| I usually go camping on the fourth of July and | | | | then set it in the rod holder. For them this is |
| every other holiday for that matter. However this | | | | generally set and forget until a catfish takes the |
| past year has been different as I have a new | | | | bait. I keep them occupied by setting up the next |
| family that includes a twelve year old boy and a | | | | rod for drift fishing. I set it up with a much smaller |
| six year old girl. My fishing experience on these | | | | hook, usually a #6, and a nightcrawler. This almost |
| camping trips has changed greatly. I still do quite a | | | | guarantees that they will get bites and eventually |
| bit of catfish fishing but I also spend a lot of my | | | | catch something even if it is a sunfish. The kids |
| time fixing tackle and teaching the kids how to | | | | are just happy they caught something. |
| fish which I enjoy very much. Having done this | | | | 3 Save a couple of those sunfish the kids caught |
| now a few times I have learned some things that | | | | to use as cut bait after they go to bed. |
| make it much easier for me to enjoy the kids | | | | 4 Get yourself a couple of rod holders called |
| and still get some real fishing in. | | | | Lightnin' Strike. These are spring loaded and will |
| 1 Choose your baits carefully. You don't want | | | | automatically spring up setting the hook whenever |
| anything that is difficult to keep on the hook. | | | | a fish bites. Very useful when you have your |
| Some good baits for this are the Berkley Power | | | | hands full fixing one of the kids tackle. |
| baitsand Berkley Gulp baits. I take a few varieties | | | | 5 Be patient! Enjoy the kids first and do your real |
| of these as well as nightcrawlers, shrimp and | | | | fishing later after they have gone to bed. If you |
| chicken livers. The chicken livers are for me. | | | | do this you will not get frustrated with them and |
| 2 Kids do not have a lot of patience and can | | | | they will enjoy the time they spend with you. |
| become bored very quickly if nothing is happening. | | | | Believe me they will never forget these moments. |
| What I do is have them set one rod up for | | | | I still remember the times I spent with my father |
| bottom fishing. I will get them to cast it out and | | | | and that was forty years ago. |