Advice Needed, Taking Daughter Fishing.

[308]

Rainbow Ranch in Sandy Oregon….lol

 

[kmk1012]

Ok, been a while since I've checked back in. My daughters caught several fish this summer, now my boys are another story. Just got back from Diamond Lake for a week to get them their first fish. Fished every day, nothing but bites (both bug and fish). My boys are almost 13 and 11, and have never reeled in a fish. We've been out more than 15 times this year alone from trolling, casting off anchor, bottom, or bobbers. Spent enough money to send them to fishing college, if there's such a thing. I'm cursed when it comes to fishing, ask anyone I know and they'll confirm. It's at the point that I really don't like to fish anymore because, what's the freaking point? I won't give up as when we left Diamond Lake to come home I noticed my older boy quietly crying. He finally admitted that he thought this would be the trip. Will check back in with pics of him holding one……….sometime.

 

[sobo]

Ok, been a while since I've checked back in. My daughters caught several fish this summer, now my boys are another story. Just got back from Diamond Lake for a week to get them their first fish. Fished every day, nothing but bites (both bug and fish). My boys are almost 13 and 11, and have never reeled in a fish. We've been out more than 15 times this year alone from trolling, casting off anchor, bottom, or bobbers. Spent enough money to send them to fishing college, if there's such a thing. I'm cursed when it comes to fishing, ask anyone I know and they'll confirm. It's at the point that I really don't like to fish anymore because, what's the freaking point? I won't give up as when we left Diamond Lake to come home I noticed my older boy quietly crying. He finally admitted that he thought this would be the trip. Will check back in with pics of him holding one……….sometime.

Mebbe have your daughter take them out...???

No offense, but she seems to know what she's doin' when it comes to catchin' fish...

 

[kmk1012]

Mebbe have your daughter take them out...???

No offense, but she seems to know what she's doin' when it comes to catchin' fish...

no offense taken. She's one of those that's naturally gifted in anything she tries. Even placed nationally in smallbore precision. But, when it comes to fishing with the boys, my curse follows. I've even taken them out on guided fishing trips, nada. We always have fun spending time and won't give up. Just venting/complaining, LOL. I'll take any excuse to get back out on the lake with my kids (have 4 of them that I know of) (just kidding')

 

[eldbillbo]

no offense taken. She's one of those that's naturally gifted in anything she tries. Even placed nationally in smallbore precision. But, when it comes to fishing with the boys, my curse follows. I've even taken them out on guided fishing trips, nada. We always have fun spending time and won't give up. Just venting/complaining, LOL. I'll take any excuse to get back out on the lake with my kids (have 4 of them that I know of) (just kidding')

I seem to have the problem with Salmon and Steelhead. I think you're trying to hard your daughter probably is just more patient. I almost think feel the tension coming through the line from you and the boys. I try too hard with with Salmon and Steelhead so I have only caught a few with a lot of hours spent.

However with just about every other species of fish where all I need is a jig I slay them including over 1000 small month bass in one weekend and that is not an exaggeration the skin on my thumb was raw and sore from removing so many fish from my hook. Also I slay the Jetty rock fish with my record being over 48 in 4 hrs. (I am not sure exactly how many I caught cause I lost count after 48) My cousin was on another rock 25 feet away from me and only caught 3 he wanted to push me in the ocean.

My youngest brother say hey Bill you catch lots of fish if only you could catch big fish.

That's the thing with the exception of catching some rather big catfish and an occasional sturgeon they have all been small.

I think with salmon and steelhead its more of an obsession every since I hooked a monster of a salmon there many years ago. I was mostly an Jetty fisher but I crossed the Clackamas every day so one day and this was many moons ago while I was still single I must have been about 19 I thought I should carry a pole and get some tackle gear and stop and fish maybe catch some trout I am good at catching small fish. They had these grab bags of tackle at payless (see how long ago that was back in the day of payless and GI Joes) and I bought one.

I stopped there at high rocks. There was a guy there on a jet sled and he was fighting something for about 10 minutes I was not really paying attention I thought he had a snag and thought why don't he just snap the line and then i saw his line slice through the water and I was like wow he something big on there it finally broke his line and he threw down his rod and stormed off.

I have a silver spoon woblure in that bag so I put it one and cast it, I had 8lb test and on the about the 8th cast a salmon hit it hard. It sliced to the right then to left and then forward I didn't know what to do. I never had to release drag on a fish I had no idea that is what I was suppose to do to play it and tired it out I just held tight to the rod I could feel it was pulling the rod and that it was heading up and I saw it break the water it was huge must have been 8 inches wide and I heard a loud and it was actually loud snap of the line, I was so excited my hands were shacking as I dug through that bag and tackle box for another large lure and all have one of those orange finned thingies. I tied it on with shacking hands but no luck.

