Giant Tilapia

[Borderbasser]

Got this guy as bycatch during a recent trip with a crank bait. 7lbs on the boga probably the biggest I'll ever catch. Thought it would be cool to share.

[Fishbreath]

Wow! I used to catch some that were 3 or 4 lbs at the Salton Sea 40+ years ago, but nothing approaching that size. I didn't even know they go that big.

[Borderbasser]

I wish I would have gotten better pics of it. I thought I had a big bass that was pulling drag. When we got back to camp I looked up the world record tilapia which is 9 pounds and then it hit me as to how special the catch was.

[foulhook]

That is a monster!!!

[Dannicus]

Awesome!

[KillinTime]

Wow

[Moose]

Lower Colorado River has some huge Tilapia in it. Their beds look like moon craters! I’ve caught a couple in the 4-5lb range over the years but there are MUCH bigger ones in there.

[raindo]

Lower Colorado River has some huge Tilapia in it. Their beds look like moon craters! I’ve caught a couple in the 4-5lb range over the years but there are MUCH bigger ones in there.

Can you drop some locations? I've been wanting to catch a 4-5lb tilapia, I only do catch n release. TIA

[Moose]

I have always fished from the Imperial Dam up to Martinez Lake and about 30min North by boat, usually in April. Almost every backwater in between has been loaded with spawning tilapia in those areas. They spawn in the clean sand areas against and in the rules. If you can get into the various backwaters, and there are a ton, you should be able to target them in just about any of them. Their spawning areas look like the surface of the moon, with craters (huge beds compared to a bass bed) everywhere.