Free, Fun, Family-Oriented Fishing Events Begin This Weekend!

RALEIGH, N.C. (June 1, 2005) — Listen up kids and parents! If you’re fishing for something to do this weekend that’s fun, free and family-oriented, check out any one of 33 kids’ fishing events being held across the state in celebration of National Fishing and Boating Week, June 4-12.

Supported by the U.S. Forest Service, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and other local sponsors, these fishing events are a great way for young anglers to:

Not only do participants get to fish absolutely free, they also might win some really cool fishing prizes — including lifetime fishing licenses! All young anglers registered at any fishing event listed in the chart below can enter a statewide drawing to win rods, reels, tackle boxes and fish identification booklets, donated by Bass Pro Shops and the Wildlife Commission. The grand prizes are six lifetime fishing licenses, each worth $250, donated by Progress Energy and the Tarboro Association of Saltwater Sportsman.

The U.S. Forest Service, the Wildlife Commission and local sponsors are hosting these fishing events to give kids and their parents opportunities to spend time together outdoors, away from the television, the computer, the Game Boy and other electronic distractions that pass for recreation today.

Outdoor-oriented events are more important than ever. Research from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that kids spend 44 hours a week with TVs, computers and video games. That’s a lot of time spent inside that could be spent outside enjoying one of America’s greatest pastimes.

No one knows this better than the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. The Alexandria, VA-based, non-profit organization created National Fishing and Boating Week as a way to get kids and their parents off the couch and on the water. Each year, state and local agencies, fishing and boating clubs, civic organizations and others offer more than 700 on-the-water events nationwide — from California to Florida and all states in between. The events, ranging from kids’ fishing derbies to regattas to festivals, have the same goal: to help kids connect with nature and build a foundation to stay connected into adulthood.

In North Carolina, the Wildlife Commission supports a growing number of National Fishing and Boating Week events each year. More than 2,500 children are expected to participate across the state in this year’s events. Many of these young anglers will be casting a line for the first time.

“We’re teaching kids at an early age how much fun fishing can be, in hopes that fishing will become a lifelong hobby,” said Bob Curry, chief of the Wildlife Commission’s Division of Inland Fisheries. “With the help of our supporters, particularly the U.S. Forest Service which organizes and hosts many of these events, the Wildlife Commission is working to instill in children a passion for fishing as well as respect for our state’s natural resources.”

While National Fishing and Boating Week lasts only nine days, the Wildlife Commission offers plenty of year-round opportunities to go fishing in North Carolina’s public, inland waters. Through the Wildlife Commission’s Community Fishing Program, fishing opportunities in urban lakes and ponds are available — most on a year-round basis. Many of these sites also lend free fishing equipment for the day as part of the Wildlife Commission’s Tackle Loaner Program.

To find out more about fishing opportunities in North Carolina, check out the Fishing section. To find out more about National Fishing and Boating Week, visit RBFF’s Web site, www.rbff.org.