Li'lDave 0 Report post Posted December 29, 2016 For those that don't know... tilapia are a pest here in North Queensland and we are not allowed to return the fish to the water if caught. (But we're not allowed to eat them either, and I wouldn't anyway from the local waterways). They are more often than not an exceptionally finnicky target so I really enjoy it when I get onto a consistent bite. Fishing #8 bibio style nymphs and soft hackles this afternoon I managed to convert 3 out of 7 eats.... every eat came on a 'pregnant pause'. Of course I also managed a few baby tarpon but they weren't keen on playing the game so just as well plan b was a winner. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
islander727 0 Report post Posted December 29, 2016 Cool looking fish! How's the fight? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Li'lDave 0 Report post Posted December 29, 2016 Thanks mate. They are quite dogged, and put up a respectable fight when fishing light. I can't say that they fight dirty, which is good for the country you often find them in here. I tend not to fish heavier than a 4wt for these guys, and today they came to my 2/3. Like a lot of fish... the real challenge is getting them to eat. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rstaight 0 Report post Posted December 30, 2016 We had a club member who was a guru at pond management for the borrow pits the dot the landscape in Northern Indiana. In particular bluegill. One of the forage fish he would recommend was tilapia. The are prolific spawners but can't survive the Indiana winters when everything is iced over. You will have to restock every spring but they will never take over your pond. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hazathor 0 Report post Posted January 13, 2017 Since they cannot be returned or eaten, I'm curious as to how they prefer you dispose of the fish once caught? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shoebop 0 Report post Posted January 13, 2017 Since they cannot be returned or eaten, I'm curious as to how they prefer you dispose of the fish once caught? In the states, many rough fish (carp in particular) have to be treated the same way. You cannot return them to the water so you must kill them and throw them ashore preferably in a waste container at the boat launch. Many folks use them as fertilizer in their gardens. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rocco 0 Report post Posted January 16, 2017 Carp are good smoked o a cedar plank.. Just lean them over a good smokey fire for 2 hours or so, then eat the board and throw way the carp. Rocco Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bimini15 0 Report post Posted January 16, 2017 Great recipe, Rocco. I never liked it, but growing up people used to eat carp in some kind of pickled dish. The idea was to have lots of strong flavors that would completely disguise the carp's mucky taste. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Philly 0 Report post Posted January 16, 2017 That's the same recipe recommended for American Shad around here. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikechell 0 Report post Posted January 16, 2017 Gefilte fish (/ɡəˈfɪltə fɪʃ/; from Yiddish: געפֿילטע פֿיש, "stuffed fish") is a dish made from a poached mixture of ground deboned fish, such as carp ... When I was younger, we didn't have a lot of choices, where I come from. We would eat any Carp less than 3 pounds or so. Yes, the big ones can be very strong flavored ... but smaller ones have a buttery taste that we liked. If fries up just like any fish, and tastes good. Just like catfish ... if you get ones that live on the bottom(Yellow Belly and Flathead), they have a muddier (stronger) taste than those that live in the water column(Blue and Channel). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JSzymczyk 0 Report post Posted January 17, 2017 why are you not "allowed" to eat tilapia? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jaydub 0 Report post Posted January 19, 2017 fertilizer or crab bait? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fisherboy0301 0 Report post Posted January 19, 2017 JSzymczyk, I've never been somewhere that you weren't "allowed" to eat them, however it's not advisable in many places with the water quality. Especially since they eat lots of aquatic negotiation (edit: stupid autocorrect. Typed vegetation) which filters impurities out and those impurities in turn end up in the fish. No bueno. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JSzymczyk 0 Report post Posted January 22, 2017 I'm familiar with consumption advisories, having grown up around the Great Lakes... Normally this has to do with 2nd and 3rd level predators that accumulate PCBs or heavy metals from past industrial contamination. The contaminants get "concentrated" as they go up the food chain and also predator life span is a factor- Lake Trout are the poster children- they grow slowly, live long, and have a high fat content. I didn't think Tilapia fit any of those criteria. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vicente 0 Report post Posted January 23, 2017 Same thing with striped bass coming out of the Sacramento delta. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites