Do You Want to Take Your Kid Fishing?

Read this first. My Dad has some advice for all of us.

Jul 14, 2025

My Dad, my nephew Max, and their prize catch.

I was never really invited to go fishing as a kid.

Wait, I take that back. There were plenty of opportunities for me to go fishing with my Dad—a lifelong hunter and fisherman—but I always opted to do literally anything else.

So for this week’s “Ask an Expert” column, I’m making amends. I’ve got an 8-year-old now who has been asking me to take her fishing ever since she spotted page 5 of our Summer Bucket List Guide, which has 7 great local fishing spots to spend an afternoon.

To start, I reached out to two experts in my orbit who were happy to throw us a line (see what I did there?) on where to start if you’ve got kids who want to try it for the first time: (1) One of the co-owners of KAZ Outdoors in Ridgefield, and (2) my Dad.

My Dad, my nephew Jack and *their* prize catch from a few years ago.

Learn the basics

Kris Zulkeski, one half of the sibling duo who just opened up KAZ Outdoors on Danbury Road in Ridgefield said if you’re a first timer, he recommends either stopping into the shop for a chat or a finding a friend, relative or neighbor who knows what they’re doing.

“I don’t recommend bringing a child fishing with zero knowledge on where to fish, what to use, or when to fish,” he told me. “You want that child’s first time fishing to be memorable—nobody forgets their first fish! So spend 15 minutes with someone to give you a little bit of knowledge, so you can pass that on.”

So I did just that.

~~ ring ring ~~

ME: Hi Dad, do you have a minute to talk about fishing?
DAD: “Well certainly. What do you want to know?”
ME: I don’t know. Everything? The guys at the new fishing shop in town said I should talk to someone who knows what they’re doing.
DAD: “Okay, well you have to start with the gear…”

Start with the gear

Zulkeski recommended a quick gear list for first-timers. I ran the list by my Dad to see if he had anything to add. Here’s what I learned:

An easy-to-manipulate reel combo – “Specifically, a spin cast or “push button” reel is ideal for kids,” said Zulkeski. “They're super simple to use.”

A small tackle box – “This makes it feel official,” said my Dad. “You can help them write their name on it and really personalize it before you head out. It’s really cute.”

Small hooks on a leader – My Dad said go for hooks that are size #6, #7, or #8. The small hooks increase the chances of catching smaller fish like bluegill. You can also buy barbless hooks, which makes hook removal much easier/safer. He said the real trick here is to buy them already on a leader.

ME: What’s a leader?
DAD: “A leader is the monofilament line that is attached to the hooks. You buy them in packs. Because the hook is already strung up on a leader, all you have to do is tie it on your line and then it's done. That way, you don’t have to loop it through the hook yourself.”
“When tying the leader to your main line, do a double or triple knot. You want more than one tie-up, or your kid will start crying if the fish swims away because you didn’t secure the hook tight enough to the line!”

Bobbers – A bobber is a colorful floating ball that tells you when you’ve got a bite.

DAD: “Bobbers are crucial! They keep the bait floating in the water so the fish can see it wriggling.”

Bait – Yes, you’ll need live bait. But my Dad says you can skip the big, fat nightcrawlers. Little red worms are fine.

DAD: “Last time Max and were fishing, the bait shop guy only had small night crawlers. They were really small; like before they got big and fat, you know? They were great.”

ME: Oh, nice! So what’s the deal with using worms as bait?
DAD: “The movement and smell. Because the worm is moving the whole time on the hook. If they die and aren’t moving anymore, you’ll need to replace.”

ME: So how do you put the worm on the hook?

DAD: “Hooking the worm is a little tricky for a little kid, so the adult usually does the worm hook. You hook it like 2-4 times so it stays on the hook. You want a good amount of worm on there so it covers it. A lot of times, the fish will see the hook as a foreign object. So if you cover the hook, especially the tip, they won't see it.”

ME: Okay, wow. That’s a great tip.

Net – Not necessary, but a small net can be helpful for bringing fish to shore so it doesn’t escape your hands. My Dad told me to “really get the net underneath it. Then you lift up the fish up and over onto the ground or grass away from the water.”

Sinkers – These are small weights placed on the fishing line a few inches above the hook to help your bait sink and stay in one spot.

Needle-nose pliers – For safely removing hooks from the fish.

A hand towel – “Because fish are slimy,” both my Dad and Zulkeski reminded me.

Handling the fish (and the photo op)

Once you've got a fish on the line, my Dad tells me there are a few important steps. The most important one, of course, is how to take a good photo with the fish.

