Tips For Bringing Little Ones Out

Chips, pop and a colouring book. This always bought me an extra hour of fishing with 4 year olds when they got bored. Nutritious snack? NOT! But what about my needs? :D:D

The most important thing when taking your kids out is teaching them “road code”. What happens while out with dad is not to be mentioned to mama bear if they want to come again. My kids always adhered to to the road code rule. This was also beaten into me as a kid, it’s an important rule. ;):D:D
 
SpringVelocity said:
Where did you get your M600 solar light?
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ok so I work on cranes. Cfb esq was shutting down power to a couple jetty tower cranes and they need aircraft warning avoidance lights. They provided those and I temporarily mounted them. Then they never asked for them back! Been my ******** security system for years now! Many folks have asked me “what’s that security system on your boat?” I just laugh and tell them it’s just a light!
 
Gear'n'beer! said:
ok so I work on cranes. Cfb esq was shutting down power to a couple jetty tower cranes and they need aircraft warning avoidance lights. They provided those and I temporarily mounted them. Then they never asked for them back! Been my ******** security system for years now! Many folks have asked me “what’s that security system on your boat?” I just laugh and tell them it’s just a light!
Click to expand...

Yeah I have one of the original prototypes when I worked there. Just funny to see it on the dash!
 
For me, two things have been successful with my oldest: take him out as much as i possibly can and FOOD. Yes food. let them eat all friggin day if they want. if they are fed they will go forever. Variety of snacks dont just bring cauliflower or you'll pay for it. I started with my oldest when he was 18 months old, he got his sea legs quickly. By the time he was 3 we did a 4 night trip to desolation sound, just him and me. When he was 4 (last summer) we soloed a 6 night trip in Clayoquot sound. Did the hike to the hot springs and everything. These are some of the best trips i can remember. No we don't come home with the boat loaded with fish, though we did hammer a 58lb halibut on our own on the Clayoquot trip :) Honestly i reserve the "meat runs" for Renfew with other adults because young children dont do well going to swiftsure bank (dont ask me how i know). Adventures! They dont remember "that salmon", but that waterfall we went to explore in the dinghy, oh man he still talks about it. He barely fishes on the boat, he has his trucks and toys and keeps him busy. Everyone has their own style but i enforce a no tablet policy on the boat and i've been lucky that it has worked out so far. Oh and lastly, have fun and let them be part of the decision making! When we go prawning, i set half the traps and then i show him the chart, and he touches where he wants the traps. And you know what? most of the time he picks better spots than me LOL

The younger one is a different story though! but he'll get used to it eventually as well. Every kid is different. Don't give up!

One thing to add: Amount of trips per year you can do if you are leaving the kids at home with the wife and just going with your buddies: Very limited per year and costs a lot of credits
Amount of trips if you take kids along per year: Unlimited
 
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I’ve got a almost 4 year old that I take out fishing. Basically I pack a lot of snacks, bring a charger for my phone and I’m good for about 4-5 hours. I keep him off the phone for as long as possible but eventually he ends up watching paw patrol at the table because he’s bored. Another thing I used to do was try to time the naps for the run out to wherever I’m fishing. He would fall asleep on the way out, stay sleeping for a couple hours and usually eat and be good for a bit longer once he was up.
 
My kids love being out on the boat....they literally thank me every time we go out. But is much easier with young adults. My son typically runs boat and rods and my daughter is the crab girl
 
bpsuls said:
For me, two things have been successful with my oldest: take him out as much as i possibly can and FOOD. Yes food. let them eat all friggin day if they want. if they are fed they will go forever. Variety of snacks dont just bring cauliflower or you'll pay for it. I started with my oldest when he was 18 months old, he got his sea legs quickly. By the time he was 3 we did a 4 night trip to desolation sound, just him and me. When he was 4 (last summer) we soloed a 6 night trip in Clayoquot sound. Did the hike to the hot springs and everything. These are some of the best trips i can remember. No we don't come home with the boat loaded with fish, though we did hammer a 58lb halibut on our own on the Clayoquot trip :) Honestly i reserve the "meat runs" for Renfew with other adults because young children dont do well going to swiftsure bank (dont ask me how i know). Adventures! They dont remember "that salmon", but that waterfall we went to explore in the dinghy, oh man he still talks about it. He barely fishes on the boat, he has his trucks and toys and keeps him busy. Everyone has their own style but i enforce a no tablet policy on the boat and i've been lucky that it has worked out so far. Oh and lastly, have fun and let them be part of the decision making! When we go prawning, i set half the traps and then i show him the chart, and he touches where he wants the traps. And you know what? most of the time he picks better spots than me LOL

The younger one is a different story though! but he'll get used to it eventually as well. Every kid is different. Don't give up!

