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PEACOCK BASS FISHING
ON THE AMAZON RIVER IN BRAZIL
Peacock Bass Fishing Equipment List
Because you are matching wits with a fish stronger than anything you have ever encountered in the freshwater, we urge you to BRING EXTRA-TOUGH TACKLE. This is topwater fishing at its finest where the action explodes right beside you. Bring more than lures than you than you think you will need because you're going to lose more than you expect!
Landing Peacock Bass will require using tough equipment. To give you the advantage, we are providing this "tried-and-true" equipment list for Peacock Bass fishing.
Rods : Casting- (3+) Med.-Hvy. to Hvy. Action 6'6"- 6'9" rods.
Note : Best rods also have a long handle. When retrieving a large prop-bait, such as a Big Game Woodchopper, it is best to position your rod butt on your hip to gain leverage and assist in pulling the bait through the water. Short aggressive jerks allow the prop-bait to throw more water and attract more strikes!
Spinning : You may fish for peacock bass with spinning equipment if that's what you are comfortable fishing with. Bring 7ft Med.-Hvy. rods with good quality light-saltwater reels, lined with 50-60lb braided line. To be honest, the casting rod's stiffness, castability, accuracy, and balance make it a much better choice for peacock bass fishing. The Amazon is the perfect place to learn and master bait casting techniques; the days are beautiful, the fishing is hot, and you will be rewarded for your efforts.
Reels : Casting- Good quality, strong drag, fast retrieve ratio (6.0:1-6.3:1)!
We recommend:
1) Top-of-the-line. . .(Shimano Chronarch)
2) Top-of-the line. . .(Diawa Millionaire CV253A)
3) Less expensive, but still capable is (Abu 6500 C4)
Line : 80lb braided fishing line, made by Tuffline or Magibraid.
Lures : Large Prop-baits- The large prop-baits were specifically designed for peacock bass and other species that really "turn-on" to a bait that causes a big top-water commotion. The large prop-baits are the best lures available for bringing big peacock bass to the surface.
The two main choices of large prop-baits are :
1) The Big Game Woodchopper
2) The Amazon Ripper
The 3 colors we prefer are: Perch, Fire Tiger, and Black/Orange. In addition, the Clown and Red/White will at times produce good strikes.
Note: Big Game Woodchoppers have a louder more aggressive sound, but Amazon Rippers are a little easier to retrieve.
In conclusion, bring 6-10 large prop-baits in a combination of models and colors, for example: (2) Big Game Woodchoppers each in Perch and Fire Tiger
(1) Big Game Woodchoppers each in Clown and Red/White
(2) Amazon Rippers in Black/Orange
(3) Amazon Ripper in Fire Tiger
Smaller Prop-baits (called The Peacock Special)- The smaller prop-baits will rise Peacock Bass, often of smaller size, and are easier to retrieve than the larger prop-baits.
Bring 1 each of the Peacock Specials in Black & Orange, Blue, and Fire Tiger.
Jerkbaits: (2-3) large 7" or medium 6" Redfins (chrome w/blue dorsal), also
Bomber Long-A lures (6"): 1ea in clear body w/red head or silver flash w/blue back.
Rat-L-Traps: (2) chrome/blue back in ¾ oz size.
Other: Bucktail jigs in ½ oz. (white color works best).
Peacock Bass - Fly Fishing Equipment List
Peacock Bass love to hit big flies! The good news is that on the average, an experienced fly fisherman will land more peacock bass than an equally skilled fisherman using casting equipment! The fly fisherman's peacocks will be slightly smaller in size, but larger in numbers. The peacock bass that will normally hit a fly are in the 2-8 pound range, although 10-20 pound fish are often taken and the world record (all tackle) on the fly is a 24 pound peacock! While fishing for peacock bass, you will need to bring heavy weight fly fishing rods and fish with large streamers and top-water poppers.
Below is a list of recommended fly fishing equipment for peacock bass:
Rods : Fly rods should be from 8-11wt, with either a 9wt or 10wt being the best weight if you were only bringing one rod.
Reels : Good quality with a strong drag and capacity for a lot of 30lb backing, designed for the weight rod you are bringing.
Line : Any good quality floating, weight forward, line will work best. I prefer to use a shooting head system because peacock bass are definitely not line shy. If you are bringing a second rod, I recommend a 5ft #6 sinking-tip line for the second outfit.
Leaders : A very quick and easy method is to simply cut a 5-6ft section of 40, 50, or 60lb "hard mono" and tie it on as a strait-leader. If you are interested in fishing for line class records for peacock bass, you will need a leader with a heavy butt section, followed by your IGFA approved line class section between two bimini twists, ending in a 20lb, 30lb, or 40lb fluorocarbon tippet. Be sure to check on the current IGFA record for the line class that you are fishing, so you will know if a record breaking fish has been caught.
Flies : Peacock bass flies should be tied on large sharp, 3/0-4/0 hooks. Peacock bass will hit top-water poppers, but large streamers will produce more strikes. All colors will attract peacocks to strike, especially combinations using yellow, green, red, olive, and blue. Smaller 3"-4" streamers are easier to cast and will produce a lot of strikes from fish in the 2-6 pound range. For really large peacock bass, you will need to fish with a streamer that is from 5"-8" in length.
Recommended flies for peacock bass are:
Streamers -
1) Wool flies (or can be tied with Bozo hair)
2) Rabbit tail slider
3) Deceivers
Poppers -
1) Dahlsberg divers
2) Foam poppers
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