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Looks like even the dog is having fun!

nice

Winner!
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that pooch has made quite a few of the RT pond pix over the years

The pooches name is Ranger, he may well be the only certified & registered Australian fish retriever in the USA. They told me he was a registered cattle dog when I bought him. He isn’t much at working cows unless you need them spread out all over the pasture but man can he retrieve a fish. He grew up fishing with my son who is an avid bass angler. Every time a fishing pole gets pulled out the dog goes nuts. You had better release your fish far from the shore or Ranger will bring it back to you again. I have seen him dive in completely submerged and come out with a bass in his mouth.

The 2 smiling faces holding the basket are my Grand children Eli and Melana.

Great pics RT! Did you all have a fish fry, and if so, do the Eli & Melana like fish?

That is special, RT.

Pretty neat.

Yes we did have a fish fry. The little ones aren't much into fish yet but I suspect they will grow into it. Truth be told I was trying to catch bait to take to the river for a cat fishing trip. I showed up at camp with fresh fish to eat and no bait. I have just started feeding again and my ponds just re filled from being very low. I have yet to see many small or medium size BG. They are all eating size. The Bass may have taken a toll on them when the pond shrink so small.

The smoles are always priceless.

Smoles?

Is that a Texas thing?

It all started a couple of weeks ago when we took our 2.5 yr old son to the Lunker's fishing show. The only thing that we ended up coming home with was a spongebob fishing pole that my son picked out. A couple days later I decided to give the pole to him with the casting plug on it and showed him how to use it. After about 5 minutes he was casting and reeling it in like he had been doing it for years. I was totally amazed at how fast he learned how to do it and how good he was. I honestly think that he was a true born fisherman!! My wife and I took him out to our hunting lease to the pond so he could go fishing for the first time. I had put a bobber and hook on but quickly realized that the casting plug needed to be put back on before someone got hurt. He doesn't like to let the bobber sit. He just likes to cast it out and reel it in. So I decided to put the bobber on my pole so I could catch a couple bluegills that he could real in with my pole. He had a blast and didn't want to go home.....he's HOOKED!!! Now I have a new fishing partner!! It makes me feel good that I can do something that my father use to take me to do. I lost my father when I was 7yrs old and this is something that I've been waiting to do with my son.

blueulrta2, welcome to the Forum!

What a great story and photo! Taking a kid fishing for their first time is a special experience. I haven't had that pleasure with my own children(I don't have any, yet!) but have with other people's kids. It is such a blast to watch a kid get the ear to ear grin when their reeling a fish in and you know their hooked when the beg to stay longer.

I hope you become a regular and keep taking that boy of yours along on your fishing trips!

Super story BU2...even better pic !
...made my day
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Good to have ya aboard

blueulrta2, my daughter is the same age and I rig her up with a texas rigged tube weedless to make it less likely for her to hook anyone and it's similar in weight to the casting plug. I also pinch down the barb so if there is an accident, removal will be easier. Now my problem is that my daughter wants to catch "baby fish" and all she catches is big ones.

Thanks guys!! This has been a dream come true for me.

Freeze.....that's a good idea about rigging a tube weedless. I'm going to have to try that next time we go out.

Congratulations on your new life long fishing partner. It won't be long and he'll be outfishing his dad haha. I can't wait to teach my son how to fish.

2.5 years old, that's when it all started for me too. I was wanting to get my 10 month old son Abram out this year but, I may be jumping the gun just a little haha. I think he will probably like the pond and want to touch the fish and go for canoe rides, etc.. but unless he's some kind of fishing prodigy he probably won't be ready to fish this year.

If I'm lucky I might get a few pictures of him holding a fishing pole.

Welcome Blueultra. Nice to see another Hoosier here. BTW if you're into ponds this website has an awesome magazine for pond owners.

This is such a nice post. It's great to see the young ones getting involved. I hope one day to take my own sons fishing as my dad did with me growing up. I knew I was finally a man when I planned the trip and invited him on it.

Blue we have had many little ones at the ponds over the years and every single one of them did and does this exact thing. I have learned with the real little ones to just give them a pole with no reel and a string tied to the end with a hook & bobber to let them experience catching a real fish. Some times it works some times they get mad and want their sponge bob back.

at least I now know the available options if and when we get back into fishing

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Thanks guys!! What you have all said means a lot to me. I was lucky to have my father around for the first 7 years of my life to show me part of the great outdoors before we lost him in a car accident. Now it's my turn to show my son the love of the outdoors and fishing. I still remember when my dad first started taking me fishing he got a ticket for casting my pole out for me because he didn't have a fishing license. And he wasn't even the one that was actually fishing. I just hope that I can have many memories with my wife and son fishing. Thanks guys!!!

Great photo Blue. Not only will you make great memories with your children but there is another aspect of this that is so very important. You will raise your children to be aware of and in awe of nature. I am very greatful that my family loved to camp and fish. I grew up in the city and without that exposure to nature I would not appreciate it like I do now.

Wow that sounded preachy, tax season must be getting to me.