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DEL.ICIO.USWant to reach your kids about outdoors? Here’s how
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last week, I blogged about my New Year’s resolution of taking my 10-year-old son fishing more often in 2008.
I figured that was a pretty good resolution for any outdoors enthusiast looking to introduce their children to the outdoors. So, I asked for kid-friendly suggestions from several Georgia outdoorsmen.
Here are some of those responses:
Ken Sturdivant, Cumming, Southern Fishing Schools: “Take a kid bream fishing and there are two super bream lakes in Georgia: the Four H Camp lake at Rock Eagle and Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain. Tackle needed: one cricket tube, one small spool of 4-pound test line, one 8-foot collapsible bream rod, small #6 bream hooks, one small pack of BB lead spilt shot sinkers, sun screen, one camera, one kid.”
Tom Branch, Dacula, Fisher Harder Companies: “Hire a fishing guide on a lake near you. These trips cost between $200 and $300 for 6 hours of fishing. The guides provide all the tackle and equipment all you have to bring is a camera and be ready for fun. Just go online and search for a good guide near you. A small hint, if you see pictures of children with fish and big smiles, go with that guide.”
Andy Vodopia, East Cobb hunter/angler: “One of the best fishing trips I’ve had with my daughter when she was about 8 consisted of buying a $3 cane pole, attaching 10 feet of line, a hook and sinker. No casting, no tangles. We went to our subdivision pond and she caught 22 fish and maybe more unbelievable was there were five different species; two kinds of catfish, sunfish, bass and crappie. The moral is you don’t need to spend a lot or make it complicated. Almost every subdivision has these ponds and they are quite productive.”
Aaron Sago, North Georgia Trout Online: “[Go to the] Buford Trout Hatchery in Cumming. My kids love to walk the raceways, look at the big trout, and catch a few catfish from the pond.”
Doug Youngblood, Lake Lanier fishing guide: “I have just returned from a holiday trip with my family to visit my kids’ grandparents in Virginia. We took our girls on a day hike up in the mountains one day and they loved it. My brother-in-law made them walking sticks with their names burned on for their own personal walking stick and we got them small backpacks filled with snacks. They thought that was very cool. They were asking about where we could go hike in Georgia when we returned. It was really a memorable experience for them that they won’t forget”
Bill Carson, Lawrenceville, Nothin’ But Fish: “The Chattahoochee Nature Center: It is a most interesting site for kids.”
Mack Farr, Lake Lanier fishing guide: “I have always been cautious not to force my kids to like fishing, but I have tried to instill in them an appreciation of the outdoors, whether it is fishing, camping, watersports, etc. So, here is something that we like to do as an outdoor family outing, it is fun, easy to do in a day. North Georgia has some really nice waterfalls that make for some great hiking trips. They vary in length/difficulty so there are trails that will suit everybody, even fairly young children. Most all of these places are really pretty places, and they are within an hour or two of Atlanta. You can do just a hike, or easily combine the hike with some camping, fishing, or sightseeing events.”
Jeff Durniak, Gainesville, DNR regional fisheries supervisor: “Take a guided hunting or fishing trip — not only to have a great trip, but to learn new skills for all future unguided trips. In most cases, I would expect a child who has landed a 10-pound Lanier striper to become interested in the outdoors. Join a hunting or fishing club to find knowledgeable mentors and to split hunting/fishing trip expenses. Many host club outings. Some clubs meet in person, others are internet groups.”
Joe Schuster, Cumming, Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry: “Introduce a child to the shooting sports. Take them to the Etowah Valley Sporting Clays Park in Dawsonville, just minutes from Georgia 400. Fun for the entire family wiith different skill levels of clay bird target shooting open to the public.”
Tony Narcisse, president Georgia Kayak Fishing Club: “Last August, GKF took some of the kids involved with Alpharetta Police PAL program for a day of kayak fishing on Lake Lanier. The kids — young and old — loved it Most of these kids had never fished before and certainly not kayaked. By the end of the day, they felt like winners. As a club, we felt good about supporting the community work the Alpharetta Police are doing. We are hoping to do this again and welcome any support we can get for these kids.”
Jimmy Harris, Unicoi Outfitters, Helen: “My recommendation for urban families who don’t have a long outdoor heritage would be to find events like the Kids Fishing Days sponsored by Ga. DNR, USFS and a variety of groups like Trout Unlimited, NGTO and others. These are excellent opportunities to get the children exposed to fun outdoor activities even if the parents aren’t skilled in those areas. Along the same lines would be the Outdoor Adventure Day at Unicoi State Park in September each year. A wide variety of activities, all family oriented, to try out. Fishing, skeet shooting, canoeing, working with hunting dogs, falconry and more. It’s a great way to spend a day with the family.”
So, how do you pass along your love for the outdoors to children?
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By Da Boss
January 4, 2008 1:10 PM | Link to this
Camp at Stone Mountain Park. It’s close enough that if your kids get scared, cold or just want to go home, you can pack up and go back to the house pretty quickly.
By CAS
January 4, 2008 2:38 PM | Link to this
Every Father’s Day I go camping or backpacking with my sons. We’ve been to many destinations, but most frequently we go to Lake Conasauga in the Cohutta Wilderness. There are drive-in campsites around the lake. There are many trails and access to the Jacks and Conasauga Rivers and to Panther Creek Falls. The fishing on the lake is very good, and on Memorial Day they have a “kids only” tournament. Don’t miss the view of the night sky reflecting off of the lake from the dam.
By Dick Cheney
January 4, 2008 4:11 PM | Link to this
I took my daughter camping and you see how that turned out. Got any more bright ideas, geniuses?
By Aaron Sago
January 10, 2008 11:18 AM | Link to this
GREAT thread - these are some REALLY good suggestions. I am loving seeing this stuff back in the AJC.