Tilapia

[FlatsNBay]

It seems like it is getting more frequent for me. Every so often I catch a tilapia while bass fishing. I'm not talking about accidentally snagging one, I'm talking hooking them in the mouth. Yesterday, I was fishing a crankbait and one choked it (as best as he could with his little mouth)! The time before that, I caught one flipping under a mat of vegetation, again right in the mouth. Anybody else frequently catch them while targeting bass?

[big g]

A friend that lives on the rim canal at the Big O told me, the Moon Shine Bay is full of big Tilapia!

[topdsm0138]

I know green tilapia will do that, but the blue tilapia mainly eat grass down here.

Sent from undisclosed location. -Tiller Mafia

[FlatsNBay]

Tops, these are blue tilapia which is very surprising!

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[topdsm0138]

Tops, these are blue tilapia which is very surprising!

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That is a bit of a shocker there.

Sent from undisclosed location. -Tiller Mafia

[Capt. BassinLou]

It seems like it is getting more frequent for me. Every so often I catch a tilapia while bass fishing. I'm not talking about accidentally snagging one, I'm talking hooking them in the mouth. Yesterday, I was fishing a crankbait and one choked it (as best as he could with his little mouth)! The time before that, I caught one flipping under a mat of vegetation, again right in the mouth. Anybody else frequently catch them while targeting bass?

A friend of mine caught his first Tilapia in the Glades like that too a little while ago. It happens more than we think apparently.

[Larry Francis]

I asked a FWC expert Fisheries Biologist about this when I first got down to Florida. His explanation is they spawn 3-4 times a year and they are protecting their beds when they hit lures with their mouth. makes sense to me.

[Capt. BassinLou]

I asked a FWC expert Fisheries Biologist about this when I first got down to Florida. His explanation is they spawn 3-4 times a year and they are protecting their beds when they hit lures with their mouth. makes sense to me.

That's basically what I think as well. Since their populations are so high, the chances of coming across one on a bed is pretty high too.

[Time2Fish]

Caught this one mid April near PBI. On a chartreuse spinnerbait!




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[topdsm0138]

Caught this one mid April near PBI. On a chartreuse spinnerbait!




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That's a nice sandwich there.

Sent from undisclosed location. -Tiller Mafia

[FlatsNBay]

I caught another one today. I was fishing with a spinnerbait when I saw a fish waking behind the bait. As it got closer, I could see a light colored fish following my bait. I thought it might be a lighter colored bass so I slowed my retrieve and he sucked the spinnerbait in. It turned out to be a 3 pound tilapia. Later on in the morning it happened again only this time I sped the bait up to keep it away from the tilapia. Pretty crazy! There were no beds around as far as I could tell.

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[Capt. BassinLou]

Tilapia slayer!!

[Pat Dilling]

I caught this 6.2 pound tilapia at Lake Picachos in Mexico last year. It bit a square bill crankbait and put up one heck of a fight!  A little while later I caught one over 3.  Our guide was excited, dinner for a couple days.

[Smallie_Stalker]

I caught this 6.2 pound tilapia at Lake Picachos in Mexico last year. It bit a square bill crankbait and put up one heck of a fight!  A little while later I caught one over 3.  Our guide was excited, dinner for a couple days.

Holy moley! A 6 pound tilapia!

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[acesover]

I got into them a while back using the fly rod, they were a lot of fun with a 5wt