Fish for Fun Events

FISH FOR FUN (FFF) EVENTS

Interested in sponsoring a youth fishing clinic or fishing rodeo? The NC Wildlife Resources Commission Division of Inland Fisheries can help through its Fish For Fun (FFF) program. Scout troops, bass clubs, church groups, and a host of other civic-minded organizations too numerous to name have elicited assistance from the Fish Division to support a variety of Fish For Fun events.

Here's how it works
An adult planning the Fish For Fun event schedules the fishing clinic or fishing rodeo with a local park (preferably a park that is a cooperator site with the Commission's Community Fishing Program and Fishing Tackle Loaner Program. Community Fishing Program and Fishing Tackle Loaner Program cooperators will feature not only monthly stockings of catchable-sized channel catfish, but also an abundance of loaner rods and reels available free of charge. The adult in charge of the Fish For Fun event also needs to make arrangements to have enough bait for the youth anglers. For daylong events, lunch provisions must be scheduled as well.

Who to contact
After making these arrangements, the adult in charge of the Fish For Fun event should contact the Commission at (919) 707-0187 and ask for assistance with the Fish For Fun event. The Commission can provide free "fishing grab bags" for all youths at these fishing clinics. The grab bags typically feature pocket-sized fish identification booklets, stickers, buttons, pencils, whistles, additional educational materials and a mini-tackle box with bobbers, hooks, sinkers and a stringer.

Other Fish For Fun information
If the schedule permits, the Commission can arrange for a fish biologist to speak to Fish For Fun event attendees on a variety of topics such as fish hatchery operations, the NC Angler Recognition Program, angler ethics, fish ecology, fish morphology, or just plain ol' fishin'. At very large events, the Commission can attempt to schedule a demonstration of an electrofishing boat or the mobile aquarium.