Ice Fishing Rod
There are a million options to pick from in the kids fishing rod section at Wal-Mart. There’s Spiderman, Paw Patrol, Frozen Princesses and other fairy tale creatures. (Did you catch that Shrek reference?) Sure they look cool to your three or four year old and of course they are pretty budget friendly but when the Lightning MacQueen fishing reel quits working and then falls off the rod (still not sure how that happened) you may not like those cool combos anymore.
I’m actually not even sure where the Lightning MacQueen rod came from because I’m dad, I’m sure mom remembers though. What I do remember is it’s poor performance on the water and the fact that it didn’t last very long at all. Someone got my daughter a princess rod a long time ago. That thing is still attached to the cardboard it comes on and hiding behind a shelf. It may never see the light of day and it for sure will never go fishing.
![](https://buckhornfishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/EOWAkS4U8AAYNo_-819x1024.jpg)
My recommendation to solve this annoying problem is an ice fishing rod and reel. The size is perfect for a three or four year old. The rods are pretty much indestructible, picture Ugly Stick tough. The spinning reel attached to it is good quality, especially for the young angler. Taking one or multiple kids fishing is already challenging enough so having gear that won’t cause you any headaches puts you one step ahead of the curve.
Once Easton turned five he was ready to use a bigger rod and reel but the ice rod got him off to a good start. Another benefit to the ice rod is its ability to make long casts. With the other combos it was pretty much anyone’s guess as to where the lure would land. What you choose to have your child fish with is up to you. I let them catch a few bluegill when they first start to get them more interested but after that we go after the bass. Catching a bass is one million times more fun than a bluegill (that is not a scientific number, just my opinion). I also liked to give them a lure with as few hooks as possible, for my safety mostly.
Hopefully this little rod can save you some hassle and help make your fishing trips with the kids more fun. – Michael