Tactics
Below, we've included a few
tactics for catching trophy peacock bass. This is by no means an exhaustive
list. Our guides and staff are experts and know boatloads of tricks that'll make
your outings very successful. In the meantime, take a look.
Work Top to Bottom
When fishing peacock bass it's
best to try a topwater approach first. Use bigger lures like topwater plugs and
be ready for multiple casts. It sets them off because they think it's an
interloper.
For smaller surface baits, try propeller
plugs, poppers or walking spook baits. Only after working this method for a
while should you switch to subsurface tactics, using jerkbaits (like Peacock
Minnow, Crystal Minnow or Red Fin) and buck-tail jig rigs.
Remember-work top to bottom. Keep this
basic tactic in mind and you'll significantly improve your odds of catching
trophy tucunare.
Aggressive and Nosey
Peacock bass move to strike when
they see other tucunare feeding on baitfish or trying to shake off lures. To
take advantage of this aggressive behavior, cast quickly and accurately to the
area where the fish are feeding.Fish as a team. It'll help you take advantage of
peacock's that get riled up when other fish fight lures. When your partner hooks
one, be ready for double hookup opportunities. Do a short sub-surface cast to
catch one of the peacocks aroused by all the activity.
Don't Stop
Peacock bass often hit surface
bait hard, causing explosions that can leave you stunned. Don't just stand
there, though. Work the bait in a rapid retrieve across the surface. This'll
keep the peacock interested. If it's interested enough to give you several
surface strikes, but can't seem to get a hold of the bait, grab a jerkbait or
bucktail jig-rigged rod and cast to the last place you saw the monster. Work the
area for at least five minutes trying different baits. Tucunare are persistent;
you should be, too.
Change the Menu
Experiment with bait. Most of our
anglers have trophy level success with big topwater plugs. If these draw strikes
but no hookups, move down to a smaller propeller plug, popper or walking spook
baits. If the surface approach just isn't working, go under with a jerkbait.
Trolling
Try slow trolling along banks and
through deeper lagoons with your bait dragging about 25-40 yards behind the
boat. Make sure to rip the lure forward every few seconds.
Keep Moving
Don't spend too much time in water
without hits. Peacock aren't shy. If nothing's biting, nothing's there. So try
about 50 casts in the same area. If this activity doesn't attract tucunare to
you (especially big ones that get sick of all the noise), move on.
Pattern Tactics and Terrain
Lagoons can isolate thousands of
fish. Cast to visible shoreline cover and the deeper waters at the center. Fish
a lagoon thoroughly for 45 minutes. If there are no strikes, baitfish or
activity, move on.
Rocks of all sizes-especially boulders-
concentrate butterfly and royal peacock bass. At rock structure, try up to a
dozen casts with a topwater plug for big peacocks. Then, try a jerkbait and fan
cast the area. In running water, hit eddy pockets with a white 1Ž2-ounce
bucktail jig-make it hop sharply. Rapid vertical presentation is essential, so
use spinning gear whenever you can.
At sandbars, begin with big topwater
baits before trying the subsurface approach.
Peacocks like the deep-water drop-offs
at lagoon mouths, sandbars, rocky shoals and pockets at tributaries, so target
them. Try crisscrossing the surface first. Focus on rocks, submerged timber,
brush or other isolated cover. When on the Rio Negro, cast upstream, retrieving
with the current across the point. Make sure to hit the calmer water on the
points' down-current side, as well as the points themselves.
When working timber, the hotspots are
trees three to 10 feet off the bank, submerged two to six feet deep. Cast to the
bank and retrieve as close to the trees.
Remember, your guide will know how
to put you on some of the best spots!
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