SC Dept. of Natural Resources
P 0 Box 167
Columbia, SC 29202
Columbia - Mike Creel (803) 734-3950
Columbia - Brett Witt (803) 734-3815
Clemson - Greg Lucas (864) 654-1671, ext.22
Spokeman - Mike Willis (803) 734 - 4133
After Hours Radio Room - (803) 955-4000
#05-247 November 14, 2005
Private Aquaculturists Supply Game Fish Fingerlings In State
South Carolina has about 75,000 private farm ponds within its borders,
and until 2003 the S.C. Department of Natural Resources supplied 500 of them
a year with game fish fingerlings. In 2003, agency staff reduction and
reorganization, budget cuts and the closing of two hatcheries halted the
nearly 50-year-old stocking program. Not wanting to leave anglers in the
lurch, S.C. Department of Natural Resources officials looked for ways to
help fill the gap left by the program's demise.
"Before we made the decision to discontinue the pond-stocking program, we
realized the state had a sufficient number of private hatcheries to cover
the need," says Mac Watson. S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
fisheries biologist and state hatchery coordinator. "We compiled a list of
licensed private aquaculturists, now numbering about thirty, who can supply
the public with fingerlings, and we are happy to provide this list to anyone
who contacts us. We update the list whenever we get a new supplier.
Suppliers are located all over the state, so no one should have trouble
finding one fairly close to home."
For a current list of both in-state and out-of-state licensed aquaculturists
or for DNR's "Fish Pond Management" booklet, contact the DNR Freshwater
Fisheries office in Columbia at (803) 734-3891. The booklet is also
available for download at the DNR Web site:
http://www.dnr.sc.gov/water/aquaff/images/fishpond.pdf.
At the same time the pond-stocking program was discontinued, the agency
welcomed the Aquaculture Enabling Act, which allows DNR to permit private
fish-hatchery facilities and so keep better track of species and numbers
sold by suppliers-a significant concern notably with non-indigenous species,
which can become a problem outside their native watering grounds. Also
thanks to the new act, for the first time, pond owners may sell game fish
out of their ponds on the open market.
Got a pond and need to stock? Here's a line on what to buy, and when: Bream
(bluegill and shellcracker) fingerlings are normally stocked in November;
largemouth bass, in May. Stocking ratio depends on the size of the pond and
whether it is fertilized or not. (This refers to agricultural fertilizer for
increasing size and number of fish in a pond and keeping down weeds. For
more details, order the free booklet "Farm Pond Management," published by
DNR.) What about how many fish to stock? Reel in these guidelines: For a
fertilized pond, stock 1,000 bream to 100 bass (always a 10 to 1 ratio); for
a nonfertilized pond, stock 500 bream to 50 bass (again, always a 10 to 1
ratio). Pond owners can stock twice as many fish per surface acre in a
fertilized pond as in a nonfertilized one because fertilizer produces
sufficient plankton for the larger quantity of fish to feed on.
Watson recommends that the public get advice from DNR fisheries biologists
about number and species of fish to stock in particular ponds. Then go to
the list and decide which provider to use for stocking.
