Bass Fishing Tips and Saltwater Fishing Tips...From a Kid Named Jonathan

I love fishing, and I enjoy hearing and reading about fishing tips - especially saltwater fishing tips. I’ll listen to fishing tips from practically anybody, even though I won’t actually try them all. Two of my grandsons are really into fishing, especially bass fishing. Even though they’re both angling aficionados, the older one, Jonathan, is absolutely addicted to fishing! As they say here in the South, that boy had rather fish than eat when he’s hungry. Jonathan is eight years old, and when he’s not fishing, he’s usually watching fishing shows on TV, reading about fishing, or playing fishing games. I don’t know how many fishing games he’s been through. He enjoys other kids sports from time to time, including baseball, basketball, and football, but none of them can match his love for bass fishing. He came by his love for fishing and for having a special affinity for bass fishing honestly – Jonathan’s dad is also very into bass fishing.

Jonathan began bass fishing with his dad as soon as he could walk. I don’t remember how old he was when he caught his first fish all by himself, but I recall that at the age of four, he caught his first big bass by himself. Even at that age, he could do a pretty good job of casting and retrieving. He’s also a gifted talker. I got so tickled at him when he hauled in that first big bass. He shared all kinds of bass fishing tips with me:

Nana, you need to cast into weeds ‘cause that’s where the bass like to hide.

Nana, when you use a plastic worm, you need to retrieve it with short jerks.

Nana, if the bass won’t hit one color, try another color.

Nana, let the top water plug sit on top of the water until all the rings have disappeared.

Nana, when it’s really cold outside, you have to reel in plastic worms real slow.

Nana, in hot weather, the bass are in deep water.

Nana, use top water plugs at sundown.

Nana, don’t handle soft baits when you have perfume on your hands.

Nana, when you feel a bass on your line, wait just a second to set the hook.

Even though his bass fishing tips were pretty much on target, I found it delightfully amusing that I was getting fishing tips from a four year old. I, after all, had been a fisherman for more than forty years. Even so, just listening to Jonathan rattle off the bass fishing tips was great, and he didn’t do it with a know-it-all attitude. It was more of a I-need-to-help-my-Nana attitude.

Whenever we make family trips to the beach, Jonathan is in fishing heaven. He doesn’t give a hoot about playing on the beach with the other kids. He prefers to use his time to fish. A couple of years ago when we were at Mexico Beach, he got sick. One day Jonathan’s dad, my husband, and I were going to fish at the Mexico Beach marina, and Jonathan was suddenly healed. He insisted that he felt fine, so he finally convinced us to take him along. This was in July, and it must have been close to 100 degrees in the sun, where we were fishing. I kept asking Jonathan if he was okay, and he insisted that he was. When we returned to our vacation house, his mom took his temperature, and it was 103! Boy, did I get a tongue lashing! I felt really guilty about it. Poor little guy wanted to fish even though he had a high fever. We got him cooled down, and he was fine the next day. I guess he just had some sort of 24-hour bug.

Even though Jonathan was used to bass fishing, it didn’t take him long to make the adjustment to saltwater angling. He started off catching whiting, then he advanced to blues. Next, he graduated to trout, reds, flounder, and sharks. Before I knew it, he was offering me saltwater fishing tips:

Nana, when you use dead shrimp for bait, make sure they’re real fresh.

Nana, the best place to catch flounder is under the pier.

Nana, flounder like leadhead jigs with curly tails.

Nana, don’t set the hook too hard on trout ‘cause they have soft mouths.

Nana, fish for whiting right where the waves crash.

Nana, if you wanna catch a red, use a finger mullet.

Nana, we need some fiddler crabs to catch sheepshead.

Nana, trout live in schools, so if you catch one, there might be more where that one came from.

Again, his fishing tips were sound. What a little angler he is! I’m glad he enjoys fishing so much because I think fishing is a great kids’ sport. Of course, it’s fun and relaxing for us adults, too. Casting a line is a wonderful way to spend time outdoors, without TVs, video games, or computers. Feel free to use any of Jonathan’s bass fishing tips or saltwater fishing tips. And if you don’t fish with your kids, give it a try!