Pulled 19 Tilapia out of this sediment pond night before last. Largest 1# 9 oz. All blues except one smaller white. Most in the pound and a quarter to pound and a half range.
We had bought 300 small (1-2") mixed Tilapia (blue and white)in late spring (when water temps were high enough for them to survive) and put a bunch in this sediment pond (no predators in this pond yet). Noticed them moving very slow near the surface about dark so went out after dark with a light and with a dip net (and a couple with cast net) and harvested a total of 19. Ended up with between 5 and 6 pounds total meat.
The fish had got cold and were about to die. In fact I found one near dead that I tossed so actually a total of 20.
Went out last night but did not find any more. Had lots of rain so the water is a lot more turbid so either they have died or just could not see them. May try again today and tonight. Saw a couple large ones in the main pond but the water in it was warmer so they were still too active for me to capture them. Soon as the light hit them they went down.
Adding these Tilapia was kind of just a lark. I knew they would never get big enough or reproduce soon enough to help with any FA problem in the pond. But I wanted to get some experience and just see what they would do. They sure did grow fast.
Interesting thing, throughout the summer the whites were definitely the most visible. Being white they were much easier to spot feeding on pellets. Then when looking closely there would be the blues also, but much harder to spot. Yet now all we are getting are the blues. So either the whites have already died and sunk to the bottom (seen none floating or on the banks) or they have went deeper or something. According to the place we bought them from the whites are supposed to have similar cold tolerance as the blues.
We have had a bunch of cold rain with the main pond at emergency overflow level and a severe temperature drop yesterday, so if I'm going to get to harvest any more blues or see anything of the whites, it will be soon or never. I had kind of forgot about them when they quit coming up for feed a week or two ago. Will at least get a chance to see what they taste like.
