Since the mozambiques are mature at small size of 3"-5", this is the best size to stock. This way you get more like 20 fish per lb...making them approx $.50 ea instead of $2.50 ea. They are very quick at warm temperatures and will readily spawn. It helps to have a bloom, turbid water, or at least marginal cover for best survival rate. We recommend stocking at least 10 lbs per acre, sometimes much more with heavy predation expected.
I must emphasize that if juvenile bass are overpopulated before stocking tilapia, it is likely that they will eat fry and small fingerlings so quick that they hardly have time to grow to beneficial forage size...leaving bass just as skinny as ever.
However, if bass juveniles aren't overstocked, tilapia grow so fast that they'll readily produce perfect size forage for summer/fall bass growth.
We've seen this on our farm, first hand.
