Tilapia - how the heck you catch them.

I've got these Tilapia hanging out in their big holes off my sea wall. They watch me, I watch them. They are so wary but cool to watch. I've seen them here for years now. They just swim away if I toss anything near them. We fish with hot dogs for the Bluegills but we've never caught a Tilapia. I think it sure would be fun to catch one some time. They are huge and would certainly put up a big fight. Not sure if they would eat good would they? Anyone have any ideas on how to get one other than with a Bow/Arrow!

Good eats and I hear they can sometimes be caught with worms. Dunno.

Cast net. Not sure if that's legal where you are. Have friends south of me, cast net is what they use.

Cast net.

Shoot them with a bow..castnet 2d

They are "Invasive" and you can take em anyway you like, no limit (size or number) ....
Here's some I brought home a few years ago when we had the freeze that lasted a week or two.
"Chucker" called me up and told me to meet him at a secret spot and these things were all in there.
We used snatch hooks to get em. Was awesome, hasn't been cold enough since to coral em in to
that spot. The cold also killed thousands and thousands of "Armored Catfish". When ya cruised the boat
across the lake, it looked like God sprinkled pepper all over the lake (dead armored catfish noses sticking up out of the water, floating)
Tilapia, floundering along the sides of the banks (too cold for em) etc, etc, etc ....

They sell em at walmart/Publix/Win Dixie ......
Story is, they were imported to raise in ponds for sale etc (Nile Perch), and like everything else, they escaped to the wild etc, etc, etc ........
I think they're vegetarian = Google is your friend ......

When I go over to a lake in Winter Park on my lunch, there is guys there often fishing for them. They throw uncooked oatmeal around the beds to get them eating and then toss em a lil breadball unweighted on a #10 hook or a piece of shredded cheddar cheese on the hook. Probably could follow abby around the yard and bait up with one of her fresh made snicker bars.

In Saddle Creek Park in Lakeland they catch a bunch on crickets suspended just off bottom. Castnet is very good but prolly for you at night so they can't see the net coming. Have been told if cleaning them not to cut into the body cavity. U-tube shows how to clean them. I always thought they were brought here to eat all the hydrilla and found out they could reproduce. Juveniles are the best snook bait you can find!

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Originally Posted by huntinslabs

When I go over to a lake in Winter Park on my lunch, there is guys there often fishing for them. They throw uncooked oatmeal around the beds to get them eating and then toss em a lil breadball unweighted on a #10 hook or a piece of shredded cheddar cheese on the hook. Probably could follow abby around the yard and bait up with one of her fresh made snicker bars.

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Sounds like the same technique as Mullet fishing

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Originally Posted by kycreek

Sounds like the same technique as Mullet fishing

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Pretty much I reckon.

Yeah, I googled em = A little different from Nile Perch, and, I have heard the story about em
being imported to eat the vegetation too. I know over here at "Dixie Crossroads" restaurant they got em in their little ponds
where the little bridge is, they had a sign there calling them Nile perch etc, etc, etc ......
Six of one, half a doz of the other ..........

I've been told to use store bought noodles
put wad on hook - they are vegatarions
I like the idea of Oatmeal allowed to sink in front of them to get used to it
then could make a bait ball out of it and or use the noodle idea
They are good eating - i've been told

I use to take a small treble hook and put hydrilla or some other lake grass and hide the hook and throw it in the bed and wait for the fish to pick it up they won't eat it but the will clean out the bed so you have to set the hook as soon as they pick it up be patient and and let it sit in the bed with slack line

Lots of great advise. I may have to try some of them (but maybe not Huntinslabs Snicker Bar idea though, yuk). I did throw some oatmeal out there and they don't seem to touch it. Maybe they did after a while, but I did not observe them eat anything except that super green/hairy weed that's growing over here. Thanks guys.

I got a thingy in the mail today inviting me to a "free" dinner at Dixie Crossroads
to listen to a sales pitch etc, etc.
One of the dinner selections on the menu was Tilapia, lol .........


Now ...............
I do sell a "fish caller" that has been certified to work with Tilapia as well as
other kinds of fish.
For only $19.95 you can try it out for thirty days, if not satisfied, return it for full refund.
If you call within the next five minutes, I'll double your offer, plus throw in a
bladder de-airing tool worth $12.73 ......

