# Just thought I'd share this



## taxi (Jan 14, 2008)

Badluckchuck said:


> I've thought about starting something like this myself. I have a small pond that is fed by an artesian well. When we bought the house the old owners had an outlet by the pond, which is currently not working. Trying to get it working in order to a circulating pump hooked up before I can attempt something like this. What website did you get your eggs from?
> Great post by the way.


I've been getting my eggs from this place in Utah, however there are a few places in Michigan where you can purchase fry, fingerlings, or adult trout from. If you just want a few in the pond for your enjoyment I wouldn't mess with the egg hatching. You'll have to have several size feed granules on hand as they swim up and grow, and that can get expensive as most places only sell you a 50 lb. bag of each size minimum although I do have a guy in Ohio that sends me a little as I need.

The eggs aren't expensive but the overnight shipping FedEx is. And there is a minimum order of 1000 per species, which is even more than I need. And keep in mind you will have to submit their health testing certificates to your MDNR for approval and an importation permit if you buy out of state. In state is much simpler.

https://coldspringstroutfarm.com/activities/live-trout-egg-sales/

Not sure where you are located but Crystal Springs in North Muskegon Michigan is a good source for brook, brown, rainbow, and West Virginia Goldens. Tell John Cecil says hi.

John Nelski of Crystal Springs is (231) 719-0335


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## taxi (Jan 14, 2008)

BTW BadluckChuck if I can help in anyway just call me at (260) 894-9055. I could probably save you some time and money by telling you want works and what doesn't work. No charge.

And if you need equipment I can advise you of the best places with the best prices.


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## lostabigone (Aug 10, 2012)

have you thought about a rainbow cutthroat hybrid. The grow big and fast out here in the west.
Best trout for size and fight also good to eat better than just rainbow,


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## taxi (Jan 14, 2008)

lostabigone said:


> have you thought about a rainbow cutthroat hybrid. The grow big and fast out here in the west.
> Best trout for size and fight also good to eat better than just rainbow,


I almost got some Bonneville Cutthroat eggs from Utah and had the approval and everything, but ran out of room in my hatchery tank.

The steelhead are up to 10 inches and I expect them to be 2 or 3 more inches or larger in the fall, possibly up to 5 more inches as they are growing about 1.5 inches per month. So they are growing fast. I feed them three times a day and they never seem to get full. I just hope I can tell the males from the females so I can cull out the females as female trout don't sell well for me to taxidermists. My pond only has so much carrying capacity and I don't want to tie it up in fish that don't sell well.


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## lostabigone (Aug 10, 2012)

They plant all the fish you are raising here in a lake the hybid cutbows grow faster and much bigger. If you are raising them to mount most of the biggest fish I see mounted around here are hybrids. Just saying. They had crossed a b run steelhead with a cutthroat and it was common to catch 10 lb cutbows and chances at 15 to 20 lb fish every year.


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## taxi (Jan 14, 2008)

Steelhead are up to 12 to 13 inches now. Were just under 9 inches two months ago. At this rate they will be 15 to 16 inches by the end of October. Won't be a year old yet until January of 2020. Some fast growing trout! Just hope the hatchery didn't screw up and send me triploid vs. diploid eggs. My market is for mature large males in spawning colors. 


June 21st









July 24th


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## taxi (Jan 14, 2008)

Brooks, Browns, and Tigers don't grow as fast: (July 24th hatched in December of 2018)


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## taxi (Jan 14, 2008)

Brooks, browns, and tigers split between two smaller cages are now one larger cage. Two 8 X 4 foot cages until this fall. Then the females will be culled out and certain number of males of each species planted free swimming into the same pond. This after as many as possible of the 4 to 6 pound free swimming trout are removed by hook and line.


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## midwestfisherman (Apr 19, 2001)

This is a cool project!


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## hawgeye (Mar 3, 2011)

Making me want a pond!!!! Love the thread.

Sent from my moto z3 using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## taxi (Jan 14, 2008)

Had a smaller male brook with swim bladder issues I had to scoop out and salvage. Not fully colored yet but the lower jaw has lengthened so it won't be long. I'm adding astaxanthin to the feed to help color them up.


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## hawgeye (Mar 3, 2011)

Wow cool.


taxi said:


> Had a smaller male brook with swim bladder issues I had to scoop out and salvage. Not fully colored yet but the lower jaw has lengthened so it won't be long. I'm adding astaxanthin to the feed to help color them up.


Sent from my moto z3 using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## taxi (Jan 14, 2008)

Trout harvest has begun. Had a taxidermy customer and friend come over to help out. Biggest of the two was 5.85 lbs. and 21 inches.


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

Those look like coasters to me.


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## Skinner 2 (Mar 19, 2004)

Great Hobby/job. Awesome brookies.


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## BUGBOAT (Oct 25, 2005)

My late father was a brook trout nut. He always wanted to fish for Dolly Varden. He thought of them as over grown brook trout. He would have gone crazy over the pictures of those Brooks.


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

Fall in the Keweenaw has the prettiest Brooks in state.


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## BUGBOAT (Oct 25, 2005)

Opps. Arctic Char.


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## Thunder Dan (Dec 26, 2010)

Great thread, awesome thing you have going there. I had been experimenting with raising bluegill in tanks before we moved a few years ago. This makes me want to get back to it.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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