I went from there to GI Joes and I was hooked I spent a couple years and probably a couple grand trying to catch another monster like that but never did.

I have caught Cohos on boats and cat fish big enough to break hooks but never the elusive Chinook Salmon. I later learned what the key mistake I was making was after loosing that fish due to light line I always fished with heavy line didn't dawn on me till talking with other fisherman that in clear water they can see the line. So my tip to you is light line and be prepared to play them using your drag. The lighter the line the further you can cast and the less likely they will see it and relax and enjoy the scenery and don't worry about catching anything and then you probably will.

 

[NeoBlackdog]

This may sound silly, but have ya'll tried washing your hands? If you've got anything on your hands that will cause the lure/bait to smell bad then your chances of catching a fish go way down. Use Lemon Joy dish soap, just a dab, and scrub your hands good before touching any of your terminal tackle.

 

[Mikej]

Ok, been a while since I've checked back in. My daughters caught several fish this summer, now my boys are another story. Just got back from Diamond Lake for a week to get them their first fish. Fished every day, nothing but bites (both bug and fish). My boys are almost 13 and 11, and have never reeled in a fish. We've been out more than 15 times this year alone from trolling, casting off anchor, bottom, or bobbers. Spent enough money to send them to fishing college, if there's such a thing. I'm cursed when it comes to fishing, ask anyone I know and they'll confirm. It's at the point that I really don't like to fish anymore because, what's the freaking point? I won't give up as when we left Diamond Lake to come home I noticed my older boy quietly crying. He finally admitted that he thought this would be the trip. Will check back in with pics of him holding one……….sometime.

Okay, hold on there....Were other people catching fish? Were you fishing where other people were catching fish? Were you fishing with the baits/method that are known to catch fish there? For instance, if you guys were casting off the bank into thick weeds in 10' of water, summer--sun heated water, when everyone else is out in a boat fishing deep cooler water, your not likely to catch much.

 

[kmk1012]

Okay, hold on there....Were other people catching fish? Were you fishing where other people were catching fish? Were you fishing with the baits/method that are known to catch fish there? For instance, if you guys were casting off the bank into thick weeds in 10' of water, summer--sun heated water, when everyone else is out in a boat fishing deep cooler water, your not likely to catch much.

Others were catching around us, yes we are on a boat. I graciously ask what's been working from the locals or the person with a full cooler. I'm a catch and release fisherman and tell them that up front as lots of them won't share secrets. Two days ago out on Diamond Lake there were several boats anchored around us and were catching limits, I swear it's just my bad luck. It's a running joke, I tell my friends about a new way to not catch anything, LOL.

 

[Mikej]

Others were catching around us, yes we are on a boat. I graciously ask what's been working from the locals or the person with a full cooler. I'm a catch and release fisherman and tell them that up front as lots of them won't share secrets. Two days ago out on Diamond Lake there were several boats anchored around us and were catching limits, I swear it's just my bad luck. It's a running joke, I tell my friends about a new way to not catch anything, LOL.

Well. That is a problem. Never been to Diamond, but being a fisherman from a very young age, I've read about the place. I'm surprised using common tactics for the lake didn't pay off. Now I never really believed in the saying..... "The Worst Day Fishing Is Still Better Than The Best Day Working", because I fished to catch fish. And I worked to make money. If I went to all the work to go fishing I wanted to catch fish. Otherwise I could have worked. You might do well to TRY and make that work for you and keep at it awhile longer.

 

[kmk1012]

Well. That is a problem. Never been to Diamond, but being a fisherman from a very young age, I've read about the place. I'm surprised using common tactics for the lake didn't pay off. Now I never really believed in the saying..... "The Worst Day Fishing Is Still Better Than The Best Day Working", because I fished to catch fish. And I worked to make money. If I went to all the work to go fishing I wanted to catch fish. Otherwise I could have worked. You might do well to TRY and make that work for you and keep at it awhile longer.

Thanks, we are not giving up quite yet. In fact we are doubling down and taking another week next month to make it happen. Probably get out locally at least once before that too. Bigger picture yet is showing them to never give up. Can't wait to get back here with stories of success.

 

[cigars]

If you get a bite first, give her the pole. That was my plan. Unfortunately, I couldn't get my daughter's much into fishing. Shooting was another story. This one shot up most of my 45-70.

