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I have been moving around a bit lately. Finally got settled into a place for a while. I have slowly been accumulating my fishing tackle from the move. I got my bladder today and noticed two gnarly heat holes.. no biggie patched them up.. filled the tube up, stayed filled for about 3 hours. huess there is still a leak.
I am getting ready for some cold water trips to catch he ice on. also have a trip out to fish for some tilapia in a few weeks. I am excited to finally have the time to go get my float on.
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[cool][#0000ff]Welcome back. Glad you still wanna get out and fish. Good luck.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]How's your dad? Haven't heard from him in a while.[/#0000ff]
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Welcome back.
How you done any Tilapia fly fishing? If so, would you
like to share?
Peter
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[cool][#0000ff]Just in case Josh (FB2) wanders off again, I will offer some input on that one. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Tilapia are not found in Utah except in one small spot...the Blue Lakes out in the far west desert. This is a geothermal spring fed group of small ponds that maintain temperatures warm enough to harbor tilapia and other species. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Actually, there were no tilapia in them until a few years ago. Until then they were a great spot to go for open water fishing even in the dead of a cold winter...for big bluegills and largemouth bass. But, the skin divers who use the warm clear waters for divers' training and recreation have added a few "aquarium pets" (illegally) just to increase their own enjoyment. Unfortunately, some of the exotics...like the tilapia...have had a negative effect on the bass and bluegill. Besides competing for food and nesting spots they are very aggressive nest raiders and can eliminate complete nests of the previous inhabitants.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There are a couple of lakes in that area that have tilapia. In the main lake, which is deeper...the lake popular with divers...there are fewer tilapia but they grow bigger. Some exceed 6 pounds but are very hard to catch by anglers. In one of the smaller "bluegill" lakes there is a huge population of tilapia which are now stunting. They used to exceed 12 to 14 inches but now average under 10 inches. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Our state fisheries people have never patrolled or managed Blue Lake because it is waaaaaay out in the desert. But they recently enacted a mandatory keep and kill regulation for all tilapia. It will not eradicate them but might help reduce the population. Unfortunately, not many people get out there to fish except the labor force from the gambling town of Wendover...20 miles to the north on terrible roads.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Because the food sources are scarce these fish will hit a wide variety of baits and lures...and flies. One of their primary foods is a small water beetle...about a size 12 black bug. Flies of that size and color will catch tilapia, bluegills and even some good sized bass. But, they will also hit other patterns and colors in other sizes. They ain't proud.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]A lot of tilapia anglers simply toss out a small tube jig with a piece of nightcrawler on it. Others skip the lure and just fish a small piece of crawler on a bait hook.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here is a link to a divers' website with some interesting pics and info.[/#0000ff]
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[url "http://www.utahdiving.com/bluelake.htm"]http://www.utahdiving.com/bluelake.htm[/url]
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That is some funtastic info TD. Thank you.
Peter
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[cool][#0000ff]I thought you might be interested in getting a bit more info on one of the diverse fishing holes in our state. We have everything from high mountain streams to Lake Powell, with a bunch of other rivers and lakes in between. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have fished all over the country and I tell a lot of people that Utah offers more good fishing, for more species, in more different kind of waters than almost any other state I know of...maybe besides California. But California is more like several countries than one state. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]One thing we do not have here that I really miss from California is the salt water fishing. I have fished almost every mile of coastline in California and I have never found an area I didn't like...or that I didn't catch some species of fish. Something for all angling interests.[/#0000ff]
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My dad is doing well, should have time for some fishing this time of year. Well as usual TD hit the nail on the head.
I have not fished these lakes so I have no prior experience with tilapia on the fly, however, I have cauht many other panfish species, That is how I intended on fishing for them.
using smaller bright color poppers, grasshopper patterns, anything big and attractive on the top.
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[cool][#0000ff]Tilapia are not "panfish" like bluegills and green sunfish. They are members of the cichlid family. While they are considered to be mostly herbivores (plant eaters) they do eat worms and other invertebrates. But, in all the areas I have encountered tilapias I have never known them to hit anything topwater. Put on your sink tip or at least use a sinking fly to get down a ways and use wet flies or nymphs. A good old hares ear should work as well as anything.[/#0000ff]
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good to know TD. With that info I may be more successful in my venture out to the west desert. I do have a sink tip and a full sink. I will be sure to put both reels in my tube as I prepare.
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TD...
Sorry to hear/read about how some "bucket-biologists" (as we refer to them back here) spoiled your lake(s)!
I've never SEEN a Tilapia before (kinda homely little things, huh), but I know from having them at restaurants, they're pretty good eating! [  ]
I normally C&R everything, but since the anglers have to keep/kill them anyway, may as well "enjoy" them!
Keep up the good work!
Bob
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Very interesting TD, thanks. Are these the same tilapia that are raised in ponds for table fare in restaurants? They are common in warm power plant lakes in central Texas. I don't fish for them, but they are said to be herbivores in my area. Hard to catch with lures or bait unless they in an aggressive mood defending their nests is what I have heard. Maybe they are not as desperate for food in our area.
These and other central Texas lakes have served as test grounds for various species, to see if they are self sustaining. We had orange mouth corvinas for many years at Calaveras until they were no longer stocked. Redfish are still stocked and easy to catch there. I don't fish those lakes anymore, mostly because they are trampled down and unsightly. But you've not lived until you experience landing a 30# Red from a 26# pontoon, wondering if you were the fisher or the fishee.
We also had saugeye hybrids stocked at some of the smaller lakes for a time, though I haven't gone after them. Got any of those in the Utah area?
Pon
[quote TubeDude][cool][#0000ff]Tilapia are not "panfish" like bluegills and green sunfish. They are members of the cichlid family. While they are considered to be mostly herbivores (plant eaters) they do eat worms and other invertebrates. But, in all the areas I have encountered tilapias I have never known them to hit anything topwater. Put on your sink tip or at least use a sinking fly to get down a ways and use wet flies or nymphs. A good old hares ear should work as well as anything.[/#0000ff][/quote]
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[cool][#0000ff]Yes, most of the tilapia planted in warm waters of the USA are "Nile Tilapia". That is also the species most commonly raised on the fish farms for commercial sale to markets and restaurants. They are a firm white fleshed fish that are easy to prepare and good eating. And, as you have found with your local population they are primarily herbivores. But, it is amazing how many of those you can catch by fishing green peas under a bobber. Corn too, where legal.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have caught a lot of orange mouth corvina in the Sea of Cortez, where they are native, and also in the Salton Sea in California...which is now overpolluted and off limits to water recreation.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have also caught a lot of reds along both sides of Florida, in Louisiana and in Texas. One of my favorite fish for sure. Landed more than a few bull reds from my old donut tubes. Yeeee hawwww.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Lots of walleyes in Utah but to the best of my knowledge they have never planted any saugers or hybrids. We do have tiger muskies (pike/muskie hybrids), wipers (striper/walleye hybrids) and several trout hybrids like the tiger trout (brown/brook), cuttbow (rainbow/cutthroat) and splake (laker/brookie). [/#0000ff]
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