This Saturday and Sunday, you don’t need a fishing license to angle for trout or panfish in Oregon. It is Free Fishing Weekend, when for two days, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife waives all fishing license requirements for anglers of all ages.

Kids, if you want to fish, this is the best time of the year to hit up a parent, grandparent or friend to take you. They don’t have to get a license and you don’t need one. And if they don’t have the fishing know-how, you can find special events where the tackle and techniques are provided free of charge.

It is your right as a young person to pester your favorite older person to take you fishing. Use guilt if you have to. Their dad/mom/grandma/grandpa/friend took them fishing when they were little. They should take you and continue the tradition.

Many lakes and ponds will be stocked with fish. Your best bets for easy trout? Jefferson County Pond in Madras and Shevlin Pond in Bend are restricted to anglers age 17 and younger. If everyone wants to fish, go to Walton Lake east of Prineville, Devils Lake or Sprague Gravel Pit. East of Burns, try Burns Pond, which is scheduled for stocking this week.

Hatchery trout are used to regular feedings. They should be hungry by the time you get there.

For those of you without fishing rods and tackle, ODFW has scheduled Free Fishing Weekend events on Saturday at Prineville Kid’s Pond and Caldera Springs in Sunriver from 9 a.m. to noon.

You’re going to need a rod and reel. Buy, beg, or borrow a rod that is 5 to 7 feet in length and equipped with at least four or five line guides. Rig the reel with 6-pound test line.

There are two ways to fish with bait: suspended from a float, or on the bottom. A float, also called a bobber, is good because it gives a positive indication of a fish’s interest. And it makes it easy for your parents to watch your line while you’re exploring.

Cut 24 inches of four-pound line to use as a leader and connect it to the main line with a swivel. Tie a No. 8-12 hook to the end of the leader. The float will attach to the main line above the swivel. You may need to add some lead weight above the swivel, depending on the type of bait you use.

Choose one of several baits. Worms or salmon eggs work well for trout when fished under a bobber.

When fishing deeper water, use a sliding sinker to bring your bait down to the fish. Slide a bullet sinker on your main line, then tie on a leader between 18 and 36 inches long. Use a jar bait like Berkley Power Bait or Gulp that floats up off the bottom. Prop the rod on a forked stick and sit back and watch. Tell your adult to bring a chair.

One of the easiest ways to rig is with a fly-and-bubble setup. Casting bubbles are designed to be filled with water. A piece of surgical tubing or a hollow tapered peg attaches to plugs at both ends of the bubble. Pull one plug out and fill the bobber with water and then feed the fishing line through the center. Tie a swivel to the end of the line, and then add a 30-inch section of leader with a fly on the end. Your best bet? A red tag Woolly Worm or a black Woolly Bugger.

If this is your first fishing trip or the first in a long time, study up. One of the best resources for local waters is the fifth edition of the “Fishing Central Oregon” book, found at local stores. Another good bet is the ODFW web site at www.dfw.state.or.us.

Older folks like to plan things. Build the anticipation by asking lots of questions. Help them organize their fishing gear. Beg for your own tackle box then practice casting in the yard.

Kids, here’s the best part. Your mom and dad or grandma and grandpa want to take you fishing. In fact, they want to catch fish nearly as badly as you do.