Fish size for harvesting

[Pat James]

I know this is a little early in the season, but I have some questions about what I should expect come fall.

I have seen posts on you tube about harvesting tilapia in the 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pound range and get 2 about 4 oz fillets, which is less than 50 percent dress out.

my question for tilapia is, how long does a tilapia need to be to weigh this much?

With humans you can see a 5 ft woman weighing better than 300 pounds (just go to Walmart)...but I figure fish have a more "expected" length to weight ratio.

the same question stands for catfish as it does for tilapia.

The reason I ask this is I want to estimate my fish's weight without trapping or netting a few and putting them through the trauma just to give me an idea how they are progressing.

I am hoping to be able to grow my tilapia out to a decent harvestable size before the colder months. I am, however, making plans for heating the water without resorting to expensive methods.

[Frank Scanlan]

I have asked the same question on other forums,  I am guessing that at about 15 inches the tilapia will weigh 1.5 pounds.  My fish are probably in the 10 to 12 inch range right now.   I'm working on a plan to net them and I'll weigh the largest and let you know.