Summertime Fishing – A Simple Dad-Kid Tradition
by Mike Austin, Radio Dad
Fishing with your kids isn’t about filling a bucket—it’s about filling their memories.
Now, I’m no bass pro or tournament angler. I don’t have a fancy boat or ten different tackle boxes. Most of our fishing trips are off a rickety dock or a quiet bend in the river with a coffee can full of worms and a couple of $12 rods from the hardware store. And that’s exactly the point.
Kids don’t care about gear—they care about time. They want your attention, your stories, your goofy fish faces when something bites. And fishing, of all things, gives you a chance to slow down and just be together. No screens. No rush. Just you, them, and maybe a bluegill or two.
I remember the first time I took my son out. He was maybe five, wearing a life vest twice his size and more excited about the snack bag than the fishing rod. We didn't catch a thing. But we laughed when his bobber got stuck in a tree. He made up names for the fish he would catch. And on the way home, he said it was “the best day ever.” That’s when I realized... fishing is just a backdrop. The real catch is the connection.
These summer trips don’t need to be epic. Even an hour or two in the evening after work can turn into a memory that lasts a lifetime. And whether your kiddo is five or fifteen, they remember the time you set aside just for them. And who knows—maybe one day, they’ll take their kids out, and tell them about the first time Grandpa showed them how to cast.
So pack up some peanut butter sandwiches, grab a cooler of lemonade, and hit the lake. Don’t worry if the fish are biting. What matters most is that you are there. Rods in the water, hearts wide open.
Tight lines,
Mike – Radio Dad