Florida

[Poopdeck 0]

So I flew into Florida last Friday for a weekend visit to see friends who just purchased a home in a planned community in Venice. Had a great weekend and was going to fly out this morning until they cancelled my flight. Next flight we could get is on Thursday. 
 

couple things I learned, Allegeant air sucks and tilapia are a freshwater fish. I always thought they were salt water. Anyhow, I’ve been catching bass and watched one bass get eaten by an alligator when My buddy pulled it up on the bank. He pulled it up on the bank because we saw the gator coming for it. Could not believe how quickly he pounced on it. I got a video of the alligator eating the bass. The video was shot threw a screened porch after retreating inside the porch. I know alligators cannot penetrate screen doors which is why a we sought protection there. I’ll try and post a picture of it when I get home. Some real Serengeti stuff Florida style. 
 

 

[DFoster 0]

44 minutes ago, Poopdeck said:

So I flew into Florida last Friday for a weekend visit to see friends who just purchased a home in a planned community in Venice. Had a great weekend and was going to fly out this morning until they cancelled my flight. Next flight we could get is on Thursday. 
 

couple things I learned, Allegeant air sucks and tilapia are a freshwater fish. I always thought they were salt water. Anyhow, I’ve been catching bass and watched one bass get eaten by an alligator when My buddy pulled it up on the bank. He pulled it up on the bank because we saw the gator coming for it. Could not believe how quickly he pounced on it. I got a video of the alligator eating the bass. The video was shot threw a screened porch after retreating inside the porch. I know alligators cannot penetrate screen doors which is why a we sought protection there. I’ll try and post a picture of it when I get home. Some real Serengeti stuff Florida style. 
 

 

+1 about Tilapia, I always thought they were salt too-

[Steeldrifter 0]

Yep they are freshwater...Many people don't know but Tilapia are actually a type of cichlid. Back when I had my giant 240g tank a couple yrs ago I had a few different variety of tilapia in it.

Greg you big wuss, you should have jumped on the gators back and yelled "Oh he's a grumpy lil bugger isn't he" in your best Steve Irwin voice 😁

[flytire 0]

they taste good with garlic and butter

[Mark Knapp 0]

3 hours ago, Poopdeck said:

So I flew into Florida last Friday for a weekend visit to see friends who just purchased a home in a planned community in Venice. Had a great weekend and was going to fly out this morning until they cancelled my flight. Next flight we could get is on Thursday. 
 

couple things I learned, Allegeant air sucks and tilapia are a freshwater fish. I always thought they were salt water. Anyhow, I’ve been catching bass and watched one bass get eaten by an alligator when My buddy pulled it up on the bank. He pulled it up on the bank because we saw the gator coming for it. Could not believe how quickly he pounced on it. I got a video of the alligator eating the bass. The video was shot threw a screened porch after retreating inside the porch. I know alligators cannot penetrate screen doors which is why a we sought protection there. I’ll try and post a picture of it when I get home. Some real Serengeti stuff Florida style. 
 

 

Sounds like an exciting trip. Can't wait to see the pictures.

[skeet3t 0]

I don't think a determined, hungry gator would be stopped by a screen door. Used to see them a lot in Louisiana. Saw a video of a little dog that regularly tormented a gator. Gator eventually won.

[Mark Knapp 0]

57 minutes ago, skeet3t said:

I don't think a determined, hungry gator would be stopped by a screen door. Used to see them a lot in Louisiana. Saw a video of a little dog that regularly tormented a gator. Gator eventually won.

Read what he said with sarcasm intended. You just need to know the guy a little better.

[vicrider 0]

Poopdeck, I thought you were a Floridian? I don't fish where there are gators, crocs, sharks, stingrays, or drug users. None of them are safe and my little .380 is only a deterrent on the last group. Back when Tilapia first hit the Sam's stores it was dirt cheap and tasted like it. Actually, it was fine like flytire said with a little seasoning but most fish need a little seasoning. It was only recently I found out Tilapia is considered a trash fish in TX and it's illegal to put them back in water. Seems like the ones you catch should be just as good eating as the ones you buy in the store.

[redietz 0]

15 hours ago, flytire said:

they taste good with garlic and butter

I assume you mean alligators. 

Tilapia don't taste good regardless oh how you prepare them.  One of the very few fish sold as food that I don't like, and I know I'm not alone on that.

[Poopdeck 0]

What? A screen door won’t stop an alligator? 
 

No I’m not from Florida and don’t think I’ll ever be. It’s already getting to hot in Florida. It’s a comfortable 75 today but it will be way to hot in another month. 
 

I agree tilapia doesn’t taste very good. I was also unaware that it was largely a plant eater which is a reason they taste lousy. 
 

good news is that there are worse places to be stuck at. 

[skeet3t 0]

Tilapia, according to Capstick's book, Death in the Long Grass, are sort-of plant eaters...after hippos eat the plants. Hippos defecate and swish their tails to disburse it in the water. Guess where the tilapia hang out to feed?

I have eaten tilapia and like it. I coat the filets with olive oil, sprinkle in some poultry seasoning and broil for 10-12 minutes. Like anything, it is how it is field dressed and prepared.

[Poopdeck 0]

I stand corrected.  Now that you mentioned it, I suppose Hippo poop is what they taste like. 

[caloosa bug 0]

Lol. Cool story. Yes, I learned long ago about the dinosaurs that may appear at night within arm’s reach beside a 12 foot boat if a something splashes around too much. Wish I had known about the screen shield back then. 

Farm raised, store bought tilapia…no thank you. I’ve seen some local- so called “tilapia farms” and I wouldn’t want to eat anything that comes from that water.

Now, a wild river or lake caught tilapia. Oh ya! Pretty dang good. I have friends who gig them at night and have brought me some.  But I’ll stick to keeping my freezer stocked with snook and panfish if possible. Now that I think of it..snook season opened here today.. gotta go..

[vicrider 0]

12 hours ago, skeet3t said:

Tilapia, according to Capstick's book, Death in the Long Grass, are sort-of plant eaters...after hippos eat the plants. Hippos defecate and swish their tails to disburse it in the water. Guess where the tilapia hang out to feed?

I have eaten tilapia and like it. I coat the filets with olive oil, sprinkle in some poultry seasoning and broil for 10-12 minutes. Like anything, it is how it is field dressed and prepared.

Some of the biggest bluegills we'd catch in a couple of city lakes in Mnpls/St.Paul were hanging around the rafts of geese that little old ladies spent half their S.S. checks buying feed for. One time one of the divers said the reason the reason the gills are always there and grow so fast is that they spend all their time eating the food rich dropping from the geese. Suppose it helps keep the water cleaner but having had some geese mixed in with our chickens in the past I realize how fast any food thrown to them goes through them. Maybe that's why a white and grey wet fly worked so well.

[gillage 0]

7 hours ago, vicrider said:

Some of the biggest bluegills we'd catch in a couple of city lakes in Mnpls/St.Paul were hanging around the rafts of geese that little old ladies spent half their S.S. checks buying feed for. One time one of the divers said the reason the reason the gills are always there and grow so fast is that they spend all their time eating the food rich dropping from the geese. Suppose it helps keep the water cleaner but having had some geese mixed in with our chickens in the past I realize how fast any food thrown to them goes through them. Maybe that's why a white and grey wet fly worked so well.

"Loose as a Goose" is definately a thing