After Tilapia, yet once again...
09-02-2008 | 10:46 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Fork Horn
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
From: Central Texas (Williamson Co.)
After Tilapia, yet once again...
Well, monday it was back to Calaveras for some more fryin' fish. Had to go it alone this time. My bowfishin' disasters of the past are quickly becoming the stuff-of-legends and have left me as somewhat of a social pariah.
Yes, somedays you just don't have a friend in the world...
Yes, somedays you just don't have a friend in the world...
Here's what somegood Tilapia cover looks like as seen from the water.
And from the bank, they seem to really congregate around the lily-pads and sedges. You won't see them much in open water.
Here's a favorite spot to bushwack a few, there's actually a fish in this picture, but with an unpolarized lense he's pretty much impossible to see. These fish can disappear completely in abt 8" of water.
After I put the camera down, I got a coupla' shots right away. They are scattered and shy this time of year. In the spring you can rack-up on them pretty good. They are in the shallows spawning and chasing each other around then.
Sad to report, I only got 5 Tilapia this trip. I saw a big Nutria that probably would have tipped the scales on a good-sized bulldog, but I didn't reckon I had enough firepower to bring him to bag. Managed one more of those "Plecostomoid" fish, wretched invaders, the lake is lousy with them now. I didn't scream for near as long when I shot this one, my nerves having recovered some since I got thatfirst one awhile back...
This one was actually upside-down, eating algae when he got "the big surprise", as you can see from the angle of entry. Vile-looking creatures, ain't they? Blorch!
Well, that's about it for that trip. Just reporting in. Hope y'all enjoyed the long weekend!
BrushPopper out.
09-03-2008 | 05:18 AM
#4
Dominant Buck
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 22,545
Likes: 0
From: Ramsey , Indiana
RE: After Tilapia, yet once again...
They're called Plecostomus, "plecos" from people's aquariums that got too big and were illegally released. BTW, why the hell would anyone eat a tilapia? Do you know what they eat? Uggghhhhh!!!! [:'(]
09-03-2008 | 06:12 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,337
Likes: 0
From: Too close to Chicago
RE: After Tilapia, yet once again...
yeah, I recognized the aquarium glass cleaners, just never saw 1 so big or in the wild.
Nice pics Brushpopper.
Good educational stuff for those of us from up north.
Hey Kevin, what DO they eat? Don't have them up here, except on my plate at resturants. Whatever it is, they must process it pretty well, cuz the meat tastes pretty good to me.
Nice pics Brushpopper.
Good educational stuff for those of us from up north.
Hey Kevin, what DO they eat? Don't have them up here, except on my plate at resturants. Whatever it is, they must process it pretty well, cuz the meat tastes pretty good to me.
09-03-2008 | 08:39 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,224
Likes: 0
From: Houston, Texas
RE: After Tilapia, yet once again...
BTW, why the hell would anyone eat a tilapia? Do you know what they eat? Uggghhhhh!!!! [:'(]
09-03-2008 | 08:49 AM
#7
Thread Starter
Fork Horn
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
From: Central Texas (Williamson Co.)
RE: After Tilapia, yet once again...
ORIGINAL: kevin1
Do you know what they eat? Uggghhhhh!!!! [:'(]
Do you know what they eat? Uggghhhhh!!!! [:'(]
These are Mozambique Tilapia, African Cichlids and they are vegetarians. I've never seen one take a baited hook, even though they are built alot like a crappie or perch, theydon't seempredatory at all in the wild.
I've had younger ones in my aquarium, and they can be induced to eat anything in captivity. I've seen them take taco-chips along the river-walk in San Antonio where folks feed them.
I've examined the stomachs of alot of Tilapia, hoping to find an angle on some type of fly etc. that might get them to hit a hook. All I ever find is green algae, and I've seen them scraping the same off of submerged plants.
They are very alert, cautious fish, not nearly as easy to shoot as carp or gar.
Just curious, what do you think that they eat?
BP
09-06-2008 | 03:16 PM
#10
Spike
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
From:
RE: After Tilapia, yet once again...
Those Plecos are the nastiest feeling fish I have ever handled! They have sandpaper for skin! I try to avoidshooting those whwnever possible (and tell everyone else to) LOL!!!. They are nasty, but Tilapia are delicious! We shoot as many as we can. Amazing how many people don't eat gar. Amazing as well when prepared right. Great shooting. Gotta love when those lily pads start shaking!!!