Huck Finn had it right: Fishing doesn't require fancy rods and tackle. A plain old bamboo pole or even a trimmed tree branch, some line, and a hook and bobber are all a kid needs to catch fish. The key is knowing how to set up your tackle and fishing for the species that can be found in almost every freshwater fishing hole in North America: sunfish, also referred to as bluegill, pumpkinseed or (by fishing snobs) as "a bait-stealing nuisance."

One of our favorite sunfish rigs--for sheer simplicity--was described by the late Euell Gibbons, a writer known more for eating pine trees than catching fish. Always the observer, Gibbons noticed that when he tied a hook directly to his line, omitting swivel and weights, his earthworm bait fell more naturally through the water--and the sunfish just couldn't resist.

MATERIALS
Fishing line
8- to 12-foot bamboo pole (or trimmed tree branch)
#10 snelled hook (or #6 for catch-and-release fishing)
Plastic bobber or cork

Cut a length of fishing line as long as the pole, and tie one end tightly to the pole's tip, cutting a notch if needed to prevent the line from slipping.

Tie the hook to the line's other end and attach the bobber 2 or 3 feet up from the hook, adjusting the bobber so the hook stays off the bottom.

Drop the bobber and baited hook into the water, lifting up when the fish strikes.