How to Fish for Peacock Bass in South Florida!

I have been fishing for and catching peacock bass for years in South Florida, and they are by far one of the most fun fish to catch due to their aggressive nature. However, they can be quite difficult to catch, so over the years I have developed a method that catches these river monsters with ease! Although it took a lot of experimenting and effort, I am proud to say that I have almost mastered the act of catching this fish. In this instructable I will teach you the perfect way to catch peacock bass with a method that has succeeded with pure success!

• A fishing rod
• A spinning reel with 10 pound fluorocarbon spooled on
• A net
• Pliers
• A shiny fishing lure

First, you will need to set up your rod by attaching your reel to your rod and securing it in the slot near the bottom of the rod. Then, push up on your bale, the metal bar on the reel, to release the line. Next, pass the fishing line through all of the eyes of the rod with plenty of fishing line to spare. Finally, loosen the drag twist the knob on the top of your reel to the left and pull the line to see how difficult it is to pull line. The drag should be set loose enough to be able to pull some line, but not too much or too little.

Fishing knots can be very difficult to master, therefore it may appeal to beginners to use one of the simplest, but most effective knots, the clinch knot. First, pass your excess line through the eye of your lure and pull plenty of line through it. Next, bring the line approximately six inches above the knot and begin to twist the lure ten times. After twisting the lure, pass the loose end of the line through the gap between the twists and the eye. Then, tightly pull the line to tighten the knot. Finally, make two loops on the line and tighten. After this, clip off any excess line.

As stated before, peacock bass are a picky species of fish and are not very easy to catch, therefore it is important to choose a proper place and time to fish. Like most fish, peacock bass are most active in the early morning, just as the sun rises, so your chances of catching a peacock bass greatly improve of you fish within two hours of sunrise. This fish tends to live in Miami’s freshwater canal system in canals, like the Tamiami Trail, and are also found in South Florida’s ponds and lakes, most notably the lakes near the Miami International Airport, so choose a freshwater body near you and chances are that peacock bass live there.

A good fisherman, or angler, is always prepared to go fishing because it is better to have something and not need it, than to need something and not have it. Before heading out to your fishing location, do a quick check to make sure that you have everything listed above because you will need it to go on your peacock bass fishing adventure!

Once you are up early and ready to fish, cast your lure near the edge of the bank, as that is where the peacock bass roam and hunt. To cast, push your bale upwards and hold the loose line with one finger. Next, quickly pull your rod backwards and push it forwards, while releasing your finger from the line to cast your lure. Repeat this process several times until you can cast a significant distance and can aim where you would like the lure to land.

After casting near the bank, slowly retrieve your lure to the bank by cranking the reel’s arm to reel it in. While reeling in the lure, the lure should naturally have some action, or movement, in the water that makes it look like an injured fish, the perfect prey for a peacock bass! Peacock bass are reaction predators that attack almost anything that shines, so the shininess of the lure will definitely get the fish's attention. While reeling in, slowly bob your rod up and down to give your lure more action in the water because it catches the attention of the fish even further. Repeat this process several times until a peacock bass attacks your lure and gets hooked on.

Once your fish is hooked on, do not try and reel it in instantly, rather let the fish run and tire itself out so you can reel it in with ease. Every few seconds attempt to reel the fish in, but if the fish starts pulling line, do not try to reel it in because the line will snap. Instead, pull the rod up and down to add tension to the fish and to tire it out. After the fish tires, start reeling it in completely, but stay prepared to keep fighting the fish because often times they will get a random burst of energy and try to keep fighting. As the peacock bass approaches the shore, arch over and gently net the peacock bass. Congratulations you have just caught a peacock bass!

It is important to be gentle with the fish and make sure it does not get seriously harmed because it is important to respect the fish, as they are important for Florida’s ecosystem. Use your pliers to grab the hook from the fish’s mouth and gently release the hook. After dehooking the fish, take a quick picture with it, and start gently introducing the fish back into the water. In order to have a gentle and successful release, slowly move the fish back and forth in the water to push water through its gills, which allows it to breathe and will reintroduce it to the water. After pushing the water through its gills for a bit, it should be active again and will be ready to swim off. Slowly release your grip of the fish and allow it to swim off.