Imagine fishing unchartered waters, surrounded by thick tropical rain forest jungle all the while relying on a guide that speaks little to no English. Well it must be a pretty special fish to entice an angler back year after year… Apparently that’s just what Peacock Bass are a very aggressive, explosive, destructive, yet beautiful fish and once they bite not only are they hooked good but quite often the angler is hooked for life too.

Take for instance Greg Thompson, one of the pioneers of the Peacock Bass movement. Greg has been traveling to South America for two decades just to experience the thrill of doing battle with the multi colored bass. He has tested the waters in Brazil and Venezuela and logged hundred of miles pushing and pulling a small boat through mangroves surrounding prime backwater lagoons where the big peacocks live.

On his maiden voyage in the late 1980’s, Thompson ventured into Central Venezuela hoping to find the answer for his angling quest. Like most fisherman, Thompson sought out a fish that was aggressive, would readily strike lures and fight hard. He found that and more. The mighty Peacock has strikes that resemble a surface explosion, it battles like a gladiator and rarely does an angler find a fish that just loves to strike out at top water lures like a Peacock Bass does.

Getting to the destination in those days was an incredible amount of work. Seven different airplanes, two whole days of air travel and numerous border towns had to be crossed just to arrive at his lodge. Yet even though half of the eight day trip was eaten up by travel, Greg enjoyed the adventure so much that he kept returning annually to South America. Throughout the years he has savored the flavors of the local cuisine, met the locals, learned the regions that hold big fish, and knows many of the best outfitters. Thus he is in great demand for his expertise on the subject of peacock bass fishing and currently serves as an adviser for interested angler via the Peacock Bass Association. (www.peacockbassassociation.com)

Obviously some background information about peacock Bass is in order. Essentially there are three varieties of Peacock in Brazil. The Three Bar which is the largest yet more solitary of the fish specie, and gets its name from the visible three vertical lines or bars that grace its sides. Next is the Speckled Bass, again aptly named for the dots that adorn the body of this fish. Last but not least, is the smallest Peacock variety, the Butterfly.

3-Bar Peacock
Speckled Peacock
Butterfly Peacock

All three fish are related but they do have separate characteristics and personalities. The bigger Three Bar is more of a loner. It seeks out the darker waters, finds a good ambush point then waits to crush its prey with the unbelievable strength of a fish on steroids. Anglers may not catch a lot of Three Bars in a day but they will be memorable fish according to Greg!

Unlike its bigger cousin, the Speckled Peacock lives in the swift moving waters. It can typically be found on the outside edges of sandbars in the fast moving rivers. Although all three specie are aggressive, Greg explained that the runt of the litter, the Butterfly is probably the meanest!

Butterflies can be found in the shallow haunts that would be home to a Largemouth here in the States. These bass will often time school up adding to the angling pleasure! Maybe the reason they do not achieve the same size as their relatives is that they will chase and strike virtually anything warns Greg.

Although we have mentioned that Peacocks can be caught on just about anything, Thompson advises anglers merely bring a few varieties of lures with them. "Big erratic topwaters and plug get the most strikes" advised Greg. Apparently people cannot believe how much damage these fish can do to even well built lures. Greg explained that originally they took the biggest, toughest lures available only to have those dis-mantled and destroyed in a day’s fishing.

"Virtually everything must be custom made for the trophy class peacock bass," instructs Thompson. Over the years companies have listened to veteran anglers and tweaked their lures to where they can last a few days with some care. Some of the favorite baits of the Peacock Bass include Big Game Woodchoppers made by Luhr Jensen, Rip Roller prop baits made by HighRoller lures, and big Rapala X Raps or Yozuri Crystal minnows. Custom jigs made and designed by Greg are also a hot ticket and can be found at http://www.highrollerwest.com.

Peacock Bass in a Jungle Setting

According to Greg, the best lures will have a very erratic action and bright colors. Even though they typically come from the factory with some big dang treble hooks, serious Peacock fishermen still swap out those trebles for super premium, heavy 4X to7X trebles. One tip Greg utilizes; is to take a box of extra hardware including spare treble hooks, hook hanger screws, heavy split rings and lots of extra props since those can often be bent out of kilter by mean Peacocks. He will often have to re-paint and re-build several lures each evening in order to have enough to fish the next day! Talk about some serious wear and tear!

