Fishing Techniques
When most anglers think about peacock bass fishing, they envision explosive strikes on a topwater lures. Ripping a noisy propeller or Woodchopper style lure or “walking the dog’ with a Zara Spook or a Rebel Jumping Minnow is the most exciting way to pursue peacock bass. Trophy peacock are very territorial and do not respond well to a lot of fishing pressure. Hook a big peacocks bass on a top water lure and loose him, it will most likely be a long time before he strikes another one! If fished hard, they will simply ignore top water lures. Because we only fish exclusive, private areas, we are able to limit the fishing pressure so that the fish do not become accustomed to fishermen and fishing pressure and readily take topwater lures all season.
Subsurface baits will always catch more fish than top water lures…you just loose the visual of that big Peacock throwing gallons of water into the air when he hits a top water lure. Jerk baits from 4 – 7” long are very effective when worked with a fast jerking action, nothing subtle in this technique. The secret to jerk baits is to use one with a small diving lip that will ruin only 1 – 3’ under water as you want to fish around structure and brush. Jigs are probably the most effective lure you can use if you wish to catch the greatest number of Peacock Bass, including some monsters! Jigs are very effective when trolled as well. On the main river channels that are heavily pressured from the myriad of mother boats, 50% of the fish they catch will be caught by trolling jigs and flies as they try to present these subsurface baits over as much water as possible. Plastic baits, 4 – 8” long can be effective as the hook is hidden within the lure and can be cast into heavy cover and under trees without getting hung up. You just need some heavy hooks to get big Peacock Bass out of the cover they will be caught in. The big draw back to soft baits is one bite from a Piranha, Bi-Cuda, or one of the other toothy critters that live in the waters of Brazil’s Amazon and you are looking for another soft plastic bait! You need to bring lots of them if you plan on fishing soft plastic. Spoons are used most effectively for vertical jigging over structure in deeper water. This is a game of patients, one that produces few fish, but some of the biggest ones.
Flies will produce lots of peacock bass, but usually in the 2 – 20 lb class. It is tougher to catch really large peacock bass on fly tackle. In general, peacock bass flies do not make as much commotion as conventional lures. Most flies are designed to visually attract predators. In the tannin-stained waters, visibility is limited, so there is a good chance that a fish might not see your fly unless it is really close by. Noisy surface flies and flies with rattles will help attract fish. Fly fishing can be very effective on big peacocks when they are schooling or when fishing over fry or to spawning pairs.
Where to fish? Peacock bass are structure oriented fish. Sunken logs, fallen & overhanging trees, stumps, brush and points are areas you want to target when they are not on their spawning beds. The closer you can cast to the structure the chances of hooking up increase exponentially! If you are fishing shore lines or sand bars the points of both, especially where they drop off quickly into deep water, are primo ambush spots for big peacock bass. If you are fishing over spawning peacock bass, both parents will defend the nest and their fry once they have hatched, making them very aggressive all thru the spawning and fry cycle. Peacock bass dig nests (depressions in the sand) in 6 – 10 ft of water as the water levels are falling, thus you will seldom see active nests. Listen to your guide and cast where they tell you to, thru years of experience in seeing these nests once the water falls and they show themselves, even thought the peacocks are gone from them, your guide can put you on these nest when the water is to deep to see them. Post spawn the male & female peacock bass will ball up and stay with their fry for up to 60 days defending them. The parents will move their fry into fairly shallow lagoons once they have left the nest. For me, hunting fry feeding on the surface of the water post spawn is one of the most exciting types of peacock bass fishing I have ever done! Your guide will me slowly cruising lagoons looking for almost indiscernible disturbances on the surface of the water that indicates feeing fry. When found, you cast most preferably a jerk bait or jig just past the fry and immediately begin a fast erratic retrieve and will often be rewarded with a wrist numbing strike. This adds a new definition to sight fishing!
