Tilapia

F

Fawlty

New member
Hi Guys.

I am new to fresh water fishing and did not realise until today that I have been breaking records without me knowning. One tilapia that was caught and released was 3.25kg. The record from my knowledge(found out today) is 2.94kg. I cant tell you all where they are being caught because it is on the farm of my girlfriend. Can anyone confirm this record. Photos were not taken as these are a regular size for the fish in this dam. There are also some really good bass in the dam too.

Cheers,

Fawlty
 
N

Noweeds

Sealiner
My advice is to get some good photos and measurements....keep the trace and terminal tackle and claim yourself some records!!!
 
R

Ryan

Sealiner
Hi Fawlty,

What Species of Tilapia is it firstly?:dunno1

There have also been some imports to Natal waters such as the Nile Tilapia which grows in excess of 6kgs. I believe there are definately records tilapia to be caught in Natal waters. I caught a redbreasted in Jozini which was just shy of the Sa record by 10grams so I do honestly believe there are a few records floating about.

If my memory serves me correctly I believe the record for Mozmbique Tilapia stands at around 3.5Kgs and comes out of loskop dam in Mpumalanga. Best place to read up on records is  www.sabass.co.za or www.artlure.com I believ both these sites carry SA records lists.

Records are there to be broken so keep at it - I used to live in Pongola and I have seen Mozambiqueas of over 3kgs,:wfish
 
L

Little Green Fish

Sealiner
Fawlty

heres sum of the tilapia records, and by the looks of it you just need to get your catches registered and your name will be all over the pages.....
 

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R

Ryan

Sealiner
Sorry Fawlty 2 things I forgot to add.

The reference websites I gave you are only artificial baits record lists - I have no idea where to find the bait related records lists.

There are many species of Kurpers/ Breams but under true tilapia's the two most common ones are Vlei and the redbreasted. Depending on their breeding habits and morphology they are classed under different scientific terms.

Blue Kurpers fall under Oriochromis and Redbreasted under Tilapia's.

Hope this helps 
 
M

MickJack

Senior Member
Fawlty

Long time no posts hey!

Sounds like u having fun in the gf's dam!

Are they tilapia or Kurper? I know Kurper get big down here.

I found a couple in my Koi pond when I emptied it several years ago, thinking that the Ibis's and fish eagles had cleaned out all the stock! They were giant, and I didn't even know they were still in there!

 
 
M

MickJack

Senior Member
Ryan

U might know the answer to this.......

What is the freshwater fish that they call 'mouthbreeders' that have a pinkish tinge to the dorsal fins and tail? Are they tilapia or kurper or another?

MJ
 
R

Ryan

Sealiner
MJ - Kurper is a broad generalization almost as in refering to baitfish (could be mullet, pinkies, glassies etc) in the ocean.
Mouthbrooders or Cichlids - we have few indegenous species (canary kurper is one of them) but most of the more elegant ones kept in Aqauriums are from places such as lake malawi - They have a different scientifc genus to tilapia's but are generalized as a Kurper.
Mj hope this is the answer you lookin for???
 
C

cornelius

Senior Member
Kurper angling is a topic poorly represented in this forum.
Why?
Kurpers are what got me back into fishing and I would like to read more and exchange ideas on this topic.
It appears as though kurper is an incedental catch nowadays much like bass used to be in days gone by.
C`mon you kurpermaniacs, let`s talk.
 
L

Little Green Fish

Sealiner
Cornelius

I think the reason for this is that (in my limited knowledge and experience anyhow) they are extremely seasonal bound fish ito of catching them, now i might be missing the pot so far that I might be labeled as being from another planet or something, but that's what I though all these years.  Anybody got better knowledge, Ryan?

Oh and did you C there was a "Kanarie Kurper" comp at Roodeplaat hosted by Leons Angling last Sat, never knew about it, only saw the banner when I drove through the big reserves gate?  Did you take part in that comp?