Can't hurt to try bread Slab, soak in water as thick as bread for 5 minutes then put inside a few sheets of newspaper between old books & weight on top over night, should be able to weave the bread on a small hook in about a nickle size & stay on for a little while, the bluegills will want it too.....Yelim had a good tip in keeping it near the bottom, also heard corn works....slip bobber, split-shot & hook should be all that's needed.

Crossbow with line attached to bolt should be help - aim & fire await action to start

You're making me go waaaaaay back in the archives. Bread, oats, anything like that is gonna fall apart as it sits in the water. Usually just before the fish takes interest and eats it without the hook that just fell out. As a kid on Long Island, I spent a lot of time in the summer trying to catch Carp. Some were large gold carp, or goldfish, that had been released at some point and bred with the locals. 2 and 3 colors weren't uncommon. Dad delivered mail and a pet shop on his route would buy them for $.50 each. Major funds in that day for a kid. Over time I refined the doughball thing to a science. End result, leave all that junk in the store. Buy a half sized package of Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits. Now if you open the pack, they're gonna dry out and they suck to eat. Don't ask How I know that. Although if it's hot enough and you have time and asphalt and a piece of tinfoil, they will cook. Take your pocket knife and punch a small hole ( to start with) in the end of the container. Twist the blade a little and the pressure will push out just a little at a time. Take that and hook it on the point of the hook, then wrap the rest around the shank to point to shank to point and so on, until it has formed a ball. Mush it just a little to set it all together and cast it, weightless, into the area desired. Don't put the rod down cuz lots of stuff has gotten the memo on Pillsbury's. I financed a new rod and reel one summer this way, and no one could figure out how I could cast a doughball. End of lesson, now lets see some fish pictures.

Too bad they aren't like the invasive Oscars in the canals. I was down at Okeechobee first of April and I tried to find something they wouldn't eat. I actually had one hit a bare hook I threw back in the water after unhooking one I just caught. Darn near jerked my rod overboard. You literally cannot toss a live cricket in the Everglades canals and have it survive for 30 seconds. We tried it!

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Originally Posted by SeaRay

Too bad they aren't like the invasive Oscars in the canals. I was down at Okeechobee first of April and I tried to find something they wouldn't eat. I actually had one hit a bare hook I threw back in the water after unhooking one I just caught. Darn near jerked my rod overboard. You literally cannot toss a live cricket in the Everglades canals and have it survive for 30 seconds. We tried it!

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Some day I am going to get down there and fish those canals.

Corn

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Originally Posted by huntinslabs

Some day I am going to get down there and fish those canals.

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You bad as my buddy in Deland. Living there for years and never fished down there until I took him four years ago.

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Originally Posted by SeaRay

You bad as my buddy in Deland. Living there for years and never fished down there until I took him four years ago.

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When you get down in Deland again you gotta holler. Like to meet you and at least shake your hand. Might even fish some. Lots of us close by there.

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Originally Posted by SeaRay

You bad as my buddy in Deland. Living there for years and never fished down there until I took him four years ago.

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Yea I know, but there is soooo much good fishing within 30 minutes of home it is hard to load up and drive 4-5 hours away to fish. Heck, it's hard to drive the 45 minutes to hour to Crescent when the bite was off the chain up there.

A little piece of white plastic bait makes a lasting dough ball. Works for mullet.

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Originally Posted by skeetbum

When you get down in Deland again you gotta holler. Like to meet you and at least shake your hand. Might even fish some. Lots of us close by there.

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Will do. My buddy inherited his father's house on Lake Kissimmee. He fixed it up for a vacation place. We trying to work out a trip there. He is joining me at Santee Cooper for a week of fishing next week.

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Originally Posted by Slab

I've got these Tilapia hanging out in their big holes off my sea wall. They watch me, I watch them. They are so wary but cool to watch. I've seen them here for years now. They just swim away if I toss anything near them. We fish with hot dogs for the Bluegills but we've never caught a Tilapia. I think it sure would be fun to catch one some time. They are huge and would certainly put up a big fight. Not sure if they would eat good would they? Anyone have any ideas on how to get one other than with a Bow/Arrow!

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:biggrin

Vegetation fish. Invasive fish. Hmm won't chase bait or a carrot. Haha I know. A bow n arrow sounds right and some hot grease to boot. Good eats.


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I have caught them on the big o fishing for shell crackers. Red worms or crickets.

Dynamite works the best