Subsurface baits will always catch more fish than top water lures…you just loose the visual of that big Peacock throwing gallons of water into the air when he hits a top water lure. Jerk baits from 4 – 7” long are very effective when worked with a fast jerking action, nothing subtle in this technique. The secret to jerk baits is to use one with a small diving lip that will ruin only 1 – 3’ under water as you want to fish around structure and brush. Jigs are probably the most effective lure you can use if you wish to catch the greatest number of Peacock Bass, including some monsters! Jigs are very effective when trolled as well. On the main river channels that are heavily pressured from the myriad of mother boats, 50% of the fish they catch will be caught by trolling jigs and flies as they try to present these subsurface baits over as much water as possible. Plastic baits, 4 – 8” long can be effective as the hook is hidden within the lure and can be cast into heavy cover and under trees without getting hung up. You just need some heavy hooks to get big Peacock Bass out of the cover they will be caught in. The big draw back to soft baits is one bite from a Piranha, Bi-Cuda, or one of the other toothy critters that live in the waters of Brazil’s Amazon and you are looking for another soft plastic bait! You need to bring lots of them if you plan on fishing soft plastic. Spoons are used most effectively for vertical jigging over structure in deeper water. This is a game of patients, one that produces few fish, but some of the biggest ones.
Flies will produce lots of peacock bass, but usually in the 2 – 20 lb class. It is tougher to catch really large peacock bass on fly tackle. In general, peacock bass flies do not make as much commotion as conventional lures. Most flies are designed to visually attract predators. In the tannin-stained waters, visibility is limited, so there is a good chance that a fish might not see your fly unless it is really close by. Noisy surface flies and flies with rattles will help attract fish. Fly fishing can be very effective on big peacocks when they are schooling or when fishing over fry or to spawning pairs.
Where to fish? Peacock bass are structure oriented fish. Sunken logs, fallen & overhanging trees, stumps, brush and points are areas you want to target when they are not on their spawning beds. The closer you can cast to the structure the chances of hooking up increase exponentially! If you are fishing shore lines or sand bars the points of both, especially where they drop off quickly into deep water, are primo ambush spots for big peacock bass. If you are fishing over spawning peacock bass, both parents will defend the nest and their fry once they have hatched, making them very aggressive all thru the spawning and fry cycle. Peacock bass dig nests (depressions in the sand) in 6 – 10 ft of water as the water levels are falling, thus you will seldom see active nests. Listen to your guide and cast where they tell you to, thru years of experience in seeing these nests once the water falls and they show themselves, even thought the peacocks are gone from them, your guide can put you on these nest when the water is to deep to see them. Post spawn the male & female peacock bass will ball up and stay with their fry for up to 60 days defending them. The parents will move their fry into fairly shallow lagoons once they have left the nest. For me, hunting fry feeding on the surface of the water post spawn is one of the most exciting types of peacock bass fishing I have ever done! Your guide will me slowly cruising lagoons looking for almost indiscernible disturbances on the surface of the water that indicates feeing fry. When found, you cast most preferably a jerk bait or jig just past the fry and immediately begin a fast erratic retrieve and will often be rewarded with a wrist numbing strike. This adds a new definition to sight fishing!
Less Than Ideal Water Conditions
During the dry seasons in Brazil’s Amazon water levels can vary from year to year due to adverse water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean commonly termed El Nino or El Nina which can force moisture into the Amazon River Basin or constrict the flow of moisture from entering the basin. Even with floating camps and being able to predict weather conditions several weeks in advance with modern atmospheric monitoring techniques, we will occasionally experience less than ideal water levels. In the rare case that rivers are out of their banks or so low that mobility is greatly affected, anglers will be given the option to postpone their trip to a future date,
In broad generalities, I would rather have high water levels with the water receding than low water levels with the water levels increasing. Rising water levels just seem to shut down the feeding activity of peacock bass, while falling water levels seem to “turn the bite on.” With this in mind lets looks at fishing low and high water conditions.
In broad generalities, I would rather have high water levels with the water receding than low water levels with the water levels increasing. Rising water levels just seem to shut down the feeding activity of peacock bass, while falling water levels seem to “turn the bite on.” With this in mind lets looks at fishing low and high water conditions.
High Water Conditions
When water levels are higher than normal, the fish suddenly have more areas to move into in search of new food . I have gone back into areas of newly flooded timber looking for peacock bass we heard jumping and chasing bait to find in short order that this was a futile effort. If you did hook a Peacock in the flooded timber, they tangled you up or broke you off quickly.
Where do you look for fish when the water is higher than normal for that time of the year and you cannot fish were you normally would? Recently flooded flats with some brush & a minimal of timber are a good places to look as the bait fish will have moved into these areas for protection from predators above as well as in the water. The very edge of newly flooded brush along the banks of the rivers & tributaries is another good place to work. The peacocks will be up under this cover chasing bait fish, so you have to fish right next to the cover or open breaks in the cover for this technique to be effective. The water will be flowing faster than normal in high water and a tailrace at the bottom of a riffle where possibly the fast water hits the shore and deflects is another good place to try. This channeling of the current concentrates food from the newly flooded land in the shape of snakes, bugs, insects and small rodents to these areas below the fast water.
