Best Lure for Tilapia

[crazywalrus]

Hi Guys

I am still a learner when it comes to soft plastics but have been giving it a go. I have been taking my boys down to the local creek and chasing carp and I noticed while we where fishing that there where Tilapia in the creek as well. These ones had a real red tail, very different to the ones I have caught in NPD, Kurwongbah and Tinaroo. I really want to target these but do not want to also target the local tortoises as well so i would like to avoid bait.

I tried a small Gulp minnow grub and managed to get a few chases and only one hit. I was wondering if you guys had any experience with any other lure for these guys and maybe retrieval techniques?

This is one of the Carp we caught (koi carp???)

[rosstralia46]

berkley gulp worms just wind em over the top of them keep winding then just stoop usually works for me with real worms and reckon it would work with gul worms as well probably green, brown or camo colour what creek too?

[crazywalrus]

thanks for that - maybe i have to give it a longer try. I have been fishing in Enoggera Creek.

[51MPL]

mate i just use bread, either with or without float and when u see the slack take up then strike and you should be in business

had more success without float though

[crazywalrus]

I normally use bread or worms for them however the tortoises are thick and I want to try and avoid catching them especially when some of the locals are fairly touchy about it so i was hoping to use a soft plastic or hard body if they work.

[elops]

Your carp is a goldfish "wild" goldfish are pretty common in SEQ lakes and streams.

The Tilapia are pretty much the same Tilapia as found elsewhere.

Any small hardbodies plastics even small surface lures work if the tilapia are active.

Worms are the best thing but there is the chance of turtle bycatch.

[Chafule]

Try barbless hooks if your struggling with turtles. if i know ive hooked a turtle, i just let the line go slack abit and usually they unhook themselves

[rayke1938]

I have caught a few as bycatch when using sx40s chasing bass but they are a bit exy for the kids to use in creek unless you are prepared to go into the water to retrieve them when snagged.Have a bit of a look around to see if you cn pick up a few cheepos in similar style.

Cheers

Ray

[crazywalrus]

thanks elops - i will give my small poppers a go as well.

I have been using barbless hooks to help with the release. The locals are a little touchy when it comes to their turtles.

I will try the lures - It will be a good chance for the kids to learn how to use them.

[Schmuck]

If you're going plastics go lightly weighted worm/shrimp patterns, caught a few large ones this way at Wivenhoe a few years back.

[Dinodadog]

LGM got one on the weekend on lure,cant remember what lure, he may see this. I found it still in the bucket in the back of the wagon the next day, did it pong.

[hooked_on_trout]

wow nice carp, one of the best looking I have seen in a while.

I beleive they are related very closely to Koi if not Koi.

I used to see coloured carp swiming rivers out west and I am sure they are a remanent of the 70s goldfish pond era, released or disposed of into the local waterway and continue to breed.

Nice fish, sadly still a noxious pest.

Cheers

[jon]

as akid i used to see tonnes of theese large goldfish in the bremer river and even the odd black one and was told a a large proportion entered various brisbane waterways during the 74 floods (and other substantial floods post 74) as theese waters breached the banks and engulfed backyards and in turn the fishponds. after thier escape they continued to thrive. as they are noxious i think they have to be killed by law, but youve got a good chance (wink wink) of being able to sell the bigger models of orange goldies to the aquarium shops and out door pond shops for up wards of 30 bucks certainly enuff to buy a few new lures. as long as thier out of the water ways i dont see the problem. just stabalise em in clean ged water for a few days

[jon]

ps be 100% sure thier not carp first or the fish shops wont wanna chat much any more lol.

your pic was definatley a goldie but

[rayke1938]

but youve got a good chance (wink wink) of being able to sell the bigger models of orange goldies to the aquarium shops and out door pond shops for up wards of 30 bucks certainly enuff to buy a few new lures. as long as thier out of the water ways i dont see the problem. just stabalise em in clean ged water for a few days

Highly illegal and unethical because there is a chance that they will end up in another waterway this is one of the ways that they are spread because the kids get sick of looking after them and think they are being kind by releasing them into local creek.

Deedi have enough on their plate without having to cope with new outbreaks and the odds are that they cannot exterminate them anyhow.

Ray