Peacock bass is a bass whose name is very popular south of the United States.  These fish are an extreme gamefish and very expensive to go after.  Once only found in South America, now they are also found in the the United States,  only in the state of Florida.

There are six known species of Peacock bass with the Butterfly Peacock bass being the most popular.  The speckled peacock bass is the largest growing more than 3 feet in length, while the royal peacock bass is the smallest growing just under 2 feet.  All peacock bass are bright colored fish with shades of green, blue, orange, and gold being one of the main color.    The stripes on them can differ by the species, but with all species, the stripe usually fade away later in adulthood.

These bass are native to the Amazon River basin of  South America.  They are now also found in the southern part of Florida.  They were introduced to Florida in 1984 to control the growing population of exotic fishes such as the Spotted Tilapia and Oscar.   While some fisherman has tried to move them to other locations in the United States, it have not been successful because peacock bass cannot tolerate low temperature water.   As of now, the only place in the United States that Peacock bass can be found is in southern Florida.

When it comes to peacock bass fishing, most fisherman claim the best place in the world to get in on the action is on Brazil’s Rio Negro River and on Venezuela’s Lake Guri. Before even thinking about going there, one should do research on it first.  Going there without any guidance of any kind will be costly.  Since it is one of the top fishing spot for peacock bass fishing, there are guides there to help you out and is recommended that you get one.

The top lures preferred by peacock bass anglers are the topwater lures.  The bass will readily take the lures anytime of the day, even in bright sunlight.  However, overcast conditions will yield the best action. Other lures such as the walking baits, propeller ripping baits, poppers, jerkbaits, casting spoons, and bucktail jigs works great on peacock bass too.  With any lures, consider using some type of strong wire Inter or Double-Lok snap (size 6 - 120 lb break strength) for fast lure change.  Always remember to bring extra split rings and treble hooks, as peacock bass will break a few baits during the fishing trip.

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