Fishing is awesome. You get to get outside, enjoy the breeze, spend some quality time sitting side by side, then someone gets a bite, and all excitement breaks loose!

It can be incredibly rewarding when that catch happens, but it takes a lot of patience up until that moment. A lot of patience your kids probably don’t have. And the only fishing experience more important than your kid’s first catch is their first trip out. It can make or break the day, the night, and the overall feelings towards fishing for years to come.

A good age to start teaching your kids to fish is around 3-5 years old. They’re really interested in exploring the world around them at this age and have no problem picking up new tricks.

You want to make it fun, you want them to laugh, and you want it to be positive no matter what you come home with, so that they’ll want to go back out with you again and again. With this Waypoint, we’re showing you how to do just that - how to have a positive and fun experience with your kids out fishing.

Here’s everything you should keep in mind to you end up with memories both you and them will cherish forever.

All kids are different. Some are going to catch on quick, and others might kick rocks all day. But the idea is to get them to try it and see what parts they enjoy. Connect with them. Learn about them. That’s why you need to make family fishing trips all about them, which means you need to go out fishing by yourself first.

And we don’t really mean actually solo. We just mean without them. If you already know how to fish, go ahead and skip to the next step. But if you’ve never been, ask around your family and friends if you can jump in on one of their trips. Or hit up the local tackle shop, and see if someone will show you the ropes.

The important thing is for you to already be comfortable with handling your rod, casting your line, and reeling fish in. You don’t need to be an expert or have expensive gear. Just think about the questions you end up asking, and keep those answers at the front of your mind.

Your kids will create enough mishaps. But if you’ve already had those same mishaps yourself, you’ll be much more equipped to show them the way. They’ll see your comfort level and feed off of that energy. They'll feel safe and know they can look to you for answers.

There’s a few things to keep in mind when scouting a location for fishing with your kids.

• • How long is the drive?
• • How good are the fish?
• • What else is there to do?

You want to keep the first sessions short, and going out on a boat is too much to start. There’s no telling how long they’ll last until they hit that wall and need a nap. Look for places close by so don't you spend more time in the car then sitting by the water.

You also want to make sure the fishing is good. There’s an app for that (shocker, right?) called FishBrain as well as a website called TakeMeFishing.org. Check them both out, then hit up that local bait shop, and bring the kids along. See where the biting’s good this time of year. They’ll take one look at your kids, and know just what kind of place you need that will have fish small enough for your kids to reel in.

Take all that info, then think about your kids. What kind of land do they like to play on? Creeks, lakes, and streams are fun. So are docks and piers since they’re free of trees that could snag their line. Think of places where your kids will have room to play and make mistakes.

Don’t forget about a fishing license. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will let you know what you need. Children under the age of 16 generally do not need a license to fish, however, they’ll need to follow the same regulations.

Once you figure out the perfect spot, see if you can’t sneak away and check it out on your own before taking them out. Get a lay of the land, so you’re not circling around looking for a parking spot or infringing on a grumpy old man’s spot. Yes, you’re allowed to be there just as much as the next person, but no one wants that nonsense. Your kids will want to play.

Speaking of trees your kids could snag their line on, get them comfortable with the fishing rod in your own backyard or nearby open space. Spend some time casting and reeling the line.

Talk to them about sinkers and bobbers. Fill up the bathtub, and have them drop the line in with a bobber attached, so they see how it works. Pull on the line from underwater, so they get a feel for that pull and that visual look of a fish catching the hook.

Then talk to them about all the different types of fish - the different sizes, the common fish, saltwater fish, freshwater fish. Here’s a great visual website for that. Point out which ones will be in the water you’ll fish in. They’ll be more encouraged to keep trying if they can actually know what the prize is.

If you haven’t yet, take them to that local tackle shop and let them walk around a bit. Point out the funny shirts with all the ridiculous fish sayings. Check out a few websites and brush up on your ridiculous puns and dad jokes using all the words you just taught them. Here’s a good website to start with.

They’ll think you’re ridiculous, but they’ll laugh at your jokes and remember what you taught them.

Your kid’s first fishing trip is not the time to go out and buy expensive gear.

Start them out with the simple stuff, because it’s very likely they’ll toss their rod in the water and you’re going to wish you bought that cheap Pixar one instead of a name brand one.

You want it easy-to-use, light-weight and short enough for them to handle. If they’re cheap enough, buy an extra one for that inevitable moment when it breaks or (again, we can’t stress this enough) gets thrown in the water. We don’t know why, it seems crazy to us, but they just do it sometimes.

