Archive for March, 2010
The Amazon Peacock Bass – A True Trophy
March 31st, 2010
Many angler’s talk about “the one that got away”, but lately I have been hearing stories of 20 pounders being hauled in on the banks of the Rio Negro in the Amazonia region of Northern Brazil; and they ain’t getting away. It’s the Mighty Peacock Bass, named for its colorful appearance and largemouth bass like mouth. This fish has been beguiling fisherman from all over the world and the epicenter of its existence is in the freshwaters of the Amazon River system in northern Brazil.
Peacock bass is the common or colloquial American-English name for a species of a tropical, freshwater fish native to the Amazon River basin. They also can be found in the warm waters of many South American countries such as Columbia and Panama, parts of Southeast Asia like Malaysia and Singapore, and even in Southern Florida, Puerto Rico and Hawaii in the United States. Don’t be confused by its ‘nick’ name, Peacock Bass, these fish are actually not basses at all; they are cichlids. However, the top water action, the fight, and the fierceness one feels when they have one on the line is like a combination of the Smallmouth and Largemouth Basses commonly found in North America multiplied by ten!
There are actually 15 different species of Peacock Bass that are found in Brazil. The “speckled peacock bass” and the “Butterfly Peacock Bass” are the top prizes. They grow to be the largest, and are most valued by anglers. Some have been caught weighing up to 27 pounds! Even your common everyday catch is usually 15- 20 pounds!
Agreed by all, the best location to find these trophy Peacock Bass is in the Amazon River basin in northern Brazil. There are many guide operations and lodges operating in this region for a reason. The beauty of these outfits is they take care of everything down to the rods and tackle needed to bag a trophy Peacock. You can choose from varying degrees of luxury for your day to day accommodations. You can stay on a live-aboard river yacht that provides all the amenities of a five-star hotel while cruising the inlets, coves and lagoons by bass-boat all day catching as many Peacocks as you can handle. These sorts of trips are some of the most amazing fishing adventures one can imagine and range in cost from $3000 – $7000 depending on the outfit and amenities you choose. For all these trips, you will have to pay your own way to get to Manaus Brazil, the main city in that region; and to get back home. Once there you hook up with the outfitter group, and you are on your way to a fishing adventure of a life time.
About the Author
Derek V. Thomas – Amateur angler and writer. Find more information about this article and Amazon Peacock Bass at http://www.amazonpeacockbasstrip.com
New Peacock Bass World Record Pending
March 13th, 2010
MANAUS, Brazil – The strike barely dimpled the water, but it sent waves hurtling throughout the freshwater fishing world by shattering a coveted world record that stood for 16 years.
This 28lb Monster was caught on the Capt. Logan Trip.
