what’s a good fishing setup for my little one

[UphillHabit]

I’m thinking about taking my 5-year-old out fishing for the first time. I’ve seen some basic kids' fishing rods at the local store, but I’m not sure if that’s the right way to go. I didn’t grow up with fishing, so I could really use some advice on what to look for in a setup that’s simple and effective. Mostly, I just want to make it a fun outing for my kid. Any tips on what kind of gear or bait works well for beginners?

 

[xchecker]

Do you fish? You make sound like you're a beginner too...not that I'm much better, but I fish once a year for a week.

 

[Eastenerwesterner]

I had look up if they still make it, Zebco 202 with a pole can be had for $20.
Put a worm on a hook, sinker and a bobber for the kid to watch. Stay with a smaller/medium bobber, the red and white kind. Mickey ones tend to go down hard.

 

[xchecker]

I had look up if they still make it, Zebco 202 with a pole can be had for $20.

Was thinking the same thing! Great Minds!...lol. I think I used one of those when I was 7 or 8. I would pass on the worm and just use some power bait or salmon eggs. Also helps to know what kind of fish are in the lake. Make sure you bring a net and some fish gloves.

https://www.amazon.com/Zebco-Quantu...82da01b6c5a5&qid=1756518147&sr=8-2&th=1&psc=1

 

[Eastenerwesterner]

My old man started us on free bait casting reels. He soon learned that spending some $ gave him some fishing time.

 

[Eastenerwesterner]

For giggles I looked up my next kid fishing set up
My grandparents bought me a Zebco 444 trigger reel and rod. Had an issue with it and Zebco replaced it. Although they didn’t make the 444 anymore, they replaced with a FL44.
EBay prices for 444-$49. FL44- $194. Still have that 44 and use it as my ultralight.

My grandparents probably didn’t pay more than $15 for the rod and reel 55 years ago.

Sorry to OP for the thread hijack. I hope that Zebco quality is as good as it was.

 

[Bigfoot 16]

I’m thinking about taking my 5-year-old out fishing for the first time. I’ve seen some basic kids' fishing rods at the local store, but I’m not sure if that’s the right way to go. I didn’t grow up with fishing, so I could really use some advice on what to look for in a setup that’s simple and effective. Mostly, I just want to make it a fun outing for my kid. Any tips on what kind of gear or bait works well for beginners?

I like the Ugly Stik sets for kids that Walmart sells. They are simple to use and scaled for kids to use. They are also difficult foe kids to break.

 

[Bigfoot 16]

Was thinking the same thing! Great Minds!...lol. I think I used one of those when I was 7 or 8. I would pass on the worm and just use some power bait or salmon eggs. Also helps to know what kind of fish are in the lake. Make sure you bring a net and some fish gloves.

https://www.amazon.com/Zebco-Quantum-Spincast-Tackle-Length/dp/B07L4JCR8Z/ref=sr_1_2?adgrpid=1225955775755425&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.quXbTN_U9Q0eLo64IjjXw6XJA_yAY7Xam52xtyjx3w8LgIsg0nA_0TmZVgWZ4D9wc_wmi0JTajjnRlEqNTYG4EpHnnRd074M-pLTUhVMe0hBNFTz93cWjQPuRtA5Dx9iq-ogS4H-IZH-_UumLsLb9l907Z6MBCDp_o7qYkzH_Er00cvAlzJ8s5DERzXEBBqyNd_15Ft9w9ZjDBp36aQ5vadUNLS9n_opMZdhMrKq4xk.zSncU9xQqoCZPfqN2FrlJQT6SLMjJdYPwTc16uwkQ4I&dib_tag=se&hvadid=76622402610556&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=84044&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-76622477339098:loc-190&hydadcr=3555_13640924&keywords=zebco+202&mcid=c472115a05a63ae2ab1b81d3cebd6e07&msclkid=17f1ea6857061f958cc182da01b6c5a5&qid=1756518147&sr=8-2&th=1&psc=1

You want to go into the store with him and try out the fishing rods. One you buy online may too big or small for him.

 

[KonoctisWigwam]

I can tell you what not to get him, don't get him a Penn reel. My dad got me one as my main fishing rod, as he took me ocean fishing a lot, but I hated it as I wanted to cast. It's an acquired skill to cast those Penns. I had a small pole I practiced my casting in our backyard pool. It was always getting caught on the neighbor's fence. It wasn't until later I bought myself a spinning reel, and that's when fishing changed for me for the better. I have a light trout rod/reel (reel is a Daiwa) with 2 and 4 lb. test.

I use a cheap $10 K-Mart rod with a Garcia Mitchell reel, I bought close to 50 years ago, to fish bass. I lived at Lake Sherwood in Thousand Oaks for about 3 years. That's where I first fished for bass.

My casting rod was like a Zebco 404, not the 444. Mine had the thumb release on the back, but it wasn't a Zebco, and I don't have that pole anymore.

 

[xchecker]

I use a cheap $10 K-Mart rod with a Garcia Mitchell reel, I bought close to 50 years ago, to fish bass. I lived at Lake Sherwood in Thousand Oaks for about 3 years. That's where I first fished for bass.

Say it ain't so! Sherwood is where I learned to fish 60yrs ago. I actually live in T.O. now. When did you live there? Sherwood has been a private community lake since the mid to late 80's(IIRC) surrounded by Multi-Million dollar homes and a PGA-class Golf course and club.
The lake became a swamp in the mid '70s and was sold off to a developer who turned it into the exclusive gated community.

