Sport Fishing School

In June 2024, NC State Continuing and Lifelong Education will host its 70th Sport Fishing School in Hatteras, North Carolina. The program was first launched in September 1952 at Morehead City, with 12 participants. It was a joint program of NC State’s Department of Zoology and what was then called the College Extension Division. 

Over the years, the program has combined classroom instruction with charter boat practical experience. From the start, its target audience was the hobbyist who fished for pleasure, learning from experts who fished for a living. The 1952 instructors included faculty from the Zoology department; staff from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the federal Fish and Wildlife Service; and casting, rod, and tackle experts. 

The division briefly experimented with offering an additional fresh-water fishing school at Fontana Lake in western North Carolina, but that lasted only a few years. In 1956, the school began offering both saltwater and freshwater experiences combined into one program. 

Classroom instruction covered techniques and equipment, such as tackle, bait, knot-tying, and casting. The participants then put their classroom learning into practice by charter boat fishing in the Gulf Stream as well as inshore fishing in the sounds and inlets. The agenda for all the schools, from the 1950s to the present, has included a closing banquet where attendees are encouraged to share their “fish tales.” The language of past marketing brochures was breezy and made clear the participant would not only learn but also have fun. The 1956 brochure stated the “purpose of the school” thusly: 

The lurid array of fishing equipment (rods, reels, lures, lines) confronting the angler at a Sports Counter generally gives him a feeling of awe. Which one will best suit his purpose? Which lure will the large ones go for? Which will give him the most fishing pleasure? The habits of the fish must also be considered. On a particular day where is he most likely to be caught? Will he take a fast or slow lure? What color will he prefer? These, and other questions, confront the fisherman when he considers a few hours of relaxation and fishing pleasure.

The 1980 brochure described the program as a “get smart course,” and noted that “the fish  — whether they be schooled or unschooled — have the upper hand” when it comes to being caught by the angler. The description closes with: “Every year the fish get smarter. This is the ideal opportunity to make up some lost ground.” Alice Warren, who would later head the division, managed the program that year, just one of the 13 years she oversaw the school. 

The school had many years of success, but in conjunction with budget challenges following the Great Recession of 2008-2010, the program shut down because it was not financially sustainable. Members of the Hatteras community who knew Warren urged her to reconsider. Although only one week in length, the fishing school had such a positive economic impact on the Hatteras community’s hotels and motels, restaurants, shops, and boat charters that it was sorely missed. In response, the program was retooled and relaunched in 2015. The program has run uninterrupted since that time. Consistent with the division’s mission to serve the needs of North Carolinians, this program not only helps participants have greater fishing success, but it also has economic benefits for local businesses. 

Today, the school runs five days and involves nine instructors, 32 fishing boat captains and mates and approximately 40-50 attendees annually. Like many Continuing and Lifelong Education programs, the Sport Fishing School has a positive economic impact, and not just for the participants. The estimated economic impact on the Hatteras area each summer is $75,000. So although the school promises fun learning, it’s serious business for the instructors and boat crews. 

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