Tilapia are in full spawning mode and a friend invited me to catch a few to remove some invasive species. We filled a 120 quart cooler in about 3 hours of fishing. Fish were caught with a rod and reel, fly rod, and with a bow and arrow. There was no cleaning station at the lake, so I set up a temporary one in the driveway. Three more hours and all the fillets were vacuum sealed and in the freezer.

I hope everyone is having a great 4th Holiday.

I would go help a buddy clear them out but have desire to eat any of them.

That is one heck of a haul!

I like mild fish, so the white meat tilapia are one of my favorite freshwater fish to.eat. Which in nice since you have to keep them.

Thanks Chuck. It was a really fun day. As you well know, some days are a bust, but days like this keep you going back for more.

Wild caught Tilapia from clean water are delicious, Farm raised in mud and poo are disgusting .

What did you use to catch them on rod and reel ?

Mo

It is a big secret, so don’t tell anybody. After years of trial and error, I use a 1 1/2 oz Kastmaster type silver spoon and replace the hook with a very big 3/0 treble hook. I slow retrieve the spoon over the tilapia beds. They will attack the spoon to get it away from the bed. If you feel a bump, then give it a big bass hook-set. I also catch bass, drum, and catfish on the spoon. You need to have an open area since trees, rocks, etc., will hang the spoon every time. An earthworm under a float will also work.

I watched some guys on Gibbons Creek catch them using spoons with a piece of raw broccoli on the hook.

Thanks for that information. There is a power plant really close to me that has them in it and the water is crystal clear. The lake had a really bad die off due to the freezing weather. There were lots that survived so I will rig up and to give them a try.

Try and find an area where the beds are very close together and vary the speed till you start getting hits. I am not sure how it will work if it is crystal clear, but it will be interesting to find out. Good luck and let us know how you do.

That's a lot of fish