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General Category => Fishing Reports => Topic started by: redline on December 30, 2010, 07:35:20 PM

Title: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: redline on December 30, 2010, 07:35:20 PM
After chatting with my cousin Shane and telling him about my new rod and reel here needing to be spooled up and christened a plan was made.

shortly after he arrived at home and we had the reel spooled up and ready to rumble, first stop was the Caboolture weir as i had never been there. we struggled to find a track thru the bush down to the waters edge and found it very hard going with mud everywhere and very little room.

then we decided to head upstream in the caboolture river, finding a nice little waterhole we tried many different lures and had no luck at all, many fish were spied lurking in the lillies but we found it impossible to entice a strike, was good to get some time flicking lures but will be nice when i finally land a fish on a lure!!!

we then decided to try and catch one with some good old garden worms on a hook under a float and only moments after the float hit the water I had my first fish on the bank, a bloody tilapia!!!!

after another hour the total had reached 12 of the bloody things, we made a pacht to make it a regular event to try and thin the numbers when we can as often as we can.

(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c93/redlineXX/30122010110.jpg)

(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c93/redlineXX/30122010111.jpg)

(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c93/redlineXX/30122010113.jpg)

(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c93/redlineXX/30122010114.jpg)

(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c93/redlineXX/30122010115.jpg)

(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c93/redlineXX/30122010116.jpg)
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: Sweetwater on December 30, 2010, 08:23:59 PM
Good on you redline. Keep killing the things. They're ok eating to, although its illegal to have one in your possession & illegal to let one go. Just eat them & dump the carcass away from any waterway.  :thumbsup

fitz..
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: redline on December 30, 2010, 08:30:34 PM
didn't know they were ok to eat? how do u recommend cooking it?


this lot are destined to be worm food in the worm farm which will make more worms to take fishing to catch more of the mongrels.


the rod and reel loaded with stren braid worked perfectly and very happy with the setup :youbeauty :youbeauty
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: BG on December 30, 2010, 08:55:39 PM
Good report.  I am afraid we have to live with them.

I carry a small spade in the wagon now and just bury them.  It saves stinking the district out.

Somerset is just as bad, I believe they will have a Talipa busting weekend there one day.

Apparently it happens in a lot of dams in Queensland.  We could get Fisheries, Local Councils, Clubs behind it and get some good numbers.

Regards Gordon
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: redline on December 30, 2010, 09:02:21 PM
re the spade gordan my worm farm is gonna love them to munch on.


this hole is within 3 min from my place so i am going to try and put a dent in the population so to speak but it would be awesome if we could organize something on the forum to get a number of us there to hit them hard mate.

small float, hook and a handfull of worms is very little cost to thin them down a bit surely??
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: Binder on December 31, 2010, 04:00:33 AM
Bugger, thats my local (which we stock with Bass - the Caboolture Fish Stocking group) didn't know those sods were in there. Been there a while to by the size of those!

Access is much easier from down at Centenary lakes. Between the Morayfield Road bridge and the footbridge is usually ok for some bass on lures. Just wander along the walking track and sneak between the shrubbery at likely looking spots. The bass do prefer the shopping trolley snags over the wheellie bin ones though  ;D

Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: redline on December 31, 2010, 02:15:53 PM
these were caught in a lagoon not the main river system but there sure to be in the river too :thumbdown :thumbdown


lemme know if u wanna catch up for a session thinning there numbers :youbeauty
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: Binder on December 31, 2010, 05:19:02 PM
Might have to see if the boys in the stocking group want to give them a hit up, supposed to be doing a tagging day (delayed by the rain and subsequent flood).
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: redline on December 31, 2010, 05:21:32 PM
if u guys decide to go down for a session lemme know and i can pop down at a moments notice mate,  :youbeauty :youbeauty
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: Binder on December 31, 2010, 05:56:17 PM
I think I responded to your PM twice instead of one post here!

