squaw creek

a couple of questions. is Squaw creek a good lake for crappie? but I really want to know is how to catch the tilapia there. I would like to catch them on a rod and reel but I also have a cast net. does anyone know where they might be this time of year. and what bait would I use?

I'm not sure on the crappie in Squaw Creek, but as far the tilapia goes, catching them with traditional fishing methods is nearly impossible unless they are spawning, and even then it's tough. I would stick with either the cast net or a bowfishing set up for obtaining them.

I don't know anything about Squaw but I do know you better not use the cast net to try to catch crappie.

Blue Nitro, the cast net is for the tilapia.

Click on the link.
http://youtu.be/zNCIgAFtNxM

If there are any crappie in Squaw, I and everyone I have bank fished with, seen catching fish from boats, others, I have never seen or heard of crappie out there. Few blue gill, too, that I know of. LMBs, and catfish are big out there.

Tilapia? They are literally everywhere and they are really big this year. Two friends went out 3 or so weeks ago with Dannie Golden, a well known fishing guide, and David caught two tilapia and one was close to 4 lbs. He caught one or both of them on a top water lures as I recall. Go figure.

You are not allowed to return Tilapia to the lake; they want them to be harvested or left on the bank. They have a spawning cycle which occurs several times a year as I recall, and breed very fast.

A week later, I caught a Tilapia in that same >3 pound range bank fishing in a cove.

That video posted above should set you up. If you can get back in the creek, I think those who target them usually use a bobber, hook and sinker set up, fishing with worms often, but even corn, etc.

They'll eat anything.

They have fish cleaning stations up by the boat ramp. Catch a bunch, clean them, have lots of one of the better tasting fish to put in the freezer.

Brad

Oh, there's a back story to this.

Trashlapia, spawn ruins the crappie spawn because the males are so aggressive protecting their nest and it keeps crappie from nesting. so catch all you want and fry fry fry just get rid of them!!! lol

If you have a boat w/ decent electronics they are easy to find. They should be hanging out close to the hot water discharge and usually hold on the edge of drop offs. Just look for a bunch of fish grouped tightly together on the bottom.

I was there not too long ago, killed the tilapia. check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7Og_2-ubDc

Man that looks like so much fun. What were you guys using as bait.

Reggie

if I caught a crappie with a throw net it would be by accident. and I am certainly smart enough to release it back into the lake. I am talking about catching tilapia with a throw net.

Live worms either on the bottom or under a float. There is a natural spring pond in my subdivision full of them due to a recent stocking. They ,Talapia , were placed there to help reduce moss and help feed the growing bass population.

A really good video. I wish more fishermen would make trips out to Squaw to target tilapia. It'd help the lake, I suspect, and what a great way to get a freezer full of meat once or twice a year.

These are blue tilapia and from what I have read, they are the most tolerant of the species to cold water and can handle it down to around mid to high 40s. Squaw, with its warm water, has developed a huge population.

When we are out there LMB fishing, we often get tilapia strikes on our plastic worms. They have small mouths but they'll grab the tip of the tails on, say a T-rig, and sort of tug on it.

Brad

We saw a bunch of them in the shallow water when we were bass fishing there, a couple years ago. Always wondered how you would catch them. Entrance fee is to much for me, unless it has been changed.

We use to catch good crappie in good numbers from Squaw creek when I was a kid, 2-3 lbers but after the lake closed from 9/11, they had a golden algae bloom that killed the crappie population and the crappie never rebounded and were not reintroduced into the lake. The golden algae bloom is why the tilapia were introduced to the lake and they might have whipped out the rest off the crappie but not certain on that

I thought your video turned out really good on a good trip!

Shoot my bad Blue Nitro, I wasn't trying to call you out. I didn't know there was a back story to the question about cast nets, and since I originally read it as he was going to use the nets for crappie, I thought you had too. My apologies Mr Duran.

Lane, I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. Nitro may or may not want to share his back story on this. All I meant was that I knew what he meant when he commented that way.

If anyone should feel bad, it's Nitro. He got absolutely smoked in our last outing. I'm surprised he didn't put his boat up for sale, and take up bowling.

We were catching them on red worms in about 4 feet of water in the back of one of the coves by the water outlet. gold hook with a weight about 18" below. Just cast it out and reel it real slow to keep the line tight and hang on. They were a blast to catch. I sent them home with my brother and he said they were no fun to clean. Big thick scales and lots of red meat to trim out.

welcome to the forum!

i went the first time and caught 64 with rod n reel. second time took a co worker and son 43. i use night crawlers.
first i found a area in a cove at about four feet. use small perch hook with a split shot just so you can cast. once you cast a piece of worm not even half a inch. i leave line slack. watch if it moves, then set hook. sometimes they will just grab it and run. usually if you have them on line and dont set hook they will spit it out if they feel you on the line. like carp. i sometimes act as if im dragging a jig very slow on bottom. they will grab it. its a amazing fight with eight pound line on ultra lite. i reeled in some that were 18" and two n half pounds to three. ill be going agian soon.
i saw the fish in shallow water an tried to throw a cast net. once it hit water fish took off. i think the key is if you use cast net, cast were its dark and they wont run from it. if you want, pm me an we can meet up an ill show you a few productive spots you'll catch them at shadrap

If the entrance fee wasn't so high I would love to go in my Kayak , still might a freezer full might offset the entrance fee.

Has anyone had any success from the bank?

well you can catch more than your fair share at squaw from the bank with a hook,worm, and bobber just like you're bluegill fishing... It doesn't get any more traditional than that. The squaw their a edge 2-lbs and up

would you be willing to give me an idea where to get them from the bank? Im going to go and try to fill up a cooler

They limit you to about 2 miles of bank line for bank fishing. Any of the coves are filled with them.