Taking 2 rookie girls fishing....

[dc chopper]

I am going to take 2 girls fishing... Ages 10 and 7, they have never been fishing and never in a boat. I think I should take them for bluegill somewhere, Maybe Taylorsville or Nolin. I have never bluegill fished on any of the big lakes. How do I find them? Size won't matter because we will throw them back but I want them to have some fast action. They are pretty excited about the boatride and especially fishing because their dad never took them ( he don't fish and he's a junkie) I don't want anyone to give away their spots on a message board so don't do that! Just give me some tips on what you all think. I thank you in advance and I know their mom and them would too.( By the way, I bought them their own rods.. 33's, and they were so happy!)

[Smally7]

I can't say anything about Taylorsville, cause I have never fished it. Nolin on the other hand, I have had some luck with the gills. This time of year they will suspend off the main channel walls. Try the bends in the the river channel. There are plenty of those on Nolin. I like to take a very small split shot above a cricket with light line. Throw it up to the wall and let it sink slow down the wall. You may pick up several channel cats with this rig as well.

[fishbum]

I can't say anything about Taylorsville, cause I have never fished it. Nolin on the other hand, I have had some luck with the gills. This time of year they will suspend off the main channel walls. Try the bends in the the river channel. There are plenty of those on Nolin. I like to take a very small split shot above a cricket with light line. Throw it up to the wall and let it sink slow down the wall. You may pick up several channel cats with this rig as well.

I have had some luck on the wall there are Wax at times.. especially when there is some water coming off the wall. The gills will stack up there and really hit good.. Took over 100 nice ones there one time with a friend. There is also a small spring that comes in behind a BIG rock there in that creek just up from wax. That hole sometimes holds some nice gills.. and early and late the flats up above wax are showing some nice jumps of white bass. NOW that would be some real excitement for them. Just watching it would be good. Might be different with the current water temps and lack of rain .. though we had a good one here tonite.. might have rained to where you will get some run off at Nolin.
Jim D

[dc chopper]

You know it's funny that when bass fishing I can't keep the gills away lol but I need to get these girls out there... they chose fishing over a state fair trip so that tells me something good about them. I just started talking/going out with their mom and they have accepted it really well. Who knows, a good bass or two and I might have a couple of new fishing partners! And no, I'm not taking a bass reel when I go, well, maybe a spinning rod just in case!

[dc chopper]

sorry... I forgot to say thanks!

[Tom523]

I just took a 7 yr. old and 9 yr. old and just for action I tied on a 1/16 oz. 2" white twister tail jig, put a bobber about 20" above it and had them cast into the breeze and retrieve real slow. The casting keeps them occupied and they caught a gill on almost every cast. Try it, it works!

[Cobra190]

With two seven year olds in tow at times, I use wax worms or meal worms, split shotted under a 1" bobber. The meal worms I will put on a popeye so they can reel it slow back to the boat and keeps them from getting bored too quick if the action is slow. The popeye rig may even pick up some crappie around any laydowns or stick ups you come across. Always remember in your situation, the patience shown may have to come from you. Hope it is an enjoyable and fish catching trip for you all!!!

[Moose1am]

A couple of short rods and some bee moths fished on light line 4 lb to 6 lb test and a long shank #10 gold hook will keep the girls busy. You can almost always find some young sunfish along the banks.

Take them out for a boat ride and then come back to the launch ramp and fish off the dock for those small bluegill. That will let them catch some fish and have fun in the process.

Just bring plenty of snacks and soft drinks and the life jackets too.

You may have to buy them some life jackets unless you already have some small jackets that will fit the girls.

I took my neighbor, his daughter and one of the daughter's school friends out in my boat a few years ago. Beside having a dead battery and a trolling motor that failed to work for the first time in 25 years (it died on me) we have fun. I eventually got the motor started and we went for a ride to charge up the main starter battery.

After the ride we parked the boat and fished along the ramp area for those small bluegills. All we caught were those small 4" long bluegills but the girls had a blast. The action was fast and furious. They wanted to go again the very next day! LOL

The light lines and the very small hooks and small bait. (Bee Moths) did the trick. And you can then use the small bluegills for bait later on. Bass and Catfish will hit those small bluegills like crazy.

