Take Your Kid Fishing

Northern Toddler is the proud owner of a new fishing rod. Toddler-sized, simple to use spin-cast reel, and stylish (Lightning from the movie CARS). Note that it is also a bright red and yellow - bright colors are important when it comes to retrieving fishing rods tossed into the water. (Don't laugh: NorthernDaddy got a shiny new fishing rod after his daddy cast his fishing rod into the reservoir!) (yes, Dad, I know it was an accident caused by the handle coming off....but you did throw in the lake!)

Northern Toddler spent some time in the kitchen learning how to cast and picked it up pretty quickly - "So I just push this button and swing this stick?" His practice session was abruptly cut short when the other occupants of the kitchen became targets for our 'Master Angler'.

It was warm and sunny today, so Northern Toddler got a chance to unleash his inner Bill Dance on a real body of water.

Northern Toddler caught a grand total of ZERO fish on his first trip out, while NorthernDaddy caught two smallmouth bass - just to kinda show the little guy what the purpose of a fishing rod might be. (Levi's low catch rate might have something to do with his fishing with a casting plug - no hook! You think we're crazy?!--He's only had the rod for a day, and only about thirty minutes worth of practice - we're not handing out the hooks just yet!)
Possibly the best part - other than NorthernToddler having a blast - is that he spent the whole walk back and the ride home telling about how his Daddy caught two fish. And holding his hands as far apart as possible to show that they were that big! (We're already working on using that to Daddy's advantage: when Daddy catches a fish, it's this big....when a Grandpa catches a fish, it was that tiny!)