# Conroe Tilapia



## BuckCarraway

Went out on Conroe monday afternoon to do some graphing. I noticed a bunch (hundreds in some spots) of fish floating in different spots and I finally had to go check it out and it was Tilapia. I had heard that they inhabited Conroe but I had never seen one there but I now know they exist in Conroe. These cold temps had taken toll on them though.


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## GoneFish'n

wow, I wouldn't know a tilapia if it crawled out of the water and bit me on the ******...thanks for the update on that.:spineyes:


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## 9121SS

GoneFish'n said:


> wow, I wouldn't know a tilapia if it crawled out of the water and bit me on the ******...thanks for the update on that.:spineyes:


X2


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## HGX_Fisherman

Would it be legal to pick them up and freeze them to keep for juglines and trotlines?


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## jamesgreeson

Yes it would!all you wanted.no limit


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## NicklesOSU

*Tilapia*

I was reading in the new TP&W handout that you get with your license that contains the hunting and fishing laws. There was a section about Tilapia and Grass carp; the section stated that if you caught either species in a body of water that was not designated to have either species you were legally required to immediately remove the intestines of the fish. My question which bodies of water are/aren't these fish allowed to be in?


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## Miles2Fish

I believe they are invasive species to all Texas waters....


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## Meadowlark

Clarification: Tilapia(Mozambique) are legal for stocking in *private* waters in Texas. It is illegal to stock any Tilapia in any *public* waters in Texas.

Several of the power plant lakes in Texas have Blue Tilapia in them...exact stocking origin is unknown. If caught in public waters, they must be killed and gutted before leaving the public water.

There is an expanding cottage industry in Texas raising Mozambique Tilapia for sale to private pond owners. Tilapia are so common in East Texas that you can buy them in the spring at many feed stores...just like any other commodity.


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## SV_DuckBuster

I've bowhunted them up on lake Fairfield but never fished for them. How does one target them with a rod and reel? Special technique to catch them or are they just typically by-catch when targeting other species?

Never heard of them on Conroe and certainly never seen them there like you do at Fairfield. If they are on Conroe, I sure would like to help rid the lake of an invasive species! :smile:


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## Brian Castille

Those things are in just about every freshwater body of water. In my neighborhood lake of 5 acres there were at least 50 of them in the 10" to 20" range floating and another 6 plecos floating in the same size range.


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## HGX_Fisherman

HEADSHAKER said:


> Yes it would!all you wanted.no limit


Excellent, I wonder if that would work better than the cut carp or buffalo we have always used...


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## Quackerbox

Caught them in cast nets plenty of times on Conroe


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## johnmyjohn

I guess I'll step out and say it, those fish are good eating. If you frequent any buffet and they don't tell you what the fish is it's probably talapia. Fillet those bad boys and fry them. If I get into those fish by chance on one of my lately rare fishing trips I'm hanging in there till theres no more.


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## SV_DuckBuster

johnmyjohn said:


> I guess I'll step out and say it, those fish are good eating. If you frequent any buffet and they don't tell you what the fish is it's probably talapia. Fillet those bad boys and fry them. If I get into those fish by chance on one of my lately rare fishing trips I'm hanging in there till theres no more.


How do you target them with rod and reel? Never fished for them and don't even know what they like to eat.

You are right though, they are really good to eat. I love em and they are easy to bow hunt.


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## Coach Jordan

I saw on dirty jobs one time they use tilapia to keep the tanks clean at a bass farm in Arizona. They eat the bass poo. I guess you can find some bass **** and put it on a hook and see if it works.


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## HGX_Fisherman

They eat vegetable matter too. Ive foul hooked some in the belly catfishing, and have also had some eat bread fishing for carp.

When it gets warmer they come up and fight with the ducks for bread the kids throw in the ponds in my neighborhood.


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## nightgigger

What I have done in the past was to ball up several slices of bread into small balls.
Throw the balls on the water. The tilapia will start a feeding frnzzy. Place a ball of bread on a small hook, and away you go. Some of the big ones put up a good fight.


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## Meadowlark

They are usually pretty good fighters and fun to catch. Every fall I load up on them for the freezer. Excellent eating. You get a 3 pound Tilapia on the line and you might be surprised at how well they fight. They will bite small jigs, flies, and spinners, but really prefer worms and/or veggies.


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## D.L.

Check fishingtx.com theres some guys on there that have been tearing up in some ditches over in Kingwood.


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## Lunkerman

I caught one in lake travis castnetting for bait, had to have gone 5-6lbs. I know some guys that dive out there that tell me they are all over that lake.


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## JMGuerrero

I use worms all the time and never caught one in Lake Conroe. Until now, I didn't even know Lake Conroe had any. I tried one at a restaurant and it had a very mild flavor. Not bad at all with the proper seasoning.


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## tpool

Been seeing several dead in/around the neighborhood boat ramp for 3yrs or so now on Conroe... Cold water gets em or the water turkeys (comorants) drive em' shallow and then the cold water gets em'...

