There are 3 retention ponds in my neighborhood on James Island. I heard from a neighbor that it’s stocked with tilapia. I have no intention of eating any fish from these ponds for various reasons, but i would to be able to walk down, get a line wet, and maybe land a few fish to toss back. I only fish salt and these ponds are fresh water. I’ve done a few google searches but figured I’d reach out on here for any advice y’all may have. I Look forward to showing my 2 year old son how to fish.
Why on earth anyone would stock a pond around here with tilapia is beyond me…never tried to catch one though. I would imagine some crickets would work…
Wadmalaw native
16’ Bentz-Craft Flats Boat
They help keep the ponds clean it what I have been told. I would assume they would eat worms.
He must Increase,but I must decrease. John 3:30
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Be Very Careful of Alligators with your boy.
Center pond in Wyndham on Edisto is full of tilapia. I’ve never been able to get them to hit anything, but usually when I see them they’re in their spawning beds.
I lived in an apartment on Daniel island years ago…while fishing the ponds for bass, I saw some giant carp…went back with some canned sweet corn to bust them…caught probably a dozen tilapia that I didn’t know we’re in the pond. I’d think they’d hit worms too but I know they’ll eat corn
'a stranger is just a friend i havent met yet’jt
Hard to get them to bite any artificial. We used to snag them on their beds for fun in Florida mid-afternoon when nothing else was biting. Was actually a lot of fun some of them were pretty big. We have caught them on wheat balls and worms tossed in the beds as well.
canned sweet corn? ha that’s a new one to me. you just put a few kernels on a small hook? also i don’t know where the beds are just kind of casting blind
19’ American Skiff Coral Bay
Make small bread balls out of regular loaf bread. Put them in a ziplock bag and put it in the freezer overnight . Bury your small ( 4-6 size ) hook point in the ball and hang on.
quote:
Originally posted by mikeylooMake small bread balls out of regular loaf bread. Put them in a ziplock bag and put it in the freezer overnight . Bury your small ( 4-6 size ) hook point in the ball and hang on.
And for the carp, sprinkle the bread with sugar before you make the bread balls…used to do that for the carp in the Res and had plenty of luck!
Fishing Nerd
“skilled labor isn’t cheap, cheap labor isn’t skilled”
A little beetle spin would probably get them.
My neighborhood pond is overflowing with turtles and seabirds. No structure for the fish and I don’t think it’s very oxygenated. Any ideas on how to thin the herd in a way that would not anger the neighbors?
1 kernel of Libbys canned corn on a tiny hook will catch fish! I know for sure it will catch stocked fresh water trout! Have caught them so fast we ran out of hooks and had to start gutting them to get the hooks back:smiley: Stocked fish are fed pellets and the corn looks like it:wink:
Surf, those turtles will follow a plastic lure all the way in if you keep it close to the surface and reel it in slow. Get a long handle dip net for crabbing and have someone scoop them when you get them to the bank. Take them home, clean em and cookem. I haven’t had any good turtle in a long time.
16’ Bonito 65 Johnson
Grass carp are stocked in retention ponds to control underwater weeds, tilapia are stocked as a biological method of controlling algae. It’s a common practice down in Florida to stock ponds w/ tilapia to control algae. Not so common here in SC because they cant handle colder water and most of the time will not survive the winter. However, i’m sure they all did fine this past winter!
I know of a few lake and pond management companies in the area that are pushing the whole tilapia thing for algae. The company I used to work for never got into it and the few times we did, we spent most of the winter picking up dead fish.
1448 Monarch/20hp Tohatsu
I’ve had luck on beetle spins and rooster-tails, but that was during the summer.
corn works for sure.
Wmarts version of pillsbury biscuits is a true winner.
Just wind it around the hook and get ready to strike.
Absolute great kids fishing.
retention ponds can be fun. Caught this little fatty a day after he threw me on a plastic. Hit him at dusk with a top water, took me less than 5 minutes to get him in.
Keep on castin’
quote:
Originally posted by Troycretention ponds can be fun. Caught this little fatty a day after he threw me on a plastic. Hit him at dusk with a top water, took me less than 5 minutes to get him in.
Keep on castin’
come one! 
Less than 5 min? I’d hope so! Unless you just were enjoying the fight on an ultra lite.
Nice eating size bass Troyc! My nephew has caught some nice Bass out of retention ponds near his house in Sangaree. Seen the pictures but he won’t tell me wear the ponds are.
“If Bruce Jenner can keep his wiener and be called a woman, I can keep my firearms and be considered disarmed.”
quote:
Originally posted by mikeylooMake small bread balls out of regular loaf bread. Put them in a ziplock bag and put it in the freezer overnight . Bury your small ( 4-6 size ) hook point in the ball and hang on.
Better yet get a roll of cheap biscuit dough and do what Stumpknocker said. Sprinkle some sugar on it. Can’t say for sure on Tilapia, but the carp/suck fish out of my pond love it.
“If Bruce Jenner can keep his wiener and be called a woman, I can keep my firearms and be considered disarmed.”
Hahaa!!! I meant, it took me less than 5 min to get him to hit the top water. He only fought for 10 seconds and then came in like a small log.
I feed the fish my left-over surf fishing bait. Should have some larger bass and crappie in there over the next year!
quote:
Originally posted by Fred67quote:
Originally posted by mikeylooMake small bread balls out of regular loaf bread. Put them in a ziplock bag and put it in the freezer overnight . Bury your small ( 4-6 size ) hook point in the ball and hang on.
Better yet get a roll of cheap biscuit dough and do what Stumpknocker said. Sprinkle some sugar on it. Can’t say for sure on Tilapia, but the carp/suck fish out of my pond love it.
“If Bruce Jenner can keep his wiener and be called a woman, I can keep my firearms and be considered disarmed.”
Keep on castin’