Page 94 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2023

SPORTS & OUTDOORS
Small Fish Can
Make Giant
Memories for
Young Anglers
story and photos by
John N. Felsher
My Dad always used to say, “You can either go fishing or take a kid fishing. You can’t do both at the same time. Decide what you are going to do and stick with it.”
By that, he meant, focus on letting the child enjoy some fun. Keep it simple and not too serious. If the child gets bored and wants to do something else, do it. Teach a child how to do things, but let children do it themselves, even
if they make mistakes. Just keep safety in mind.
Practically all young anglers start their lifetime of fishing by dropping
a float dangling a worm or other
bait next to cover to tempt bluegills and various panfish species. That old technique still works and probably always will. Many highly experienced fishermen still get thrills seeing a float plunge beneath the water.
To start fishing for panfish, young anglers don’t need complex, expensive gear. Many people just use cane poles to catch loads of bluegills and many
94 | April 2023
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