ok guys,

we all know that tilapia make great live bait, but now were are supposed to gut them as soon as we catch them. do we have to do the same with a "cichlid"? i saw a picture of one, and it looks a whole lot like the "tilapia" at braunig lake. is there a way to tell the difference? is it documented somewhere so i can show a warden if he tries to write me up thinking i have a tilapia?

thanks, kb

A tilapia is a cichlid. Cichlid is the general term for all fish in the family Cichlidae. You were probably looking at the same kind of fish, someone was just referring to the tilapia by it's family name which is commonly done. Peacock Bass, Freshwater Angel Fish, and Tilapia are all cichlids. For lot's of info on this interesting family of fish try: http://cichlidresearch.com/ And yes, since it is a non-native species, we should probably gut this fish too.

To complicate things even more, there is one native cichlid to Texas, which appropriately enough is called the Texas Cichlid (or Rio Grande Cichlid), found in South TX. It's the only cichlid that should not be gutted if you catch it loose it this state.


[This message has been edited by BigLeslie (edited 02-03-2004).]

The Texas Cichlid


From: http://cichlidresearch.com/texas.html

Tilapia

BigLeslie,
A knowlegeable response is always appreciated. Do you know why we are required to gut the fish? Is this so the fish is not unintentionally introduced into another lake or is there a health risk associated with not gutting it? Thanks in advance.


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"Why work when you can fish?"

Thanks, and yep, they are gutted to keep non-native species out of waters where they aren't intended to be. However, these are tropical fish, so the risks of contaminating waters in our temperate climate with cichlids is very low.

There are other fish species we might want to worry about... Remember the snakehead fish that was threatening to wipe out native species in Maryland ponds a couple of years back? Check out the story it's pretty wild: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/07/0702_020702_snakehead.html

I'm not aware of any health hazards related to the gutting or not gutting of these fish. Tilapia are excellent eating, so I don't think it has anything to do with direct health risks to humans...BL

question,

i go to braunig lake and catch several large eating size "tilapia" in my cast net. they go in my ice chest on ice. will the game warden give me any grief over this?

kb

talapia are supposed to be gutted for every one caught... they are a pest at tpwd calls it, but they are good eating and i think that its a stable for big bass and cats.

Kujo is right, and I'm sure it would depend on what sort of mood the game warden was in that day. Here's the exact wording from the TPWD:

General Prohibited Acts

It is a violation to:

Take, kill, or disturb sea turtles or sea turtle eggs;
Take, kill, or disturb any endangered or threatened species (like paddlefish, shovel-nosed sturgeon, and others);
Take or kill porpoises, dolphins (mammals), or whales;
Fail to immediately remove the intestines from tilapia, grass carp, or any other fish listed as harmful or potentially harmful, except on those waters where a valid Triploid Grass Carp Permit is in effect. In those waters, it is illegal to possess grass carp. Any grass carp caught must be immediately returned to the water unharmed. For a list of waters with a Triploid Grass Carp Permit, please call Texas Parks and Wildlife at 1-800-792-1112 (menu 4) or 1-512-389-4594
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/annual/fish/genfish.phtml

Never seen any of those smoking tilapia before

Yep, those are the only ones you don't have to gut, they self destruct.

Ok why does it has to be gutted immediately?

not sure.. prolly cause its non-native, and might destroy the habitat if the big ones arent caught

I think the intent of the law is to make sure the species doesn't get moved alive from one waterway to another.

I feel comfortable using live tilapia for bait at the lake where I caught them and would have no problem throwing a big one I planned to eat on ice.

I suppose a game warden could enforce the letter of the law without consideration to the intent of the law, but most game wardens I've met seem pretty level-headed and don't strike me as going out of their way to dick with people.

-Chuck

Ciclid's or Rio Grnade Perch are some of the heartiest and best darn yella cat bait you can find in the Guadalupe and San marcos rivers.
I got a creek over here on Lake dunlap with thousands of them. All the way up to 2 pounds. Awesome bait and alot of fun on ultra lights catchign them for bait.

Any records on how far north the Texas (Rio Grande) Cichlid can be found?