Does anybody know of a hatchery or place to purchase live shiners from in California?
Yes, if you click on this link
California Department of Fish and Game and you look at the very first link on the page "Registered Aquaculturists (PDF)" you will be able to download a list of the 2011 Registered Aquaculturists in California. If you peruse the list you will find suppliers that sell Golden Shiners.
But unfortunately that is just the beginning of the story. The list above will tell you who sells them. Whether you can purchase them or stock them in the pond depends upon where the pond is located.
You will need to review the "Inland Fisheries - Information Leaflet No. 6, Regulations Governing Private Stock of Aquatic Plants and Animals (Noncommercial)." You can obtain this Leaflet by clicking
HERE and scroll down to "Regulations governing private stocking of aquatic plants and animals" and click on the word "Regulations" beneath. This will provide you with a PDF version of the stocking regulations for Non-Commercial, private ponds in California.
After reading all of the above that will tell you where to get the Golden Shiners and whether or not you can stock them. Now whether or not you
should stock them is a question that I'll leave for the experts.
******************
Oh and welcome to Pond Boss Emal, it's great to have another Californian aboard!
******************