6/6/2007

Camp Robinson produces new state record tilapia

LITTLE ROCK – It seems the Arkansas record for tilapia falls each year around as summer time rolls around. This time it’s Jerry Tindall of Little Rock who caught a tilapia weighing 2 pounds, 10 ounces on May 31.

Tindall caught his prize on LakeJewitt at CampRobinson while bottom fishing with red worms.  The fish was over 14 inches long. The old record was 2 pounds, 7 ounces caught by B. F. Glover of Guy on WinMeadowLake.

The tilapia was verified by fisheries biologist Andrea Daniel and was weighed on certified scales at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Headquarters.

Tindall was fishing with friend Mary Mathis when he landed his prize.  Tindall said that Mathis was the first to see the fish.  “I tried to catch it one time and missed, so I tried again.”  When Tindall got the fish close to the edge of the water he told Mathis to “get the net”—he knew he had it.

Tilapia is a non-native fish to Arkansas, according to Andrea Daniel, an AGFC Fisheries Staff Biologist.  Daniel said, “We routinely stock two lakes, Lower Lake Hogue and MallardLake, in spring or early summer. Tilapia are used as forage fish for bass and during the summer can reach a weight of one or two pounds.”

“African panfish,” as some people call them, were first introduced by the AGFC in Arkansas during spring 2001. These fish cannot survive when water temperatures drop below 45 degrees for a continued amount of time, and their immune system stops functioning at about 55 degrees.

During cold winter months these fish die-off and can be collected with a dip net.  Lakes are restocked during the warmer spring months.   

Tindall said, “Records are made to be broken and I am certain it won’t last too long.”