# Peacocking in Miami!



## ScullsMcNasty

Well my wife had a little bit of time off so we decided to go down to Disney for a couple days by way of Naples/Miami. It was gonna be a quick fishing trip but I hoped to knock off Peacock Bass from my bucketlist. We got in to Naples right at dark, got some food and got in bed. Up and checked out of the hotel and headed fishing before it started cracking daylight. We decided to fish the length of the Tamiami Trail and then hit the Miami area for some peacocks. The first part of the Tamiami is brackish water and is supposed to be really good snook, tarpon and red fishing in the winter time. Well we gave it till mid morning with no luck and headed towards miami stopping about every 5 miles to fish. We hit our first freshwater and immediately started catching bass, but not peacocks, and exotics. We had a blast but no peacocks. So we fish till around 230 and headed to an area in Miami I was instructed to go to to catch my first peacock. First and second cast I missed 2, third cast = fish on! My first peacock bass! Caught another a couple casts later and another about 30 mins later. After that the sun dropped below the trees and the bite stopped. We hit a new hotel and were back at it the next morning in a new place I had found on Google earth. Immediately I saw the 2 biggest peacocks I had seen! It took me awhile of them short striking the baits to finally figured them out. Put a rattletrap on and fished it like a soft plastic twitch bait. A few casts and I had my biggest peacock in my hand! A couple casts later and I had a monster hooked up! Probably close to 6lbs but he shook the hook. Broke my heart... Added a couple spotted tilapia via the same fishing method and called it a morning and headed to Miami Beach. It was a amazing trip! Can't wait to do it again! Next time I'll know what I'm In for and I'll be better prepared. Big thanks to 2 guys on here that gave me some insight and some fishing holes. I won't call them out cause its not my place but I'm very greatful!


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## JD7.62

Peacock bass are one of my favorite type of fish and Ive been jonesing to get down there to fish for them as well as snakeheads my self. How do they fight? Ive owned several in the past and they seemed to be extremely fast and powerful for a freshwater fish.

Did you eat one? They are not a black bass species like a large mouth. In fact they are not even closely related. They are cichlids like tilapia are and are suppose to be just as good. The peacocks found in Florida are a man made hybrid of Cichla temensis and C. monoculus.


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## Snatch it

Great post scully!!!! Congrats on your first!! We took a Mission trip to brazil in 2002 tried a little peacock bass fishing with no luck! Never thought about Miami cool deal!!!!!!


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## J Smithers

Awesome report Scully!. Peacocks are on my bucket list too so next time I'm down south I'll have to carry a rod & reel with me and go after some.


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## Caspr21

Nice!


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## DLo

Nice, I was on a business trip in Boca last fall and tried the canals around the hotel for some...lots of bass but no peacocks. I was told later that I needed to be a few miles south of where I was.


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## chaps

Quite a few years ago I went peacock bass fishing in panama. We hired a guide and went on his liitle jon boat. We ended up catching about a hundred or so. They are an incredible fighting fish great table fare. When the trip was over, he charged us .10 a fish to filet.


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## user207

Those fish really have some nice colors.


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## ScullsMcNasty

They fight like a train for their size! The big one I had hooked was stripping drag! The water is crystal clear so it's really cool to watch them flip around while hooked in the water. I normally only catch and release when I'm freshwater fishing and I had no intention of keeping any anyway. From what I've read the local anglers urge catch and release. But yes they are a cichlids, named peacock "bass" to increase their catch and release status among anglers. It was a awesome trip and were already planning a longer trip back! We literally only peacock fished for about 2-2.5 hrs total. I don't have them completely figured out but I figured it out enough to catch plenty next time. Caught all the fish on soft plastics, rattletraps and topwater lures.


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## Bullshark

That spot is 100% you ended up catching more than I thought. Did you catch that big one near the culvert pipe just next to coral reef dr? There is a stud that lives in a 5' area right there. I've caught him about 6 times.


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## Bullshark

Will you do me a favor and text me pictures of the baits you were using?


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## fishn4fun

Great report. I can't wait to go down south for a couple weeks and fish


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## Chris V

Awesome report! I've been wanting to get one of those for a while. May have to make a trip. Bullshark, I just pounded google earth after one of your above posts.


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## ScullsMcNasty

I actually only caught small ones at the park but we were fishing late in the day. Literally the first 3 casts I could have caught fish. After that the Sun went behind the trees and the bite died! I talked to a worker at the park and he said they bite a lot better in the middle of the day. We slept in the next day so the sun could get up, then took about an hour and fished a new place i found before heading to south beach. Every fish I caught, I sight fished. It took me about 10 min to get the tilapia to bite but after the first one bit I caught the next one on the next cast. It took me 4 or 5 different lures to catch the peacocks. They kept shortstriking my soft plastics and would look at the topwaters I had used the day before but wouldn't hit them. I finally started catching them on a rattletrap that I would vary the retrieve, run it fast, let it drop, pop it a couple times, reel it slow a few inches above the bottom, then burn it again. They hit the best when I bumped it. They were hanging out around a flat place without rocks on the bend of the canal. At first I thought they were bedding but they would leave and then come back and leave again. Not sure if they were 100% or not but I caught the smaller one and hooked the big one within 3 casts and I had fished for them for about 45 mins. Very fun morning and I can't wait to do it again!! James ill send you a picture as soon as I get a chance. I'm in Disney right now so it may be a few days.


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## CatHunter

Boy Florida is just loaded with new exotic fish from peacock bass, large catfish, many types of cichlids, tilapias, carps, snapkeheads, new striper locations is no wounder we are fishing capital of the world, Good job:thumbsup: It wont be long and the mighty RedTail Catfish will be on this chart as well as the Tiger Shovel-nose catfish both species are turning up in south Florida


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## ScullsMcNasty

I vow next time to catch one on a plastic worm. From what I've read, they won't hit a plastic worm. Or at the least, don't readily hit them. I think I can make them bite it though


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## Amarillo Palmira

Thanks. Makes me want to take a road trip!


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## Bullshark

Thanks. The best bait I've used by far (other than shiners) is a beetle spin. They are those tiny spinner baits. If you can find a peacock nest and pop it in there they will hit it 99.999% of the time.


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## Bullshark

Chris V said:


> Awesome report! I've been wanting to get one of those for a while. May have to make a trip. Bullshark, I just pounded google earth after one of your above posts.


Here are my favorite spots south of palm beach county. 
http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f40/we-caught-some-chunky-bass-110152/


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## BlazerBen

awesome!!!


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