Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Corrective stocking Tilapia as forage

Ah, tilapia. I'm lukewarm about this tropical creature. Here's why. Fact, tilapia die in cool water. Depending on species, tilapia die from 52 to 42 degrees F. Diversifying your food chain with tilapia can be good, as long as you keep several thoughts in mind. First, they will take pressure off overcrowded bass ponds by adding to the food chain and giving bluegill a temporary respite. But, when tilapia take off pressure by adding food, guess what bass do? They grow. So, your standing crop of bass increases on an already bass crowded population. Then, tilapia die each fall, and your bass are larger, with even less to eat. So, adding tilapia doesn't take away the need for slot limits, feeding and fertilizing. As a matter of fact, tilipia grow more bass, then die. So, the pressure shifts back to bass. And when pressure is on bass, pressure is on you. So, tilapia lead back to harvest. Tilapia are a tool, used in conjunction with all those other tools.