[crappiepappy]

I am going to take 2 girls fishing... Ages 10 and 7, they have never been fishing and never in a boat. I think I should take them for bluegill somewhere, Maybe Taylorsville or Nolin. I have never bluegill fished on any of the big lakes. How do I find them? Size won't matter because we will throw them back but I want them to have some fast action. They are pretty excited about the boatride and especially fishing because their dad never took them ( he don't fish and he's a junkie) I don't want anyone to give away their spots on a message board so don't do that! Just give me some tips on what you all think. I thank you in advance and I know their mom and them would too.( By the way, I bought them their own rods.. 33's, and they were so happy!)

Chopper ... buy several boxes of Wax Worms (unless you plan on boating & swimming when the bait runs out ... LOL!!) I'd say at least have 100 waxworms, minimum, unless you have other bait aboard, too.

If you go to T-ville ... get back in one of the larger creeks and fish down about 10-12ft around any large hardwood tree. I'd suggest having slip floats rigged on their rods. Crappie, Sunfish, Channel Cats, Bass, and even the White Bass & Hybrid Stripers are subject to "snackin" on a Wax Worm !! Long shank hooks will help allow you to remove the hook easier ... but, don't forget to have some kind of hook remover (long nose pliers, disgouger, etc) handy, anyway, because you know they're going to gut hook one every now & then.
Being as it's their first trip ... I doubt casting would be a good idea. But, if you have some 1/16oz Crappie jigs (white, chartreuse, or yellow are just fine) ... you could take them "trolling". I'd go to around the midlake area, and troll in the 12-20ft water depth range. White Bass and the Hybrids are usually pretty willing to grab a slow moving jig .. and they're fun to catch.
If you have one, take a pamphlet that shows the different species of KY fish ... and have them try and ID what they catch, even make it a "game" to see how many different species they can catch and identify. Teach them the correct ways to handle the fish, show them how beautiful and wonderous each different one is, and let them dictate when/where/how long they fish or frolic. Teaching them the right ways and conservationist ways to fish, and still have a big time doing it, will go a long way towards leading them into becoming good anglers ... the C&R method is great for that. But, also let them know that legal sized fish are also good for eating, and removing a legal limit (or less) is still within the bounds of good angling behavior, and conservation of the sport & species. DEFINITELY take a camera !! They'll want to have some "proof" of their accomplishments, and something to show their friends (as well as memorabilia for their personal reasons).

You might also consider Cedar Creek Lake ... 10-12ft deep, same bait/setup ... around isolated trees, or sharp dropoffs.

Have fun, and report back on the trip.

.... luck2ya ... cp

[DMurphy]

The fish size probably wont be as nice as Nolin but I took my (2) boys to Taylorsville last weekend and got them in the bluegill, bass and drum. I had my 16 year old throwing a white rooster tail and he was catching blue gill and bass like crazy (he thought he was Bill Dance lol) and I had my 7 year old throwing a nightcrawler under a bobber about 3' and he was catching about the same except he caught the 3lb drum and it was entertaining to watch to say the least. I put in a Settlers Trace and went up the lake towards the river about half way and fished the main lake banks, thats were all the fish came from. I know you didnt mention it but you can catch them at Barren River using the same tips the guys gave you on Nolin, find a bluff wall and a river channel. Good luck and that's a great thing your doing with the girls.

[Trophycats]

One more thing, take a camera, digital if possible. You knows those girls will want to show off their catch to mom when they get home. Print off a copy of the pic and you will have 2 girls hooked on fishing for life. Have a good time..warren

[RoadToad]

Kudos to you for taking some kids out fishing! That's always nice to see. There's an interesting article in last month's F&S that talks about how nowadays kids are exposed to the outdoors less and less, and the problems it can lead to. Anyway, if you're ever looking for places to bank fish, here's a website to keep in mind: http://fw.ky.gov/urbanfishing.asp?lid=1255&NavPath=C101
It's KDFWR's Fishing in Neighborhoods program. I've fished the ones in Louisville, and you can pretty much always catch gills and small largemouths, and the occasional catfish, and they stock 10-11" rainbow trout in the spring and fall.