 

[Bobbygun]

Like @Mikej I don't subscribe to "The worst day fishing..." theory either. If you changed it to "The worst day hunting..." I could buy into it. So, I'm probably the last person that should be giving fishing tips because I only go once or twice a year (sometimes zero). When I do go, it's usually during our annual camping trip at Diamond Lake. I rarely get skunked there. I have noticed that most of the fish I've caught were early in the morning, or later in the evening. Sometimes my son and I rent a boat. Last year we didn't have a lot of time to fish so no boat rental, but I managed to catch a nice 16" rainbow from the bank. We don't do anything fancy. Usually just using Powerbait or nightcrawlers. We fish about 3 feet off the bottom using either a marshmallow to float the nightcrawler/hook up from the sinker, or Powerbait without a nightcrawler or marshmallow.

You might consider just taking the boys to a fish rich environment where you catch something, even if it's trash fish. When my kids were young, I would take them on Dexter Reservoir and catch those pike minnows (formerly called squaw fish). They aren't any good for eating and aren't the greatest fighters, but the kids had fun catching them. When I was young, my neighbor took his kids and me fishing for blue gill and crappie in an old mill pond. We slayed them. I'm not sure what he did with the fish. Most were only about 5 inches long, but we had a blast.

 

[kmk1012]

This may sound silly, but have ya'll tried washing your hands? If you've got anything on your hands that will cause the lure/bait to smell bad then your chances of catching a fish go way down. Use Lemon Joy dish soap, just a dab, and scrub your hands good before touching any of your terminal tackle.

Oh yes, always use lake water too. I grew up around fisherman and employ lots of the usual tricks. And before anyone asks, we NEVER bring a banana on the boat

 

[kmk1012]

Like @Mikej I don't subscribe to "The worst day fishing..." theory either. If you changed it to "The worst day hunting..." I could buy into it. So, I'm probably the last person that should be giving fishing tips because I only go once or twice a year (sometimes zero). When I do go, it's usually during our annual camping trip at Diamond Lake. I rarely get skunked there. I have noticed that most of the fish I've caught were early in the morning, or later in the evening. Sometimes my son and I rent a boat. Last year we didn't have a lot of time to fish so no boat rental, but I managed to catch a nice 16" rainbow from the bank. We don't do anything fancy. Usually just using Powerbait or nightcrawlers. We fish about 3 feet off the bottom using either a marshmallow to float the nightcrawler/hook up from the sinker, or Powerbait without a nightcrawler or marshmallow.

You might consider just taking the boys to a fish rich environment where you catch something, even if it's trash fish. When my kids were young, I would take them on Dexter Reservoir and catch those pike minnows (formerly called squaw fish). They aren't any good for eating and aren't the greatest fighters, but the kids had fun catching them. When I was young, my neighbor took his kids and me fishing for blue gill and crappie in an old mill pond. We slayed them. I'm not sure what he did with the fish. Most were only about 5 inches long, but we had a blast.

Your method ad Diamond is exactly what we were doing off the boat including timing. We'll eventually get a day where they each reel in more than a dozen fish, just to make a better story. That's how it's alway been for me. A long drought followed by a day so busy on the water my arms get tired of reeling.

 

[RustyNail]

My 14yr old daughter has been doing so much extra around the house/farm for some time now. She's always trying to make extra money as she can't work here in Oregon until she's older. I always have her keep track of her hours and when I asked what I owed her she said she'd much rather have a day alone with me to go fishing. Now, I'm not new to fishing but gave it up years ago, as I got tired of never catching anything. Everyone around me always catches something but not me, heck even switching poles with them they'd catch one on my pole, LOL.
Sorry, got off topic. Im looking for a place to drop the boat in that's not a busy ramp as my other helpers will not be there and I'm not the guy who likes to tie up the ramp while getting/parking the truck and trailer. She doesn't care what type of fish, just wants to catch.
My boat isint a fishing boat but I'm sure it'll do fine, just better not get it dirty, LOL.We may be able to troll with a couple sea anchors but it's a heavy V8 powerboat that likes speed, so not sure how slow we can get it. If anyone has a suggestion of a place within an hour or so of Salem that would be great. Last time up at Detroit Mongold ramp the dock was almost unusable due to the water level but it's been over a month.

Man, do you even know how lucky you are that she would rather spend time with you than get money? Talk about a gem of a young lady. Spend that time with her and you best find a good fishing spot. No excuses.

 

[Xaevian]

This may sound silly, but have ya'll tried washing your hands? If you've got anything on your hands that will cause the lure/bait to smell bad then your chances of catching a fish go way down. Use Lemon Joy dish soap, just a dab, and scrub your hands good before touching any of your terminal tackle.

I was going to mention that. Or bait scent oil, flavor doesn't matter. Just takes away the manly hand sweat smell.