July 3, 2025
By Earl Nicodemus, POL contributor

To teach your kids (or grandkids) to fish, you don’t need to spend a lot of money on tackle.

When our kids were little, we bought a couple of Zebco Micro spincasting outfits (rod and reel) for about $10 each. These days you can find sets starting at $25 each. Don’t waste money on those colorful plastic “kids’ rods”—they’re more toy than tool.

We also used Zebco Micro and Zebco 33 combos with our grandchildren. Just to be clear, I have no connection to Zebco, but I mention the brand because their gear is reliable and still easy to find locally.

Once you’ve got the gear, take the kids somewhere without overhanging limbs and let them practice casting before you head to the lake.

You can use casting plugs or a big plastic bobber. Put out a target on the lawn—kids as young as three or four are often surprisingly good with a spincasting outfit after just a little practice.