SunRae writes: This story was published in the
The Express News, San Antonio TX and written by, Dan Klepper, noted wildlife author. Here is the story in it's original form, written by Chuck, the gentleman that experienced this fishing trip. Very funny story!
The article was:
"BIG FISH BREAKING LINES AT CALAVERAS---BUT ARE THEY FISH?"
Submitted by: Chuck
AKA: REDDOG
I went out to the Lake Calaveras in South Texas a hot water power plant lake that is full of the biggest Redfish and hybrid Stripers and Corvina trout in the state. Tilapia had been introduced to this lake to rid the lake of weeds many years ago and the vegetarian Tilapia ate every piece of weed in the impoundment!! They literally took over the lake similar to the Grass Carp fiasco many years ago. Now we have jillions of Tilapia which are excellent eating and sold in all the stores today. Tilapia is the fish Christ fed the 5 thousand with and is called St Peters Fish in the bible. It tastes like crappie and is nothing more than a giant bluegill. It cant be caught by hook , i guess if you used a pea or a carrot maybe you could catch them lol---but they are caught by cast net and I personally have caught as many as 500 pounds a day with my son. We sold them for 50¢ a pound and got a commercial fishing license so we could do it legally. It would take us about 3 hours to net 500 pounds---then we just gutted them and put them on ice and took them to the Polunskys fish market for weighing and then got the $. 250 bucks a day got him a nice truck in a month of Tilapia netting.
But the Tilapia became food for all the fish in the lake. We would get a netful of baby tilapia and they would stay alive for days in a live well----matter of fact they stay alive on your lawn at nite if it was wet!!! Hardiest fish I ever saw. Well that morning i got my netfull and was alone. I was freespooling my daiwa procasters and had them in rod holders and the cats would pick up the tilapia I had on and run and zzzzzzzzzzzzziiiinnnnnnnng your spool would be going back and forth like mad----set so that it would not backlash it with a huge blast---drag set loooooose so he would go but not feel anything--like they gave a shyt----would run up and take rod out of holder --engage and tighten drag and whap----hit em and on they were---blue cats up to about 20 pounds average size was about 5 pounds ---big blues but the lake was full of them.
I decided to put a big ass tilapia on a bigger rod and tossed it out the front--tilapia was probably close to 3/4 or 1 pound!!! Line was out for a long time --in the meantime the other 3 rods were singing and I was catching blues like mad and several large soft shell turtles. Even had a couple of alligator gar grab a tilapia that day and run like crazy but never hooked them.
Finally the big rod went off with a run like I never saw before in my life---and I am old lol------It never stopped----I knew it had to be the biggest Redfish in the lake and they get to be 30 pounds and takes hour to get one in on light line---I hit it and whap it was on!!!!!!! Heart going ---thump thump----leg shaking---ohhhh this is it----the line started to come up and I knew it was Lake Record Bass about to jump!!!!! Up came the line -------and OUT OF THE WATER FLEW THE BIGGEST DAM CORMORANT I ever saw!!!! With my line in its mouth and I could see the dam tilapia hanging out its huge beak. This is one big ass bird---like an eagle---only they can dive to 20 foot and get the prey!!!! I finally reeled? or wound? or whatever you do when you are fighting something in the sky---lol-----got him by the boat and it was a big mean mother banging its wings all over the place-----I got a big ole towel and wrapped his wings and got the hook out of his beak and let it fly away. I had a few cold ones after that and to this day I can see that dude flying over the boat with me fighting it on rod and reel.
Back to Fishlics
bravenet.com