Peacock Bass Fishing

Peacock bass fishing, or fishing for the butterfly peacock or speckled peacock, is exciting freshwater fishing. These bass are natives of the Amazon River of South America and can also be found in the waters of Colombia, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Malaysia, Panama, Singapore and warmer locations in the USA.

Peacock Bass Fishing can only be done in warmer waters and have become an extremely popular freshwater game fish in Florida. They put up a great fight and are great to eat due to their delicate white meat as well. Peacock bass make excellent sport fish. They hit fast and they hit hard. Peacock bass were intended to serve as a sport fish, which would persist primarily on non-native, non-commercial species of fish. Peacock bass are among the 1,800 other species that have been cataloged from the Amazon home waters.

Peacock bass come in several varieties, including speckled, black-barred, butterfly and royal. The world record peacock (a 27-pounder caught by one of Amazon Tours anglers) is speckled. Peacock Bass has a long body and deeply-notched dorsal fin. It has a large mouth and the lower jaw extends beyond the upper jaw.

Peacock bass fishing started after these fish were dropped into the warmer freshwaters of Florida in 1984 by fish and game officials to go after environmentally destructive fish like the Oscar, Midas cichlid, and the spotted tilapia. Due to the warm water conditions in particular areas of Florida the peacock bass have vigorously grown in population. The peacock bass love temperate locations and cannot tolerate colder water temperatures.

Scheduling a peacock bass fishing trip

with one of the many guides in Florida is affordable and relatively easy. The serious peacock bass fisherman should consider planning a trip of a lifetime to the Amazon River or to the lakes and rivers of Venezuela. This is the ultimate in peacock bass fishing. Imagine fishing with the sounds of the jungle in the background and parrots and monkeys greeting you at every turn.

They can be caught by fly, artificial or live bait fish, but they prefer live bait. The peacock bass can be hooked during daylight hours using a fly rod with a 5 or 6 weight for freshwater depending on where you are fishing. Good reels, high quality line with fast action rods and sharp hooks to penetrate quickly are necessary. A good pair of Polaroid glasses will allow you to spot these beautiful fish as they hit.

After successful day of peacock bass fishing imagine taking home a keepsake replicate of this prize catch? The locals can produce such a lifelike replica of your catch that often they are better than most traditional skin mounts. The fisherman need only provide the taxidermist with a photo and measurements and he will produce a beautiful souvenir for you to take home.

Several guides and travel agencies specializing in peacock bass fishing are listed online. They can plan your international fishing trip from start to finish. Peacock bass fishing will guarantee you the ultimate in freshwater game fishing.