- Written by Rosanne McDowell -
South Carolina Commercial Aquaculturists
 | Aquatic Management Services, 918 Arborgate Dr., West Columbia, SC
29172, 803-755-1389 Triploid Grass Carp, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Redear |
| Aquatic Ventures, 3501 Princeton Road, Gaston, SC 29053, 803-955-4040 Grass Carp, All Bream and Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass, Striped Bass |
| Catfish Haven, 1950 Craigsen Lane, W. Columbia, SC 29169, 803-926-1917 Channel Catfish, Blue Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish |
| Cottage Farms, 25056 Augusta Hwy., Cottageville, SC 29435,
843-835-3567 Channel Catfish, Tilapia |
| Cox's Catfish Farm, 161 Hwy. 78, Ridgeville, SC 29472, 843-753-3948 Catfish |
| Dooley's Bait Farm, 163 Newton Court, Lexington, SC 29073,
803-356-3403 Triploid Grass Carp, Tilapia |
| Gill Creek, 2503 Old Barnwell Rd., Lexington, SC 29073, 803-608-0600 Bream, Crappie, Largemouth Bass |
| Granite Ridge Fish Farm, PO Box 97, Van Wyck, SC 29744, 803-285-7597 Israeli Carp, Bluegill, Triploid Grass Carp, Largemouth Bass, Catfish, Redbreast |
| Harpers Wholesales Live Bait, 4438 Dobbins Bridge Rd., Anderson, SC
29626, 864-226-7301 Channel Catfish, Bluegill, Black Crappie, Triploid Grass Carp, Minnows, Bream |
| Hawthorn Crawfish, 2105 Twelve Bridges Rd., Sumter, SC 29150,
803-983-2389 Crawfish |
| Hickory Hill Farms Aquaculture, 574 Broughton Rd., Moncks Corner, SC
29461, 843-899-5177 Tilapia, Bluegill |
| Long, Derek, 1034 Werts Road, Silverstreet, SC 29145, 803-276-0853 Hybrid Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Bream, Crappie, Catfish, Grass Carp, Yellow Perch |
| Martin Dry Dock, 3431 East Hwy. 76, Mullins, SC 29574, 843-464-7864 Bream, Largemouth Bass |
| Marsh Point Shrimp Farm, 7609 White Point Rd., Yonges Island. SC
29449, 843-889-2967 Tilapia, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill |
| McKie Hatchery, 710 W. Martintown Rd., N. Augusta, SC 29841,
803-279-2765 Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Catfish, Grass Carp |
| Old Shoals Fish Farm, 557 Old Shoals Road, Monetta, SC 29105,
803-221-4160 Hybrid Striped Bass, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Shellcracker, Channel Catfish, Brown Bullhead Catfish |
| Orangeburg Aquaculture, 3488 Neeses Hwy., Orangeburg, SC 29115,
803-534-3624 Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish, Bluegill, Redbreast, Redear, Largemouth Bass, Tilapia, Triploid Grass Carp |
| Outdoor Aquatics, LLC, 108 Highland Drive, Greenwood, SC 29649,
864-941-3601 Triploid Grass Carp, Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish |
| Palmetto Resource Management, 213 Rama Lane, Lexington, SC 29072,
803-951-2126 Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Redear, Triploid Grass Carp, Threadfin Shad, Gizzard Shad, Tilapia |
| Private Interest (Gary Hitchcock), 144 Garrett Road, Clarks Hill, SC
29821, 803-637-5981 Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Bream, Koi, Flathead Minnows, Feeder Goldfish, Black Molly, Freshwater Prawns |
| Pitts, Johnnie S., 4902 Island Ford Rd., Silverstreet, SC 29145,
803-276-4783 Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass, Crappie, Bream |
| Rainbow Lake, 2669 Shiloh Unity Road, Lancaster, SC 29720,
803-285-2233 Channel Catfish, Bluegill, Hybrid Bluegill, Bass, Crappie, Shellcracker |
| Ridgeway Aquaculture, 4429 US Hwy. 21-N, Ridgeway, SC 29130,
803-337-3229 Bluegill, Redbreast, White Crappie, Black Crappie, Hybrid Bream, Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Tilapia, Hybrid Striped Bass, Grass Carp, Redear Sunfish, Yellow Perch, White Perch, Striped Bass |
| Santee Bait, 2851 Furse Road, Summerton, SC 29148, 803-478-8332 Triploid Grass Carp, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill/Redear, Channel Catfish |