Rising water will fill small channels and streams that feed into landlocked lagoons, allowing you to access the back water areas. The larger peacock bass tend to move into these secluded backwaters from the main rivers when they have the opportunity. It is good to use lures that will produce some sound, usually in the form of a internal rattle or two, be it a top water or subsurface bait, as the water will me muddied and visibility will be limited. Propeller type top water lures produce a lot of noise, when your going to use a “walking the dog” type top water lure, make sure it has a rattle in it’s body. Subsurface baits like a Yo Zuri Crystal Minnow, a Pervasa & a rattle trap all have rattles in them. High water makes it especially tough on fly fishermen as the Peacocks are usually in the flooded brush and timber and the water clarity is reduced. If you have water levels on the rise it usually slows the “bite” considerably, but when the water levels begin to fall the “bite” can turn on quickly.
Where do you look for fish when the water is higher than normal for that time of the year and you cannot fish were you normally would? Recently flooded flats with some brush & a minimal of timber are a good places to look as the bait fish will have moved into these areas for protection from predators above as well as in the water. The very edge of newly flooded brush along the banks of the rivers & tributaries is another good place to work. The peacocks will be up under this cover chasing bait fish, so you have to fish right next to the cover or open breaks in the cover for this technique to be effective. The water will be flowing faster than normal in high water and a tailrace at the bottom of a riffle where possibly the fast water hits the shore and deflects is another good place to try. This channeling of the current concentrates food from the newly flooded land in the shape of snakes, bugs, insects and small rodents to these areas below the fast water.
Rising water will fill small channels and streams that feed into landlocked lagoons, allowing you to access the back water areas. The larger peacock bass tend to move into these secluded backwaters from the main rivers when they have the opportunity. It is good to use lures that will produce some sound, usually in the form of a internal rattle or two, be it a top water or subsurface bait, as the water will me muddied and visibility will be limited. Propeller type top water lures produce a lot of noise, when your going to use a “walking the dog” type top water lure, make sure it has a rattle in it’s body. Subsurface baits like a Yo Zuri Crystal Minnow, a Pervasa & a rattle trap all have rattles in them. High water makes it especially tough on fly fishermen as the Peacocks are usually in the flooded brush and timber and the water clarity is reduced. If you have water levels on the rise it usually slows the “bite” considerably, but when the water levels begin to fall the “bite” can turn on quickly.
Low Water Conditions
Low water can have its pluses and minuses. Low water conditions tend to concentrate the fish as they have less waters to move about in. These are times when you can really get into some good “schooling” activity as the peacock bass corral the bait fish in shallow areas and feast on them.
One low water technique you will want to use is one I learned from my good friend Larry Larsen. During low water the shallow water near shore heat up during the middle of the day and dissolved oxygen levels will drop dramatically. The Peacock Bass, especially the bigger fish, will move out into the deeper water about 11:00 in the morning and stay there most of the day. Therefore in the middle of the day it is advantageous to fish the middle of he tributaries and fish deeper than you would normally fish.
The downside to low water conditions is that the channels leading back into the backwater lakes and lagoons dry up making them accessible only by foot. Many times the larger Peacock Bass have moved out of all but the largest of the backwater lakes and lagoons as water levels dropped so they wouldn’t get trapped in these “Piranha Traps” when they can no longer get back to the main river. I have flown float planes into and pushed boats back into many backwater lakes and lagoons in my 37 trips to Brazil’s Amazon since 1997 and have only found “awesome” Peacock Bass fishing in a couple of them. Most of them are a disappointment after all the work it takes to get into them. When the water levels get too low, the current pretty much stops and oxygen levels drop dramatically, occasionally causing catastrophic die offs. During low water noise is not as important in lures as it is during high water times as the water is usually clearer than normal and visibility is better. Good lures to use include, spook type top water baits, Rebel Jumping Minnows, big Long A’s and my all around favorite the 4 ½” Yo Zuri Crystal Minnow. Jigs are always very effective be it any water conditions. Low water conditions are usually a big plus for the fly fisherman as you are much more liable to be able to sight fish rather than blind cast to cover all day. I like throwing 3 ½” – 5” Deceivers or lead headed Clousers and patterns can be more subtle as the fish can see them easier. When you have low water conditions and the water begins to rise, you usually have your work cut out for you until levels stabilize as the “bite” really slows down.
