Amazon Peacock Bass Fishing - TRIP REPORT

by Guy Schoenborn

My Favorite Fishing Trip

Trip Date:  November 13-27, 2021

My two hosted weeks here in November confirmed why Agua Boa is my favorite fishing trip.



The water was a little higher and dirtier than usual, but it didn't seem to make a difference. Most outfitters in the area canceled trips due to very high and muddy water conditions. Not Agua Boa. The Lodge consistently fishes well when other operations are flooded out.

Most of my anglers averaged 30 to 60 peacocks per day, with good numbers of 10 to 19-pound trophy fish. Keith Bell caught a 19-pounder, the largest peacock for the two weeks I was there. He also landed a 17 and 14-pounder on the same day. The 14-pounder was a great story of its own. Keith fought a large fish for a while, and it ended up busting his 40-pound tippet. The guide moved the boat to another area and then, about 30 minutes later, returned to where Keith lost the big fish. He ended up hooking and landing the fish he had lost a half-hour earlier. It still had the other fly in its mouth! Now you know why peacocks are my favorite fish.

Peacock Bass are extremely aggressive and very strong. Speaking of aggressive, Bruce Tyson caught two 3-pound butterfly peacocks at one time on the same single hook fly. The hook point came out just behind the jaw, and the second butterfly was trying to get the fly out of the other butterfly's mouth and got caught on the exposed hook point.

On the last day of my two-week adventure with two groups of anglers, Gary Mintz, our guide Kolbolko, and I cut our way into a very remote lagoon. Even with a chainsaw, it still took us a couple of hours. It was worth the effort. Gary had three shots at sight casting to large arapaima while they cruised through the shallow water. One of the fish made a 90-degree turn to follow the fly. I watched the fly disappear twice, but I couldn't tell if the fish took the fly or swam over the top of it. The water had just enough color that I couldn't tell for sure. We also landed several peacocks between 10 and 17 pounds in the same lagoon.

We caught a huge variety of fish. I landed a couple of payara and lost a couple, too. During my two hosted weeks, my groups landed a total of eight.

Several anglers landed five or more arowana. Not me. I had lots of shots at them but only landed one. I had quite a few hookups but couldn't get them to the boat. A log that jutted out of the water a couple of inches didn't help me any. I would hook an arowana, try to drag it over the log, and end up pulling the hook out of its soft mouth. I had one about three-quarters across the log, then twang! It came unbuttoned.

We caught Temensis (three-bar or spotted) peacocks, butterfly peacocks, towa peacocks, arowana, payara, bicuda, jacunda, Oscars, red, black, and silver piranhas, redtail catfish, striped catfish, traira (wolf fish), dogfish, pacu, lost a few arapaimas and even more species.

Every single angler had peacocks bust 40- or 50-pound Maxima leaders. Peacocks can generate torque that is unbelievable for a 10 to 20-pound fish.

Dave Erickson did the glove, stripee (finger guard), and tape modeling. (See photo - this is the actual way he prepared to fish each day.) If you don't use stripping finger protection such as a good stripping glove, a stripee, electrical tape, or vet tape, you will not be able to fish a second day. Your fingers will be so badly cut up or burned by the fly line that you will not be able to fish. I recommend the Buff Elite Glove; it has long cuffs to keep your wrist from getting sunburned and long fingers to keep your fingertips from getting cut. They are also good for sun protection. A few years back, one of my good clients came to me at the end of the first day of peacock fishing and said, "I know, I know, your confirmation (packet) says stripping gloves are a must. I am a striped bass fly angler and know how to fight strong fish on a fly rod, but these fish are so strong and so fast that if I don't wear gloves tomorrow, I won't be able to fish. Do you have an extra pair I could use?" Luckily, I did, and he was able to make it through the week.

Peacocks are not real picky when it comes to flies. If it moves fast, they like most patterns. We caught fish on streamers that were red/white, tan/white, olive/white, blue/white, red/yellow, chartreuse/white, yellow/red/chartreuse, and they liked Whistlers in red/white, yellow/red, and yellow/orange. You can fish the same flies for arowana and arapaima. For arapaima, you let the fly sink to the bottom and do a very slow retrieve just above the bottom. For arowana, you do a slow to medium 12-inch strip, unlike peacocks, where you retrieve with very fast, long strips.

Agua Boa isn't just a fishing trip. It's like being in a National Geographic show all day long. You will see many species of shorebirds, gulls, terns, cranes, egrets, herons, raptors, vultures, small to medium-sized parrots, giant macaws, caiman (alligator cousin), freshwater dolphins, giant river otters (up to 80 pounds), lizards, butterflies, freshwater rays, monkeys, and you might see tapir, wild pigs, an anaconda or even a jaguar.

Let us know if you would like to join one of our upcoming Hosted Weeks.

Tight Lines,
- Guy Schoenborn

2024 Hosted Weeks:

2024 marks our 20th year hosting trips at Agua Boa Amazon Lodge
7-nights and 6.5-days guided fishing
$6,950.00
per person


• November 1-9, 2024:
John Holpuch hosts

• November 8-16, 2024:
Al Larson hosts

• November 15-23, 2024:
Carson Oldham hosts

2024 Hosted Holiday Weeks:
Save $950.00


• November 22-30, 2024:
Carson Oldham hosts
• Nov. 29 - Dec. 7, 2024:
Matt Podobinski hosts

2025 Hosted Weeks:

7-nights and 6.5-days guided fishing
$6,950.00
per person

• Oct. 31 - Nov. 8, 2025:
John Holpuch hosts

• November 7-15, 2025:
Guy Schoenborn hosts

• November 14-22, 2025:
Guy Schoenborn hosts

• December 5-13, 2025:
Carson Oldham hosts

2025 Hosted Holiday Week:
Save $950.00

• November 21-29, 2025:
Matt Podobinski hosts

• Nov. 28 - Dec. 6, 2025:
Carson Oldham hosts


You are not restricted to our hosted weeks. Book anytime.
Please contact us with any questions you may have.

Guy Schoenborn
1-800-205-3474  ext. 1
Email:  guy@fishingwithlarry.com

Brad Staples
1-800-205-3474  ext. 3
Cell (503) 250-0558
Email:  brad@fishingwithlarry.com


Keith Bell with 19-pound peacock bass from Agua Boa.

Keith Bell with 19 lb. peacock bass from Agua Boa

Two Butterfly Peacocks that Bruce Tyson caught on one fly.

Aniak Boats on river at sunset

Bruce Tyson with 17-pound peacock bass.

Bruce Tyson wearing a Buff holding up large peacock bass

Charlie Swett with Arowana - (past hosted week).

The guide holding a bright silver salmon

Mike Matus with Arapaima - (past hosted week).

Mike Matus grinning with large Arapaima

David Erickson's Agua Boa Angling Gloves

Female angler holding up bright silver with guide giving a thumbs up

Assortment of Agua Boa Flies

Bright Assortment of Agua Boa Fly Patterns

The Agua Boa River System

Aerial view of the Agua Boa River

Agua Boa Amazon Lodge

Aerial View of the Lodge along the Agua Boa River

Fly Fishing the Agua Boa River

Photo Credit: Matt Harris

Photo credit: Fly Fishing Nation.

Photo Credit: Matt Harris

Host Guy Schoenborn with Agua Boa Peacock Bass.

Photo Credit: Matt Harris

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