[fish4fun]

So I'm taking my 4 year old son fishing this weekend and would like to try for panfish. I've taken him 3 or 4 times now for bass, neither of us had any luck. I hate to keep getting skunked with him for fear he will lose interest altogether.
What do I have to do to get some bluegills or any other panfish? I've never fished for them.
Thanks!

[MoGunner]

piece of cake! Wax worms, small hooks, light weight , small bobbers. Don't wait for the bobber to go under. Hit it when it starts to bob and enjoy the fight. If you use light tackle and a small pole and reel, you'll have a blast. They taste great, too.

[Tom]

Stopped at two ponds earlier in the week that I have never seen before. Ultra lite rod and a white body pink jig head Mini Mite was all it took. Toss is about 8 to 10 feet from shore and pop it. The more I moved it the more hits I got. Bluegills, crappie, and a couple nice bass to boot.

[fish4fun]

white body pink jig head Mini Mite was all it took.

Im pretty new to fishing so please forgive me, I have no idea what that means
Is a jig a hook with a weight on top? and mini mite, im guessing is a brand of plastics?

[Tom]

http://www.cubbylures.com/

Any of our tackle shop sponsors carry these. No need for a weight, but adding a waxy wouldn't hurt either. All you really need to do it tie it on and start jigging it or let the winds do the work. Dabbing it on the surface is also a fun way to present it.

Tom

[wsj_outdoorsman]

wsj has always done better with spikes (maggots) over the waxies they last longer with many fish caught on them. Don't overlook the new gulp alive fish fry......some might good stuff there for the pan fish.

Ratso with spike.........



Ratso with spike.........ratso is 80th oz size FYI.








ratso with red spike.......ready to catch fish.



You should have a good idea now. Have fun.

[fish4fun]

Ok thanks guys. Im sure if I go to the local bait shop with all the names of baits theyll show me to 'em

[chancegrayl]

pm me if your just trying to get him to catch some pan fish, i dont know where your from so i dont know how far away you are but i have found a couple of spots for little pan fish, not big enough to keep, but they bite worms like crazy

[i8fish2]

slip bobber, 2 feet of line and a fatboy with any live bait; waxies, maggots or minnows. We all have our own special jig we like, but basically a small jig, light line, and a small bobber will do you right if you have the right location.

[JUSTO]

IF YOU SEE ANY WEEDS, TALL GRASS,OR ROCKS STICKING OUT OF THE WATER OR MAYBE BRANCHES LEANING INTO THE WATER [STRUCTURE] WILL USUALLY HOLD FISH.

[tinyfisher]

Above advice is all spot on. One thing I'll add is to use a little bigger hook or jig than you think you might need. You may miss some bites this way, but the fish will be less likely to swallow the hook, making your job of unhooking the fish easier!

[twade]

I agree with Tom here on some slight movement. I always get a better reaction from the fish the bait/lure moves a little.

[deadeye2]

OK Fish4fun, here is my two cents. Your getting some great info here but I will tell you what has worked fenominally for me in the past.
Remember it all about a small set up.
People who try and catch panfish with heavy line and big hooks, like bass rods, may catch one for every ten or fifteen a small setup will catch. The hook should not be more than 3/8" long. Remember, these are pan fish and if you want to catch a bunck of them then teeny tiny jigs are great. Bring a few you may have to cut and re-tie
Very small 1/64, 1/32 to 1/16 oz max jig. If it looks too small, then you probably have the right one.
I like ice jigs but they dont have to be. A "Rat Finky" from jigs & spins I think, being my favorite
Favorite color yellow or chartruse.
I prefere a slip bobber rig and add split shot to keep the bobber just above the water but a "SMALL" red & white clipon will do. Get the smallest you can find, about the size of a nickel or dime.
Four pound test line will help get a lot more hits than 8,10 or twelve.
Here is the secret, tip the jig with a yellow Berkley Power Wiggler, thread it on the jig like it's part of the body. Half on the hook and the other half makes a tail. I added a link below to show you what thely look like. Your son can catch ten fish on one of them before you have to bait again. The panfish love em. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/store ... rchResults
Listen I have cought thousands of fish on a rig like this and even a few two and three pound bass.
Put a teeny split shot about a foot above the jig and the bobber about a foot above the split shot to start. Move the bobber up 6-12 inches to find the right depth.
Last piece of advise is don't let the bait sit on the bottom you want to be about 6 inches off the bottom or higher.
Your going to need a needle nose pliers to get these jigs out and I mean the super skinny needle nose, not the regular needle nose. See the link, its the pliers on the right. Don't go without the pliers or a old rag to hold the fish.
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/store ... rchResults
I hope you and your kids catch a mess of fish like I have. If your doing it right you wont have time to fish because you will spend most of your time unhooking your kids fish. If there are panfish around and they are feeding this set up will work, guarnteed.