One thing to add: Amount of trips per year you can do if you are leaving the kids at home with the wife and just going with your buddies: Very limited per year and costs a lot of credits
Amount of trips if you take kids along per year: Unlimited
Click to expand...
Sounds like we need to plan a trip!
 
When we are solo, I tie a rope round his life jacket. He literally loves to fish, we haven't landed a salmon or halibut with him awake but he loves it. Biggest thing I recommend is a boat with a good top and sides and the Cuddy. 18 footers are fine, my brother went from having that for 3 years with his youngest and their 2nd for another year then a jump to a 30 footer now they have three. My wife has done a desolation sound with us when he was was two but she prefers to keep her feet on the ground despite catching some Salmon during the courtship phase. Going to borrow a generator for our next trip as a dead battery isn't cool and I haven't put solar on the 25 footer. Inflatable paddle board is nice when at anchor. Pots and pans on the deck with a bucket of water under a full canopy can provide for lots of fun when he was 2. Tomorrow he's turning 3 and I'm going to get his new closed face reel from Trotac, as much as I love tangles.

Some great marinas Poets Cove and Roche Harbor with pools, poets is heated. Post Covid of course.
 
kaelc said:
When we are solo, I tie a rope round his life jacket. He literally loves to fish, we haven't landed a salmon or halibut with him awake but he loves it. Biggest thing I recommend is a boat with a good top and sides and the Cuddy. 18 footers are fine, my brother went from having that for 3 years with his youngest and their 2nd for another year then a jump to a 30 footer now they have three. My wife has done a desolation sound with us when he was was two but she prefers to keep her feet on the ground despite catching some Salmon during the courtship phase. Going to borrow a generator for our next trip as a dead battery isn't cool and I haven't put solar on the 25 footer. Inflatable paddle board is nice when at anchor. Pots and pans on the deck with a bucket of water under a full canopy can provide for lots of fun when he was 2. Tomorrow he's turning 3 and I'm going to get his new closed face reel from Trotac, as much as I love tangles.

Some great marinas Poets Cove and Roche Harbor with pools, poets is heated. Post Covid of course.
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What reel are you buying him? I want to get both my kids their own set ups
 
I always kept a sealable “boat fun box” aboard. Simple toys, books you don’t mind getting wet, colouring books and crayons, sheets of blank paper for drawing, packs of playing cards, etc. Even some song sheets. Every 2-3 months I’d bring it home and get the kids to swap out what they had outgrown and replace it with new stuff. Made sure they understood that whatever went in there would probably eventually get wet and ruined. Worked well.
 


We’ve had great times taking our two boys (ages 3 & 1) on trips that are between 2-4 hours. My wife grew up on the Island with a fishing family and we are both on the same page about getting out on the water. We pick our days when the water is calm and make it fun for our boys by paying attention to their level of interest in whatever activity we are doing (salmon fishing, pulling traps, cruising the harbour watching float planes and cruise ships, etc.)

We leave the ipads at home and it’s worked for us so far. Having the boys favourite food (cheeseburger) gets them excited to be on the boat. As long as they have a positive experience, they’ll want to keep doing it, so make the trip about them and save the hardcore fishing for another time.
 
turkey and red wine sippy cups.

im extremely impatient. something i need to work on big time with my kids on boat. this weekend i decided to just chill and let them drive the boat from trap to trap, pulling prawn traps, assigning them fun tasks. they had a total blast. so be patient :)
 
I always included my daughter in the activities of running the boat and helping with getting my gear ready to fish. At the earliest age possible have them sit on your lap and steer for you while trolling or even under way if weather permits. It wont be long before they are sitting up and trolling a straight line for you while you set your gear. Boating and fishing is not a hobby for us, its a life style. Get the little ones involved early, if they have a chore that's fun you will keep their attention span going all the while making your life easier as they mature. We did this with our daughter from 4 years old and she has taken our lifestyle even further. She is currently attending San Diego State University majoring in Marine Biology.
 
As noted by many... Food. Lots of food. Blankets and drinks. Ipad is good but I really try to limit the time on it and only use if dead slow and I want more time. Fishing is about fishing not watching movies.
Be careful letting kids hang out in the cuddy. I took my son out hali fishing when he was about 4 and let him watch ipad in cuddy. I was on anchor in a swell. He came up green and you know the rest...

I'm lucky now. My 13 year old daughter picks and chooses her days. My 10 year old son is a fishing freak.
They pack everything for them selves and my food also.

Most important thing to pack is "Patience". Accept before you go that you are going on a kids trip. It will be different than a trip with the boys.

***If your kids are not reaching your expectations... you need to lower your expectations.

Tips.
 
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