Kids across the river!!!

David and I took the kids across the river again this weekend to practice a bit on the classic waters and try some different techniques. Sometimes when the fish will no longer look at what you have been hammerin'em with you just have to run something by them that they haven't seen. I was pushing a new bait up front that the fish here probably haven't seen much of before and I was getting what I called a "curiosity strike" on it....maybe they were hitting it just to see what it would taste like, LOL....whatever the reason, they liked it and wouldn't hit much of anything else on the front rods!! We used straight artificial baits and no nibblets were used on the jigs today either. We let the kids catch 90% of the fish once they were on the hook and Atticus (age 8) is setting his own hooks himself when he sees a bite...just make sure you are not between him and the rod when that happens, LOL! Sometimes I would ignore a bite just to wait on him to see it and give him the satisfaction of getting it all himself....that's good training and gives him a sense of accomplishment. By the time he is twelve he won't miss many bites and will make a good solid tourney partner. Lily (age 7) can hold a 16 ft Ozark rod by herself and crank'em in as good as I can! All three of these kids had a blast and I don't remember Eli even sitting down any the whole day, LOL! I will say the stress level is somewhat elevated with three young'uns in the boat (it goes up exponentially with each additional kid in a boat) but we wouldn't have it any other way and the memories made are priceless....not to mention the training they get catching Crappie! The biggest problem was that the kids would get into a tussle over who is gonna catch the next fish when we get one on, LOL!! We put the bimini top up first thing and the heat was no issue at all....at least with the kids, LOL!

Looks like a good time !

Good looking crew. Memories will last a life time.

As usual guys Good Job! !!!!!!

Good job dad!

That's the way to do it, Steve and David! Y'all are really investing in those kid's lives, and they will never forget these times together. Thanks for the post and the pics, guys.

Good times with the little ones. Keep up the good work. They will never forget the memories you are sharing with them.

Very cool!!!

Great job including the kids and great pics.

Nice job, but I didn't see any of those baits you talked about. :)

You'll just have to use your imagination for right now Bill! I will say they were a pain in the rear to put together, lol!

Great job guys I like seeing the kids out having fun!

Are you going to share a couple of them special baits? ????

good job Steve and you're right about showing em something new....went to a different oxbow yesterday and could only catch crappie on the C55s I painted myself...good pics and post!!

Awesome job man!!! Looks like they are having a BLAST!

Looks like fun. Funny how they get used to seeing a certain presentation. Congrats on figuring them out!

Good for you guys.....thanks for sharing with us

Good Job...Let them young'ins catch em all.

great picxs of what will surely be fun memories