Fishing is a recreational sport for all, but personal safety while fishing is a very important, and too often minimalized, element of the sport.  When you go fishing with kids, you need more than fishing gear.  Remember to bring along the right attitude and the right stuff for safety.  The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources sponsors a number of kids’ fishing events throughout the summer, through the Fisheries Section of the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, to encourage interest in angling as a family activity.

Hooked on Fishing International has developed a guide for adults who supervise young anglers.

• 1) Everyone should wear [personal protective gear, like] a hat and either glasses or sunglasses (preferably
•      polarized sunglasses).
• 2) Establish rules such as: No running. Keep your shoes on.  Point your rod towards the sky when walking. 
•      Look around for people and obstructions before you cast.
• 3) Anglers should learn the overhead cast first.  The overhead cast teaches proper technique and is safer
•     than side casts.
• 4) Set up a buddy system. The youngest anglers need an adult "buddy" and constant supervision.
• 5) Make sure each young angler, swimmers and non-swimmers alike, wears a personal flotation device at
•     all times—on the boat, on the dock, or on the shore.
• 6) Bring a long-handled fish net, not just for netting fish, but in case it is needed to reach out to someone in
•     the water. It will also retrieve trash or valuables from the water.
• 7) Take a first aid kit with medical supplies to deal with cuts and scrapes, bruises and bumps, bites and
•      boo-boos.
• 8) Plan for cold drink breaks. Summer temperatures can get pretty warm, so bring lots of cool water and
•     other healthy drinks and make sure the young anglers drink fluids often to prevent dehydration or even heat
•     stroke.  Liquids are important in the winter also.
• 9) Sunscreen is a necessity.  The ultraviolet (UV) light of the sun can do a lot of damage to skin, eyes and
•      lips.  Outfit young anglers with proper sunglasses, a billed cap, and clothing appropriate to the climate and
•      sun conditions.   Avoid fishing in the middle of the day.  Cover face, neck, ears, the back of hands, and all
•      other exposed skin with a sun protection factor of 15 or higher.
• 10) Stay away from snakes.  Most snakes are harmless, but most of the people that have been bitten were
•       trying to catch or kill the snake.
• 11) Ward off pests with insect repellent. Mosquitoes, ticks, bees and other insects not only sting, they can
•       carry diseases, like Lyme’s disease (http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/ ),
•       West Nile Virus (http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/index.html ), and
•       Encephalitides (http://www.hoptechno.com/bookEncephalitides.htm ).

Always remember that safety comes first. Look for trouble before it finds you. If it finds you anyway, you will be prepared to deal with it.

From:  http://outdooralabama.com/fishing/freshwater/fishingtips/safety.cfm

SAFE FISHING PRACTICES

Clover Safe notes are intended primarily for 4-H volunteers and members nine years and older.

Information available from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission indicates approximately 71,500 people were treated in hospitals for fishing injuries during 2007. Most of the injuries (about 70%) were puncture wounds resulting from fishhooks becoming imbedded in the skin and particularly in fingers. In addition, fishing injuries may also occur by slipping or tripping along banks or falling into water. Many injuries may be caused by error or inattention and could have been prevented by handling fishhooks and fishing tackle with greater care and maintaining a heightened awareness of potential fishing hazards.

Safe Fishing Precautions

• 1) It is a recommended safety practice to wear personal protective equipment when fishing, such as
•     shoes, sunglasses or other eye protection, sunscreen, insect repellent, and a hat.
• 2) Carry and consume an adequate amount of potable drinking water when fishing.
• 3) When fishing from water craft, such as motorboats, canoes, or row boats, wear a personal flotation
•     device (PFD) or life preserver. When fishing from the shore, be aware that wet ground and surfaces
•     adjacent to bodies of water are slippery and you should step carefully to prevent falls.
• 4) When fishing from a steep bank, maintain a safe distance back from the bank edge.
• 5) When fishing from a dock or pier, be conscious of slippery, wet surfaces and keep behind guard rails.
• 6) When surf fishing, pay attention to local tide cycles and changes in wave height and intensity due to wind
•     or other weather conditions.
• 7) When fishing while wading, determine bottom conditions and the presence of drop offs or holes by slowly
•     and carefully shuffling your feet or probing with a stick or branch in front of you.
• 8) Do not wade into water deeper than your hips to fish.
• 9) Fishing persons that are young, non-swimmers, and poor swimmers should always wear a PFD or life
•     preserver.
• 10) Before venturing onto ice to ice fish, determine whether there is an adequate thickness of ice (at least
•       four inches) to support you. Also learn the locations of outfalls, tributaries, springs, or areas of fast moving
•       water that may cause abnormally thin ice.
• 11) Be aware that many waterways in California receive and carry runoff from snow packs. As a result, there
•       is a hypothermia hazard if you enter or unintentionally fall into these waters.
• 12) Avoid being caught in the open near a water body during thunderstorms. If a thunderstorm approaches,
•       head inland or away from the body of water and seek shelter.
• 13) Take care when baiting hooks or handling other types of sharp-edged fishing tackle. Look behind you
•       and to your sides before casting a lure or hook.
• 14) Follow all state or local fishing regulations, including take limits, restrictions on equipment, and license
•       requirements. 4-H members 16 years and older, must have a fishing license with appropriate tags for the
•       species or area being fished.

ADDED SAFETY FACTORS:

• 1) Always carry a wading staff when fishing moving water.  If it is a collapsible type, make sure it can be
•     locked in the fully extended position.
• 2) Wear wading boots that are legal for your water (e.g., felt soles are no longer legal for use in freshwater in
•     Rhode Island), and that help the angler feel more secure walking along the bottom (e.g., a good pair of
•     studs are recommended for any rocky bottom).
• 3) If fishing in saltwater, thoroughly rinse your gear in freshwater after fishing, including rod, reel, flies and
•     lures, and safety gear.

From: http://safety.ucanr.org/files/3400.pdf