Peacock Bass Fishing Trips

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FAQ:

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Why has peacock bass fishing become so popular?

Peacock bass are among the world's most exciting freshwater game fish. Brilliantly colored, aggressive, and incredibly powerful, they are famous for explosive topwater strikes, blistering runs, and unforgettable battles. Their willingness to attack flies and lures on the surface makes them a favorite of freshwater anglers around the world. They were also one of Larry Schoenborn's favorite species.

How Are Peacock Bass Caught?

Peacock bass are aggressive predators that readily attack both flies and artificial lures. Most anglers spend the day casting rather than trolling, making repeated casts to structure, shorelines, lagoons, and submerged timber where fish are likely to be holding. Explosive surface strikes are one of the reasons peacock bass fishing is considered among the most exciting freshwater fishing in the world.
Topwater lures such as prop baits, walking baits, and poppers are favorites because they often trigger spectacular, heart-stopping strikes. When fish are holding deeper or are less aggressive, crankbaits, jerkbaits, swimbaits, jigs, and soft plastics can be equally productive. Fly anglers typically fish large streamers, baitfish imitations, and surface poppers using 8- to 10-weight fly rods.

Where Do Peacock Bass Live?

Peacock bass inhabit warm tropical rivers throughout the Amazon and Orinoco basins. They are most commonly found in blackwater rivers, oxbow lakes, jungle lagoons, flooded forests, and quiet backwaters where baitfish are abundant. Fallen trees, submerged timber, rocky shorelines, current breaks, and submerged vegetation all provide ideal habitat. Throughout the day, peacock bass often patrol these areas looking for baitfish and will aggressively strike both flies and artificial lures.

Why Are Remote Fisheries So Productive?

Peacock bass are highly territorial and can become cautious in waters that receive heavy fishing pressure. The most productive fisheries are often those located deep within the Amazon and Orinoco watersheds, where limited access and responsible catch-and-release practices help maintain healthy populations of trophy fish. Many of Fishing with Larry's destinations are located in remote regions of Brazil and Colombia, where carefully managed fisheries continue to produce exceptional numbers of trophy peacock bass year after year.

Why Are Water Levels So Important?

Unlike many fisheries that are best judged by the calendar, peacock bass fishing is largely driven by water levels. Throughout the Amazon and Orinoco basins, rivers rise and fall dramatically with seasonal rainfall. During the wet season, fish disperse throughout flooded forests, making them much more difficult to locate. As the dry season arrives and water levels recede, peacock bass concentrate in river channels, lagoons, and backwaters where baitfish are abundant. These lower-water conditions typically produce the year's most consistent fishing, with more opportunities for explosive topwater strikes and trophy fish. Because rainfall varies from year to year and from one watershed to another, the peak fishing season differs by destination. Some Brazilian rivers fish best from September through January, while Colombia's rivers often have different optimum windows. Fishing with Larry carefully selects destinations based on the historical low-water periods that consistently produce excellent fishing.