Need help with ID.

[Tactical Mad Dawg]

This fish was caught in Lake Lanier by a student of my best friend. The pic is not the best, but I have never seen a fish like this that has been caught from the lake and I have fished it all my life. The top fin is very strange looking in the picture and it may just be the position the photo was taken that makes it odd looking. Any help would be appreciated so we can help the kid ID his fish. Thanks in advance.

 

[4ssss]

Blue Tilapia. It's #12 in the pics

https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/learning/aquaticscience/fish_flash_cards.pdf

 

[Tactical Mad Dawg]

Never knew they were in a north Georgia lake. Thanks

 

[Timber Cruiser]

Hoping he kept it.

 

[4ssss]

Wouldn't surprise me if somebody dumped their aquarium in the lake.

From Google

Blue tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) were once reported in Georgia, but are no longer considered established in the state:

• History
  Blue tilapia were reported in Georgia in the 1980s, but state personnel concluded they were no longer present by 1992.
  
  
  
• Status
  Blue tilapia are considered an invasive species in Georgia. They are native to Africa and the Middle East, but have been introduced to other parts of the world, including the United States.
  
  
  
• Tilapia in Georgia
  Tilapia are considered an exotic fish species in Georgia, and there are legal requirements for keeping, raising, and selling them. A license from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is required to sell tilapia, and the type of license depends on how the fish are held.

 

[DanKATL]

Wouldn't surprise me if somebody dumped their aquarium in the lake.

Hurricanes & tornados do the same thing, with all of the homes washed away in NC and damaged here in GA; there's a good chance that a few non-native fish were released.

 

[Tactical Mad Dawg]

I appreciate the info guys.

 

[Timber Cruiser]

We shoot the hell out of em on Seminole. Fish farm flooded into the lake.