Tilapia Ignorance

[fishphile]

Went for a quick flick with the flyrod this arvo but the only thing around were seemingly hundreds of Tilapia. A few people had gathered around as I dragged a 50cm fish up the bank and dispatched of it as quickly as I could (didn't have a knife on me so a large stick to the head). The abuse I then recieved from a couple of guys who I have seen fishing before around the same area was ridiculous!
"One of Gods creatures" and "Killing for the thrill" were just a couple of comments even after I explained the fishes noxious status etc.
Along the same lines as fish sizes and bag limits perhaps every piece of fishing equipment sold in Australia should come with a small "Guide to Fishing" Outlaying the rules and regulations of the State in question. They could even be handed out like reciepts at Fishing stores.
Just a thought.

Dave.

[cqfreshie]

Good on ya Dave for gettin' rid of the thing.

Amazing, hey ... ya do the right thing ... and some clown gives ya a dressin' for it.

Keep up the good work Dave.

Graham

[Poodroo]

G'day Dave, coming from an Aquarium retail background specializing in Native Australian species I can tell you now that according to law you did the right thing because tilapia top the noxious introduced species list and in fact according to law if you catch one and release it back into the water you stand to recieve a hefty fine if caught. Well done for doing the right thing. Here is a link to back things up. http://sweetwaterfishing.com.au/tilapia.htm

Poodroo

[jim_bream]

The bleeding left I call 'em!!!
Let a pack of rats loose in their house and see how they like sharing with 'God's creatures'.
Makes me blood boil mate! Next time you see em, give em hell from us all.
Onya mate!!
Jimbo

[TIMMY 666]

Dave,
Thats ridiculous! 'One of god's creatures'. Give me a bloody break! I like the idea of having a 'guide to fishing' booklet attached to fishing gear, etc. Something like that needs to be done. Good on you for getting rid of it

Tim.

[oztrav]

nice kill at that size it would of been a big breeder it is unfortunate to think that you got that crap for knocking of a pest even more so that they would of released gods creatures back into the waterway and this continues all across the state

[bundylundy]

Dave,
What colour shirt was he wearing, me thinks it was green. "One of god's creatures" and "thrill killing", give us a break. You did exactly as the law states, ignorance is not an excuse. Well done, one down,19999999 to go. Cheers.

Jeff.

[aussienative]

I'd love to be there when one of these morons puts a tilapia back and gets caught.

[fishphile]

Just as a bit of a follow up. This is the first year out of the last 8 years I have been fishing this particular spot that I have ever caught a tilapia. Are things getting like this around where others fish?
If so is anything being done?
I think I remember talk of a controlled disease like that which they used on the rabbits being introduced.
Personnally I would prefer they were used as a food source, Perhaps even exported to Asian countries creating jobs and putting money into our economy.
Just a thought.

Dave.

[TinarooTriumph]

Dave,
What colour shirt was he wearing, me thinks it was green. "One of god's creatures" and "thrill killing", give us a break. You did exactly as the law states, ignorance is not an excuse. Well done, one down,19999999 to go. Cheers.

Jeff.

!!! Do those type fish?

50cm... thats a biggy alright. Well done for getting rit of it. If you ask me, anything it takes to get rit of them is appropriate under the current situation... burn em', bury em', leave em' to rot up a old track - whatever. These fish will spread like wildfire...

Here is a scenario I think happens alot on these Dams that contain tilapia. Few blokes are a fishing for another species, by boat, and they catch a Tilapia. The impression I get is that most people don't want the thing dying in their boat, even if it is extremely noxious, so they cut the line and let it go. I think this is of high occurance.

Cheers

Theo

[jpart10]

lol what r they hippies lol
What are talapia like on the plate i hear there good?

[wrip109]

They are one of the best eating fish on the planet! They are also, pound for pound, the best fighting fish in Australia.

We pay thousands of dollars to stock bass and yet throw these on the bank. Anywhere else in the world we would be delighted with the tilapia we have and the size of the ones we catch.

They will never get rid of them now, it's too late, so why not encourage people to catch them and thin them out a bit?

Baited with a worm, a line tossed into Big W will either catch a tilapia or a catfish. I know which I would rather have.

There are many disposal bins placed around the dam, BTW, and using bins is a lot better than tossing them on the bank, and they are noxious to the waterways not to humans.

Catch 'em: Kill 'em: Fillet 'em: Put carcase in bin: Eat 'em: Yummy

Phil

[TinarooTriumph]

They are good fighters, but they are no where near the best for Freshwater... a Jungle Perch would tow one around all day!

People dump Bass on the bank? Heard it all now! Not good.

Where I am, the situation is wayyy out of hand... once you get a couple in a waterway, its ruined - period. No bins here at Tinaroo... and yet its probably the worst Dam for Tilapia in QLD. Pathetic.

Theo

[wrip109]

Sorry Theo

It was supposed to read that they dump the Tilapia on the bank. I knew what I meant antway

Try eating one - You might like them so much that you will fish them all out of your dam(It will only take you a hundred years or so by yourself) but spread the word and you will have hundreds helping you.

Phil

[astro2]

small talapia are cool, because usually where i fish them are ducks so instead of knifing the fish i give it to the ducks

and according to the SPECIFIC rules "word for word" its not against the law to do so

law states "no eating, no throwing it back, no using as bait, and no keeping"

p.s i'm amateur fishing ....uh guy, heh, so if i'm wrong in anything i said sorry, ii'm still learning about fishing