# tilapia



## bassin and classin (Mar 31, 2009)

caught some tilapia on jigs just jiging it off the bottom at a ditch in eagal springs


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## aceman93 (Jun 23, 2009)

Good eatin fish. They are a big part of forage in Mexico and a big export for them. They can get pretty big to kinda like a crappie maybe bigger.


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## Northsider (Feb 19, 2008)

Looks y'all are tearing them up in Eagle Springs, have fun and be careful.


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## bassin and classin (Mar 31, 2009)

I went again today and today was alot differnt the tilapia wernt hitting the jigs off the bottom so today i used road runners and i caught 5 fish 2 tilapia and 2 sunfish/bluegill and 1 LMB
and my brother used secret tilapia bait ..............marshmellows and he caught 5 tilapia and 1 sunfish here is a couple of pics


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

bassin and classin said:


> ...and my brother used secret tilapia bait ..............marshmellows and he caught 5 tilapia and 1 sunfish


Your secret is out!! I'll have to try that trick....bet it will work.

Here's another "secret" you might want to try, if you haven't already...canned corn. If you can keep the BG off the bait, Tilapia will really go after it. You can also use some of it to "chum" them in but don't use too much

By the way, Tilapia do get fairly large. On Fairfield lake where they survive year around there are many three to five pounders, but kind of hard to catch. They have Blue Tilapia there...but the ones in your picture look like Mozambique, which is what I have in ponds. Fun fish!!

Here's a Mozambique recently caught in one pond...to compare in appearance to yours...look very similar.


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## bassin and classin (Mar 31, 2009)

yeah ive used corn it does work well for alot of fish ive caught catfish,bluegill,tilapia,and even LMB..... These tilapia fight really good on lightfishing gear with 4 pound test line. ive caught some tilapia in the 1-2 pound range on corn and worms


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

My friend Chai Natakon, in Phuket Thailand, pond raises tilapia for the market. His are the red ones and some of the white variety. He had three ponds that held his brood fish. Some of those big red mamas weighed 7 kilos. That's nearly 15 pounds. He sold fish in the one kilo range.
He also raised tiger prawns (shrimp) up to a pound a piece. Great on the barby.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

bassin and classin said:


> ... ive caught some tilapia in the 1-2 pound range on corn and worms


Do you believe they are surviving year around in your location?

They begin dieing at about 55 degrees water temp and on down to 50 degrees all are dead.

In one growing season for me 2 pound fish are typical. The largest Tilapia I have ever grown and caught in one growing season from a pond was 3 pound Tilapia. I have overwintered a few in an indoor facility that are now about 5 pounds...talk about a fighting fish!!!


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## 123456 (Apr 6, 2005)

Y'all need to come down to Fayette...we got some monster Tilapia in here!! I always wondered how I could catch em' on a rod and reel...always see people cast net em' but I'm not much into that.
I may have to give it a shot....or take one of yall out and show me how!!!


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## nightgigger (Oct 13, 2008)

I have also caught Tilapia, by chumming with bread, getting them all worked up feeding, and then trowing out the ball of bread with the small hook. I caught 1 about 3 lbs in Sylvan Rodriguez Park, before they posted the no fishing signs. oh well, I also caught a 5.5 lb bass there. Too bad they dont allow fishing now.


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## nightgigger (Oct 13, 2008)

Actually, I just looked up the rules. http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/parkrules.html
It says "
Fishing is not permitted. Exceptions are children 12 and under and senior citizens 65 and older. 
So for anyone over 65, or under 13, Sylvan Rodriguez Park has good fishing. about a 3 acre pond, concrete all around.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

nightgigger said:


> ...... I caught 1 about 3 lbs in Sylvan Rodriguez Park, before they posted the no fishing signs.


Used to live in CLC and am familiar with that park...but didn't know there were Tilapia in there. If you got a 3 pounder, that might imply some can make it through mild winters like we've had lately. However, I've also seen ice on Galveston Bay and for sure no Tilapia will survive in that region in those conditions.

Those wanting to learn more about this interesting fish should read the article at:

http://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm?catid=11

select the one on Life History and biology of Tilapia.


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