Lincoln Blanco

The 21st annual Isabella Lake Fishing Derby is just around the corner and since the derby offers a great price for a family to register. I wanted to share some family friendly fishing tips to make the experience more enjoyable for everyone. After all, the more lines in the water to catch Mr. Ten Grand, the better.

Visiting a bait store as a family, is one of the easiest ways to get everyone involved. Just encouraging your family to pick their own bait will give them that extra “oomph” in wanting to participate in fishing. This also allows you to see what other baits work. Because as we all know, no two fisherman are alike when it comes to catching fish.

Jerry Payne, of Kernville, attempts to keep hold of a trout caught shortly after the stocking of trout in the Kern River at Riverside Park. He caught the trout using salmon eggs.

As for the children, if they are anything like mine, they always want to go fishing. The thing is, once they are there, they expect to reel in a fish right away. This is when fishing teaches those great life long lessons. Take the time to explain the importance of being patient, but don’t expect your children to learn it right away.

It’s going to take a few fishing trips for them to get the hang of it. That’s why you should always encourage your children to bring something along to help keep them occupied.

Fishing with family is a lot different than fishing on your own. That’s why picking the perfect family friendly fishing spot is one of the most important decisions you can make. When you fish on your own, its tends to be easier to just get up and leave. With your family, chances are there’s a lot more gear to haul and people are always wanting to leave at different times. Try to find a spot as close to the water as possible. Various campgrounds around the lake make perfect family friendly fishing spots. You want to try to avoid venturing to a new spot where you are unfamiliar with the terrain. The reason for this is obvious, the last thing you want to be doing is digging your vehicle out of some soft sand. That is something I know you don’t want to go through, let alone put your family through.

Lastly, don’t forget the drinks and snacks. The last thing you want is hungry family members begging for your head as bait, all because they are thirsty and hungry. Make it a fun family outing, go the extra distance to make your family feel comfortable.

After all, the lake isn’t going anywhere, there is always tomorrow. Self discipline and an appreciation for being able to share one of your favorite hobbies with the ones you love, is a lot better than catching fish any ol’ day. You will be passing on great experience that one day your son or daughter can share with their children, on what it was like to fish with grandma and grandpa.

But always remember, it’s called fishing and not catching.