North Carolina State Continuing and Lifelong Education is readying for the 72nd annual Sport Fishing School in Hatteras this June.
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Founded in 1952 as a collaboration between N.C. State’s Department of Zoology and the College Extension Division, the immersive five-day experience combines classroom instruction with hands-on training, offering participants ages 18 and older the opportunity to study under some of the most experienced captains on the Carolina coast.
Two days of classroom instruction cover equipment, technique and the ecological dynamics of North Carolina’s coastal waters, followed by two days of Gulf Stream fishing excursions and a half-day inshore fishing excursion.
This year’s instructional team included captains Rom Whitaker and Brian Taylor, both seasoned captains and longtime mentors.
“Every year, we see people come in as hobbyists and leave as part of a tradition,” Whitaker, who has been part of the Sport Fishing School for more than three decades, said in a release. “This program connects people not just to fishing, but to the history and rhythm of the Carolina coast.”
Taylor, who joined the program as an instructor in recent years, said its about more than catching fish. “It’s about understanding the environment, the teamwork on the boat and the responsibility that comes with being out on the water.”
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For registration details, program schedule and instructor bios, visit lifelonglearning.ncsu.edu/sport-fishing-school.
