Beginner Lure Ideas for a Fast-Reeling 5-Year-Old

[yatesville88fan]

My suggestion is a bobber and some live bait. Get him catching fish. He’ll have plenty of time to “bass” fish when he gets a little older.

This. Nothing wrong with some live bait fishing.

[billnorman1]

You might think about bending his barbs down just in case he prangs himself.

Children have short attention spans, you will probably be pretty busy watching and coaching him, and may not get much time to fish.

[BigFishSteve]

Yeah, no way I take a 5 year old out three times and not get him a fish. Risky. Bobber with bait, cast it and put that rod down and let him be busy with a bettle spin. After you yell, "Your Bobber is gone!". He will be a changed man. Enjoy every minute with him. Next week he will be driving, part time job and girls.

[272]

Horny toad with the hook buried in the back. Casts a mile, doesn’t hang up, can reel it fast or slow, can catch fish almost all year on it.. One of my boy’s favorite lure.

[Lightning 6]

Beetle spin.

This!

[basshammerwannabe]

I took my 20 something niece and nephew from Atlanta fishing. They might as well have been a five year old as they had never fished before. After trying several baits I tied on 3 inch swim baits and then they started catching fish. For a fast moving five year old the swim bait might be the ticket. Simple to use baits

good one also.. took my nieces 11 and 5 a couple years ago first time fishing had 2.8 inch keitechs on and they caught a few small bass.. they loved it, easy to use bait

[Pagregss]

Swimbait. Torpedo. My kids use the Z-man flashback mini chatterbait with a curly tail grub, rather well. Easy to cast and just wind.

[Chadsc]

What I do with my boys is:

morning: plopper, crawler, or a popper (if they can focus enough to work it)

During the day, I alternate small 1/4oz chatterbaits, 1/4oz spinnerbaits, then small 3'' swimbaits on a jighead. I make the jigheads and add a super light weed guard which helps them not get hung up as bad. All of those are pretty "mindless". When I recognize they have some "focus" ill give them a worm or a bottom contact bait, but it doesnt last long. Plenty of snacks and drinks help too.

[DaveBrabec]

Kids love to cast. They get bored baitfishing.

[Tigercat]

Kids love to cast. They get bored baitfishing.

Yep. You better have something to reel or those crickets are in for a hell of a ride.

I’d suggest a small spinnerbait, like the 1/4 oz strike king bait. A horny toad would probably be a good idea this time of year, grass or not. Just one bite on that will be in his memory a long time.

[n2theblue]

My suggestion is a bobber and some live bait. Get him catching fish. He’ll have plenty of time to “bass” fish when he gets a little older.

This. With kids its all about action and at tube of crickets will almost always deliver. Mepps, roostertail, or beetle spin is a good choice as well.

[joeyp]

Id say a beetle spin or a small H&H spinnerbait. That's what I started on with my zebco 33.

[doyce]

When I was 3-4 years old I started fishing with a Mepps Minnow. I caught every type of fish in the water with it. Got me hooked on fishing.

[ProVle]

Do not forget about the good old cane pole set up for Bream fishing. Also gathering your own bait, looking under rocks and digging for red worms, crickets, grubs. How to make dough balls from a slice of bread and also to "chum" up a spot to draw them in. Also with that Zebco, rig it for bottom fishing with a can of corn or catfish bait for larger Carp and Cat's.

[chris c]

Something simple like a small whopper plopper, beetle spin, or a small jighead swimbait. I will tell you from experience that the worst thing you can do is take a young child fishing and not make the trip about them. I have tx fished my whole life, and it absolutley killed me to not really fish when I took my son out, but I finally realized I had to give up and make the day about him catching fish. Fishing is tough for kids, especially when they aren't catching.

[dkg750]

Swing head jig with whatever the day calls for as far as soft plastic. Texas rig worm with small weight which was previously mentioned. Both will keep the hook covered.

[DaveBrabec]

Another suggestion that works with young ones. Teach them to cast at home on the lawn. Let them get all the playing with it done and hone their casting. Will be a better boat experience.

[Falkus]

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone! He’s already got the hang of casting with a spinning rod, and I’m actually thinking about picking up a baitcaster for him—any excuse to grab more gear, right?


I just checked my tackle and found a Beetle Spin, a 3/16 oz swimbait, and a 1/4 oz spinnerbait from Walmart that cost a buck. I think I’ll start him off with those and see how it goes. I’ll also pick up some live worms, just to be safe.

[BroWhoop]

Anything weedless and will throw easily. If, he is fast reeler!

[Rangerdeepv]

Texas rig