As spring gives way to summer, now is the time to take your children on some fun fishing outing. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of 10 baits that are especially well suited for family fishing trips because they are easy to work, commonly attract a variety of species and/or tend to produce plenty of bites.
YUM TroutKrilla
Trout make great targets for youngsters when the action is fast, and nothing will keep the trout biting like YUM TroutKrilla, which combines real Krill with YUM’s exclusive Live Prey Technology. Use a split-shot rig and set up beside your favorite trout lake or river – but don’t get too comfortable!
Rebel Teeny Wee-Crawfish
Grab your ultralights and some Teeny Wee-Crawfish and head for a creek or river. A stream favorite for many years, this little crawfish imitator attracts smallmouths, trout, rock bass and much, much more. It tracks well in the current, kicks along rocky bottoms and looks like an easy meal.
YUM Wooly Beavertail
Wooly Beavertails can be bounced along the bottom on small jigheads, dangled under corks or swam on spinners. Fished near cover along the edges of lakes, these baits will produce fast action from panfish and even shore-running bass, keeping the fishing fun for youngsters.
BOOYAH Pond Magic Boogee Bait
Small in size but big in action, the Pond Magic Boogee Bait wiggles hard, drawing fish from far away. Heavy vibration makes the Boogee Bait easy to feel, and fish that strike usually end up hooked – both factors making it an excellent lure choice for less experienced anglers.
Rebel Crickhopper
If you’ve ever thrown a grasshopper in a pond and watched what happened next, you can understand the value of a Rebel Crickhopper. Cast it never cover, let is rest a moment and then start reeling slowly with the rod high so it will wake on the surface. Expect smashing strikes for a variety of fish species.
YUM Dinger
There’s nothing quite like catching a bunch of fish to make for a fun family outing, and few offerings of any sort will consistently produce fast action like a YUM Dinger. Rig it weightless and weedless and or add a small slip sinker and cast it around downed trees, docks and other cover. Be ready to set the hook ofen.
Arbogast Jitterbug
Countless anglers can point to a Jitterbug as the bait that produced their first topwater bass or pike, and this surface wobbler remains as productive as it has been for decades. It’s also easy to work and the strikes are thrilling, making it a terrific bait to tie on any youngster’s rod.
YUM Houdini Crab
A crab bait that becomes a shrimp tail when you tear off the legs, this magic little lure is a gem for speckled trout, redfish and host of other species. Rigged on a jighead, it can be hopped along the bottom, swam through the water or suspended under a popping cork.
Bomber Fat Free Guppy
Cast-and-crank simplicity and a small size combine to make a Fat Free Guppy an excellent lure to put in a young angler’s hands. Small enough fish on a spinning outfit, this medium-running crankbait has a wiggle that has shown itself irresistible to a variety of gamefish species.
Cotton Cordell Wally Diver
One of the best ways to introduce your children to walleye fishing is to troll Wally Divers on flat lines, especially during the evening, when the fish tend to move shallow. Hand-hold each rod so newcomers can feel every strike as you troll over points and the tops of humps.