Hey all. Just read a story about invasive tilapia harming native species here in the San Antonio area. I've never caught one or even tried but I figured no better time to start.

1. I cook and eat a lot of tilapia
2. Been meaning to learn to catch and clean instead of buying fillets
3. Never been on Braunig or Calaveras but like to explore
4. Willing to do what I can to reduce populations

So I would like to meet up with people that have been after tilapia. Preferably in kayaks (I have one) or a boat. Also appreciate tips on techniques, equipment, and locations.

Medium range goal is to get TPWD to grant some sort of vouchers or reimbursement of the CPS entry fees in exchange for visiting these lakes and actively targeting invasive species.

So let's go make a small dent and have some fun doing it.

Neat idea! I've never caught a Tilapia but I've heard they can be caught on Carp baits!

Best of luck convincing TPWD to reimburse the fees it cost to enter the lakes. Back in the 90's before anyone even knew the delicacy about tilapia we had guys going out there all day every day with HUGE cast nets and filling up their 16 ft aluminum boats with tilapia to make fish tacos at their restaurants. Each time they had to pay and just about everyday they were harassed by TPWD wardens. Nobody knew how to treat these guys catching an invasive species and profiting from it.

If you're looking to just get a mess of them for the dinner table, just go out there with a cast net and pull out all you want. Just be sure you clean them there. Drive out of the park with a cooler or livewell full of tilapia could get you in a bunch of trouble.

I have a freezer full of them lol. The best bait for them is earthworms. I have also done pretty well on the big ones with small pieces of cut bait. If you can find them on open flats when they are on dense nests, I have caught them on big spoons on almost every cast.

I don’t think you will have luck getting TPWD to provide any funds or benefits to fish for them. They are baby producing machines and are basically only limited by cold water in Texas. JJ4MEL is correct. I have seen lakes where anglers with cast nets took ice chest after ice chest of them out of the lake everyday without making a dent.

They are great to eat and fight like crazy. This is 120 quart cooler. Good luck fishing for them.