texas blue cichlid

[John C Watson]

Caught a Texas blue cichlid while fishing in the New Orleans City Park.  My wife, buddy and I went to try out the lagoons at City Park today.  I was told that since that area was flooded during Katrina that all the fish were liberated from the lagoons.  Well there are a large number of small bream, bass and to my amazement some cichlids.  I was using a 8 or 9 ft telescoping jig pole that is a three section.  I had it set up like a Tenkara rod with a furled leader and 4lb tip.  I had a had tied fly I call a spike after the small spikes you can buy for feeding fish or reptiles. It is tied on a number 14 hook. 

I was casting along the edge of a beautiful lagoon near a pavilion and catching some mighty small bream when I tossed under a small willow and bam, the Texas blue hit.  Nice fight, wished there had been more of them but he was the only one there.  We did some others in pre-spawn mode and they wouldn't take a fly from us.  Took a few pictures of the Blue and let him go to make more for later.

John

[Zach Pierce]

How large do these get?

[Keith Owen]

Folks in West Texas would eat laminated armadillo! Not sure that's any recomendation for anything as good food.

I say this in jest, mostly. My wife is from out there. I guess you can smear jalapeno jelly on most anything and make it good.

It's a fish, it's bluegill shaped, it lives in clean water; how can it not be good?

Keith

[Xeev Xwm Vang]

awesome! what are the rules and regulations there about catching wild fish to sell?

[John C Watson]

Well for one thing, I caught them and gave them to the shop owner who is a good friend of my best buddy so I didn't sell them. Second, the fish isn't indigenous to Louisiana so I wouldn't think there is any problem. But then again, it's the shop owners problem.

John