One low water technique you will want to use is one I learned from my good friend Larry Larsen. During low water the shallow water near shore heat up during the middle of the day and dissolved oxygen levels will drop dramatically. The Peacock Bass, especially the bigger fish, will move out into the deeper water about 11:00 in the morning and stay there most of the day. Therefore in the middle of the day it is advantageous to fish the middle of he tributaries and fish deeper than you would normally fish.
The downside to low water conditions is that the channels leading back into the backwater lakes and lagoons dry up making them accessible only by foot. Many times the larger Peacock Bass have moved out of all but the largest of the backwater lakes and lagoons as water levels dropped so they wouldn’t get trapped in these “Piranha Traps” when they can no longer get back to the main river. I have flown float planes into and pushed boats back into many backwater lakes and lagoons in my 37 trips to Brazil’s Amazon since 1997 and have only found “awesome” Peacock Bass fishing in a couple of them. Most of them are a disappointment after all the work it takes to get into them. When the water levels get too low, the current pretty much stops and oxygen levels drop dramatically, occasionally causing catastrophic die offs. During low water noise is not as important in lures as it is during high water times as the water is usually clearer than normal and visibility is better. Good lures to use include, spook type top water baits, Rebel Jumping Minnows, big Long A’s and my all around favorite the 4 ½” Yo Zuri Crystal Minnow. Jigs are always very effective be it any water conditions. Low water conditions are usually a big plus for the fly fisherman as you are much more liable to be able to sight fish rather than blind cast to cover all day. I like throwing 3 ½” – 5” Deceivers or lead headed Clousers and patterns can be more subtle as the fish can see them easier. When you have low water conditions and the water begins to rise, you usually have your work cut out for you until levels stabilize as the “bite” really slows down.
Fishing The Main River Channels
Fishing the main river channels of the Rio Negro, Rio Madeira or the Rio Branco means fishing “big water” which often experiences a lot of barge and river boat traffic and a considerable amount of fishing pressure from a myriad of mother boats. The deeper waters of the main rivers will hold very few peacock bass, as the peacocks are basically shallow, slow water, structure oriented fish. The deep water next to the banks with downed trees certainly looks good, but you will very seldom find peacocks in this deep, fast water. It is often productive to fish the mouths of small inlets and creeks as these little backwaters off the main river channels provide the peacock bass with slower water and good ambush sights where bait fish like to congregate. The down current side of & points of the islands in the river as well as the sand bars can often produce prime locations to fish in the main river channels. Look for down current sides of islands with brush, logs or something the Peacock Bass can use for cover to elude the foraging dolphins of the Amazon River Basin. Without some kind of cover near shore, you will not find Peacock Bass in these areas. The sand bars are great areas to fish when the peacocks are spawning, as peacock bass dig holes in the sand bars with their tails to build a nest in which they lay their eggs. Look for peacocks in the shallow waters off the sand bars either down current or on the lateral sides of it. When the water drops in the late summer and fall, sight fishing is possible in flat water conditions off the sandbars. These are excellent conditions for the fly fisherman as you can often stalk the peacock bass as you would permit or tarpon and have very little cover to break you off on. This is also a great time for the bait caster throwing top water or subsurface baits.
Fishing The Backwaters Off The Main River
Depending upon the main river channels where you are located, there are often oxbows and lakes that can be reached by boats during high and ideal water conditions and by foot in low water conditions. During the rainy season the peacock bass tend to disperse into the flooded timber to forage on the new food sources high water provides them. As the water levels fall, the peacocks move out of the timber but stay in the backwaters as much as water levels allow.
Peacock bass will inhabit the smaller lakes and oxbows until the water levels drops significantly, at which time the Peacocks move out of these smaller waters before they get landlocked in them. In some of the larger lakes the peacock bass will not necessarily move out, as some of these lakes are large and can sustain the peacocks even when the waterways to the main river channels dry up. In the late 90’s we had a float plane at the Rio Negro Lodge I was managing the American office for and we flew people into many of the larger land locked lakes off the main river to fish for the day. After flying into a good many of these lakes over a 4 year period, we found very few that offered above average fishing for peacocks, the majority of these totally “virgin” land locked lakes had few peacock bass and even fewer big fish in them. The lakes and oxbows near the main river, when they still are accessible by water, seem to provide the best opportunity for good sized peacock bass. When the guides from the myriad of mother boats plying the main river begin to push small john boats across natural land barriers between the main river channels and the land locked lakes, the fishing is becoming poor on the main river and the guides are trying to make something happen. You can always tell if the water is rising or falling by watching the water flowing in the little streams that connect the main river channels and the backwater. If the water is flowing into the lakes the water is rising, if the flow is out of the lakes the water is falling. The same type of lures used on the main river channels are effective on these backwater lakes and oxbows.
