Connie

We are going to be in the Daytona Beach/Ponce Inlet area in mid June. My 9 year old nephew is begging to go deep sea fishing--he's mentioned it over and over. The shortest trip we've seen is 6 hours. That seems pretty long for a young boy.

I know it takes a while to get out to sea to start fishing but I was wondering if anyone knew of a shorter trip. I know it might not be the best fishing but it might satisfy him.

Thanks!

Gretchen

If it is on a large boat (many people) it might not be too bad because he can move around and not fish all the time. If he really wants to do it, he may need to understand what is involved. Also, any chance of seasickness?

HImom

It really depends on the kid. There are some kids that can handle it and are very self amusing while others will be bored after 30 minutes. His family (parents) might have better insight they can share with you about how self amusing he is and whether he might get ocean sick (when I've gone deep sea fishing, they drop anchor & the boat rocks -- depending on the ocean conditions). A bored, seasick & miserable kid for six hours can seem like an eternity for all concerned. I'd explore carefully with parents BEFORE making any commitments or promises.

padams421

I've had a seasick and miserable child on a half day deep sea fishing trip. It is NOT fun. You do need to check with the parents to make sure he is not susceptible to motion sickness. My child was fine when the boat moved but when the anchor dropped, not so much...

stumpworks73

Check with local fishing guides and find out if half day near shore fishing is an option. A local bait or fisherman's supply store should be able to make connections.

If this is possible, and you find out sea sickness is a problem returning is possible.

Another consideration is to get motion sickness patches and have additional insurance against a miserable day. Pay attention to all the instructions on the patch, must be on well in advance.

A great day off shore fishing is life time fun. A sea sick trip for 6 hours is a life time of misery.

If by any chance you are going to or near the keys, fishing the flats is near shore world class sports fishing. I wouldn't hesitate to take a 9 year old.

garyt22

I hear small children make excellent bait...

Connie

Thanks everyone.

garyt22--that was funny! As much as I love him, after 6 hours on a boat, I might consider it! Actually his mother will be with us so she might stop me--or maybe not!

I'm more of the trip planner than she so I'm just doing a little investigation for her. At nine I don't know if he would know the difference between going out really far and doing some fishing closer to shore. I just don't want him (or us) to be miserable if there are other options available.