Some of my fondest childhood memories revolve around fishing.
I remember going on numerous fishing adventures catching perch, sunfish, bass and the occasional musky. Unfortunatel,y my parents remember endlessly baiting hooks, untangling fishing lines and retying hooks and weights. They also recall performing dockside surgery to unhook siblings and even the family dog a couple of times. Fishing should be about catching fish and having a great time; it doesn't have to be all work. Here are some tips to help you introduce a new person to fishing this year.

- Go fishing for quantity, not quality. First timers and little ones alike enjoy tonnes of action. They don't need to land the next provincial record, so don't even attempt it. Go to an easily accessible hot spot that has lots of small fish that are ready to bite.

- Be prepared. When targeting small fish such as perch, blue gills, pumpkinseed and rock bass you have to match your tackle to the size of the fish. Light action rods and reels can be purchased at tackle stores for under $25. Small hooks and light weights such as 1/8 or 1/16 of an ounce and are all you need. If you want to keep it really simple, buy some 1/8 ounce jig heads (weight and hook all-in-one) add your choice of small soft plastic bait and you are ready to go. My favorite soft plastic baits are Berkley PowerBait Power Honey Worms, Berkley Gulp! Mini Earthworms or one-inch soft plastic micro tubes. Be sure to bring along a pair of needle nose pliers to help remove the small hooks.

- Ensure everyone is wearing a personal floatation device (PFD). It doesn't take much for someone to slip into the water, and getting them back is much easier when they are safely bobbing within reach. Look for children's PFD's that have grab handles on top to help quickly return them to solid ground.

- Until your new angler has lots of experience, a no-casting rule should be enforced. Lots of panfish live directly underneath fishing piers and docks. If the shoreline is too shallow to fish and casting is absolutely necessary, let the most experienced angler make the casts. Tip: If you have to cast add a slip float to access deeper water that is out of reach. A float will help avoid snags and lost tackle.

- Leave your rod at home. Trust me on this one; don't even think about fishing yourself. You will be plenty busy unhooking fish, rebaiting hooks and providing fishing tips to actually fish yourself. With any luck after a few outings you can enjoy fishing with your new angler together.

- Leave on a high note. Once everyone has caught a few fish and you sense the action is starting to fade, plan to leave before the fish stop biting. Leaving early will keep your newcomer wanting more.

- If your angler is between the ages of 18 and 64 be sure to purchase a fishing license. These can be obtained at most tackle or hardware stores around our region.

Men, women, boys and girls of all ages can fish; it just takes someone experienced to show them the ropes. Hopefully you too can introduce someone new to the fantastic sport of fishing this year.