nice site - California Fishing

sonics7 · 01-15-2005, 08:32 PM

hey everyone. I'm gene I've been check'n out this site for a few weeks.
I hadnt been fishn for awhile ,but you guys made really want to go out.
I grew up in WA. so some of your techniques are new to me but ive already learned alot.

I went out to seal beach friday after work trying some of the things i learned. Started out with a grub for perch fished for about an hour and a half. NOTHING. so I decided to try out the big hammer swimbaits. Probably two minutes and i get hit. Feels decent iI thought maybe a halibut. When I see it couldn't tell what it was. finally get him in its a TILAPIA. I thought they were freshwater? Five minutes later i get another one. Both were about 3-4lbs. After that nothin for an hour went home.

Can someone explain? TILAPIA is this common? My 1st time out.

steve33fish · 01-15-2005, 08:42 PM

Welcome aboard Gene! That's awesome you grew up in WA You can share some of your storys about fishing in WA with all of us.

sonics7 · 01-15-2005, 09:59 PM

whats up steve. Can you explain the tilapia? or is that common.

tunakid · 01-15-2005, 10:47 PM

ive only heard of tilapia in the salton sea. Might have been a blacksmith perch. give us a decription of wat u caught and we will be able to tell u forsure wat they were.

DementedFish · 01-15-2005, 11:29 PM

Welcome man, you'll like it here!!

sonics7 · 01-16-2005, 12:00 AM

I took a couple pictures with my phone. next time i'll bring my digital. They were both the same size about 17" . kinda panfish shape with a curve/dent down the nose. green, to lighter yellow on the bottom. He bit the 3" swim bait. I was on the jetty by the naval base. A guy there said it was a tilapia. I guess I figured he knew what he was talking about. Could be a perch. I'm not familiar with to many speices down here. That was my very first time going out. I just learned from you guys. Was tring to catch some surf perch harder than I thought. not a bite. Then some halibut. Still had fun.

Wahoo! · 01-16-2005, 02:34 PM

Welcome to the board! Not sure what to tell you about that fish. I haven't heard of Tilapia in the ocean before...

Cuban_Fish · 01-16-2005, 02:54 PM

Hey, welcome to the site. good job on the "tilapia" or whatever they are, if you could post a pic it would probably make identifying them easier. but i have never heard of tilapia in the ocean either. also how was the water at seal, i would think it was really dirty from the rains was it?

sonics7 · 01-16-2005, 03:24 PM

The water at seal beach was pretty clear. Waves were really small. I don't know if that good.
I'm going to Corona del mar right now for a photo shoot with my girl. Is there any fish'n down there?
I'll bring my rod just in case

sonics7 · 01-18-2005, 04:07 PM

Hey guys, I went to Glenn's Tackle in Costa Mesa today. I showed Glenn and another customer the pictures on my phone. They both said it was a tilapia.

trout guy · 01-18-2005, 04:26 PM

doesnt surpize me i know a canal down there that is full of tilapia that runs into the beach around the seal beach area. pretty bad ### you caught out in the surf. id think theyd just hang out near mouth of that canal.