The next thing to get is the proper bait and lures. For kids, think a loaf of bread or worms from the yard. You can also try plastic worms or curly tail grub from the bait shop. All of which will work great on basic fish found in smaller lakes, creeks, and streams.

Add in a few bobbers and sinkers, cheap enough you don’t mind parting with, then the rest of your pack should look like a day hike. Snacks, drinks, water, sunscreen, bugspray, first-aid kit, hats, and sunglasses. Since you’ll be sitting by the water, grab a few lifejackets for each child just in case. Throw a few coloring books or toys in there in case their mind starts to wander.

Also, since you’ll be handling fish, it’s important to wash up, so keep a supply of moist towelettes or hand sanitizer in your tackle box.

You got your gear and kids at your spot. It’s time to start fishing. We want to ensure a catch and ensure some fun. So what do we do? We chum it up to level ten. (Feel free to use that one.)

To "chum" up the water is to lure fish to your water by throwing “chum” in it. You’ll need to make sure this is legal where you are. It usually is, but make sure you check.

Chum can be anything from fish parts to worms to bread. If it’s legal, use that loaf of bread you brought. Fishers of every kind do this. You’re not cheating, you’re enhancing your chances.

Let the kids tear the crust off a few slices of bread, pull it apart, and toss it in the water. Now wait a minute or two. Quiet them down. Have them look at the water.

If there are fish nearby, they’ll start coming. Get their rods ready. As the feeding frenzy slows, the fish will remain. They’re ready for more.

Tell them it’s kind of like popcorn in the microwave. You wait until there’s no pop for like three seconds, then you stop the clock. Have them take note of the fish popping up, wait until they see the last one for like three seconds then drop their line.

Wait until they’re caught a few to start casting a line. And even then, you’ll want to do it for them the first couple times. At that level, it’s not about the case, it’s all about catching the fish. You’ll get there.

It’s crazy how fast chumming the water can work, but if it doesn’t happen quickly or there are less fish around, you’ll need to keep them engaged. This is when the real fishing happens.

Take a few seconds to help them lower the rod and keep it below their waist. If they know about clocks, talk about 9 to 11 o’clock position. Even though they’re holding it, take a piece of string and attach the rod to something nearby. Anything except them. If a fish bites, and your kid lets go, we’re back to you losing that rod again. Or them getting bored and putting it down. This is your backup to the backup.

Now talk about anything.

You can start with the fish. What kind do you expect? How big do they get? Do they ever sleep? Ask what they think. If they were a fish where would they swim? Obviously these questions don’t work for every kid and definitely not every age. But this is your time to guide the conversation from fish to them.

Draw parallels between lives. Share feelings about anything. Tell funny stories from your childhood about something they’ll encounter a few years from now - from going to kindergarten to joining a soccer team to doing a science project. It’ll be easy for them to connect with the situation and be more open to share their feelings.

Be patient and encourage them. They’re going to take cues from you. The more you bask in the time you’re together and nature around you rather than if you caught a fish yet, the more they’ll do the same.

If they get sidetracked, it’s ok. Show them how to be thoughtful of their line. Prop it up, tie it down before they walk away. Then let them walk away. Don’t force them to stay, but teach them responsibility. If they leave it and end up losing a fish, they’ll learn to be more patient.

Learning to fish takes patience. Show them how to play with the fish and lure them in. When they get a bite, let out some line, then reel it in. Stand with them and help the first time, but be eager to let go of control as they take over.

Once the catch is out of the water, be the first to handle it. Some kids will be pumped to get their hands wet, others might be unexpectedly turned off once reality hits. Let them decide their comfort level while you control the fish.

Then take a whole bunch of photos.

When the excitement calms down, show them how to take out the hook. Be prepared, they could get upset. Talk to them, and see what they think. If you planned on keeping it and it’s a big enough fish, so be it.

But if they have an adverse reaction you weren’t expecting, pull from the ideas of selective harvesting. “He’s a little guy. Let’s release him back. He’s got more growing to do.” Or, “He’s an old guy. Like Grandpa. Let’s put him back to find his rocking chair.”

A lot of kids will love the action of putting the fish back. And that’s always ok.

If nothing’s biting or the fun ends, and your kid says it’s time to go home, you go. You want them to remember something fun. Maybe that first trip was all about bread. And then the next is all about a sunset. Maybe it's not until your third trip that they finally catch something. That’s a million times better than a tantrum by the dock.

Practice the same patience with them as you want them to learn. They’ll get there.