OT: How to catch Blue Tilapia?

**dixieangler** · 05-21-2006, 10:14 AM

Howdy,

I know this is off topic but I was wondering if any of you central and southern Florida anglers mostly could tell me how you catch these exotic rascals. Sometimes mistakenly called a Nile perch. My reason for asking is that my brother-in-law saw some on Lake Jackson in about four to six feet of water and wanted to know how to catch them.

Standard baits for them according to the FWC Sporting Quality heading.

Not normally known for their angling quality. The exception being some urban anglers catch these in ponds using small pieces of hot dogs, bread balls, dog food, or live worms; no bag or size limits. They are rarely caught on artificial lures. There is also a group of avid bow anglers that target this species.

Helpful links.

Blue Tilapia

Tilapia

Thanks for any help.

**tnvol** · 05-21-2006, 10:40 AM

Robert:

I have seen them caught with bits of nightcrawlers...but
was told at one canal in FL where they were catching them
that they were using some sort of weed that grows in a creek
close by as bait. They said that the tilapia were mostly grass eaters.
They wired the grasslike weed onto a brim hook with a twist-tie
wire that had the paper removed, and fished under a float.
It was interesting!

tnvol

**dixieangler** · 05-21-2006, 11:07 AM

Thanks, tnvol. I might just use some live worms, hot dog bits, or bread balls first to see if that will work since I don't know what kind of weed they favor.

I've caught some of these rascals (small ones) on bread dough balls before (a sucker fish) on a pond down around the Port Charlotte/Sarasota area a long time ago (no float. Just a split shot an inch above the hook):

Quillback

**Fishincracker** · 05-21-2006, 03:53 PM

Here's a link to an article (with picture) on Tilapia that we caught last summer.

http://freshwaterfishingsarasotabrad...rasota_10.html

Enjoy.

Dave

**tnvol** · 05-22-2006, 10:01 AM

Robert:

The weeds they were using to catch the tilapia
either were eurasian milfoil..or greatly resembled
it. Attached is a pic of the milfoil. I would think
that anything similar to it would work.

tnvol

**Yjwill** · 05-29-2006, 05:54 AM

They are all over the St. Johns by Blue Springs, but darned if I can get them to bite anything. I know a guy who bow fishes for them in the run at Deleon Springs, and have seen some unethical fishermen snag them with big trebble hooks, but have always heard they are herbavors. At Deland Middle School, the Aggriculture program raises them to sell for extra funding, and I have heard the teacher has the kids catch them on spinning tackle, but I am unsure of the bait used. I will try to find out from a friend who's daughter was in the program.
Will

**Barnacle Bill** · 05-29-2006, 06:43 AM

My son was catching them (blue tilapia) on beetle spins. He called me a while back because he thought they were crappie until someone set him straight. He called me to ask about them but I'd never heard of them until then. He just recently started crappie fishing and came up to fish with me for a week at Bugg's Island.

**slabbatical** · 05-29-2006, 05:46 PM

I think these were the fish I saw in the lakes at Universal Studios...I was wondering if you could catch them. Man they really make a big bed. If you could get em on a beetle spin that would be a blast!!!

**dixieangler** · 05-29-2006, 06:30 PM

Here is what the fly anglers had to say about them on FAOL when I posed the question:

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/F...ML/002211.html

**sunfish** · 06-03-2006, 05:52 AM

Originally Posted by dixieangler

Howdy,

I know this is off topic but I was wondering if any of you central and southern Florida anglers mostly could tell me how you catch these exotic rascals. Sometimes mistakenly called a Nile perch. My reason for asking is that my brother-in-law saw some on Lake Jackson in about four to six feet of water and wanted to know how to catch them.

Standard baits for them according to the FWC Sporting Quality heading.

Helpful links.

Blue Tilapia

Tilapia

Thanks for any help.

Here in California, tilapia are found in good numbers in irrigation ditches of the Colorado river and in the Salton Sea. They are readily caught on a piece of nightcrawler. Nightcrawlers should work for you, but if not, we have also caught tilapia on fish pellets tied to a hook. Most all tilapia found in lakes and ponds are escapees from fish farms and are raised on protien pellets. You can get these fish pellets at pet shops that sell Red Devils, Oscars ect.

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