Florida's Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission seems to have succeeded in its effort to establish peacock bass throughout the state's subtropical temperate zone.
Hardly a week goes by anymore that we don't read of at least one success story centering on a south Florida angler landing a five- to eight-pound peacock bass while seeking largemouth bass or bream.
The Commission's initial effort, back in the 60s, failed because the fish captured in Venezuela's Cinaruco River were unable to survive sudden winter temperature drops and the project was placed on the back burner.
The reason for stocking peacock bass into south Florida waters was to provide an additional predatory fish to help control an over-abundance of unwanted baitfish, as well as providing anglers with a great gamester.
As the tucunare--or peacock bass--becomes more numerous throughout south Florida's waters, it's possible that the famous largemouth bass might be benched. By comparison to peacocks, largemouth are sissies.
My first encounter with this colorful and feisty battler took place in 1973 on the Araguaia River in the remote Amazon Basin of Brazil.
It didn't take but one cast to conclude that the peacock bass is a winner.
Even Tom McNally, who made a living writing about smallmouth bass in northern lakes and trout in western waters, admitted that the peacock "is far superior" to both the smallmouth and rainbows. The late Art Sullivan of Boston said that the peacock is a more furious scrapper than New England's famed striped bass. Hank Stowers of Dallas said that his Texas largemouth won't hold a candle to this prize.
What does this peacock bass have going for it?
In a word...everything.
It strikes with the impact of a Greyhound bus. It'll take off on long runs similar to a bonefish. It'll battle deep with the power of a rampaging snook, and will jump like a tarpon.
Added to its fighting qualities are physical beauty, staying power, and taste.
The fish I met in Brazil were unsophisticated and clobbered every lure, bait, or fly I tossed. It must be pointed out that these fish had never seen an angler or an artificial lure. It was assumed they'd "wise up" a bit when subjected to fishing pressure.
Peacock bass in the Araguaia area inhabited lakes off the main rivers and could be found in waters ranging from six inches to four-foot depths. Nobody in our party, which included the late Will Carruth, who owned Dallas and the Plantation Inn at Crystal River, hooked any peacocks in depths exceeding four feet.
It's possible that these fish were around bushes at the water's edge, on shallow mud flats, and particularly around fallen trees and logs.
Find a submerged tree, which are numerous in the Amazon Basin, and you can hook anywhere from two to a dozen fish in one spot!
The largest peacock taken by anyone in our group during the six days we spent in this remote jungle was a tad over eight pounds. However, they are known to grow to 20 and 30 pounds.
According to experts, there were six species of peacock bass in the area where we were fishing. During our time there, I caught four species and concluded that all fought the same way.
Its first plop. Then, the jumping begins.
It'll burst into the air, sometimes as high as two or three feet, shake its head, and then plow back into the water only to jump again and again.
Surprisingly, we found that the peacock hit best when the sun was brightest. The hotter the day, the better the action.
From what we've been able to gather, the Game and Freshwater Fish Commission's most recent specimen-collection effort was concentrated in the Amazon Basin where Brazil's year-round temperatures and weather conditions are similar to that of south Florida.
Hopefully the Commission's current effort with the peacock will be successful.
Should this great game fish become firmly established in south Florida waters, it's doubtful that anglers will ever again go exclusively for largemouth.
After all, who wants hamburger when they can have lobster?
Copyright (c) 1996 Herb Allen. All rights reserved.
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