Florida again 3 018

Comment

Comment by Tim Vandriska on March 2, 2013 at 2:08pm

Very true, Carl, they were a very unexpected surprise!

Comment by Tim Vandriska on March 2, 2013 at 1:56pm

I originally thought it might be a Tilapia, Zach but matched up perfectly with the Florida id for Mayan Cichlid.  The Tilapia is also a member of the Cichlid family.  The Mayan Cichlid in Florida was thought to have been imported from Mexico in the 1970's as a farm fish like Tilapia then escaped into the Everglades during flooding.  They seem pretty happy down there.   They're supposed to be a great eating fish like Tilapia, but ironically I'm allergic to fish and can't eat them, so I take their pictures and send them home.

Comment by carl hendrix on March 2, 2013 at 1:50pm

no matter what its name; its still fun to catch!

Comment by Zach Pierce on March 1, 2013 at 5:39pm

I am thinking those are some hybrid Tilapia of sort.  May have some Blue Tilapia in it to help it get its large size.  Either way a very nice looking fish.

 

Comment by mike martinez on March 1, 2013 at 4:56pm

Hey Tim, going to try that squid down here on these rio's(cichlid's).Thing is they don't come out until it get's a bit warmer.When they do though it's easy to catch them on shrimp and nightcrawler's.Sometime's up to 20 in a day.Just about as much fun as catching gill's.........

Comment by Tim Vandriska on February 28, 2013 at 6:25pm

Try though I would, the Mayan Ciclids in this canal had no interest in fly's, jigs or any other artificial baits.  I did catch one on leftover steak, my daughter also likes using that for bluegills and small ocean fish by the inlets.

Comment by JBplusThuy on February 27, 2013 at 11:58am

It never occurred to me to try squid for freshwater fishing, but it makes perfect sense, maybe I should give it a shot for BG this year. Of course, that could lead to my being interrogated, something along the lines of, "Honey, I was sure I had a squid in the freezer, have you seen it?" :-)

Maybe the best way to go is have her cook a bunch of it up for my fishing lunch and keep some raw to use as bait <g>

Comment by Tim Vandriska on February 27, 2013 at 10:38am

Hi Mike, I haven't met a fish yet that doesn't love squid.  Squid is tasty and tough enough to last much longer than worms or minnows.  The canals that run through Tamarac are about 20 feet wide and maybe 5 feet deep.  This one winds it way under the streets and into the Everglades, which is about a mile from here.  It also feeds a 5 acre pond at the golf course about 3-400 yards in the other direction.

Comment by mike martinez on February 26, 2013 at 8:36pm

I wonder if these RIO GRANDE CICHLID'S i catch down here would hit that squid?? 

Comment by Leo Nguyen on February 26, 2013 at 4:42pm

Interesting. How big is that water body?