T-BONE


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## johnmyjohn

Coach Jordan said:


> I saw on dirty jobs one time they use tilapia to keep the tanks clean at a bass farm in Arizona. They eat the bass poo. I guess you can find some bass **** and put it on a hook and see if it works.


They're a lot like oysters, shrimp, crabs and catfish. They'll eat what's there with no choice, probably to make us feel better they're cleaner than the previous critters I mentioned.


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## ComeFrom?

Years ago, right after I was discharged from the Navy, we used to go to Southern California and Pheasant hunt on public land where they grow barley. We caught a lot of Tilapia in the irrigation ditches on worms. Lots of fun and good eating. CF?


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## Bowhntr

*bowfishing for tripila*



SV_DuckBuster said:


> How do you target them with rod and reel? Never fished for them and don't even know what they like to eat.
> 
> You are right though, they are really good to eat. I love em and they are easy to bow hunt.


 okay now you got me wondering??? how do you target them for bowfihing? how shallow water do you get them in and at what time are they that plentiful? PM me, I have seen them caught in cast next on Lake Houston even. Did not know they were in Conroe. Do you hunt them in coves? and like you stated I like to know how you target them when out with R&R


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## BuckCarraway

The way they are floating you should be able to get a good bead on them...


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## Top-H2O 2110

*Tilapia*

I can't help but wonder what kind of population of these fish there are in some of the power plant lakes in Texas.


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## nightgigger

From what I understand Tilapia, at least the kind around here, cannot go below 40 degrees F. So power plant lakes and ditches around treatment plants, ect.. anywhere warm.


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## SV_DuckBuster

Bowhntr said:


> okay now you got me wondering??? how do you target them for bowfihing?


 I didn't even know they were in Conroe, but they are pretty easy to find and shoot at Fairfield. In the back of the main cove near the warm water discharge. Cruise the edge of the tall grass and look for pockets in the grass and you will see em down there. We have even found them closer to the warm water discharge near structure. Sometimes you will see them finning or sunning themselves. Cool looking fish in the water because of the blue/green colors.



Top-H2O 2110 said:


> I can't help but wonder what kind of population of these fish there are in some of the power plant lakes in Texas.


 I would say in some of the lakes, the population is too big. Lots of bowfisherman target them cause they are pretty easy to find and great to eat. Just never seen anyone catch them on R&R.


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## wwind3

Cant bowfish for them on Lake Houston tho'---according to Lake Patrol.


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## Texasfisherman57

Meadowlark said:


> They are usually pretty good fighters and fun to catch. Every fall I load up on them for the freezer. Excellent eating. You get a 3 pound Tilapia on the line and you might be surprised at how well they fight. They will bite small jigs, flies, and spinners, but really prefer worms and/or veggies.


Hey Medowlark; where are those Tilapia in you pictures come from? Did they come from Conroe????


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## Full of It

The ones you eat in restaurants are farm raised and they feed them bird ****.... enjoy. :biggrin:


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## Meadowlark

Texasfisherman57 said:


> Hey Medowlark; where are those Tilapia in you pictures come from? Did they come from Conroe????


No, they came from ponds in East Texas. Those are Mozambique Tilapia which are the only Tilapia legal for private waters in Texas.

It would be interesting to know what kind of Tilapia are being seen on Conroe..my guess is the Blue Tilapia...can anyone post a picture?


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## Kody Emmert

Dad's Lake Travis Tilapia....


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## Lipless Crankbait

I live on lake Conroe and have seen lots of big ones floating for the last two or three winters. I was told that they were stocked in the lake to help control the vegitation, and bass forage. If you want to bow fish for them, the best time is a warming trend after a good cold snap in the afternoon they will be at the surface trying to warm up in the sun and moving very slow. Buddy of mine lives on a cove in bentwater and they get thick behind his house in when the conditions are right.


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## Meadowlark

Nice shots, Kody. Those look like blue Tilapia to me...the same fish they have in most power plant lakes across Texas.


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## slabseaker

I asume there is not limit on them sence they are not a native fish? any one know?


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## nightgigger

No limit, take all you can, Gut the rest. They are an invasive species.


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## nightgigger

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/annual/fish/general_rules/
I think the link covers it well.


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## Shrimptail_Hunter

They are the freshwater version of a triple tail. Very fun to hook into even better table fair.


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## jdot7749

Ain't no way they are better to eat than a tripletail.


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## Hookdog02

Top-H2O 2110 said:


> I can't help but wonder what kind of population of these fish there are in some of the power plant lakes in Texas.


I fished fairfield for the first time last summer and I could not throw the cast net with out it being full of 3 to 6 inch tilapia. Even when I would have a bad throw (taco) the net would still be full of small tilapia.


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## Texasfisherman57

Hookdog02 said:


> I fished fairfield for the first time last summer and I could not throw the cast net with out it being full of 3 to 6 inch tilapia. Even when I would have a bad throw (taco) the net would still be full of small tilapia.


The last time I was on Fairfield, I couldn't believe how many Tilapia there were! I went into a very small cut and they were there by the thousands, They literally turned the water black (like shad will) there were so many.


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