Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Big bass

SRJ79
While not in Central Texas I am about 2.5 hours Northeast of you in Nacogdoches and have been stocking Tilapia for the past 3 years. I have seen Tilapia in my pond as late as Christmas/New Years so we have a considerable growing season for Mozambique Tilapia compared to many other states. The Tilapia dieing off every winter is definitely a good quality not only to prevent over population but also they don't immediately die they sort of lose their faculties about them becoming easy prey for your LMB. This allows the bass to put on some serious weight just before winter. I also would not be nervous to go ahead and add them this year while you are lowering your bass population.

Since Tilapia stocking started here in Texas around the first of April you will mostly receive larger Tilapia that will be able to avoid predation by your bass and also able to immediately start producing little Tilapia. 2nd week of April a 5 lb bag of Tilapia would have approx. 35-40 fish where now a 5 lb bag only has 20-25 fish or at least that is the case from the grower I use. Overton Fisheries in Buffalo TX is only a little over an hour North of College Station and I'm sure Todd would be more then happy to fix you up.

If you want quality over quantity you have to do two things for sure and that's remove the amount of bass at the dinner table and increase (or at the very least keep it the same) the amount of food at the dinner table.