Which canals in FL for p bass?

[Louie]

they havnt even looked at my worms.. from what I can tell when I got caught in the weeds they went to attack then backed off .. I would say work a top water lure...

not marie .. definitly mozambique. Looked at the picture. When I saw it at first I thought Giant gourami.. now i know what it is.... Been seing a few of those dead on the top of the water too louie... one place had maries and mozambiques dead... All over davie we are far removed from the cold weather too... saw a big one by my other ditch canal by the shore looking sickly saturday. THrew a rock near it and it didnt take off...

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lol me to when I first saw males I had no idea what they were thought huge strange fish with lures on their lips than got close up look and realized not lures.

I am sorry to hear your seeing them dead. Hope just isolated deaths. I wonder what it could be .
I have only seen them by Glades borders in ponds fed by canals but lots of them.

However last 3 times I went not one to be found only common talipia spawning.

 

[Louie]

or maybe tilapia marie...so what do you guys find works best for the pb-worms or lures or both?

Like Rob said PB wont hit worms. I have caught them only on lures that resemble shiney fish .

I "nipped" the barbs in the hooks with pliers as the PB hit hard and IMO no need for barbs but either way these cheap lures have gotten me the best results with PB and big Jags only as other cichlids do prefer live worms.

 

[Robbwilder]

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lol me to when I first saw males I had no idea what they were thought huge strange fish with lures on their lips than got close up look and realized not lures.

I am sorry to hear your seeing them dead. Hope just isolated deaths. I wonder what it could be .
I have only seen them by Glades borders in ponds fed by canals but lots of them.

However last 3 times I went not one to be found only common talipia spawning.

I did see a healthy one in my new canal. The one I have been going to the road is blocked off for construction. Its both types of Tilapia though. Not as many now but still its weird. NO other fish just Tilapia. All these canals are fed by the Griffin Road Canal. Flamingo road west to I75

 

[Robbwilder]

Like Rob said PB wont hit worms. I have caught them only on lures that resemble shiney fish .

I "nipped" the barbs in the hooks with pliers as the PB hit hard and IMO no need for barbs but either way these cheap lures have gotten me the best results with PB and big Jags only as other cichlids do prefer live worms.

A guy I work with said the same thing. He also took off the treble hooks on some and put on a singal hook in the rear because they hit so hard they were getting stuck back inside...

 

[arowfan]

thanks guys for the tips! on those lures, are they attracted to it coming in fast or slow? you guys have any pics of the tilapia your talking about???

 

[Louie]

thanks guys for the tips! on those lures, are they attracted to it coming in fast or slow? you guys have any pics of the tilapia your talking about???

fast/slow it makes no difference I have had lures hit second after hitting the water . IMO shiney fish looking is the key.

I was wrong before about cichlids only hitting live worms .I should have said Oscars prefer live worms and tricky LARGE Oscars I have caught have been with live worms but overall cichlids other than PB hit dead/live worms-wax worms -crickets (they break apart to fast for my taste).

rubber worms sometimes Mayans and jags will hit them but not always real worms guaranted hit if they are biting.

I have no pics of the Mlozambique as over 2 feet deep my cell phone pics dont come out . I saw them in about 4 feet water and they stayed there but ignored lures and earthworms .
If I catch one as going within the week if rain stops will post it .

 

[Louie]

A guy I work with said the same thing. He also took off the treble hooks on some and put on a singal hook in the rear because they hit so hard they were getting stuck back inside...

I have lures that I did that to and havent tried them yet .

 

[Louie]

Ponds even shallow ones have cichlids now as its hot . This one had 6 inches water and I could see cichlids and not tiny types like Jewels but bigger cichlids .

The cattails growing and weeds around and in it is what cichlids love.

I came across this one this evening while waiting for my wife at mall .

Loaded with cichlids but it has that "sinking' grass like 5 ft around it that you step on and its like 12 inches of water/mud and after awhile hearing
" Oh no you have to be kidding me " gets bit redundant

The cichlids seem to be mating early this yr surprising considering cold winter. They prefer stagnant canals,ponds .

 

[Louie]

thanks guys for the tips! on those lures, are they attracted to it coming in fast or slow? you guys have any pics of the tilapia your talking about???

This is a huge red devil BRIGHT red yet hard to take pic. I saw mozambique today as went fishing from 2pm to 2:30 and they are out .

The mozambique pic is just shadows they are just to dark at 3 feet depth to come out . Tis fish lives in a wooden box by pond edge lol. Its spawning with a Mayan in there.

I didnt try to catch it due to spawning caught another PB but at this point this will be my last PB of season as enough already lol. Next pic will be a Mozambique ,pleco or red devil but not this one lol .

 

[notnew2dis]

I accidentally snagged this 18" Blue Tilapia a couple of days ago.
I am considering filleting it