Fishing with Babies
My husband and I have a little boy, who was born May of 2021. When we found out I was pregnant we made a promise that we would bring our baby on all of our favorite outdoor adventures. This includes fishing and skiing.
But how? The answer is easier than you think: just go do it. I can elaborate on how we went fishing with our baby though to help encourage you.
On an easy hike with baby and friend. My son is two months old here and we stayed at a log cabin on the Upper Rio with friends to celebrate my husband’s first Father’s day.
Start Simple
Pick an easy adventure. Example: day hike or fishing trip somewhere within a thirty minute drive. Do not have high expectations for a full day, or a grandiose journey on a fourteener. Think “baby steps” (I’m hilarious)!
We chose a float on the Rio Grande River starting at the Orilla Verde Recreation Area. This stretch of river has zero rapids (or ones we recognize), and there are still fish to cast to! It also has multiple boat ramps in case we needed an early exit. This probably sounds more complicated than a day hike, but our raft is always ready to go and easy to hitch to the truck.
What To Bring
Again, keep it simple, even with packing. You do not need a special bag for infants. Here’s what we recommend::
Diaper bag (already has most of the essentials, and hopefully yours is the backpack style)
Then add the following to your diaper bag:
1 Bottle (or boobs if you breastfeed) and formula amount
Adult water bottle (so you have water to mix formula)
Baby sun hat (or warm hat, weather pending)
Baby safe sunscreen (find one you think is OK)
Long sleeve, footsies onesie, this way less potential sun exposure
Warm suit or jacket (weather pending)
Second set of clothes (you know blow outs are common at this age)
Don’t forget a baby carrier of choice. In the very early days I preferred a hand-me-down infant carrier. Our son quickly out grew it, so I then switch to a baby front carrier I found at Walmart for cheap.
The front carrier worked great up until about eight months old. Then he was more comfortable in the backpack.
Invite Someone
You can go alone, but for the first time I would recommend your significant other, a family member, or close friend tag along. It’s nice to have the moral support while out on your baby’s first adventure. We had the joy of my parents visiting for an entire month after my son was born, so they were able to witness this amazing moment.
They were also helpful in documenting the moment with photos of husband, wife, and child! I don’t know about you, but our photos tend to only visualize “Dad & Babe went fishing”.
Lastly, in case something does go awry, you have someone there to assist. We newbie mom’s tend to get a little panicky.
Baby Is Never Too Young
Ignore the header. There is an age too young. We took our son down river on his first float at three weeks old. He did great! He slept the whole time. Any younger might be risking a few things.
What I am trying to say with the header, is get out there. Let your baby see the world, as they get to be one month, two months, and three months they absorb everything. They see leaves, and trees, and sky. I promise, they even sleep better that night*!
*Do not hold me accountable, only proven with my own one child
