I have a bass tank in South Texas (not far from Pearsall) as well. I was able to renovate an existing mud hole and I could start from the beginning with a completly dry hole. So, I stocked BG, Tilapia, Gambusi, fatheads, and mollys. I put thes in intentially to create the ultimate food chain, so I let them have at it for one year prior to stocking any of my LMB. You could see bait fish everywhere. Then after one year, I put the bass in and they are doing very well. The key to this is to make sure that you have the right mix of predation to counter the reproductive energy of the Tilapia. Also, I take out ALL of the green sunfish that compete with the younger bass for the baitfish. Personally, I have had outstanding results and would highly recommend Tilapia as long as it is part of the overall food chain. I sample the BG once a month with a very large perch trap as well as a minnow trap that I bought at Academy. This way I can get a general sample of what size (and subsequently age) of the BG. I caught a 17.5" LMB this past Saturday that was 16 months old and looked like a football. It was about the size of a small carrott when I stocked. I enjoy catching the weighing, measuring and releasing the bass as much (well almost as much) as I do deer watching.
