Tilapia in Lake Hodges

[NFCD I]

Received a text from a friend yesterday that said he and a friend of his caught a Tilapia while fishing Lake Hodges.

Has anyone else seen or heard of Tilapia being in Hodges?

[fishing_freak]

theres this fishing app that i use, i did see a few pics on people catching tilapia there

[P.A.W.]

51451this is the fish in question

[kwin]

Tilapia were illegally introduced by a private aquaculture facility/hauler from the Imperial Valley with a load of catfish a few years ago.

[etucker1959]

Tilapia were illegally introduced by a private aquaculture facility/hauler from the Imperial Valley with a load of catfish a few years ago.

I guess they got confused, they thought they were dropping off fish to Corona Lake. lol

[DarkShadow]

I guess they got confused, they thought they were dropping off fish to Corona Lake. lol

At least they did some stocking, amiright?!

[Brent]

I don't know about you guys, but Tilapia are great eating and if we could get a great fishery for them local that isn't the disgusting Salton Sea, it could be fun. Not sure about sacrificing Hodges for them though. I'm not sure how disruptive they would be to other species.

[NFCD I]

I've bass fished Lake Novia down in Mexico for the past 15 years. It's loaded with Tilapia. I can't say they've hurt the bass fishing, but they commercially gill net the tilapia for sale in the USA by the thousands each week. I'm afraid they'll take over Hodges.

[kwin]

I've bass fished Lake Novia down in Mexico for the past 15 years. It's loaded with Tilapia. I can't say they've hurt the bass fishing, but they commercially gill net the tilapia for sale in the USA by the thousands each week. I'm afraid they'll take over Hodges.

without the commercial removal of the tilapia, do you believe the bass fishery would be what it is there? a commercial gillnet fishery would not be allowed should tilapia get loose and established at any of our local lakes. There are already numbnuts bringing flathead catfish from the river to local lakes to compete with and predate upon the treasured gamefish in our local lakes. Once Pandora's box is opened, you can't close it.

[etucker1959]

without the commercial removal of the tilapia, do you believe the bass fishery would be what it is there? a commercial gillnet fishery would not be allowed should tilapia get loose and established at any of our local lakes. There are already numbnuts bringing flathead catfish from the river to local lakes to compete with and predate upon the treasured gamefish in our local lakes. Once Pandora's box is opened, you can't close it.

Kinda reminds me of Striped Bass getting into our 2 premier Bass lakes. (DVL and Castaic) I thought for sure in the 1990's Castaic was going to produce the next world record LMB. (no way now!) What about DVL, it had so much hype by that biologist they hired. (what's his name) For a few short years the LMB and the trout were living up to the hype. But alas the stripers got in there and reproduced and now it's a put and take trout fishery only and no holdovers to speak of. Still a decent LMB fishery for the people in the know. But not what they hoped for!! Maybe it was a fools wish anyway!

[P.A.W.]

without the commercial removal of the tilapia, do you believe the bass fishery would be what it is there? a commercial gillnet fishery would not be allowed should tilapia get loose and established at any of our local lakes. There are already numbnuts bringing flathead catfish from the river to local lakes to compete with and predate upon the treasured gamefish in our local lakes. Once Pandora's box is opened, you can't close it.

What'll you bet snakeheads will make an appearance?

[kwin]

What'll you bet snakeheads will make an appearance?

Already have.....they have been documented 2x in local waters over the last 20 years. Silverwood and Elsinore. Thankfully only one at each.

[seal]

Kinda reminds me of Striped Bass getting into our 2 premier Bass lakes. (DVL and Castaic) I thought for sure in the 1990's Castaic was going to produce the next world record LMB. (no way now!) What about DVL, it had so much hype by that biologist they hired. (what his name) For a few short years the LMB and the trout were living up to the hype. But alas the stripers got in there and reproduced and now it's a put and take trout fishery only and no holdovers to speak of. Still a decent LMB fishery for the people in the know. But not what they hoped for!! Maybe it was a fools wish anyway!

The lagoon does not have an established striper population and could still produce a giant and I think the larger lake still has a good lmb population and I see no reason why a larger one wouldn’t still be able to thrive. As usual I disagree with your analysis.

Just thought I’d do a drive by on you since I haven’t been on here in a while, miss me?

[etucker1959]

The lagoon does not have an established striper population and could still produce a giant and I think the larger lake still has a good lmb population and I see no reason why a larger one wouldn’t still be able to thrive. As usual I disagree with your analysis.

Just thought I’d do a drive by on you since I haven’t been on here in a while, miss me?

I was wondering what happened too you?:Bug Eyes: From my sources (insert joke now) the reason why the Lagoon has/had some really nice LMB in it. Was because when the people in the know knew the Big lake was doomed to not produce a World Record large mouth. They put some really big ones in the lagoon that were caught in the big lake. Sorta of a Life boat of a once great record fishery! Will it last forever?? Hopefully the genetics kicked in and the lagoon remains a good fishery for quality LMB for years to come.

[DarkShadow]

The lagoon does not have an established striper population and could still produce a giant and I think the larger lake still has a good lmb population and I see no reason why a larger one wouldn’t still be able to thrive. As usual I disagree with your analysis.

"Good" is relative, Seal.

Talk to me when multiple DDs are caught during a week like in the early 90s, and imagine the countless ones that were caught and promptly released without the angler babbling to everyone about the catch.

If you disagree that the Castaic largemouth fishery has gone downhill, then we can agree to disagree.

[seal]

The day that I disagree that all fisheries have not been affected by pressure and take would be the day I would be obviously iignoant.

[etucker1959]

The day that I disagree that all fisheries have not been affected by pressure and take would be the day I would be obviously iignoant.

Take and pressure is one thing. But what happened to Castaic in the mid 1990's, had to do with a draw down and the effect of the stripers competing for food with the trophy LMB.

[NFCD I]

without the commercial removal of the tilapia, do you believe the bass fishery would be what it is there? a commercial gillnet fishery would not be allowed should tilapia get loose and established at any of our local lakes. There are already numbnuts bringing flathead catfish from the river to local lakes to compete with and predate upon the treasured gamefish in our local lakes. Once Pandora's box is opened, you can't close it.

There is no doubt in my mind that tilapia will take over the lake. From photo's I've seen, they are thriving.

[Peestick]

I heard Bob would weigh his fish at the market then dump them in the lagoon.

[DarkShadow]

I heard Bob would weigh his fish at the market then dump them in the lagoon.

Maybe schoolies?

Striped bass seemed to develop so much lactic acid during fights, especially large ones (read; ones that you'd actually want to weigh) that they were one of the fish that I found IMPOSSIBLE to release, especially after being live welled for a while. I've shaken fish off only for them to float on the surface to die.

I commend any striper that has the life force to survive being live welled for hours, THEN getting weighed....THEN surviving a trip to the lagoon.

[muskyman]

I did not know that about striped bass. I got a nice 39lb striper on my lake on a drop shot rig, so ya the fight was epic, but ya, I got it in the net and it just laid there, dead. I was like wtf. How can this fish that just destroyed me, just lay there dead. Good info dude, thanks

[tpfishnfool]

No free fish for you Liberals !!!!
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