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There are so many great things about summer: vacations, warm weather, longer days, and a chance to take the kids outside to play. And something that may make the toddler in your family (and in you) smile is an evening at the local pond fishing for whatever may bite the bait. Fishing with a toddler brings back so many great memories of family vacations or afternoons with dad. Now is your time to give your young one a chance at those same memories.

Our three year old has always enjoyed walks outdoors. The very first time he was in his stroller was on a walk to this lake. So, it’s only fitting that the first time he loaded up his wagon to go fishing was with his dad at the same lake. And they had a great time catching so many fish!

There are, of course, a few essentials and tips (like all the fishing knots) needed before an evening casting into the water and hopefully this will be a refresher for dad or granddad (or a checklist of what you need before that first fishing trip). First off, a big thanks goes to my incredible husband for helping with this post!

Fishing shouldn’t be complicated or expensive, especially if you’re just fishing for pond favorites like bluegill or sunfish. You need a body of water with hungry fish in it (and that you’re allowed to fish in obviously), a fishing pole, and a few basic fishing supplies. My son and my husband use a fishing rod called an “Ugly Stick” (also on Amazon) which is actually an adult rod that is very short. My husband thinks it’s not only a higher quality rod compared to traditional kids-branded gear, but that it prepares our son more accurately for fishing when he has all his own gear. It’s also easier to fix when the fishing line gets tangled, which is going to happen when fishing with kids.

In addition to the fishing rod, my husband got our son a little blue tackle box so he could keep fishing supplies – especially his absolute favorite Paw Patrol fishing bobbers. Not only do they have little paw prints on them, they also rattle just a little as he’s reeling in the fish. Of course, any bobbers will do. Plano also makes tackle boxes in just about every color combo you can imagine. One of their kids tackle boxes is linked here. One cool thing about them is that most of their things are American made.

Beyond the bobbers, his tackle box is really just for carrying the bait (live worms or artificial baits) while his dad’s tackle box has all the fishing gear that little hands shouldn’t touch – like hooks, pliers (also here), and tiny weights.

The best part of fishing is catching fish and then releasing fish to catch them again. But to catch fish you need hooks. These hooks are specially designed for bluegill fishing, which is probably what your local pond or lake is offering that your little one will enjoy catching. The long shaft on the hook allows for easy retrieval of the hook from the bluegill (or whatever you catch!) so you can get the fish back in the water without harming the fish.

About a foot-and-a-half above the hook, my husband puts a small weight on the line. It’s about a foot below the Paw Patrol bobbers and is crimped onto the line using fishing pliers that double as hook retrievers when you need to get a hook out of a fish. Of course, you can also slide some gloves on before handling fish – especially if you land a big catfish that was lurking at the bottom of the lake! If you don’t want to wear gloves (although these cut-resistant ones would be in my box, too) and you happen to catch a bluegill, I watched my husband show my son how to handle them since bluegill fins are pretty sharp! Just start at the head of the bluegill as you’re gripping the fish and work your hand down over the dorsal fin to gently hold the fins and fish still.

We have gone fishing about a half dozen times since late July when my son caught his first fish. He was (pardon the pun) hooked. Seeing them laugh and high-five and get excited catching bluegill (and they almost always catch about a dozen in just an hour or so, which is crazy to me) is the best. And I have to admit – I got excited, too, watching the excitement in my son’s eyes when the bobber goes underwater and he reels in a fish!

If you’re thinking about setting your little one up for fishing, these supplies make up a great starter kit that will last them years. It’s nothing fancy, but if the fish are biting, they’ll catch fish!

(Remember: fishing in a public body of water may require that you purchase a fishing license. I’ve linked to several fishing license applications from nearby states with easy-to-navigate instructions: [VA], [DC], [MD]. You can also click here to search by state. Some states, like Virginia, even have a lifetime fishing license for your toddler if you buy the license before they turn two! Talk about a gift that will be with them for a lifetime!