Ever-increasing numbers of anglers are trekking to South America armed with flies and lures to target the colorful and super-aggressive peacock bass. Drawing an explosive strike from an enraged or hungry peacock bass on fly or plug might be one of the most exciting and challenging experiences you'll ever encounter as a freshwater angler.

 It was the late 1950's or early '60's that the first accounts of peacock bass were told by the late Field and Stream angling editor A.J. McClane. His text and stories described huge, hump-backed fish that had a resemblance to largemouth bass, but were much larger and were more brightly colored. McClane referred to those fish as pavon, a local Venezuelan name, which loosely translated to peacock in English. Some believe that the bass moniker was either added to peacock bass by Florida Fish and Game personnel that were involved in the early stocking programs, or perhaps an American fishing tour operator, believing that not many "gringo" anglers would be interested in fishing for pavon.

 In actuality, the peacock bass is not a member of the bass family at all. It is just one of the some 1,600 plus member of the family of fish called cichlids. There are some striking similarities to the largemouth bass, such as basic body contour, cavernous mouth, ravenous appetite and a strong propensity to attack prey and fishing lures with a ferocity that is more reminiscent of much larger fish. One striking difference, immediately apparent to the first-time peacock bass angler is that this fish is much more vividly colored in varying shades of green, blue, orange and gold.

 Peacock bass demonstrate three qualities that make them an ideal angling target: they are territorial; they mouth brood and they have ravenous appetites. Because they are so territorial, it is believed that a fairly high percentage of strikes will occur just because your lure or fly has violated their territory. Because peacock bass parents take care of their young, they will assault a lure or fly because it is a threat to their offspring. The fry will actually scurry into the mouths of protective parents when a threat is present. Their ravenous appetites can best be exemplified by the vivid mental image of 12 to 14 inch long baitfish actually beaching themselves on sandbars to escape the onslaught of peacock bass on the feed. When one takes advantage of what will trigger a feeding or aggression response by peacock bass, it will increase the odds of landing more fish.

 While the thought of traveling to the Amazon to fish for peacock bass conjures up images of 30-foot long anacondas and schools of man-eating piranhas, in actuality the Amazon is a tranquil place, one where the jungle predators use the dense rain forrest foliage to stay hidden and out of site. Ok, what about mosquitos? Since the areas where most of the fishing occurs is considered a blackwater type of watershed, these conditions are generally too acidic to support the growth of mosquitos. You are more likely to get a mosquito bite in your backyard than you are in the Amazon.

 X-TREME ANGLING, the official angling travel service of Outdoorsite.com will be hosting trips to several peacock bass destinations in Brazil and Venezuela and would like for you to be part of this unbelievable angling action.

 The first of these hosted trips will depart Miami on January 3, 2000, heading for the Tapara River Lodge in northern Brazil. Anglers will depart Wednesday evening on an overnight jumbo-jet flight via Brazil's Varig Airlines to Manaus, the capital of Brazil's massive Amazonas stete. As soon as firt light appears, the group will charter to the Tapara River Lodge, an air conditioned fishing lodge situated along the shores of the river from which it took its name. The lodge will accommodate two anglers per air conditioned room with private baths. Anglers will be paired two to a boat with an experienced Amazon guide. A member of the X-TREME ANGLING staff will be on hand to make sure the trips runs smoothly. Anglers will begin fishing that afternoon.

 The schedule continues with full fishing days from January 5-9. Anglers will fish the morning of the 10th, then charter back to Manaus where they will be escorted to the luxurious Hotel Tropical. X-TREME ANGLING will host the dinner that evening at the famed Buffalos Restaurant in Manaus, a unique Brazilian barbecue establishment in which an assortment of beef, poultry and pork delicasies are carved at your table. Anglers return to the states early the next morning on January 11th.

 The second trip will have anglers flying to Manaus on January 10th. Rather than fishing at the Tapara River Lodge, they will be fishing at the Unini River Lodge, a fantastic virgin peacock bass fishery that just opened to anglers this year. Anglers will be accommodated aboard an air conditioned houseboat, with fishing boats in two. The itinerary is exactly the same as for those going on the Tapara River Trip. Both of these operations are owned by long-time Brazilian fishing pioneer Dr. Jan Wilt.

 The cost for each of these exciting peacock bass fishing packages is $3,500, plus airfare to Manaus, Brazil. Our office can arrange for special airfares to Manaus from Miami. These are all-inclusive packages, with the exception of gratuities. Space is limited to the first 10 anglers that sign up for these trips.

 For more information contact X-TREME ANGLING at trips@peacockbassonline.com   or call 1-888-744-8867.
Tell Terry that you saw it here on Kick'n Bass and you want some free Kick'n Bass if you book.   Cosmic>

To return to Home Page Click here
To return to Articles Page click here.

 kicknbass@earthlink.net