| Santee Cooper Aquaculture, PO Box 2946101, Moncks Corner, SC 29461,
843-761-8000 ex. 2298 Grass Carp, Tilapia, Mosquito Fish, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Catfish (Blue, Flathead, Channel) |
| Sauer Farm, 2130 Sauer Farm Rd., Honea Path, SC 29654, 864-369-0603 Crawfish |
| Southland Fisheries, 600 Old Bluff Road, Hopkins, SC 29061,
803-776-4923 Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish, Green, Koi, Sunfish, Tilapia, Yellow Perch, White Crappie, Bluegill, Warmouth, Black Crappie, Redear, Redbreast, Triploid Grass Carp, Hybrid Striped Bass, White Bass, Golden Shiner, Largemouth Bass, Flathead Minnows, Threadfin Shad, Mosquito Fish, Striped Bass |
| South Santee Aquaculture, 401 South Santee Road, McClellanville, SC
29458, 843-209-6798 Tilapia |
| Springdale Bait Farm, 5840 Spring Court, Columbia, SC 29223,
803-754-7110 Triploid Grass Carp, Largemouth Bass, Bream, Crappie |
| Swimming Rock Fish Hatchery, Inc., 6989 Toogoodoo Road, Meggett, SC
29449, 843-889-2622 Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Redear, Redbreast, Green Sunfish, Triploid Grass Carp, Goldfish, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Tilapia, Mud Minnows, Bait Fish, Hybrid Striped Bass, Striped Bass |
| Talley Fish, 140 Bowers Lane, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, 843-906-5687 Tilapia |
| TCA Fish Farm, LLC, 739 Kendall Road, PO Box 399, Newberry, SC 29108,
803-276-0853 Largemouth Bass, Hybrid Striped Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Redear, Green Sunfish, Catfish, Triploid Grass Carp |
| The Shed, 3758 Hwy. 9-E, Loris, SC 29569, 843-756-9150 Catfish (Blue, Channel, Flatheads) Crappie, Bluegill, Hybrid Bream, Bass |
| Bill Walton, 717 Redds Branch Road, Aiken, SC 29801, 803-642-9004 Bluegill, Bass |
| Wood Widgeon Farm, Hwy. 33 - 68, PO Box 7, Plum Branch, SC 29845-0007,
864-443-5348 Channel Catfish, Mosquito Fish, Bream, Brown Bullhead Commercial Aquaculturists (Out-Of-State) |
| American Sport Fish, PO Drawer 20050, Montgomery, AL 36120,
334-281-7703 Largemouth Bass, Triploid Grass Carp, Bluegill, Shellcracker, Threadfin Shad |
| Arkansas PondStockers, PO Box 357, Harrisburg, AR 72432, 870-578-9773 Channel Catfish, Bluegill, Redear, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, Flathead Minnows, Triploid Grass Carp |
| Estate Management Services, Inc., 5702-C Habersham St., Brunswick, GA
31520, 912-466-9800 Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Catfish, Triploid Grass Carp |
| Keo Fish Farm, Inc., PO Box 166, Keo, AR 72083, 501-842-2872 Channel Catfish, Redear, Bluegill, Golden Shiner, Largemouth Bass, Triploid Grass Carp, Hybrid Striped Bass, Striped Bass, White Bass, Flathead Minnows, Black Crappie |
| J. M. Malone, PO Box 158, Lonoke, AR 72086, 501-676-2800 Triploid Grass Carp, Flathead Minnows, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Redear, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, Shiner |
| Owens and Williams Fish Farm, Inc., Rt. 5, Box 2239-D, Hawkinsville,
GA 31036, 478-892-3144 Hybrid Bream, Hybrid Striped Bass, Triploid Grass Carp, Bluegill, Redbreast, Redear, Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Threadfin Shad, Common Carp |
| Parker's Fish Farm, PO Box 144, Simpson, LA 71474, 1-800-362-7880 Channel Catfish, Hybrid Bream, Bluegill, Coppernose Bluegill, Redear, White Crappie, Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Florida Bass |
| Southeast Pond Stockers, 11090 Hwy. 421, Carrie, NC 28435,
910-253-7880 Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Redear, Hybrid Bream, Hybrid Striped Bass, Flathead Minnows, Channel Catfish, Black Crappie, Triploid Grass Carp, Koi, Shiners, Tilapia |
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