 

[xchecker]

I use a cheap $10 K-Mart rod with a Garcia Mitchell reel, I bought close to 50 years ago, to fish bass. I lived at Lake Sherwood in Thousand Oaks for about 3 years. That's where I first fished for bass.

Say it ain't so! Sherwood is where I learned to fish 60yrs ago. I actually live in T.O. now. Sherwood is now a private community lake surrounded by Multi-Million dollar homes and a PGA-class Golf course and club.
The lake became a swamp in the mid '70s and was sold off to a developer who turned it into a exclusive gated community

 

[KonoctisWigwam]

Say it ain't so! Sherwood is where I learned to fish 60yrs ago. I actually live in T.O. now. When did you live there? Sherwood has been a private community lake since the mid to late 80's(IIRC) surrounded by Multi-Million dollar homes and a PGA-class Golf course and club.
The lake became a swamp in the mid '70s and was sold off to a developer who turned it into the exclusive gated community.

Yes, it's so! LOL

This was before Murdock was trying to buy the property. When I was there they were fighting that guy tooth and nail. I lived at 3 different places there, and the best place was on a street named David Ln. The house was out on the point, and surrounded by water on 3 sides, it was one of the most amazing places I lived, but I didn't fish the lake there, rather, I had problems with my roomate. I moved to a guest house over on Sherwood Road, and after there I lived at a place on Sherwood Road, or whatever that was off to the right from the main road. David Ln. was on the North Shore, or what people referred to as the Gold Coast. There was some interesting people that lived there, but they had nice yards fronting the lake, most sprawled out with plush grash...Bob Denver lived on the South Shore, and he owned a bunch of big cats that he had in cages, and the locals, especially a Disney writer that lived a few houses from him.

I don't know where we used to fish, but when I lived in the guest house we had a boat that was at a dock we could use, and another guy who was renting a room in the front house would go out with me in the evenings. It was on the South side, almost across from David Ln., there was a bunch of rocks with tules all around them. He was a similar age as me, and was from Oregon. Do you remember that K-Mark on Hampshire road in Westlake Village? That's where my parents lived, and then moved to a townhouse in Newbury Park off Bourchard Rd.

Fires were a big danger back then to Lake Sherwood and Hidden Valley, just next to it...there was a lot of horse breeders out there, breeding race horses.

I was gone when Rupert Murdock got the property, and build some mega mansions to sports celebrities and movie stars...

I used to drive Decker Canyon to the beach to play my guitar at Zuma. As a kid I loved the beach. But I wish I had a sailboat at Lake Sherwood, that's how I got to what I'm trying to build today. Since David Ln., about 50 years ago, I have wanted to live on a lake. It is so magical waking up to the lake...something about the water...I didn't really plan to end up at Clear Lake, but this is the bass capitol of the nation, I've been told. I've caught so many bass from Lake Sherwood...and they had some pretty big catfish, but I never fished for them. I think Rick got me to eat a large mouth bass once...that's the last one I ever ate...LOL I'd eat Bonito any day of the week before Large Mouth Bass...at least the ones at Lake Sherwood tasted horrid...

BTW, I majored in music at Moorpark College at the time, when I lived at Lake Sherwood. You're also one of the few people that I have met that even knows Lake Sherwood. They shot a lot of movies there, and at the time used to shoot the Dukes of Hazards over south of the main road heading in...they added a guard there and don't allow entry without a home...

 

[xchecker]

Konoctis,
I've been out here in TO for about 27 years now. The Kmart went Belly Up about 15 years ago. Has been an empty lot ever since. Haven't been by that way lately so I'm not sure what's happening.

My CCW instructor lives on a property of about 50 acres over the hill to the South of Lake Sherwood. He has a small range on the property which makes taking the class and then the live fire qualifications super simple. One visit and we're all done.

The whole Thousand Oaks area was rife with movie shooting locations. Still happens on occasion that I run into a film crew when hiking in the area. Don't know if you recall, but there was a place called Jungleland that was the movie studios wild animal storage facility - Zoo. That's no longer there either. It's now the Thousand Oaks Government Center and Civic Arts Center

 

[KonoctisWigwam]

I went to the Jungleland as a kid, and remember passing by when it was there. Same with Pacific Ocean Park (POP)...once I took my son on the Ferris Wheel at Santa Monica, and we got stock for 2 hours...after that he liked the Merry-Go-Round better...

When I lived on the south side of Lake Sherwood, the crews for Dukes would be driving 18 wheelers through the creek, and launching those General Lees 15 feet in the air.

Here's where I used to live, but it was the property next door also, we had the whole point. This home is 10,000 sq.ft., it was valued at over $10M at one time...and the home on the other property doesn't say how big it is...no details...it was a shack with a basement when I lived there and studied music at Moorpark. We hold my high school reunion at a park in Simi, we do a reunion every year. Class of '76, we invite all the classes from the 70s.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/274-David-Ln-Thousand-Oaks-CA-91361

I used to sing songs on my guitar to my girlfriend who lived in T.O., down on the dock, and we played a lot of backgammon there. I was in the basement, and had a water bed (I'm hippie gen), but had an big plate glass window overlooking the lake. That would be a great place to sail, it's really nice. I think we used to fish at the small island on the north side facing the big island, but not certain now...I did catch a duck once...they sure have rubbery necks...they pop back to shape...LOL There was a small diner over by the public entrance on the south side, and I used to take the boat over there and get a burger...I have great memories of that lake...it was always rumored that Murdock would build a massive amount of townhomes, in the meadow/creek where they used to shoot some of the Dukes scenes...in the end he built mega mansions and they turned the entire lake gated...