I would put a hold on the panfish until the weather warms. In getting the young one started I highly recommend that you do some pre fishing. That is scout out a lake and find where the fish are holding and what are effective flies. That accomplishes two things. One it increases the likelyhood that the new angler will be success almost immediatley and two will get you out on the water more doing the scouting work.
Early in the season I would take him to one of the many local trout lakes and troll flies along the surface. Floating lines with small soft hackles, wooly buggers, and attractor streamers (bucktail coachman) should do the trick. He will have a higher hook up rate if you troll fairly fast and have his rod sticking more or least straight out of the boat directly towards the fly. Again this should assure early success and provide him an opportunity to get use to handling the fly line and playing fish.
Later in the spring/early summer try perch and crappie at Big, McMurrary, Roesiger, Ketchum, Chain and others. Evenings would be good just outside of the weed beds. A sunken streamer or woolybugger (size 8) early and dries or surface stuff at dusk. Also might try Goodwin in late May or June for the sunfish - look for the spawning fish (mostly on the points on the north end of the lake). A two fly rig with a small nymph a couple feet below a large floater (popper or bouyant dry) fished slowly through the bedding area will do the trick.
One of life's joys is the sharing of our love of fishing and the long rod with our children.
tight lines
Smalma
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