NCWRC Fishing Education Team

👨‍🎨🎣 👩‍🎨🎣 Bass Jig Crafting workshop last night was a success!
Participants created their own one of a kind bass jigs that are sure to catch bass or any other fish willing to chomp down on a juicy jig 🐟!

You have to be there to experience this one of a kind experience in creating your own masterpiece 🤩!

🐟 🤔 Who’s that fish Wednesday?

🐟 My main diet is aquatic and terrestrial, insects, zooplankton, and small crustaceans. If available, and not being protected, I will also eat tiny fish and fish eggs. Leeches, snails, and soft aquatic vegetation are on the menu too, if I get really hungry.

🐟 I can be distinguished by a solid black "earflap" (with no red or orange margin) and a dark blotch at the base of the rear dorsal fin. I also have a small mouth, a deep, rounded body, and a powder-blue lower jaw.

🐟 I live in slow-moving streams, lakes, ponds, and reservoirs across North America. I thrive in warm water with abundant aquatic vegetation, submerged logs, and rocks, which I use as cover from predators like largemouth bass.

🐟 I’m usually the first fish a freshwater angler ever catches in their life, usually with an earthworm, and I can save the day from an angler reeling in zero fish.

Who am I?

Happy Birthday to our own Educator, Chad Skinner!

Chad brings patience, knowledge, and a true passion for helping others discover the joy of fishing. Whether he is teaching a young angler how to make a cast, helping families build confidence outdoors, or supporting programs at the Pechmann Center, Chad always leads with a servant’s heart and a steady hand.

Please join us in wishing Chad a very Happy Birthday! We appreciate all he does for our anglers, families, volunteers, and the Pechmann Center team. 🎣

Our fly-casters did it all last night! false-casted, picked leaves, changed planes, and shot line. 🎣🍃🐟 The Intermediate Fly-casting Workshop prepared them with the skills needed to use a fly rod even in difficult conditions. Great job everyone! Hope to see you on the water soon!

Check out the excellent in-person and virtual fishing classes being offered by the NCWRC Fishing Education Team this June!

Whether you are new to fishing, looking to improve your skills, or interested in learning more about fishing here in North Carolina, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Classes are offered at the Pechmann Fishing Education Center in Fayetteville and through virtual learning options.

Visit the class calendar and register here:
https://bit.ly/44YkCxs

Come learn with us and build your confidence on the water! 🎣

Check out the excellent in-person and virtual fishing classes being offered by the NCWRC Fishing Education Team in June.

Visit our class calendar and register at: https://bit.ly/44YkCxs

Pechmann Fishing Education Center in Fayetteville:

June 9: Intermediate Fly-casting Workshop, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm, ages 13 years and older
June 10: Bass Jig Crafting Workshop, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm, ages 12 years and older
June 11: Bass Jig Basics, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm, ages 12 years and older
June 13: 2026 Fin-tastic Fishing Festival, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm, families with youth ages 15 and under
June 17 & 18: Introductory Fishing for Adults, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm, ages 16 years and older
June 19: Introduction to Kayak Fishing, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm, ages 14 years and older
June 20: Kayak Fishing Experience, 8:00 am - 2:00 pm, ages 14 years and older
June 20: Volunteer Orientation/Basic Fishing Instructor Training, 8:30 am - 12:00 pm, for volunteers ages 18 years and older
June 23: Fly-fishing Instructor Training, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm, for fly-fishing instructors
June 24: Bass Fundamentals: Introduction to Crankbaits, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm, ages 12 years and older
June 25: Monthly Fly-tying Forum, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, ages 10 years and older
June 26: Family Fishing Workshop, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm, families with children ages 5 years to 15 years
June 27: Catfishing Basics, 8:00 am - 1:00 pm, ages 12 years and older
June 29, 30, & July 1: Basic Rod Building Workshop, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm nightly, ages 16 years and older

Wake County:
June 13: Learn to Fish: Catfishing Basics 9:00am-1:00pm
Forest Ridge Park (2100 Old NC 98 Hwy, Wake Forest, NC 27587)

June 25: Family Fishing Workshop 5:30pm-7:30pm
Simpkins Pond (6404 Lake Wheeler Rd, Raleigh, NC 27603)

Everyone had a great time at the John E. Pechmann fishing center today. The Beginning Fly-Tying class was amazing with some really talented and amazing people

Today was a multi species type of day, bass, bluegill, catfish, oh my 🤩!

Whoever said that you have to stop fly-fishing because the water isn’t cold anymore or it’s not trout season, has told you a fish story 🤥🎣!

Clearly the participants debunked that myth today in our Warm Water Fly-fishing workshop 💪🥳!

🍔🎣 Come for the Fishing… Stay for the Food! 🎣🍧

The 2026 Fin-tastic Fishing Festival isn’t just about catching fish—it’s about making memories, spending time with family, and enjoying some incredible local food!

While you’re exploring fishing activities, casting contests, and hands-on outdoor adventures, be sure to bring your appetite and support our outstanding food vendors:

🔥 JLN Eats – Serving up delicious homemade favorites that are sure to satisfy.
🍧 Big T’s SnoBalls – Cool off with refreshing shaved ice and sweet treats.
🐔 Chick-fil-A – One of America’s favorite chicken sandwiches, nuggets, and more.

Whether you’re craving lunch, looking for a cold treat on a warm June day, or just need a snack between activities, our vendors have you covered!

📅 Saturday, June 13, 2026
⏰ 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center

Bring the family, enjoy great food, learn to fish, and spend the day outdoors with us. It’s the perfect recipe for a summer Saturday!

🎣 Fishing • 🍔 Food • 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Fun • 🏆 Prizes

Cast a line. Grab a bite. Make memories.

Participants in last night's Topwater Bass Basics Workshop last night learned about the wide variety of topwater lures out there, and saw examples of topwater techniques like 'walking the dog', the whopper plopper crawl, and much more. Big thanks for being such a great group!

Who knew hooks could be tied on so many different ways? Participants had a great time learning how to rig in the Basic Knots and Rigging class at the Pechmann Center tonight!🎣🐟