Columnist Paula Del Giudice: Exotic Tilapia can be tasty

Thursday, Feb. 21, 2002 | 11:54 a.m.

Paula Del Giudice's outdoors column appears Thursday. She can be reached at desertdenizens@aol.com.

In case you are tired of staying indoors and watching the Olympics, there's some wintertime fishing available at Lake Mead.

The Nevada Division of Wildlife is reporting that tilapia, an exotic fish that has become established in Lake Mead, have been taken recently.

Not only are these fish good fighters, but they also provide excellent table fare.

"Tilapia prefer warm water, so the key to finding them in winter is to first locate areas where there is warm water," said Jim Heinrich, biologist for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. "Shallow coves that also provide them with cover is a good place to search for the fish."

Native to the Nile River, the fish were brought to the United States to be raised commercially for the culinary industry. They have firm white flesh and a very mild flavor.

Although there are numerous species of tilapia, it is believed that the one found in Lake Mead is the blue tilapia.

Heinrich said that tilapia were likely released into the Muddy River, which flows into Lake Mead. They are now found throughout the lake.

Anglers have been successful catching tilapia in recent weeks in the Muddy and Virgin rivers, in the Overton Arm and around Swallow Bay in the Boulder Basin.

Anglers are catching tilapia using bread, frozen peas or small worms. The most popular bait seems to be green Powerbait that is formed into a ball and placed on a small hook.

Heinrich reports that the fish are excellent to eat if they come from clean water. He prefers to eat the smaller fish that range from one to two pounds because they have a sweeter flavor than the larger fish.

Because tilapia are unprotected there is no limit on the size or number of fish that anglers can keep.

Possession of live tilapia is illegal and anglers should keep all of the fish they catch.

"While they can provide good recreational opportunities and are good to eat, they do pose some threats to the lake's native and sport fish," Heinrich said. "This is why we encourage anglers to catch and keep as many tilapia as possible."

"Donations such as this, are greatly appreciated," said Dickinson.

The park received six zoom digital cameras with camera bags and a film scanner along with associated support equipment worth $4,191.