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 Florida: Proud For The Peacocks
Posted by pete on October 22, 2005
Whenever I fly into Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, I remember to pack my five-weight. On Tuesday, I touched down at 9:30 am, picked up my rental car, drove southwest, and had a fly in the water at 10:30 am. By 10:35 I hooked into my first peacock bass.
Several years ago, someone planted the prized South American gamefish in the freshwater lakes and canals of South Florida, and the peacocks have taken off.
They don't grow as large as the Amazonian giants seen on adventure fishing shows, but two-to-five pounders are abundant, and they are extremely agressive when presented with a fly. Think smallmouth bass on Red Bull.
When I first found out about the peacocks six years ago, I targeted them with a buddy, walking along the lakes of his residential community. We tried at dawn and at dusk with poppers and traditional bass streamers with limited success. Then I talked to a local fly shop owner, who told me the peacocks like it hot--middle of the day in Florida summer hot. And they like saltwater flies--chartreuse and white clousers and streamers. I tied on an eat-me fly and fished at high noon. For a two-hour stretch, I caught a peacock with almost every cast.
Tuesday proved no different. I went to my proven honey hole, this time armed with sinking line and a clouser. I caught all the little guys I could stand, with three or four decent peacocks in the mix. (Plus a few largemouths for good measure.) I'd cast out along a drop off, let the fly sink to the bottom, and strip back as fast as I could. I'd see the peacocks shoot out along the drop-off and WHAM, smack the hell out of the fly. Then the
kinetic back-and-forth and the jumps--too fun.
I did see a few peacocks that had to be eight to ten pounds. They wanted nothing to do with my eat me's or clousers, but a few times when I hooked little dinks the giants would blast out from their hiding spots and attack them. I think next time I will bring some bigger flies.
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Re: Florida: Proud For The Peacocks
by jeremy on October 22, 2005 http://www.ineedasimplesolution.com | | pete - would love to hook up with you sometime in florida and try my luck for some of those. heck of alot cheaper than the amazon ... either way - i have never fly fished for them - but have seen some awesom footage - it is amazing how hard those fish rip. from the video footage i have seen - they rip! and i love how the attack the fly and come from out of nowhere. are you going bone fishing again this year? got any other good trips planned? i know that you usually travel to florida alot and alot of caribean salt water destinations during the winter months.....any good trips planned for this season? |
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Re: Florida: Proud For The Peacocks
by Pete on October 24, 2005 http://www.fishingjones.com | Hey Jeremy,
I'll definitely let you know the next time I try for the peacocks down there. If you happen to be down in Naples, it's only about an hour and a half drive or so across I-75, I think.
I do have a couple of trips lined up so far. My wife and I are going to Costa Rica in December. I plan to try for sails, even though it's not the best time of year for them. I have a work trip to Naples in January, and my annual spinner shark trip this winter. |
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Re: Florida: Proud For The Peacocks
by joey on October 25, 2005 http://www.fliesandfinseast.com | | Pete sounds like fun I would love to hook into a peacock bass I have seen them on t.v. but never up close. I am down in Fla quite a bit we should hook up and throw a few casts. |
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