“My family has used Jim at Taal Lake Fish Hatchery for over 20 years to supply advice regarding stocking fish for our small private lake in northern Wisconsin. He has always provided excellent fish at a fair price. Jim is very knowledgeable and has helped our family to maintain this self-sustaining resource at the lake. Thank you, Jim, for a great job!”
John McCormick
~Minnesota
“Twenty plus years ago, I had this vision to have a pond dug on the property of our new home. It was to be my grand biology experiment– and lots of fun with the kids and grandkids besides. One third of an acre, 16′ deep, fed by ground water seepage, a compacted clay bottom.
Fortunately for me, a friend of mine suggested Taal Lake Hatchery and a guy named Jim Lehman as a good resource. Lucky indeed!
From the very start of developing a self-sustaining pond, Jim knew what to do. Establishing the food chain, selecting proper numbers and species of fish that would flourish and communicating technically and clearly. Jim was vital in the early steps toward my goal.
As a research chemist by training, I appreciated his technically sound, analytical input at the start and through the years of managing the pond. It was always a question of keeping things balanced and as natural as possible. Jim understands the implications of the ups and downs of a manmade pond and responds accordingly. His approach is customized and minimally invasive, not one size fits all.
The pond holds today many fond memories for our family and it’s beautiful, fun and is what I consider a tremendously successful ‘grand biology experiment’.”
Ray Germonprez, PhD
~Neenah, WI
“There is more to raising fish than just dumping them into your pond. Your pond is a complex ecosystem that can be nurtured and enhanced for maximum results. Jim will provide you the fish at a reasonable price but more importantly will advise you how to get maximum results and enjoyment out of your hobby for nominal cost. He is an excellent resource and has a passion for what he does. You will be happy and his enthusiasm will get you excited as well.”
Dr. Craig Janssen
~Denmark, WI
“I had my pond for about ten years and noticed that my fish population had been going in the wrong direction from what it was initially. Not knowing that hybrid bluegills still reproduce and when they do you will get green sunfish. What I ended up with prior to calling Jim Lehman was an over population of green sunfish and my perch that were at one time very sizeable, now where stunted in length and very skinny. After doing some research and calling around for some references, I called Jim Lehman and when we had our initial conversation Jim was somewhat hesitant since he is in New London and I am over an hour away, so he wasn’t sure if this was cost prohibited just to do some consulting. I asked Jim what his fees would be and I thought it was very fair if his advice works out. So, we met and I took his advice. He told me I needed to correct the food chain.
Jim’s recommendation was that we initially add largemouth bass, and walleyes. In year three of our project, we added crappie and a few blue gills. He said it would take basically five years to fully correct the ecosystem of my pond based on the size of the pond (7acres) and the population of fish that we had at the time. Well that was five years ago and we are well ahead of schedule, we now have over 24” walleye’s, 14” perch, 15” crappie, 24” large mouth and the best part no green sunfish. Jim and I consult with one another twice a year in the spring and the fall to get his recommendation on what we should do to keep the ecosystem in check. It has been one of my better investments doing business with Jim, it has given my family and friends an enormous amount of enjoyment over the years. I would recommend Jim to anyone. I have enjoyed his quirky sense of humor and he really does know a thing or two about fish and their ecosystem they need to survive in. “
Sincerely,
James M. Conard
~Green Bay, WI
“I’m Roger Lade, vice president of The Kelly Lake Sportsman’s Club. We have used Taal Lake Hatchery to supply the 5000 perch that we have been stocking annually for the past several years in Kelly Lake, a 400-acre lake in Oconto County, WI.
Our club was not only pleased with the competitive pricing, but with the size of the fish supplied, which was as good as or better than specified in our contract. We were also pleased with the excellent health of the perch, resulting in almost zero mortality!
The Taal Lake Hatchery owner, Jim, agreed to allow us to stock the perch in several locations, thereby better dispersing the fish. He also worked with our club to help make this project go smoothly, which resulted in making it a fun and enjoyable experience.”
Roger Lade
~Oconto Co., WI
“I have a 3/4 acre pond and have been dealing with Jim from Taal Lake Hatchery for a few years now and have always received very healthy fish and delivery at a fair price. Jim is a very knowledgeable fish farmer and trustworthy person. He is always there if I have a question about my pond to keep it on the right track. I had a chance to help Jim net fish at his hatchery this last fall and I couldn’t believe the size of walleyes he raises from eggs in such a short period of time.”
Mike Frank
~Hortonville, WI
“Just want to Thank you for helping me get my ponds restocked with fish and minnows for winter feed. The perch look great as did the crappies, much larger than anticipated. As usual, I’ve not lost a fish. The stocking you did 3 yrs ago with perch. are already 11 inches. The grandkids can’t wait to go fishing. Thanks for your service and great advice on managing my ponds and unbeatable prices. Look forward to purchasing more in 2017.”
Dave Popp
~Wisconsin
“Our 3 acre lake was overrun with thousands of stunted green sunfish that actually were so hungry they were biting us! Jim recommended gradually introducing predator fish over a 3-5 year period to reestablish a balanced food chain. Jim delivered healthy fish at a reasonable price and delivery charge, which cleared up our problem even ahead of schedule. He took the time to educate us to monitor the progress, and his follow up, attention to detail, and commitment to working with nature (rather than force change) have proven to be a successful formula for restoring health to our lake. Thanks Jim!”
Dave Walker
~Waupaca, WI