I was left speachless after I heard these words over the phone...the conversation goes something like this : "Hi, I was wondering if you have tilapia in stock". No, it's still a little cool, we had temps in the 40's a week ago. (Boatcycle's last tilapia run was May 3rd in my area) "Do you know when they will be available?" No, but I will put you on the list, how many do you need? "That's hard to say, the pond I'm building isn't finished yet, and I only have a 1/4 AC pond right now, I would like around 5 lbs." OK, let me have your info...blah, exchange name, phone, etc...then the words that turned me into Stone : I recommend stocking 100 pounds to the acre. SILENCE, I feel as though I have just been attacked by WTF (i.e Warmouth Technology Foundation . In full panic I said o.k. and hung up the phone...perhaps the gentleman slipped a mental digit? What would you do???

I sure would not put in 100 lbs. Stick with what you want. My guess is he does not want such a small sale as 10-20 lbs.

I have a pretty good idea who you are talking about. Just say no. If you can get them at this time of year, go and pick them up and stock them yourself.

Arms?

Legs?

I expect that's good guess Todd.

Todd is on top of his game I sure with he was closer to DFW or Brownwood, I miss the guy, lol.

Don't feel jealous DD1, I miss you too, you're funny ! I'll be bringing my brother (i.e. Pop) to 2008 PB, but we're probably heading out to the track at night, we both love betting the pony's.

Just tell him "if all they have are 100 pounders then you only want one."

Eastland, I put 50 pounds in a two acre pond from the guy you are talking about. I had enough small bass and I never saw an over abundance of tilapia. It does seem like a lot though, plus it is expensive at 10 bucks a pound.

10 lbs/acre works for me - they spawn at three months of age....
Size to select depends on size of predator fish - can be expensive fish food if too small with large LMB.

That reminds me, I've got to contact the local school. They raise tilapia in aquaculture and I wanted to see if they'd sell me some.

Yea I guess you have to watch it. I was told by someone "out of mozambique but will be getting in blue t's". So far they are the only one that Texas has informed that Blue Tilapia are legal. All others I have asked say no to the blues. Makes you wonder some times.

I'd be willing to suggest that "results" with stocking 100lbs per acre of tilapia are more predictable than with 10lbs per acre. Can't readily think of a big negative impact that 100lbs/acre could have, except on the pocket-book.

I'm curious...have there been failures stocking 10lbs per acre? I know it works for George, and that stocking rate works for me too.

Eastland, "it all depends" upon the situation year to year.
Our first year stocking of 5#/acre was inadequate, whereas last year our FA problem was "the wosrse case" Overton had ever seen.
We stocked 15#'s/acre and the tilapia cleaned it up in ~3 weeks.

This year practicaly no FA due to frquent rains flushing nutrients so stocked 10#/'s acre just to play it safe.

Eastland, for the second year in a row, we stocked 50# of Tilapia into our 1/2 Acre pond. Our pond is about 5 years old with some 10# CC and a few 4# LMB.

The best benefit I can say aside from forage and weed control, is the kid fishing. I couldn't keep my own hook in the water with as quickly as my two boys, 5 and 7, were pulling out monster Tilapia from the pond. In just one growing season, these Tilapia were bigger and fought harder than any Crappie or BG I have ever seen. There were several that they could not hardly lift into the paddle boat.

Somehow, I also did not have any floaters at the end of the season to contend with.

Outfishin...

What was it you and your boys were using for bait? About the only thing I have heard of they will eat is pellets.

The thing they liked the best was worms. The big fat ones straight from the fridge. (my wife loved that!) We also caught a few on small jigs.