Wet your hands – “Once you’ve got a bite, you reach down in the water and you get your hands wet,” my Dad told me. “If your hand are dry, they’ll wipe the slime off the fish, which is important for it to live.”
Remove the hook – If the fish is lip-hooked, it's easy to remove. If it swallows the hook, especially a tiny fish, my Dad told me to “just cut the line at the top of the leader and the fish swims away with it. It'll eventually dissolve.” My Dad says try your best not to rip the hook out, as it can harm the fish.
Take a good photo – "This is the highlight of the day,” says my Dad who loves a good photo op like me. “The best time to take a picture is right away, while the fish is hooked.” PRO TIP: My Dad says “if you have your kid hold the fish closer to the camera, the fish looks bigger!”

Release the fish back into the water – This is typically the hardest part for little kids. Your kid may be sad to let it go, but my Dad shared with me a good script to turn that frown upside down. “You just say: ‘Hun, we can't keep a fish this little because there's not much to eat. Plus, the fish has to go back with its other friends in the water.’”

Meet other aspiring fishermen

You know I had to mention some kid-friendly events you might consider.

Surrounding towns & organizations put on all sorts of great events for kids to learn about the proper way to fish. I just scanned The Plan calendar and found a few gems. Know of any others? Drop them in the comments and I’ll update the post.

Every MAY – 🎣 The Bedford Parks & Rec Fishing Derby (Bedford Hills Memorial Park, Lake Marie)
Every Spring, Bedford Parks & Rec partners with the Sportsman Club of Northern Westchester to put on this family-friendly event. Kids can win prizes for things like being the first to catch a fish in their group. Plus, they learn essential skills, like how to properly bait a hook, and why fish need to be released back into the pond. »
THIS SUNDAY (July 20, 2025) – 🎣 Bass Wars (Peach Lake, North Salem)
KAZ Outdoors in Ridgefield is putting this one on this coming Sunday. So if you've got an aspiring fisherman in the family, you're going to want to sign up for this one. »
Year-round – Schedule a fishing party with the guys at KAZ Outdoors. They provide the bait, frozen bait, tackle, bags, rods and reels, and everything you’ll need for a day of fishing. “It’s a great way for parents to learn the ropes while the kids catch some fish,” Zulkeski told me.
September 25 – 🎣 National Hunting & Fishing Day – Take the kids fishing to celebrate this annual holiday.

8 great local spots to take your kids fishing

A few weeks ago, Zulkeski shared with me a handful of local spots that are perfect for introducing kids to fishing. So, I put them all in our Summer Bucket List Guide, along with a few more from local parents who know what’s up.

The cool thing about the Summer Guide is that it also comes with access to our private Google Maps list, which makes it easy to quickly navigate to exact spot you need to go. This list will always appear right in your Google Maps app, which means you won’t have to search your email for this post.

Get the summer bucket list guide

“The places I recommended all offer public access, are easy to fish, and have fish close to the shore. So, it’ll be pretty simple to get a bite with basic gear,” said Zulkeski.

Lake Mamanasco (Ridgefield, CT)
“A lake right in Ridgefield that stays open all year. Kids often catch bluegill, largemouth bass, and pickerel from a grassy shoreline or public boat launch. The water is clear and calm—ideal for little anglers learning how to cast.” – K. Zulkeski
Bennett’s Pond State Park (Ridgefield, CT)
“This quiet state park has a pond full of fish like bass, bluegill, and perch. There are paths and picnic areas, making it a great spot for a full-day outing. It’s also a lovely place to hike a bit between fishing stops.” – K. Zulkeski
Seth Low Pierrepont State Park Reserve (Ridgefield, CT)
“This park offers water access and shady spots perfect for kids. You can fish from the shore or launch a canoe. The park is designed for families, so it’s easy to make a day out of it.” – K. Zulkeski
Norwalk River, Public Access Areas (Norwalk, CT)
“The Norwalk River runs through Ridgefield and is great for a quiet stream fishing experience. You can try catching trout with small rods and simple bait—plus, it’s fun exploring along the stream banks!.” – K. Zulkeski
The Pond at Fitzgerald Field (Ridgefield, CT)
“I initially went here for Little League Games but it's a fun little public spot. There’s a small pond that’s perfect for taking kids fishing in the summer.” – J. Vigliotti
The pond at Ridgefield Parks & Recreation Center (Ridgefield, CT)
“There’s a big pond in the middle of the trail loop that’s great to take little kids fishing.” – The Plan
The Pond at Pound Ridge Town Park (Pound Ridge, NY)
“We took our toddler fishing here for the first time, and it was perfect. His good buddy brings a net and catches frogs, and a bunch of the local kids love the story walk that winds behind the pond. It’s just one of those spots that quietly becomes a favorite.” – K. Aarts
The Pier at Pierson Park (Tarrytown, NY)
“It's very casual but the small pier is perfect for fishing. Folks are always there.” – C. Vaughan

Some parting thoughts from my Dad

The goal is simply to catch any fish and have a good time, not to land a record-breaker.

“Catching a fish is exciting. And it's not about how big it is; it's the fact that you caught a fish—that's what's amazing.”
- Jack W. Zerby I (a.k.a. Dad / Pop-Pop)