Fishing with my kids is definitely my favorite thing to do.  We can fish for permit on fly or bluegill with crickets...I don't care.  Time fishing with the kids does so many very positive things for both of you.  Here are my top 5 reasons to spend more time fishing with your kids:

5.  Everyone needs Vitamin D.  No kidding...we all do and there are significant health benefits from getting consistent Vitamin D.  Kids are spending more time indoors today than ever in our history.  The inside time offers no Vitamin D production as your body only produces Vitamin D from exposure to the sun.  Vitamin D is responsible for mood and immune strength along with so many other positive benefits.  Take your kids fishing and everyone stays in a good mood and stays healthy!

4.  Kids need a connection to the outdoors.  It wasn't long ago that we got home from school and the only thing that there was to do until dinner was go off into the woods and try to find snakes or lizards.  Kids today have more homework and so many other distractions like video games, computers and phones.  Dont let your kids lose their connection to the Natural World.  Fishing is a perfect way to have some fun, look at cool creatures, learn about the food chain and spend some valuable time with Mom and Dad.

3.  Develop a fishing partner for life.  It only takes a few fun trips to develop the fishing bug in a young person.  Once it is there, you can spend quality time with them in fresh and saltwater all over the world or right in the pond next to your house. 

2. Pass it on.  Fishing is so important to the heritage of this country.  Pass it on to your children and they will pass it on to theirs.  Everyone deserves a chance to go fishing.  It is one of life's great pleasures.

1. Become closer.  A fishing trip is the single best type of activity to bring parent and child closer together.  Spend quality time with your kids while fishing, but don't overdo it.  If they are ready to go home, go home.  Remember it is their day, not yours.  If they want to go home early, try to find something that can become a tradition for you.  On the way home, get some ice cream, go out for dinner, go to a movie...whatever they want to do.  The memory will still be associated with fishing and you and your child will become closer because of it.  The whole point of this is to spend time together.  Have fun.

Here is a show we did for ESPN on kids fishing.  It is full of some very good advice on how to get your kids interested and keep them engaged.  This is from about 9 years ago.  My kids are babies and Rich's kid is an actual baby!  My hair was a lot darker back then.

Do you take your kids fishing?  Got a funny story?  Leave a comment below.

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