Hillbilly Pleco Fishing

A plecostomus is a large black fish with a hard exterior shell that are very common in the South Florida Canals.  They have very unique and interesting features and looks that set them aside from all other fish in the canal. They have sharp spines running along the sides of their bodies with spines sticking out of their fins.  Plecos have spots encompassing their body.  

Pleco's eat algae of the bottom of the rocks with their suction like mouth in which they cling to the bottom with.  They can reach sizes of up to 24" long and have little predators once they reach over 6".  These fish can't be caught by rod besides when they are snagged, a technique to hook a fish through the side by pulling it and piercing the fish's side.  

The way that we catch them in South Florida is with our hands.  In order to catch them, you have to sneak behind them while under water, and rapidly grasp them between the tail and body.  These fish can sometimes cut somebody's hand due to there sharp body and spines, so gloves are recommended.  

They can be found along rock edges, hiding in grass, and on rocks along the bank.  They can sometimes be found during the day, but can easily be spotted with a spotlight along the banks at night, usually multiple fish in a single spot.  

Overall these fish are lots of fun to catch when a mask is available and you run out of bait or tackle.  They are quite difficult and a skill is developed to time when to reach and get a hold of the fish, but when it's developed, this is one of the most exciting things to do on the canal.  

The Bad Tasting Tilapia

There are many species of tilapia, but the one that is in the South Florida canals is the spotted tilapia.  Unlike the blue tilapia, which is eaten by many and considered a delicious fish, the spotted tilapia is less so.  But this fish is still a good fighter and can reach up to large sizes around 16".  These fish are good bait fish for bass at small sizes around 2"-3".  

These fish have black and yellowish stripes at a young age, but as they mature, these fish develop a darker coloration with 3 large spots across the lateral line of the fish.  The females also sometimes have red bellies while preparing to spawn or as they spawn.  The females can reach sizes of around 10" and males can reach 16", sometimes even larger.  

In order to catch this fish for bait, a bait trap or cast net can be used effectively.  Peacock and Largemouth Bass both go crazy for a small tilapia and will swallow it while trolling, free-lining, or drop-shotting.

To catch these fish at a large size, you must use bread, worms, or other small baits.  These fish are very fun and are easy to catch once a school has come to feed.  

When these fish spawn, they are extremely easy to catch and are one of the most aggressive species of fish when they protect their fry.  They can also spawn at very small sizes, sometimes only 4".  When it's mating season, these fish are everywhere because they can breed at a very large range of sizes.  

Overall, these fish are lots of fun to catch, even though they are bad tasting fish.  They are a not often sought out fish in the canals and are more often used as bait.  

I wonder what I should use for bait?

In the South Florida canals, there is a variety of baits that are very effective and can easily be caught or bought in the area.  

My favorite bait is jewel cichlids and baby spotted tilapia.  These fish are long living, very active fish that bass and other cichlids go crazy for.  Jewel cichlids and spotted tilapia can easily be caught using a bait trap or cast net in grassy areas.  The best size is around 3" because they are not too big for the smaller fish, and the larger fish will still attack a bait that size.  

My second favorite baits are crawfish and worms.  Crawfish can be caught using a hand net and swiping underneath rocks; and worms can be found in the ground and bought in every tackle shop in the area.  These baits are great for cichlids and largemouth bass, but not as effective as jewel cichlids and spotted tilapia for peacock bass.  

Finally, if you don't want to take the time to catch the bait, artificial lures are still very effective.  For cichlids, it is best to use small jigs and spoons in an up and down motion.  For bass, it is best to use suspending lures and rattle traps as they have very realistic action and contain rattles, which bass go crazy about.  My favorite lures for bass are the Rapala X-Rap and the Cotton Cordell Super Spot.  

 

These baits can be used for all of the fish caught in the canals effectvely and with a small price and sometimes even free! 

Mayan Mania

Another fish that inhabits the South Florida canals is the Mayan Cichlid.  This is a very beautiful fish with dark vertical bands, sometimes with a blue outline, with a redish orange backdrop.  The most notable feature about this fish is it's large black spot on the back of it's tail, similar to the peacock bass.  These fish are very good fighters, an equivalent and maybe even stronger then peacock and largemouth bass, but without the jumping.  These fish can reach up to 16", but are most commonly caught around 12".  

These fish can be caught throughout the canals, usually in the same places Midas cichlids can be caught as they like similar structure and food.  This structure is usually underneath a tree for food or near a dock of a person is feeding them with a rocky and grassy bottom.  

You can catch these fish with bread, but are most effectively caught with live bait.  

The best love bait to use in my opinion is the jewel cichlid, another invasive species easily caught in the Florida canals using a bait trap.  It is rare to catch a Mayan Cichlid on a lure unless they are bedding.  

When these fish bed, they are extremely aggressive and will inhale anything you put on it.  

Some spots that I have been successful with catching these beautiful fish are:  

Rock Lake on:

12701 SW 69th Ave

Miami, FL  33156-6220

United States

On the dock behind: 

11000 SW 74th Ct

Miami, FL  33156-4516

United States

Overall, these fish are fun fish to catch that give up great fights and can reach a nice size of up to 16".  Mayan Cichlids are one of the less popular fish to catch in the canals, but they are definetly one of the best fighting, most exciting fish to catch in South Florida's freshwater canals.