Yeah yeah, I know, you’ve seen and heard plenty about taking kids on boats. But don’t worry, we’re not going to talk about keeping them safe or preventing seasickness or any of the other things that have been written about on this topic, ad nauseum. Today, we have a much better one to dwell on: why you need a dip net.

A simple plain ‘ol dip net, which costs all of five or ten bucks in a tackle shop or a K-mart, will provide endless entertainment to a kid of virtually any age. Scoop up a ball of seaweed as you drive by, put it into a bucket of water, and spend hours examining all the tiny critters that live and hide there. Anchor near a sandy beach, turn Junior loose, and he’ll have a ball catching minnow, crayfish, or whatever else resides along the shoreline. You get the message.

Here’s an example of the crazy, unexpected finds the kids will make:

Who would have thunk it - the kids netted a puffer fish!

The kids caught this little puffer fish by standing at the gunwale as we trolled through the ocean. Fishing was slow, and the tunas, wahoo, and marlin were extremely uncooperative. But posted at the side of the boat, net in hand, the day was anything but boring. And even though we eventually landed a 50-pound wahoo, I’m not sure which fish qualified as the big catch of the day. You want to keep your kids entertained while they’re on the boat? Get a dip net – you won’t regret it.