# Tilapia



## mas360

I read some posts here mentioning bow fishing for Tilapia. Are these the same Tilapias as what you buy at seafood market? those I saw at seafood market are rather small fishes and makes me wonder if you can/want to shoot something that small. 

By the way, Tilapia tastes good and they are getting expensive, I don't see why they are considered as varmint instead of game fish.


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## bowfishrp

Yes, they are the same species of fish but the ones we shoot taste 10 times better because they are not farm raised. The ones we shoot are much bigger than those tiny things in the store. The TX state record is something like 8# and I would say the average size we shoot at about 3#.

They are not a native species and can only live in warm water so they are either in south texas where the water doesnt get too cold or power plants lakes. Also you cant catch them on a rod and reel because they eat algae and other goop. Most people shoot them or catch them in a net.


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## Justin_Smithey

I have heard of a few people Killing em on meal worms and tiny hooks, up next to lilly pads. You will find them eating the algea off the lillies. GL


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## Bottomsup

A small lake near me had a power plant that dumped the hot water back into the lake. The tilapia were so big and numerous that two people couldnt pull the seine out of the water.


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## mas360

Justin_Smithey said:


> I have heard of a few people Killing em on meal worms and tiny hooks, up next to lilly pads. You will find them eating the algea off the lillies. GL


Sounds like they are value added to lakes?


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## Under The Gun

If I'm not mistaken, its in the handbook that if they are caught live, that they have to be either killed or harvested, that they cannot be released back to the water alive...


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## daddyhoney

I spend time up on Lake Dunlap which is a wide spot where the Guadalupe and the Comal rivers join in New Braunfels. At night boats with flood lights cruise the lake shooting tilapia. Big ones at that. A local fisherman tells me that some folks catch them fly fishing. Could be fine sport. GG


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## Jasmillertime

heard a half ounce weight and 2 treble hooks will get them too.


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## That Robbie Guy

daddyhoney said:


> I spend time up on Lake Dunlap which is a wide spot where the Guadalupe and the Comal rivers join in New Braunfels. At night boats with flood lights cruise the lake shooting tilapia. Big ones at that. A local fisherman tells me that some folks catch them fly fishing. Could be fine sport. GG


That's be really cool to see.


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## Cody C

mas360 said:


> Sounds like they are value added to lakes?


They begin as beneficial to power plant lakes. They are put in to manage the plant growth so that it does not clog up the intakes to the plants.

Gibbons creek for ex. Use to be an awesome bass fishing lake but now the tilapia have taken over. I have personally seen tilapia chase bass off of their beds in the spring until they won't come back. Then the tilapia will dig out the bed, killing the lmb eggs. They dig out beds about 6 in deep. 
Little tilapia are a great forage for bass ie falcon and amistad, but they get too big in power plant lakes and do not die off from cold weather each year. 
Now tpwd is back peddling and they go out there in the winter and try to shock up and kill as many as they can, taking them all with them.

To answer your question, they are fun to shoot and taste great. You see the little ones in stores because that is the most cost efficient size to produce and are the most liked size of fish (look at flounder or red snapper as well, plate size fish is the preferred size)

You can shoot a ton shallow in the spring directly after the bass move up. High 60's water temp

Cody C


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## bowfishrp

We used to shoot Gibbons all the time but the hyacin got so bad we couldnt see the tilapia in the shallows anymore. Havent been back in several years and since Coletto is about the same travel time for us its hard to pass up the pretty clear water in Coletto.


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## Cody C

bowfishrp said:


> We used to shoot Gibbons all the time but the hyacin got so bad we couldnt see the tilapia in the shallows anymore. Havent been back in several years and since Coletto is about the same travel time for us its hard to pass up the pretty clear water in Coletto.


Go in the spring right when the bass start to spawn. It's dirty!

Cody C


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## Fish-N-Fool

I am not a bowfisherperson but I would love to have a mess of Talapia. Anyone interested in horse trading for some?


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