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noelg11892
Posts: 319 Deckhand
Peacock bass
noelg11892
Posts: 319 Deckhand
So I need help here, Iv been in miami since august and have only pulled out one peacock. I have one spot that is extremly hit or miss for if they are there in coral gables. Are there any other popular spots for peacocks I can reach by foot that I would be able to fly fish from? I know many of the canals will be ok but I just have a hard time figuring out where I am even allowed to go, also alot of miami is pretty sketchy.
Replies
Any help would be great. Also, respectfully, I won't blow up your spots as I'm pretty sure I'll never be down here again and most of us from Vancouver go down to Arizona so you won't have to worry about me sending friends...!
Thanks, Jordan
If you want to PM me you can.
Thanks!
Broward Peacocks
The more spots I frequent for largemouth lately, the more butterfly peacock bass I am encountering. A few years back, South Florida was visited by Jack Frost a little too many times. Peacocks and Jack do not get along. Once water temps dip below 60 degrees, they start to die off. Well Jack has not been back lately, and the Peacock fishery has exploded in the past year or so. Seeing and catching 5 pound fish is not at all uncommon, and fellow anglers agree that this can be the year that a South Florida bank hopper connects with a fish over 11.
Broward County is dotted with miles and miles of canals, lakes, pits, and ponds. Most of which are loaded with fish – but not necessarily peacock bass. A lake may be a largemouth honely hole, but yet void of peacocks. Lakes, ponds, and canals that are generally deep, and connect to each other via underground connections are prime. It seems that the larger the “system” and the larger the connections (pipes) – the better the fishing. Weston is a good example. If you look at a map of Weston , you will see that it is such a large system, that it is almost overwhelming. Walking the system with a pair of polarized glasses, and you will soon see that this area is “peacocky”.
If you can think of one thing to tell a beginner, it probably would be to keep it quick, and if you think it is too quick, speed it up. There are a ton of lures that can be worked quick enough to entice a strike. Most feel that the hard jerkbaits are the most productive, while others prefer crankbaits. Both have their time and place. Although color seems to be of importance to most, I think it is more size and speed than anything else. If I had to pick a color, it would be something I can see. Vision is very important for the angler. Most times a peacock will hit a lure, and quickly get rid of it. Sharp hooks help, but if you can see your lure, you can react with a quick hookset before they “blow” your offering. If matching the hatch is your thing, browns with a little yellow and or orange will closely resemble their primary forage – mayan cichlids and tilupia. Going back to the type of baits. A hard jerkbait, like the Rapala Husky Jerk seems to produce best where you find a gradual slope, or the fish are suspending within a few feet of the surface. Reason being, this lure generally gets down no more than 3 feet. So if you are fishing a lake that has a “beach” like gradual slope, throwing a jerkbait would be a good choice because you can cover the water column. The crankbaits, such as a Rattle Trap, seems to produce best where you have dropoffs or deeper water. A dropoff in West Broward waters can be pretty abrupt. I fish some spots where if you take one step off the bank, you are going to fall quite a few feet, maybe upwards of 12 feet. This is where a crankbait would work its magic. If the fish are holding close to bottom, you can dredge the bottom with a lipless crankbait. If they are suspended down 6 feet in 12 feet of water, you can eventually get a “count down” method going and find them. In these deep waters, nothing has produced more for me than a bait that is generally used by inshore saltwater fisherman. I am talking about DOA Terror Eyez. You can work this lure any way you want. The design of this bait allows the angler to apply the action him or herself. You can work it straight in at fast speeds, or use your rod tip with twitches to give it that erratic jumping motion.
One advantage of this bait is the fact it has a single hook, rather than a bunch of smaller trebles. A solid hookset is more likely to hold them with a single hook to the top mouth, rather than a small treble in the lip. There are times when Mr. Peacock wants it quick with no erratic action, and there are times when they want it dancing back and forth. With the DOA, you can work your magic.
As mentioned above, this could be the year of record breaking catches. If we all do our part by throwing these South American jewels, and keep our fingers crossed that Jack stays back – our fishery will only get better in years to come.
By Keith Fine (aka Bluefishinny)
If you go at dusk or at dawn nobody is there except maybe grounds keepers and they leave me alone.
During the day they may chase you more for liability reasons than anything else. Small poppers Kill the bass :-)
Gary