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Step 8Fish!
Now it is time to get the bait in front of the fish. With a cane pole, you do not "cast" the bait as you do with a rod and reel setup - you simply swing it out into the water.
To put the line in the water, hold the end of the pole in one hand and the line just above the hook in the other. Face the water near the bank. Hold the pole at about a 45 degree angle and let go of the line so it swings out over the water, and at the farthest end of the swing, drop the end of the pole, thus dropping the bait and bobber into the water. You can get the full distance of the line by slightly raising and lowering the tip of the pole midway through the swing. Practice helps, especially if you will be later showing your kids how to do this and don't want to look dorky.
DO NOT allow your kids to wildly swing the line around to get it in the water. The hook is guaranteed to end up in everything except the water, and that includes the other kids, you, your pet, and trees and bushes. Use only the "swing out" method when cane pole fishing as this offers the best control and safety.
Once in the water, the weight of the hook will take the bait down to where the fish (hopefully) are. The nice thing about fishing for bluegills and other panfish is that they are always hungry, so if there are fish around and they can see the bait, they will probably bite. Be patient. Patience is one of the valuable lessons that fishing can teach your kids. If after a few minutes, you haven't had a bite, pull up the line (raise the pole straight up and catch it with your other hand as it swings towards you) and try another spot. Even a few feet away can make a difference. If changing locations doesn't help, try moving the bobber farther up the line, thus allowing the bait to sink father down in the water.
How do you know when you have a fish? The common wisdom is not to jerk the line up at the first nibble - wait until there is evidence that the fish has the bait firmly in their mouth. That will be the case if the bobber goes completely under the water, stands on end and stays there, or begins to race across the surface. When any of these things happen, pull up the line. Do not jerk wildly, but firmly lift the pole. With luck, you will hook the fish and can then lift it out of the water.
To put the line in the water, hold the end of the pole in one hand and the line just above the hook in the other. Face the water near the bank. Hold the pole at about a 45 degree angle and let go of the line so it swings out over the water, and at the farthest end of the swing, drop the end of the pole, thus dropping the bait and bobber into the water. You can get the full distance of the line by slightly raising and lowering the tip of the pole midway through the swing. Practice helps, especially if you will be later showing your kids how to do this and don't want to look dorky.
DO NOT allow your kids to wildly swing the line around to get it in the water. The hook is guaranteed to end up in everything except the water, and that includes the other kids, you, your pet, and trees and bushes. Use only the "swing out" method when cane pole fishing as this offers the best control and safety.
Once in the water, the weight of the hook will take the bait down to where the fish (hopefully) are. The nice thing about fishing for bluegills and other panfish is that they are always hungry, so if there are fish around and they can see the bait, they will probably bite. Be patient. Patience is one of the valuable lessons that fishing can teach your kids. If after a few minutes, you haven't had a bite, pull up the line (raise the pole straight up and catch it with your other hand as it swings towards you) and try another spot. Even a few feet away can make a difference. If changing locations doesn't help, try moving the bobber farther up the line, thus allowing the bait to sink father down in the water.
How do you know when you have a fish? The common wisdom is not to jerk the line up at the first nibble - wait until there is evidence that the fish has the bait firmly in their mouth. That will be the case if the bobber goes completely under the water, stands on end and stays there, or begins to race across the surface. When any of these things happen, pull up the line. Do not jerk wildly, but firmly lift the pole. With luck, you will hook the fish and can then lift it out of the water.
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