Thread: Tilapia

Sure are purty! Tasty too…..

Originally Posted by up2specks

Need to minimize that Slab-condo profile. Please have your daughter post the Commando spider-crawl video as you near your casting pit @Seawall!! OR maybe just pm that to me for an eval. I promise that I will NOT post/send to any newspapers of your Homestate. Your call Ed!

Sent from my SM-A716U using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

I have never caught one on a fishing pole.. I used to Bow fish Tilapia in the late 1980s up to 1999. I had a CF License but only targeted Tilapia. I traveled all around central Fl lakes looking for them. Found them everywhere.. Bow fishing is sight fishing..problem was water clarity in some lakes..cant shoot them if you cant see them. I have spinal fusions and cannot throw a cast net. When I first started I had a 16ft flat bottomed Jon Boat with a 50hp engine. Almost sank it once with over 1500lbs of fish. after that I became smarter and would try to stop at 800 lbs. Many times I could not get boat on plane due to weight of fish and ice. If far from ramp I would have to beach boat and switch to a very low pitch prop to plow thru water faster than Idle speed. I upgraded to a 20 ft SeaArk with a 90hp engine, no problems after that. Sometimes property owners would come out and question me, thinking I was taking bass, I always talked and explained what I was doing and talk to any law enforcement they called. Once they saw I was only taking the Tilapia they would often thank me since Tilapia take over the prime areas for bass beds. It was hard work and had plenty of not so good trips.

Might be best to find some Hispanic guy to show you how to net them. lol
In Fellsmere there are 3 bait shops, 2 operated by hispanics.
One of them also makes and repairs cast nets, and thats a big part of his business.
He has told me that he once caught over 50 with one throw of the net, that would require a big net.
So many that he couldnt even move the net without help to drag it up on shore.
Ive sat in my truck back in the 3 forks marsh area and watched the same thing, with the net so full one guy couldnt move it.
Apparently there is a big demand for them within the hispanic community.
There are a couple of hispanic guys who work the Saint Johns below Rt 192 from jon boats, and they throw the big nets.
They also target the Armoured Catfish.

Originally Posted by Slab

4 notes of interest
1- Very nicely edited photo
2- Kudos for the Photographer's patience/endurance
3- Where's your life vest ?= I/we would hate to lose you trying just to catch FREE bait/food.
4- You percent must've forgotten to include your CATCH photo[I already know, dang photographer, just can't find good help these days!]

Sent from my SM-A716U using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

Caught with TCB rod with 2# line, Fun.


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com

The wild ones are very good eat. The wild also provide the good Omega-3’s whereas Asian farm raised (which are sold in most stores frozen) are loaded with the bad Omega-6’s for the very reason spoken of, what they are fed. As a rule they don’t bite a baited hook, which why they are usually snatch-hooked (during their spawn) or netted.

Man o' Man!- This post sure has developed some "legs"!
Pontoon Pappy put me on this one-timer while l/l'g Monroe exactly 3 years ago yesterday! Great from his bite to mine(yum)!!

Sent from my SM-A716U using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app