I live in Houston, TX, have a small garden pond, with all fish caught locally in the wild using a 3' cast net.

Currently the pond has one red shiner, 6 sunfish (probably bluegills) and a big reproducing population of mosquitofish.

Other fish previously kept in it are green sunfish, orangespotted sunfish (really pretty, but prone to fungal infections), a crappie once (wouldn't take to fish food) and sailfin mollies.

During my collecting trips, I kill any exotic fish I find, which are usually plecostomus catfish or tilapia, but I have caught the occasional goldfish, too. Sadly, some ponds that used to be good places to catch sunfish are now overrun with tilapia.

Cool man. I was just up around Lake Houston dipnetting, and I was surprised how many tilapia I was pulling out. They were a bit different than the blue/nile tilapia I typically find in Fort Bend Co... prominent dark banding over a yellow background with red eyes. I think they were probably just in that inlet since the sunfish have moved out post-spawning.

the last few tropical storms in your area
has set a ton if not more.
non native fish loose in your area.
sad to say but 3 or 4 hybrid tilapia species are now here to stay.
no need to kill them IMO.
this will not work, on such a small scale venture.
how i miss the day's and time's
long ago netting mud minnows
in a road side ditch for bait
just out side of tomball TX, just off 1960.
on our way to lake conroe.

has the long earpopulation stood the test of time?

the last few tropical storms in your area
has set a ton if not more.
non native fish loose in your area.

Perhaps some of the nonnatives were let loose because of tropical storms, maybe the farmraised tilapia, but most of the "aquarium" fish were let loose by irresponsible aquarium owners when they outgrow their tanks. I think a lot of the tilapia have been let loose by irresponsible asian and latin grocery stores.

sad to say but 3 or 4 hybrid tilapia species are now here to stay.
no need to kill them IMO.
this will not work, on such a small scale venture.

Whether it will work or not, I am required to do so by law:
http://www.tpwd.stat...sh/exotic.phtml

just out side of tomball TX, just off 1960.
on our way to lake conroe.

I grew up out that way, went to Klein High School

has the long earpopulation stood the test of time?

I haven't caught a single one. Would like too, through. Only sunfish I have caught are bluegill, orangespotted, and green.