Lures are not the only tackle items that have to be built to take some abuse. Fishing line is often the most crucial piece of the entire tackle selection process. Again no wimpy lines apply. Thirty to eighty pound test braided lines are recommended. Unfortunately the bigger the line the larger the diameter and more room it takes up on the spool of the reel. Thus Greg compromises and uses 65 pound braid in order to fit enough line onto his reel to make those really long casts and avoid being "spooled" by the big ones.

Here again, this angler uses a somewhat special reel. Wide spool model bait cast reels like those from Shimano that incorporates a blistering fast 7 to 1 gear ratio work very well. Remember what was mentioned about erratic lures catching more fish? Thompson says that an angler cannot retrieve a lure too fast for a Peacock. In fact, quite the contrary may be true. The faster the better!

Rods have to be stout but usually just heavy action seven or seven and one half foot Bass rods will suffice as long as they are of high quality. It’s a good idea anytime braid is used to carry along a few spare rod tips and rod guides since braid can cause wear inside of the guide eyes. One need not worry about buying all the right gear as most good outfitters have tackle to loan visiting anglers.

Greg did mention that one of the most critical items an angler must bring is the sun protection. Not only is high SPF sunscreen needed but also a large brim hat is recommended. Clothing with integral sun protection in the fabric is ideally suited for this type of adventure since most trips take place near the Equator and thus the sun’s harmful rays are magnified. Those folks with fair skin would be advised to wear long sleeves and pants to prevent sun burns and blisters. No one wants to get sun burned on the first day of fishing so it’s best to prepare.

Besides the sun, traveling anglers must also be prepared for the climate which is extremely hot and humid. Imagine the hottest, stickiest summer and then add to that advises Greg. It is the rain forest jungle, where rain is a daily occurrence. No need to worry though, as rain storms quickly blow through and things dry out in no time. Best of all is that there are no mosquitoes in these areas. The tannic acid in the back waters is too strong for the mosquitoes to survive, making it a pleasant trip where one has no worries about bugs.

Most trips will be run from house boat which serves as the lodge. Inside these mighty river vessels are plush accommodations that will please most anglers. All rooms have air conditioning and two beds as well as hot showers so fishermen can truly enjoy all the comforts of home while way back in the jungle!

Although most guides do not speak a lot of English, they are very versed in "fish speak" as Greg might say. They grew up fishing the lagoons, rivers and bays and know where to find fish. When one of the native guide’s points to a spot he wants you to cast to, you would be wise to follow his advice. The guides have a lot of pride at stake and Thompson claims that they fight for the privilege of putting their clients on the biggest Peacock. Guides are rotated daily so no fisherman can claim they got the best guide the entire time. Greg says that the guides will do everything in their powers to put clients into the best areas. Often times they will push the fishing boats through waters infested with snakes, alligators, stingrays, piranha and chop through mangroves or lay down mahogany logs with machetes just to gain access to an area.

Once an angler gets interested in going to on a Peacock trip its wise to contact Greg Thompson or just look up the forum on Peacock Bass Association. There one can find a listing of respected outfitters and information on prices. Season dates are normally from October through January although most services will advise the angler that a successful trip requires favorable water levels. Too much water and flooding occurs pushing the Peacocks way back into the un-penetrable areas of the jungle. Contrary too little water makes getting around impossible and the houseboat as well as the fishing boats cannot get where they need to. Most veteran anglers call ahead of time and purchase airline tickets that are refundable or can be changed for departure dates. "There’s no use in going down if the fishing is bad," admits Greg. Trips commonly in the area of five thousand dollars and involve nine to 10 days time so it’s best to plan some flexibility into the schedule.

Trip planning begins right away, if an angler is considering a trip this fall. In fact it’s wise to contact the health department immediately since shots will be needed to keep the angler safe. Additionally depending on which country the trip will take place in, a visa may also be required and the paperwork must be completed ahead of time so plan ahead for the bureaucratic delays! Other tips might be to begin practicing casting the big heavy plugs that tempt the big Pavons. The extra effort required to cast them, rip them across the water and retrieve them at a fast clip can quickly tire a fisherman who isn’t well versed with the "super-sized" top waters.

While these peacock trips are not cheap, the airfare represents the largest portion of the entire package. In the current trend of daily fuel increases any interested angler would be wise to book his trip immediately in order to lock in on the current airfare pricing. Airline ticket prices are rising daily as are their baggage restrictions, so don’t put things off any longer. Begin serious discussions with your fishing buddies and get things done!

For further information, tips, advice, a list of recommended outfitters and lots of other information you can contact Greg Thompson at Grande@peacockbassman.com He will be more than happy to talk Peacock bass fishing anytime!

An Amazon Sunset