salmon fishing with kids

[deerhunter_98520]

Saturday I'm taking my kids on their first salmon trip....me and my oldest will be fishing and my 4 yr old will be along for the trip also...I plan on letting my little one reel a fish or 2 in....do I need to get my 4 yr old a catch record? I would assume so if he's going to be fishing with me correct? I will be holding the pole and letting him reel it in

[jason stevens]

Yep and its free.

[deerhunter_98520]

That's what i thought thanks...hopefully I'll have some pics to share ....he freaked out when he caught a 5lb trout...can't wait to see him hook something that will fight

[jason stevens]

Hope u have a good time

[deerhunter_98520]

I will...I will have my 2 boys and my sister with me and none of them have caught a salmon....me and my bro in law will have our hands full 

[hawksfan75]

My now 4 year old daughter comes with me almost every time I come out. I've taken to calling my boat "Extra Limit" in fact because of her

Yeah, you need a catch record card for the kids and, as mentioned, it is free. Good luck out there!

[deerhunter_98520]

He's so excited to go....everyday this week he keeps asking if its Saturday 

[Stein]

Only thing to keep in mind is that if you punch their card, they have to actively be involved in reeling it in.  Not a big deal, but something WDFW watches for.

I've seen a couple of guys who reel in all the fish while their kids watch.

[lokidog]

Only thing to keep in mind is that if you punch their card, they have to actively be involved in reeling it in.  Not a big deal, but something WDFW watches for.

I've seen a couple of guys who reel in all the fish while their kids watch.

This technically only matters when not in the salt, saltwater fishing allows for catching other people's limits... stupid rule, but there none the less.

Sounds like the OP is doing it well and planning on having his boy real in as much as he can.  Might tie a short piece of rope to the rod, much more peace of mind watching the little ones real on their own that way.   

[Stein]

One other tip, if you have a reel with a winch type handle they can usually crank it much easier than a standard small casting reel handle.  I put our halibut/sturgeon/king winch reel on the downrigger rods when the kids go out.  The bigger the handle the better in my experience.

[deerhunter_98520]

Well I ended up with a 20lb king and it was combat fishing....everyone there was basically snagging and I didn't want any part in it...the fish were getting dark so I would just cast out and let my son hold the pole like he was trout fishing  I stayed right by him just in case one decided to bite like it did with mine but no luck...guy after guy kept reeling them in by the tail, club them and throw them on the stringer all within sight of the hatchery.....there catching them off the shore of the chehalis so I'll fish there after work this week....there all bright and fresh and there's a park for my son to play if he gets bored