Bigger, Better Fishing Opportunities Await Polk County Anglers

RALEIGH, N.C. (May 5, 2005) – More fish to catch. Free rods and reels to borrow. For Polk County residents, fishing opportunities just got bigger and better at Laughter Pond, after the 6-acre pond near Columbus joined the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Community Fishing Program (CFP) and Tackle Loaner Program (TLP) this month.

As part of a cooperative agreement between Polk County Parks and Recreation Department and the Wildlife Commission, Laughter Pond located in the Polk County
Recreation Complex will receive monthly stockings of 8- to 12-inch channel catfish from May to October. On May 3, the first 600 fish were stocked. For 2005, approximately 3,600 fish will be stocked to supplement the existing fishery, which includes largemouth bass and various sunfishes.

In addition to stocking the lake, Wildlife Commission personnel installed a solar-powered fish feeder to provide a supplementary food source for the stocked fish, allowing them to grow bigger, faster.

For individuals who like to fish but don’t have the necessary equipment, loaner rods and reels are available free of charge, on a first-come-first-serve basis, through the Wildlife Commission’s tackle loaner program.

The TLP loans rods and reels just as a library loans books. Anglers register through the Polk County Parks and Recreation Department’s office to receive a tackle loaner ID card which allows them to check out a rod and reel for the day. While the program is geared toward children under 16, anyone interested in fishing may participate. Anglers under 16 must have a parent or guardian complete the registration form.

After returning the loaner rods and reels to the park office, first-time participants under 16 receive a free mini-tackle box containing hooks, bobbers, sinkers and a stringer. Anglers can use the tackle loaner ID cards at all 41 TLP sites in North Carolina, but they must return the rods and reels to the original loaner site.

“The biggest advantage of this program is that people don’t have to worry about carrying their fishing tackle around or actually purchasing fishing equipment. All they have to do is show their card, borrow rods and reels and start fishing,” said Scott Loftis, fisheries biologist with the Wildlife Commission. “We want to get new anglers, particularly kids, hooked on fishing and to encourage novice anglers to continue developing their fishing skills.”

The Community Fishing Program also ensures anglers of all abilities will have the opportunity to reel in fish. Wildlife Commission personnel and park staff this summer will build a floating, handicapped-accessible fishing pier near the fish feeder. Once completed, the fishing pier will be 8 feet wide and extend 24 feet from shore. It will feature a 48-foot -wide T-section at the end to accommodate multiple anglers simultaneously. The pier will incorporate multiple low handrail sections to make it easier for anglers confined to wheelchairs to cast their lines.

The Community Fishing Program, begun in 1992, is a cooperative venture between the Wildlife Commission and local governments to provide more fishing opportunities in city and county parks, particularly for the young, elderly and physically challenged.

“Most of our CFP sites are located in urban areas to help decrease the time and expense incurred by anglers who might otherwise have to drive for hours just to get to a decent fishing spot,” Loftis said. “Now, they can go to Laughter Pond and reel in a nice catch — even if they only have an hour to two to spare. With the Community Fishing Program, the Wildlife Commission takes fishing to the people.”

Presently, the Commission funds more than 40 CFP sites across the state. Program expenses are cost-shared with local cooperators, with the Commission providing 75 percent of the operating funds through the Sport Fish Restoration Fund and local cooperators paying the remaining 25 percent.

Laughter Pond is located off N.C. 108 a few miles east of Columbus. For more information about Laughter Pond, call Patty Aldred, Polk County Parks and Recreation Department, (828) 894-8199.

For more information on the Wildlife Commission’s Community Fishing and Tackle Loaner programs, call the Division of Inland Fisheries, (919) 733-3633.

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