Talapia/Vlei Kurper

[Ianversfeld]

HI Guys
I'm looking to catch Vlei Kurper/Talapia for fun :blue-redface:. If anybody can maybe let me know where these are readily available in the Boland areas, it will be great.

I don't want to stock a dam

:blue-biggrin:

[Smiley]

This small fish was once found in every river and vlei near Cape Town. Unfortunately the last record of Cape Kurper on the Cape Flats was at Zandvlei in 1917. The last major population within City limits exists in the Silvermine River and Dam. I caught many there in years gone by before fishing was banned. Small populations also exist in most of the cleaner rivers and streams, including both the Berg and Breede systems.

The fish attains no more than 20cm, but one of 12cm + can be considered a large specimen. They are similar in colour and pattern to smallmouth bass, but in typical kurper shape, and with larger scales and smaller mouths.

In habit they are also similar to bass in that they are SUPER agressive at times, particularly in the evening. They will repeatedly hit flies even larger than themselves, but are easier to hook on smaller nymphs and dries. They dont seem to be at all fussy about what pattern, and will happily take static, twitched or retrieved dries and nymphs.

[Smiley]

We used to catch them for the artlure league.. I remember catching them at most of the big dams but mostly misverstand dam.you must use small sada curly grubs.. I've also caught loads at Rutter road in lakeside..

[Riprap]

Cape Kurper and Vlei Kurper are not the same. Cape Kurper are endemic to the Cape and are pretty threatened as a species.
They are not even from the same family which could be more confusing when sharing common name groups.

[Smiley]

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The Vlei Kurper (Banded Tilapia) (Tilapia sparrmanii) is one of many species of Kurper that occur in our freshwater systems. The Banded Tilapia is commonly referred to as the Vlei Kurper in South Africa.

They prefer still water (Such as dams, lakes) with submerged aquatic plants and vegetation.

These Kurper can attain 25 centimeters and reach a weight of almost 600 grams. Banded Tilapia (Vlei Kurper) are omnivorous fish and feed on algae, plants, insects and small fish or fry.

[Navrik]

As a laaitie we used to catch kurper every holiday in Richardsbay as well as in a river next to Vryheid when visiting an aunt.

In Richardsbay we used to throw bread crumbs on thew water and then net some ghielemientjies to use as bait to the Kurper

In Vryheid we used bright colour pieces of old plastic bags to make our own lures.

[Riprap]

Smiley, you referred to the Cape Kurper in reply and then mentioned other Tilapia spp. possible locations. What are we actually talking about not forgetting that this could be a learning curve for some?

[breedesmallie]

Vlei kurper - banded tilapia. Only juvenile vleis school and sexualy mature fish pair off as male and female. There is no difference in size between males and females, which can grow to 23 cm in ideal conditions. SA record is 455 grams.

Blue kurper - Mozambique tilapia. SA record 3,64 kg.

The vlei have bands while the blues have 3 spots which makes it easy to tell them apart.
Both species mainly feeds on zooplankton, small insects and their larvae, shrimps, aquatic macrophytes and algae. Both species are a food source for bass and both species are widely distributed in SA. I don't know of any bass water in SA where one or both species are not present.

Israeli Tilapia
Distrubution : River systems in KZN and Western Cape ( Berg and Breede river )
Avarage weight - 1- 1,8 kg.
These fish will take the same baits that are used to catch bass.

Tight lines

PS : Ian vleie in the breede : Between Worcester and wolseley, lots of them, wait for temps to go up, water still to cold for them.

[breedesmallie]

There are also vlei kurpers in kwaggas if you know where to look for them.

[Ianversfeld]

Thanks

[plasticman]

Ian
You can also try Bethal dam,on top of Paarl mountain