Peacock bass will inhabit the smaller lakes and oxbows until the water levels drops significantly, at which time the Peacocks move out of these smaller waters before they get landlocked in them. In some of the larger lakes the peacock bass will not necessarily move out, as some of these lakes are large and can sustain the peacocks even when the waterways to the main river channels dry up. In the late 90’s we had a float plane at the Rio Negro Lodge I was managing the American office for and we flew people into many of the larger land locked lakes off the main river to fish for the day. After flying into a good many of these lakes over a 4 year period, we found very few that offered above average fishing for peacocks, the majority of these totally “virgin” land locked lakes had few peacock bass and even fewer big fish in them. The lakes and oxbows near the main river, when they still are accessible by water, seem to provide the best opportunity for good sized peacock bass. When the guides from the myriad of mother boats plying the main river begin to push small john boats across natural land barriers between the main river channels and the land locked lakes, the fishing is becoming poor on the main river and the guides are trying to make something happen. You can always tell if the water is rising or falling by watching the water flowing in the little streams that connect the main river channels and the backwater. If the water is flowing into the lakes the water is rising, if the flow is out of the lakes the water is falling. The same type of lures used on the main river channels are effective on these backwater lakes and oxbows.
Fishing the Tributaries of the Main Rivers
After over 30 trips to Brazil’s Amazon since 1997, I personally enjoy fishing the mid to upper reaches of the black water tributaries to the Rio Negro, Rio Branco and Rio Madeira rivers of Brazil’s Amazon the most. The two main reasons are, the inherent “fishability” of these smaller rivers and the much smaller number of people you have fishing them. By “fishability” I mean that the majority of the waters of most of the tributaries are fishable, instead of a small percentage of the water on the main river channels. Another key factor is you are usually fishing after only a five or ten minute ride from where you are staying rather than a half hour to hour ride from a mother boat or lodge on the main river channels. The mid to upper reaches of these black water tributaries are most often inaccessible to the myriad of mother boat operators because of the longs runs necessary to reach them or the fact that they are in indigenous Indian lands or government preserves that lease exclusive use of their lands to individual operators, thus greatly limiting the fishing pressure on these waters.
People never really appreciate the quality of Peacock Bass fishing these managed waters provide until they have fished both the main river channels where they can expect to catch an average of 8 – 10 fish per day, mainly by trolling and then fish the private lands of the tributaries where they can expect to catch 20 – 40 Peacock Bass per day mainly by casting top water and subsurface baits. I fished the main river channels of the Rio Negro and Rio Branco over 25 times as General Manager of Amazon Tours and the American booking office of Captain Peacock & then fished private lands and was astounded by the quality of fishing they offered! The fishing is a little different on the lightly fished tributaries, as the Peacock Bass will most often hit the classic top water baits such as the subtle “Spook” & noisy Woodchopper type prop baits all season long as they have not seen them with regularity as they do on the main river. Casting is the norm on the tributaries rather than the trolling that is necessary to catch fish in the more heavily pressured waters of the main river channels.
People never really appreciate the quality of Peacock Bass fishing these managed waters provide until they have fished both the main river channels where they can expect to catch an average of 8 – 10 fish per day, mainly by trolling and then fish the private lands of the tributaries where they can expect to catch 20 – 40 Peacock Bass per day mainly by casting top water and subsurface baits. I fished the main river channels of the Rio Negro and Rio Branco over 25 times as General Manager of Amazon Tours and the American booking office of Captain Peacock & then fished private lands and was astounded by the quality of fishing they offered! The fishing is a little different on the lightly fished tributaries, as the Peacock Bass will most often hit the classic top water baits such as the subtle “Spook” & noisy Woodchopper type prop baits all season long as they have not seen them with regularity as they do on the main river. Casting is the norm on the tributaries rather than the trolling that is necessary to catch fish in the more heavily pressured waters of the main river channels.
