Best jigging / slip bobber set up for kids

what is a good go to set up for kids 7-9 year olds. Looking for a medium grade set up to use for slip bobber fishing and jigging for my sons and daughter.

You’re asking for rod/reel advice I take it? I setup my son, and my nephews for Christmas this year with Fenwick HMX’s (Christmas sale $50) and Pflueger Presidents (Christmas sale $50), which as long as they don’t break the rod should do what they need it to for the foreseeable future. If you’re concerned about them breaking them or want a little lower price point, Ugly Stik’s are decent enough for kids and usually can be found as a cheaper combo setup.

A Splash Brite bobber and jig are fine. They are heavy plastic bobbers for night fishing, but the weight helps with casting especially in the wind. They are pricey though. They come with the jig rating right on them. A 1/4 once jig and bobber are set up on a 7 foot med/light spinning rig with a Pflueger president reel with power pro in my truck all summer long. Stick a fathead on der and you can catch anything from crappie to pike.

My opinion go with a shorter rod. 5-5 1/2 ft at most. Kids can handle a shorter rod better and will enjoy the experience more if they are in control. Zero reason for a long rod at that age.

My kids have done very well and caught everything from panfish to 40 inch pike to ocean fish. The above brands are good.

Thanks guys, you are correct, looking for rod/reel set ups. Size and action, didn’t know if anyone has had luck with a shorter rod like 5′ or so. Gotta get them in the yard practicing casting using an spiining reel. Thanks for the replys!

If it were me I’d go with a 6″ ft rod in a medium light action. You could go with either a spinning reel or a spincast reel on it. In that range I think I’d skip the spincast and jump right top the spinning reel. Spool it with 6 or 8 Lb line and they should be good to go. Rods and reel already mentioned would be a good choice.

lindyrig79 wrote:

My opinion go with a shorter rod. 5-5 1/2 ft at most. Kids can handle a shorter rod better and will enjoy the experience more if they are in control. Zero reason for a long rod at that age.

My kids have done very well and caught everything from panfish to 40 inch pike to ocean fish. The above brands are good.

Agree with this. My 7 year olds favorite rod and least tangled is a converted ice rod that is 5ft long…
Especially in any boat it gets crowded with kids and the less flying around with rod and line the better.

Slip bober with different size jigs will catch just about everything in the lake.
Medium light or medium if it is a softer tip.
Pfluegger presidents are a good inexpensive real.

I have young boys, 5 and 3, and they love reeling in fish, but I was always setting the hook for them. Friend of mine uses circle hooks for his kids so they can just start reeling them in. I thought it was a genius idea.

Thanks everyone, looks like ugly stick makes a 5’er that I will give a try.

Brandon Meyers wrote:

Thanks everyone, looks like ugly stick makes a 5’er that I will give a try.

I still have 5’6” ugly stik that I got as a kid in the 90s. Caught everything on that rod! I no longer use it for slip bobbers as I prefer a much longer rod for good hook sets when using a float, but I still use it from time to time when jigging right over the side of the boat. I have much nicer rods in my arsenal now, but I’ve probably caught more fish on that one than other rod over the years.