environmental menace.
European carp are opportunistic feeders and compete with many other native species for food. Carp also forage the bottom of waterways, lifting up mud, and contributing to the degradation of the waterway by increasing the turbidity and muddiness of the water. In some cases, waterways have been so badly degraded that eventually even the carp themselves died. By catching and killing these fish you are doing the waterway, our native fish, and the environment a favour. Please note, it is law in Victoria to kill all European carp caught.

3) The kids will have fun, be occupied and give you some peace and rest!
If the kids can catch a carp, they will be having a ball. Carp can get very big, very quickly. Big carp are very common - now, imagine how your youngster would react when hooking one of these monsters! There would be happiness and excitement all around!
      By catching carp, your young one (or more!) learns valuable lessons about fishing. After one or two fish, they learn how to play out the fish and not 'skulldrag' them onto the shore. After finally landing a fish, I bet they will be 'hooked' (no pun intended) on the sport. After catching and playing carp, the youngster will be more confident about their fish catching ability and will want to learn more about fish and fishing.
      These fishing lessons aren't just about fish. They are about life. Your children are taught patience, whilst waiting for a bite; discipline, by not picking their rod up every five seconds, checking the bait (it takes them a while to get over that hurdle); respect, by respecting the environment they fish in, and knowledge. As they go fishing more often, they will become more knowledgeable. They will know exactly where their favourite spot is, what bait to use and when to fish it. These are invaluable lessons for people of all ages these days.

Conclusion
Wouldn't it be better if we got more kids off the computer and into the great outdoors? Fishing is a lifelong passion - sure, it is not for everyone, but who knows, you might have a champion angler living in your house! I guarantee that the youngster, and you, will enjoy the experience immensely.

So, turn off the TV, go and grab a rod and do the world a favour. Take a kid fishing!