Cecil:
I don't know enough about the Taxidermy business's wants, needs and pricing to give an educated WAG. The Brookies were a good idea 'till they started dieing. Would you be using it to raise fish for sale alive or dead?
Both. Bass Pro Shops is interested in live large yellow perch, smallmouth bass, and even expressed an interest in the pumpkinseeds. I'm pretty sure they could be interested in large live bluegills intra state also, which wouldn't require testing.
The trout need the flow-thru water to keep the water temps down in the summer, which = increased electrical consumption = more overhead. Some of the other fish that are really colorful and don't take a lot of overhead probably aren't in big demand (I was thinking of some of the colorful sunfish). For selling live fish, would you have to have any of them tested? If so, there's more overhead.
I only need to test for fish going out of state. I can deliver live fish to the two Bass Pro Shops in Indiana without any testing. I was going to do that with smallmouth bass last spring but had some problems with them which I have learned from since. I'm not crazy about hauling fish but if it's worth my while financially I'll do it. Or maybe if I paid someone to do the hauling.
