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** Archived Article - please check for current information. **
November 26, 2014Bluegill, shellcracker stocked in Dargan's Pond near Darlington
Approximately 5,000 bluegill and 3,000 shellcracker were stocked in Dargan's Pond near Darlington on Thursday, Nov. 20. On hand for the fish stocking were state Sen. Gerald Malloy from Hartsville and state Rep. Robert Williams of Darlington.
" This great for our area. You can’t really put a price on recreation and this gives us an opportunity to engage the public and let them enjoy what God has given us and DNR has provided this opportunity for the public to come out and enjoy nature. I remember being on fishing trips as a kid, our children need those moments with parents or grandparents. You can’t get those moments back once they are lost and the wisdom young people can gain from the connection between families and friends is so important. I can’t help but look around and notice how peaceful this is compared to our everyday lives. While the children can come here and have some fun, the adults who bring them will discover they have a whole lot more," said Sen. Malloy.
"Well I think it is very important what DNR is doing out here stocking the pond with so many fish," said Rep. Williams. "When people come out to enjoy the fellowship, they can also have a real opportunity to catch something. It is very important to the community, very important to those who like fishing. I am so excited to be here just to see the process."
The S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) used a specially equipped fish-hauling truck to stock the 8,000 fish.
The DNR Freshwater Fisheries Section annually stocks from seven to 10 million fish in state waters, including striped and hybrid bass, largemouth and smallmouth bass, channel and blue catfish, bluegill, redbreast, redear sunfish (shellcracker), and rainbow, brook, and brown trout. Anglers in South Carolina spend almost $742 million to fish each year, making the sport, with economic multipliers factored in, a billion dollar business in the Palmetto State.
Dargan's Pond is a 50-acre fishing lake in the Pee Dee Research and Education center providing largemouth bass, bluegill and shell-cracker fishing. The lake offers a boat ramp, fishing pier, picnic access and is handicapped access. Dargan's Pond is located off Interstate Highway 95 in Darlington County. This area is open Wednesdays and Saturdays only from March 1 - Sept. 30, 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset.
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