Tilapia on a fly?

[mickmcco]

I have been asked by a friend to help him clear some tilapia out of a spring-fed lake he is responsible for, or at least catch a few together on flies.

Any suggestions on flies or techniques to catch these fish?

[aged_sage]

The typical Tilapia found in our waters are vegetarian; thus making it difficult to recommend a capture method other than netting or trapping; and trapping requires a suitable bait. I personally know one individual who bow hunts them inthe summer when the mulberries along the banks 0of his 'home' lake are ripe, and falling into the water, as the tilapia congregate there to feed on the ripe mulberries. If you want to catch them on hook and line, they might be trained to feed on dog chow, which could then be used as bait, or a fly tied to resemble the dog food. Such flies are know locally as "PDF" of PFC" flies---Purina Dog Food, or Purina Fish Chow. The 5mm pompoms found in craft stores make excellent flies when superglued on a #8 hook, if they will feed on such chow. Half of a coffee bean (CBF) superglued to a similar hook also works .

[Gandolf]

Hi Mickmcco,

I am sure that I read somewhere, perhaps on one of the bulletin boards here, that although tilapia are primarily plant eaters, that one of the guys has caught them on pheasant tails, or other small nymphs. He says streamer patterns have never worked for him, but again small nymphs had.

Regards,

Gandolf

[Goduster]

I usually catch all mine on crystal white wooly buggers.

[Bill-B'klyn]

If they take mulberries or dry pet food, use deer hair flies. Pictured are some of the deer hair flies I use during "mulberry" season.

[RHenn]

Sponge spiders seem to work on occasion for me.

[Uncle Jesse]

If they take mulberries or dry pet food, use deer hair flies. Pictured are some of the deer hair flies I use during "mulberry" season.

Bill, I think that is the most unique collection of flies I have seen. You have really matched the hatch for your prey.

On the subject of tilipia I think back to the first time I heard of a tilipia was in the "Progressive Farmer" magazine, a hog farmer was planning on placing tilipia in his runoff collection pond to process the waste from the pigs. If you can figure the pattern out, you might want to try a "Pig Poop" pattern.