Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Tilapia Fall harvest

Hi all,

Put in 25 lbs of tilapia in my Ohio pond this year to feed the newly stocked bass. The 75 bass are doing well in my one acre pond and I think consumed a lot of tilapia fry since the shiners I put in in Spring are still very well populated after a long Summer.

I’ve had little luck harvesting the adult tilapia with hook and line (corn and peas and stubby Steve’s) and have also had no luck cast netting.

Water temp has fallen below 60 and I expect that the tilapia will begin dying by Halloween. For those of you who have experienced this die-off, is there any chance that dying fish will float to the surface pre-death for possible retrieval? Hate to waste all of this good table fish.

Thanks, Tony

My tilapia die-offs have kind of varied year to year. Not sure if that is because of the way the weather "turned cold" in a particular year. Some years I see some dead tilapia along the shore, or floaters, or dead just under the surface, last year I don't think I saw any dead tilapia at all. I never discount the "otter factor", which is by far the most fish destructive factor in my pond. I live 1.5 hours from the pond and don't get out there every single weekend....so that could play a factor as well.

If you have a calm day with little wind and strong sun, they will come up to the surface and bask in the sun. You can cast a large treble hook over them and snag them.

I rarely see a dead Tilapia in the pond, the scavengers take them out before I can.

My Tilapia eat fish food with the BG and are susceptible to Stubby Steve's or Berkley Power Eggs while I chum with a handful of fish food. A week ago I caught 6 of them in an hour's time - half on worms, half on Power Eggs (the last 3 in about 10 minutes).

I don't see a lot of floaters when they die, but the buzzards and raccoons are fat and happy.

FYI, stocking rate was 6 lbs of Tilapia in a half acre.

I too have had unlucky time catching my tilapia for the first time in Ohio. I've tried everything over the past 3 weeks. Besides catching bluegill (Berkley Powerbait Panfish Nibbles guarantee one every time in my pond), nothing. Must have missed my window when pond temp was a lot warmer.