But Basically I'm  a member of several local stocking groups, details in the PM's. happy to take you along to a meeting, I dont think any are meeting in January.
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: redline on December 31, 2010, 11:47:13 PM
sounds good thanks mate,


Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: elops on January 01, 2011, 10:22:37 AM
Been present in the catchment for a while in various lakes and small bodies of water, the flows of autumn 09 would have spread them pretty much everywhere.
Got some juvies in the lagoon/swamp on upper King John ck. last spring when collecting Ornate Rainbows.
With this last big flush WILL spread even further  :thumbdown

cheers
Steve 
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: redline on January 01, 2011, 05:55:18 PM
went back for another stab at em this arvo

(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c93/redlineXX/164186_481526702413_510392413_6338057_5588010_n.jpg)
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: Binder on January 01, 2011, 08:09:03 PM
The rain seems to have brought them on the chew, my father was getting stuck in to them on NPD today.
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: redline on January 01, 2011, 11:13:12 PM
yeh there were hundreds schooled up along the edge of the lillypads and were taking insects or something off the surface,

has anyone had them take a lure?
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: bushwacker on January 01, 2011, 11:33:20 PM
yeh there were hundreds schooled up along the edge of the lillypads and were taking insects or something off the surface,

has anyone had them take a lure?

Sounds like it might be good fly practise but maybe try those little spinning blades i think they where called celters, spangled perch go mental over them at maroon dam if not try small poppers.

Steve
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: redline on January 01, 2011, 11:36:34 PM
very hard to get a backswing with a fly rod in this area mate thats the only problem :thumbdown :thumbdown


a small spinner blade might be worth a try, gonna go down tomorrow and try some bread
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: Binder on January 02, 2011, 04:10:18 AM
I've seen bigger ones caught on an SX40, so maybe a try with one of the small bream lures like the river to sea baby crank might be worth a shot.
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: Bracey on January 02, 2011, 08:03:44 AM
Tilapia have also been seen and caught in good numbers with the surgence of interest in fishing Ewen Maddock Dam this year from the establishment of the newly formed stocking group.

They'll build nests in the shallows during Spring like catfish do where they can be found feeding quite aggressively.

Unfortunately they have made their way to the Mooloolah River as well which is a dawm shame.

We were hoping to stock some Mary River Cod in the lake this year to try to cull numbers before the Tilapia get too large but we were'nt able to ascertain any due to various reasons.

Cheers Dave

Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: Sweetwater on January 02, 2011, 12:42:38 PM
Have caught them on jig spinners aka beetle spins attached to a plastic.

Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: redline on January 02, 2011, 12:51:52 PM
sitting at home bored so i might head down again this arvo for a look if anyone wants to come along?

fishings fun when u know ur gonna catch something and the fact its helping the waterway makes it all the more beneficial.


give me a call or a text if u wanna know where to come, 0422 637 294 :youbeauty :youbeauty
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: Binder on January 02, 2011, 01:21:41 PM
I'm just back from north pine dam. Been getting stuck in to the redclaw. I tried my fathers Tilapia spot, but just kept hooking turtles.

Hope you do better - have fun.
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: redline on January 02, 2011, 07:28:02 PM
went back again with my cousin and his mate, landed the eel before they arrived and keith landed the cattie but he was not real sure on it and didnt wanna get to close lol.

nearly filled a 20L white bucket wih tilapia but didnt bother to count em or take any pics, my guess is 25 or more of the mongrel things. :OMG

put in a small fish trap and caught hundreds of small native fish so even though there are millions of tilapia there is still plenty of small natives there for bass food lol


(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c93/redlineXX/167879_482101697413_510392413_6353713_2197198_n.jpg)
(http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c93/redlineXX/168033_482101612413_510392413_6353712_6254190_n.jpg)
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: pablo on January 02, 2011, 09:22:59 PM
yeh there were hundreds schooled up along the edge of the lillypads and were taking insects or something off the surface,

has anyone had them take a lure?

They love small lures
Title: Re: Caboolture River Tilapia
Post by: redline on January 02, 2011, 09:48:15 PM
They love small lures


we cant get em to take lures or bread or dough on a hook, they only bite on worms???