Update.
After expressing my displeasure with the 200 3-4" RES fish I had received from Dunn's Fish Farm route truck via email, they contacted me and apologized for my dissatisfaction. They also said they would put me for 250 of 1-3" RES at no charge the next time their route truck was in my area.
Seeing their truck was going to be in the area again, I contacted them and they said the fish would be on the truck. I also ordered 100 coppernose bluegill as I was wanting to try some out in my sediment pond and a couple triploid grass carp.
The truck arrived, I got the fish, and was perfectly satisfied with the fish. Had this been my first encounter with Dunn's Fish Farm, I would have no complaints. The fish appeared healthy, were mostly around 2" with only a few 3" and 1", and I found no obvious off species.
I have to give them credit, they had a problem and they resolved it to my satisfaction.
For others buying fish from a fish route truck I have a few tips.
First, don't automatically assume the college age kid on the truck is going to bag up only what you are supposed to be getting. Be an informed consumer, buyer beware. My first encounter was terrible, my second encounter was fine. So you may or may not get good results from your fish truck. Verify.
Second, I noticed the route for this truck this time had four days worth of stops. The stop I got fish from the first time was 5 miles from me and if I remember right when I ask the driver it was his 5th day out and he had one day yet to go. By looking at the route, this time I drove 20 miles to a different location but picked up fish on the first day out for the route. Had I picked up at the closer location my fish would have spend another three days on the truck before I received them. Last time I was getting fish literally from the bottom of the barrel that had already been stressed from being on the truck and what was left from previous pickings. This time I got the early pickings. Point is, if you are getting fish from a route truck, by viewing the rout the truck takes you might be able to drive just a little more and get fresher fish. The drop location nearest me was near the tail end of the loop, where this time I drove a little farther to pick the fish up at a first day stop. I feel sorry for the guys who got fish the day after I did last time. The other thing is, on the first time purchase everything on the truck was pre-sold. They were completely sold out except for FHM. Some guys had come for grass carp but went away empty handed because all the fish on the truck were already sold. This tells me the truck was probably jam packed with all the fish they could possibly get away with hauling. Another potential stress factor for the aged fish. This time when I ask for a couple extra grass carp from what I ordered, the truck had them as well as some other fish other people wanted that had not been pre-ordered. Truck was only on route 4 days this time, it was either 5 or 6 last time.
Anyway, just wanted to update on the situation. Much more satisfied with the fish this time than last, and they did try to make an unhappy customer more satisfied and were successful.
Edit 4-29-17: I have since had two orders from Dunn's that turned out fine. Last order included RES, FHM and LMB and fish looked healthy and of proper species.
Last edited by snrub; 04/29/17 10:13 PM.