[twade]

I use hemostats for all of my hook removals, even the big bass... works the best. Great tip on the ice jigs. I use ice jigs and crappie jigs with a lot of success. Use mono/flour leader #6 and under.

look up post by any luc and wsj outdoors.... they can find pan fish in a ditch.

most of all fun and bring goodies for the kids.

[Jaxom]

Fish4fun,

Tons of good advice here. But for a child, may be a bit over the top, especially since you're new to fishing as well. The key here is getting him interested. I took my 5yr old daughter fishing for the first time last August. The key here is your not really looking for a bucket or stringer full of fish. Sure that's a bounus for your efforts, but just getting a child interesed, I'd "KISS" (keep it simple stupid), the whole thing the first time out. Light line, small hooks, standard red/white round bobber, some split shot and a couple dozen red worms. That's all you really need and trust me, your son will have a blast even catching the dink undersized fish that most of the cook county forest preserves lakes hold.

My daughter was scared of everything that moves...bugs worms, ect, by the end of the that first day taking her fishing, she'd offically named all the worms in the plastic conainter "Bob". And all the fish here "joey". We must have caught two dozen fish, not one worth fileting, but I still concider the day a success because spent the time with her, and she loved it.

Jax

[WALLEYE BOB]

MY 2 CENTS
Everyone has given good advise. I disagree with the plastic bobbers. The perfect bobber for this type of fishing is the foam weighted one. They float balanced even with a tiny jig. You will not have to use a weight at all. This leads into my next suggestion. You can use small streamer flies with them.
Blue gills eat bugs, larva and fry. That is what flies represent. You could try woolly worms, ants or nymphs.
The other thing is the pole and reel. When I bought my daughter her first pole it was a 4'6" with a Shakespeare spin caster. She was 5 and wasn't going to get a Scooby-doo toy. Please don't let your kids use that junk, they are hard to cast and don't work well. Christmas 2008 she got a 6'6' spinning combo, Birthday 2009 a tackle bag, Christmas 2009 a Fly rod and birthday 2001 a salmon charter. BTW she is turning 27 and still fishing with her old man.
With todays technology I would go with a 5' under spin combo. Your son will learn to cast faster and in later years switch to open face with no problem. I checked the BP catalog and on page 119 is the Ugly Stick Steel U6 Underspin Combo for $35. Cast right hand and retrieve left. Ugly Stick is tough and will last for years. I have one that has to be 35 years old.
I really think if dad is paying attention to his son more than just fishing he will not become bored with the sport. And you will build a relationship that will last a lifetime.
Get on those fish and hook a kid on fishing.
Good Fishing
Bob

[Finman]

Or try 1/64 oz ice jigs with 2 - 4lb test under a bobber with spikes. Fish near piers or weeds or lagoons and you should see schools of panfish concentrated there. With kids they want action above all else and if your not catching keep moving never spend more than 2 minutes unless your being bit. Once you find them its non stop action. I take my grandkids to Gages Lake and the panfish arent big but there are millions of em and they catch so many fish they could fill a 55 gallon barrel along with occasional Bass and Northern. When the get tired of fishing there is a playground right there. Next stop ICE CREAM. They would go every day if they could.
GLGF
Fin

[fish4fun]

Thank you all so much for the replies! Lots of suggestions not enough time to fish As soon as I head out with my son i'll let you know how it goes. Thanks!