:f1shy
 
C

cornelius

Senior Member
Hi LGF,

U`re right about the seasonal thing but in the warmer areas it runs for about 8 months from end Sept to end June. That`s one looong season.

I knew about the canary kurper thing, but not interested in comps and besides had the horticultural engineer at my place on Sat.

Went to Roodekopjes with Ryan & LL on Sunday to stop the trembling. Going back for kurper soon as they come on the bite.

What about you?
 
L

Little Green Fish

Sealiner
Cornelius

To tell you the truth, I've never ever went out to any water with Kurpers as the main target species in mind, I have however, targetted them when the Carp wasn't all that eager to get rid of the lock-jaw virus.   Other than that I caught several huge ones at Vasfontein and Klein Paradys respectively whilst targetting Bass, both venues delivered Kurpers on hard baits "Strike Pro's" to be exact. 

So in essence I've only caught or targetted kurpers when I was bored with the carp not biting and the accidental catches whilst targetting Bass.  The hopping and bopping of the "policeman" also tends to get to sometimes as I normally just that fraction of a second too slow or too fast, just never got the timing right.

Also hate comp's, fishing is for fun, not to be reminded of the rat-race life I've left behind the moment I stepped out the door to go fishing.....:D

:f1shy
 
C

cornelius

Senior Member
LGF, Well said, Boet.
I have also experienced kurper on lures like spinners and rapalas, especially the red breasted and then in small impoundments. Should be a lot of fun to get a big blue on a lure.
My favorite method is off a boat with a slim float and worms.
 
C

cornelius

Senior Member
A belated niiice feesh. Can you imagine the fun a 2k blue would have caused?
We normally fish about 20m from the waterline and you are pumping adrenaline all the way to the net.
 
L

Little Green Fish

Sealiner
Cornelius

Thanx man, yeah I guess that will be quite a rush, perhaps now that them Green Thangs are shagging like crazy, it's time to change the focus species to Kurper.... think I must go get a spade and do sum digging in the flower beds this afternoon or I could just go to vasfontein with my hardbaits and a spinning rod.....

:f1shy
 
A

Ancient One

New member
Hi Guys
Reference "mouthbrooders" - I think the Blue Kurper (Oreonchromis Mossambicus) can be classified as such. It is not a Tilipia family but, I think, Cichlid. To my knowledge, the record for a Blue comes from Loskop and stands at 3.60 Kgs. We caught them up to 3.4 Kgs out of Loskop this season.
We've fished for them on artlure, but my favourite still has to be a sliding float and earthworms. When you watch that float slowly sinking, waiting for the second to strike - nothing like it! We have also caught them into June, but that is hard work, shed loads of boat fuel, and lotsa luck! But it's always fun trying!
 
R

Ryan

Sealiner
Ancient one,

Will have a look @ the breeding biology of blue's this evening when I get home but so far as I know they are a nesting species - but hey I might be way wrong. one of the few mouth brooders found in SA is the canary. others are Dwarfs and Vlei.

SA record for Blues stands @ 3.5kg and there is a R50 000 cash prize for catching it during compo's. YEs quite correctly the SA record comes from Loskop - just hope all the fish die offs are not going to affect the lunkers for the up and comming season.

Race you to the waters????
 
A

Ancient One

New member
Hi Ryan

Just had a scratch thru Paul Skelton's "Fresh Water Fishes of Southern Africa". Says, in short, the following:-

Speaking under the heading Tilapiines (Tilipia) "some genera are substrate spawners, others are mouthbrooders (Oreonchromis)" - quote, unquote.

Then goes on to seperate Tilapiines from genus Oreonchromis - description of Oreonchromis says "large, deep bodied, mouth brooding cichlids".

On the description of Oreonchromis Mossambicus (Blue Kurper) states "Breeds in summer, females raising multiple broods every 3 - 4 weeks during a season. Males construct a saucer shaped nest on sandy bottoms: the female mouthbroods the eggs, larvae and small fry"

No matter what, it's still one of the best fish to hunt! Definitely race you there.
 
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