OUTDOOR CORNER: FISHING IS A GREAT WAY FOR YOUNGSTERS TO SPEND TIME WITH THEIR PARENTS

An important part of every kid's life has to be the amount of time spent doing things with their parents. Whether the parents are apart or together, children need, and desire quality time.

That time can be spent at amusement parks, fairs, baseball games, or traveling. The list goes on and on. It doesn't seem to make a difference what activities the parents and children partake in, just as long as it is positive.

One activity that had an impact on my life has to be the times I went fishing with my parents. Fishing, unlike most other recreational activities, has remained affordable and in most cases it is usually close to home. Sometimes all parents forget that it's not the money you spend but the amount of time that is spent with the children. Children and fishing have gone hand in hand for a long time. I would say that it is one of America's great past times.

When planning a fishing trip with your children, picking the right spot is the first thing. The right spot will ensure that the kids have a safe, fun day. Parents need to assess the ability to move around and the comfort level of the area.

Some questions that you should ask your self are: Can the child explore around the area without falling or tripping? Does my child have to walk in a lot of tall grass. Does the child need a life preserver? All of these questions can affect how fishing is viewed by the child. A scouting trip for an appropriate area may be necessary.

The next thing that parents should consider is the best time of year to go fishing with children. Spring and fall are the most productive times of the year. During the spring fish go on a feeding frenzy. They are eating to replace the nutrients that they lost while laying dormant in the winter and they are also storing energy for spawning. In the fall they are busy storing energy for winter. So spring and fall are the best times to go, not to mention that heat will most likely not be a problem; however, some of the best fishing trips that I remember occurred during the summer.

It can't be over emphasized that the level of comfort for children is most important. Care should be taken when considering the weather, the parent should ask his or her self questions like: Will my child need a coat or swimming suit? Should I bring water or coca? There is nothing worse than a parent and child having a good day of fishing and they are forced to leave because it is too cold or hot. Things of this nature could have an impact on how you and the child view fishing with each other.

Children don't like to wait a long time to eat snacks. My daughter loves to fish, but snacks and lunch are essential for a good fishing trip. Don't let hunger be the deciding factor on whether to go home or keep fishing. An instance like this could cause the child not to remember all the fish that were caught but the intense hunger they experienced.

What type of fish to fish for is also an important question. In order to figure this out you need to assess whether you want your child to catch a lot of fish or do you want your child to catch a few big fish. Crappie and bluebell provide fast activity in the spring and summer; however, bluebell average between seven and nine inches. Sunfish are good to eat but some people want the opportunity to catch a larger fish like largemouth bass or channel catfish.

Catfish aren't very hard to catch and the child doesn't have to worry a lot about when and when not to set the hook. My five year old daughter caught eight catfish this year, two of the catfish were over three pounds. The look on her face proved to me that she likes catching catfish a lot more than catching bluebell. Either way, she truly enjoys catching any fish.

When bait or lures are considered, when dealing with children live bait is usually the most productive; however, when the child starts to fine tune his or her casting ability, introducing artificial lures might not be a bad idea.

Parents, this article wouldn't truly prepare you for a fishing day with the kids, if I didn't tell you to prepare for the questions you will get from children when it is time to clean and prepare the fish for consumption.

On my daughter's first fishing trip she wanted to know if we could take the fish home. I said, "of course". But she was intending on putting the fish in a fish tank and watching it swim and I was intending on putting the fish in a large tank in my stomach.

When we got home, I started to prepare the fish for cleaning and all at once, she starts the one hundred and one questions phase: "Why are you putting the fish on ice? Don't they need water to swim? Are we going to buy a tank for the fish? Does the knife hurt the fish? Do fish go to heaven? et..."

However you choose to deal with the 101 question phase, be prepared. I found it to be a good time to explain life and death. There is no need in just ignoring the questions because they will keep coming and ignoring the question could cause the child to find answers on his or her own. This could lead to other children telling your child misinformation.

All parents have different ways of dealing with this situation. But I guess it's like the commercial "Just Do It."

But one thing is for sure, when the child starts to smell and taste the good home cooked fish they will know that these fish where harvested for a wonderful purpose.

Some trips will be better than others but children will never forget the experience of fishing. It doesn't seem to make a difference what age bracket or where the child is from, they all enjoy it. I started out stating that fishing was one of America's great past times; however, now I think that it is more of one of the world's greatest past times. Parents all over the world have found that going fishing is one way to spend quality time with their kids and find peace in the world around them.

Christopher Kennedy is a fisheries management specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation.