I usually just lurk on this board but I decided to post about fishing with some kids. (Mine Kate and Max ages 7 and 4 and my friends children Briggs and Emma age eight and five.) We went to the harbor to decorate the boat for the parade of lights last Sunday. I decided the adults would get more work done if I grabbed a beer and the kids and left them alone for a while. We went down the dock a ways. (Main finger of marina one, SB harbor)


We were using frozen squid and I would bait up the kids then start chumming within a minute they were all hooked up on Mackerel. From twelve to sixteen inch's long. Picture this Emma age four sitting on the dock feet braced against a cleat. Her life jacket around her ears snoopy pole fully bent over while her brother holding is on to her shoulders and she screaming leave me alone I’m going to catch this fish! They are jumping up and down. All four have fish on and I am just running around UN hooking and re baiting hooks. (My beer eventually got warm and I had to pour it out)
This is going on for a bout an hour when this guy comes up and say’s what are you using for bait I reply frozen squid he say’s “you should use hot dogs” and walks away then another guy comes by and say’s “we always use canned corn”. And finally the last guy walks by and tells me I would do better if I took a can of dog food and punched holes in it then hung it off the dock.
It was so strange I mean when the last guy came by the kids were screaming about how much their arms were hurting from pulling on fish.

On Monday morning I leave for work about 5:30 AM. And as I’m sneaking out the door my son yells from his room “Are you going fishing today, Can I come” What a drag I couldn’t say yes.

At what age do you think I could start taking my kids on the Stardust?


Matt W