MORE TILAPIA

[Paulanderson]

Yesterday visited a farm dam near Lusaka in Zambia for a good catch of red tilapia to about 1 kg - soft plastics ignored (which is usually the case with this species of tilapia) but every time a worm hit the water it was quickly taken. Easy to fillet and great to eat it was a good day out. Just in case you think otherwise we also have our days here when fish are very hard to come by or are very small.

[shazdoggg]

Thx for the post! For a second, I thought there were tilapia off mornington(which is saltwater incase you didnt know Paul ) Ive caught tilapia(not sure which species) in Malaysia and Cambodia. Never tried lures for them. How well do they work and what type of soft plastic is preferred??

[Paulanderson]

Most larger Tilapia take lures from time to time but at least in Zambia yellowbelly tilapia (also known as nemwe) live in rivers particularly where there is some current and structure and they really take lures well. I use a mix of soft plastics such as Sensation Drop Shot 2" Swim Minnow in Blue Shad, Berkley Powerbait 3" Ripple Shad Holographic Gold Black, Bass Pro Shops Tripple Ripple Grub Milky Salt and Pepper 3" but my favorite (no longer have the packet) looks for all the world like a small redfin. A problem in some rivers here, such as the Zambezi, is that small Tigerfish take soft plastics apart and when they are thick will take the tail off every cast!

[rixter]

Good post and pictures. They almost look like a cross between a Bream shape, and Carps scales, and Redfin fins .... ' sort off' ..

Cheers , Rick.