Here is my first intentional catch. The tilapia I have been catching have some of their underside fins partialy eaten. I guessed it was the barrimundi and that it was happening when the tilapia were feeding. I used a small rapala type lure and during the first afternoon caught nothing but tilapia, but yesterday this little guy made this move. He was about 3/4 to an inch long 13 months ago.
So with your diminutive feet, he's what.....5" long now???
That's a nice looking Barr. How did it taste?
I am guessing that fish is a "foot long" --
A good growth rate.
Just got back on line, I lost my phone service just after I made this post and the phone company just dropped by to repair it 10 minutes ago.
Now, Now, Sunil, picking on my poor little fish, next time I'll leave my foot in the shoe.
ewest, I didn't eat him, gently slide him back in the water, maybe this summer.
Hey Rad, I knew you must of been away from the computer to let my comment slide for a few days.
So how long was it approximately?
I don't suppose it's legal to stock these in the US is it?
Sunil, from Friday morning until Wednesday morning, the problem was , the earthquake in Taiwan, the bombs in Bangkok, it was a holiday and nobody told us, depended on who you spoke to.
On a up note, I caught a 6 pound 9 ounce tilapia yesterday, it must have been one of my original stockers, which I thought were gone, shocked us both.
Blackjack, they are raised as food fish in some states, they are not supposed to reproduce in ponds, might be worth looking into. I have an Aussie neighbor who says they are excellent eating.
Does the tilapia qualify for Cecil's website of pond records? If so I'm sure he'd like to have an international flair to the records.
Wouldn't be fair, that fish has been growing since Feb 2005, not many places in the US have the right climate. Plus it's an import, probably would require an asterisk.
My daughter, who's about 28 months old, saw the picture of the barrmundi as I was looking at it yesterday.
She felt that the fish was taking a nap. I explained that he was only laying down for a minute.
Barramundi is her new favorite word.
Originally posted by Sunil:
...Barramundi is her new favorite word.
Mine, too...and I'm 43 y.o.
I will try to keep you posted as they grow. They don't eat pellets so I have no way of knowing how many remain from the original stocking; I am reluctant to remove any at this point. I keep thinking, what if this is the only one?
Barramundi, that's a mouthful for a two year old.
My daughter is 43.
Naw, just look at his feet.
Sunil, you let your daughter look at the forum pics? Based on some of your past posts, I sure hope she doesn't read yet.
Kidding, just kidding.
All is well as of now as she does not read yet.
I've got some time left!
Here she is now
She was stocked 3/4 to an inch long, correction, 3 years ago this month. This one will get eaten. My scale batteries are dead so ? on the weight, about 2 feet long.
A neighbor from Australia gave me the lure, used, had Barra teeth marks in it.
I would hold these for the photo but my arms are to short.
I believe Barramundi are the fish about which Crocodile Dundee said "Good eating, but they give me gas."
remarkable growth rad, thanks for reviving the thread and showing the history.
Dang, Rad has all the cool fish. First Pacu now Barramundi? It's not fair.
Speaking of Pacu, have you caught any huge Pacu lately Rad?
IIRC there are some people in the US trying to grow them as table fair vs. tilapia.
IIRC there are some people in the US trying to grow them as table fair vs. tilapia.
ewest,
Wonder what they will be fed? I assumed they were top predators like LMB, but maybe they would take to feed better.
EDIT:
Rad, do they take feed, or make a living on your tilapia and other forage species?
You can fish for barramundi in Florida I almost went last weekend but couldn't stomach the cost. It is 800 dollars for four hours for four people. The guy claims to have the only ones that you can fish for in the U.S. He claims a growth rate of 3/4 pound a month and keeps them in four aerated ponds. If I could get three other guys to go in with me I would do it. They are catching them in the twenty pound range with bass tackle and they are supposed to be similar to sea bass in taste. I wonder how large they can grow in a pond?
Bobad,
They were not pellet trained, they were fed fish meal at the hatchery. They tried the pellets, but soon gave up, now it is anything they can catch. They give the tilapia fits, if I hook a tilapia about 3/4s of the time it will lose a piece of a fin on the way to the net.
This is the first one I have caught since the one pictured at the beginning of the thread.
Jeff, this is only the second fish I have caught in a while we have been busy with a building project. The other was a carp. The pacu are between 9 and 10 pounds. The major part of the project should be finished this month and I will get back to fishing.
Correction on the age, they have been in the pond 3 years this month.
Barramundi are very popular aquaponic fish in Australia. Seems they are fairly easy to pellet train.
Probably true in an aquaculture setting, as soon as they got large enough to eat others they gave up on the pellets. I read of some place raising them in the northeast, hi tech set up.
ewest,
When I first read about them, they had just sold their first batch and were disappointed, seems the American market wanted a larger filet. I guess they answered the call.
I assume so and hope they make it.