# spawning tilapia



## fishingman c (Jan 9, 2011)

i went fishing in langham creek and there were many large tilapia. they were chasing each other like crazy.some were on dome shaped nests made from the sand.they wouldn't bite artificials or earthworms. they would just go past it. how should i fish for them?


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## great white fisherman (Jun 24, 2008)

Mayb try a little spinich on a perch hook or try some bread


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## SV_DuckBuster (Sep 18, 2007)

Forget the bait. All you need is a cast net or a treble hook.

They can be really tought to catch on rod and reel at times.


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## SV_DuckBuster (Sep 18, 2007)

Here's an old thread that might help.

http://2coolfishing.com/ttmbforum/showthread.php?t=318069&highlight=tilapia+bait


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## Jasmillertime (Mar 23, 2010)

1/2 oz weight and 2 treble hooks. snags them everytime


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

The speed spoon would be my choice.


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## waterspout (May 21, 2004)

cast net!


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

How about a bow??? Ask GITSUM for some tips.


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## katjim00 (Jan 8, 2009)

Foul hooking them with treble and weights are illegal just to let you know. This topic was discussed on another forum where they were snagging talapia. I am fairly certain either a game warden quoted the TPWD handbook or maybe HPD Lake Patrol did. Either way it is in the book. Although they are an invasive species, it is still against the law to use that technique to catch them. Cast net is legal though.


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## fin&feather (Jun 24, 2008)

Now don't get on me for appearance or simplicity but I prefer the double treble hook method (with green skirt added to the hooks) and drop weight on the end. They tend to get in such a frenzy when you use a mimicked popping cork action they sometimes just miss the bait with their mouths.. I'd never snag hook a fish but it's a shame that they can't be released back. Flip side is they make good jug bait and that's one less the tpwd has to worry about.


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## Teamgafftop13 (Mar 6, 2011)

I know on calaveras and braunig when TPWD does their fish sensus with the shock poles on the boat they won't throw the tilapia back, they put them in buckets, or in the bottom of the boat and remove them from the lake....not sure what they do with them though


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## Jeff G (May 18, 2010)

Use a ounce slab with a #2 sure set treble to replace the original . This is the sharpest hook that I have found to penetrate the tough scales on the real big ones . This type of rig will "appear" legit and the foul hooking of them would appear "unintentional " so not illegal . Now a 1-2 ounce weight with two sure sets above it is the best but that is an obvious "intentional " snagging rig to a GW . As you know the game laws are subject to some interpretations and on the particular GW ... "intentional snagging " vs " unintentional foul hooking" . 

I have caught tons of tilapia but have never been able to get any over the size of 8-9" to bite a worm . The small ones (4-6" ) will aggressively hit the worms like bream and they fight hard . 

Cast netting is the most popular way . You may have to wade out there and throw at them and they are very skidish . I've seen locals throw a 20 ounce bottle and splash in from of them before throwing . The splash may draw them in is what they told me .

Finally , remember to immediately cut their guts out on every size fish . Do not put them on a stringer or keep them alive or you will be breaking the law big time !! This is the first thing that the GW look for because these are an "infestation" to our waters .


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## fishingman c (Jan 9, 2011)

thanks for the tips everyone!!!!!


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## bluewaterrip (May 8, 2006)

Here is one my son caught in the retention ditch by the house. He landed 2 and missed one. This was the largest one and corn did the trick for this guy.


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## fishingman c (Jan 9, 2011)

bluewaterrip said:


> Here is one my son caught in the retention ditch by the house. He landed 2 and missed one. This was the largest one and corn did the trick for this guy.


 that is a nice one . the ones i always catch are small. i saw some really large ones in a creek. they were chasing each other and some were over dome shaped nests. i just found out that they are mouth brooders, so now i know why they weren't biting anything


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

That's a great expression on that youngsters face. Priceless.

I regularly catch them in the fall on red worms and corn.... to store up a bunch for the winter. A great fish that gets blamed for a lot of things for doing just what it is programmed to do.


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## fishingman c (Jan 9, 2011)

nice tilapia


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## sherrikay1974 (May 22, 2011)

*putting talapia in pond for vegitation control*

Does anyone know how many Talapia you would put in a fairly large pond being over run by plant growth?????


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Depends on the size of the pond and the type of plants....10 pounds per acre of Tilapia will take care of most filamentous algae problems (pond moss, aka pond scum) but they won't do much to such things as pond weeds.

Grass carp will control certain pond weeds, but again depends on what you have.


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## nightgigger (Oct 13, 2008)

Back before they shut down fishing in Silvan Rodriguez park, I would throw out a bunch of pieces of day old bread, get them into a feeding frenzy, and then put a small bread ball on a perch hook.


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