Creating Cultural and Recreational Opportunities

Cane Creek Fishing Trail

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, along with Union County Parks and Recreation, N.C. BASS and Riley’s Catch, is hosted a festival on Aug. 5 to celebrate the opening of a new fishing trail on Cane Creek Reservoir.

During the festival, more than 100 attendees fished from the bank of the reservoir or pond stocked with catfish and learned about the fishing trail. Other events included instruction on casting basics, advanced fishing techniques and lure testing. Prizes were awarded for youth who participated in all the different events.

The North Carolina Fishing Trail at Cane Creek is a joint effort between the Commission and N.C. BASS, Riley’s Catch and Union County Parks and Recreation. It consists of nine fishing sites that are scattered around the 350-acre reservoir. Each site is enhanced with fish attractors to attract largemouth bass and other sport fishes. The fishing trail is one of three the Commission has developed in cooperation with local governments and N.C. BASS to teach anglers how to catch largemouth bass and other sport fish during different times of the year.

In the spring, prior to the spawning season, largemouth bass congregate in areas such as in river and creek channels near shallow flats. When fish begin to spawn they will move into shallow coves, onto flats and around points, in about 1 to 5 feet of water. They will spawn then slowly move into the open or deeper waters to spend the heat of the summer. As water temperatures decline in the fall, largemouth bass often move to the same creeks where they were found in the spring, searching for food. In the winter, they move to deeper water because of the short days and cold water temperatures.

Youth members of N.C. BASS and Riley’s Catch helped design, build and install the structures for each site using leftover materials from a previous Boy Scout fish attractor project. Additional materials were purchased with money youth members raised from hotdog sales at Bass Pro Shop. The Commission paid for buoy markers and anchors and designed a brochure with money from the Sport Fish Restoration Program.

For more information about freshwater fishing in North Carolina, including an interactive map of public fishing sites across the state, visit www.ncwildlife.org/fishing.

Monroe Library Renovation

The main branch of the Union County Public in Monroe closed in December 2017 for refurbishing, space reconfiguration and facility updates. The changes were the result of a space needs assessment conducted by Kimberly Bolan and Associates in 2016, which involved community analysis, focus groups, and library staff input. The purpose of the improvements was to allow the library to be transformed into a multi-purposed space which easily invites collaboration, reconfiguration and innovation for years to come. Included in the updates were new shelving, carpet, paint, and furniture. The Library also added self-service options and smaller service desks to assist in creating a more responsive and personalized service model. “What people need from a library and how people interact with library space has changed drastically since the Main Library was renovated 15 years ago,” said Library Director, Nina Meadows. “These changes allow us to better use our existing space and staff more effectively while meeting the changing needs of our community.”