# This Was Kinda Different - Freshwater 3/17/09



## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

wow man that thing looks more like an over grown bream  looks like it would definitely put up a good fight ;D


----------



## kooker (Feb 22, 2010)

I use to catch them all the time that size.  They tend to bed up right next to shore and if the water is clear enough you can see the massive beds they make.  Sometimes about a foot deep and a diameter of about 3 feet.  My buddies and I use to stand on the shore (sometimes lay down) because they were so spooky and use light tackle (A very small, but strong hook). We noticed that they were pretty much vegetation eaters, so we would take vegetation that was floating around and wrap it around our hook (no weight at all, just hook) and simply toss it out around the beds. Your main goal is to make the vegetation float and look as realistic as possible.  I know this may be a weird type of fishing, but if you want to rack up the Tilapia and you don't have a boat, this is a great technique. If you can't find any vegetation use white bread.  Tear the bread apart (DON'T BALL IT UP) and put the hook through it,  toss is out and I'm sure you'll get the same effect. You want to hide the hook as much as possible too. Sometimes you may even get some nice blue gill in the mix  . Sorry for all the typing just thought I'd share some nice Tilapia tips!!!


----------



## phishphood (Dec 15, 2006)

> Tear the bread apart (DON'T BALL IT UP) and put the hook through it


I see a bread fly pattern in the making, don't I. ;D

Nice job on catching some fish.


----------



## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

> > Tear the bread apart (DON'T BALL IT UP) and put the hook through it
> 
> 
> I see a bread fly pattern in the making, don't I. ;D
> ...


saw where some guys were tieing flies to resemble a berry to catch the carp  and the other day i read on one of the forums about a fly called the "slippery nipple"  sounds kinda interesting ;D now back to haMm3rs report


----------



## HaMm3r (Dec 11, 2006)

Thanks guys, and especially Kooker for the Tilapia tips!   I actually have a bread fly pattern that I've caught small tilapia and bream on. I've posted it here before, so I'll hunt back and find a picture for you.

This spot would be really tough to fly fish though unless in a small boat. There's just no open ground to cast.

Edit: Here's my original thread about trying to catch catfish on fly, where I designed a bread fly.
http://www.microskiff.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1212450720

And some pictures...


----------



## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

have you tried spreading some jelly on it as an attractant  ;D


----------



## kooker (Feb 22, 2010)

No problem at all! If you catch some of those Tilapia in a nice clean, natural pond/lake, keep those puppies. They are selling for like 6-7 bucks a pound at publix!


----------



## Frank_Sebastian (Oct 15, 2007)

For the really big ones you can slow troll a live carrot. I learned that from a Vic Dunaway article.

Frank_S


----------



## newbie_dave (May 31, 2007)

Nice job, Hammer


----------



## Green_Hornet (Nov 1, 2008)

Good one Hammer!
I caught one on a real tiny Clouser minnow on the edge of the pond close to home. It was olive green and white, must have looked just enough like plants to be taken hard by it. It did put up a great fight on the 4wt. Pulled straight to the bottom and a jump when it got close to the edge.


----------



## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

Jeff, now that you seem to have a system working for catching these things you need to brand your fly pattern with something catchy (pun intended) like the Tilapia Touche' and start marketing the damn things.  

Clouser seemed to have worked for Bob Clouser and his ubiquitous pattern, but I think you'll have a tougher time getting similar mileage with a bread fly being called the hammer.


----------



## HaMm3r (Dec 11, 2006)

> Jeff, now that you seem to have a system working for catching these things you need to brand your fly pattern with something catchy (pun intended) like the Tilapia Touche' and start marketing the damn things.
> 
> Clouser seemed to have worked for Bob Clouser and his ubiquitous pattern, but I think you'll have a tougher time getting similar mileage with a bread fly being called the hammer.


Hehe...that's funny Eric! ;D How about calling it the "Bread-n-Biter" fly.


----------



## HaMm3r (Dec 11, 2006)

Took a crack at two brand new lakes today. Got two strikes in the first one during lunch. Got zero hits at lake #2 after dinner. Only action happened while top-water frogging thru the pads.


----------



## devinmurray99 (Jan 7, 2010)

> No problem at all!  If you catch some of those Tilapia in a nice clean, natural pond/lake, keep those puppies.  They are selling for like 6-7 bucks a pound at publix!


As good as they taste, after watching Dirty Jobs Vomit Island episode I can never consider buying/ordering Tilapia from anywhere.  I guess if you are catching it yourself that is a different story.  

I saw somewhere that they are like the top 5 most consumed fish in the U.S.


----------



## kooker (Feb 22, 2010)

Haha saw the same episode.


----------



## jeross (Jun 6, 2009)

After seeing (and smelling) thousands of dead and rotting ones along the St. Johns and Econ rivers this winter, they don't do much for my appetite either!


----------



## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

I caught a BIG tilapia on a peacock clouser one day while peacock fishing. 
This thing was easily at least 3lbs. lol


----------



## Puzzys4RBuffs (Mar 18, 2010)

How about "The Wonder Fly"


----------

