Florida Fishing for Peacock BassWhat exactly is a peacock bass, anyway? In the photo below, notice the similarities to the largemouth bass; yet the strikingly beautiful coloring marks it as a species that is actually not a bass at all!
Why? The primary purpose was to bring a predatory fish to combat the illegal importation of other exotic fish species - in particular, the illegally imported spotted tilapia that was reproducing very rapidly, and crowding out other native species - and was also part of a program to create urban sport fishing opportunities in the Miami - Ft Lauderdale area. And wow! - what a payoff this fishing program has become! Peacock bass are even more aggressive and fight harder than the largemouth bass, and tend to congregate in packs. So, it is not uncommon for anglers to double-catch peacock bass, with one strike stirring up others to get in on the action, too. When's the best time to plan fishing vacations to southeast Florida? While Florida fishing is good year-round, the prime times to catch peacock bass weighing over four pounds is February - May in southeastern Florida canals. Live bait is most attractive to this bass, whether fishing from a boat, kayak, or even bank fishing. Use golden shiners about 3 inches long - just ask the bait shop for "peacock shiners" - fished below a float or free-lined. Boaters troll along the canal edges using shiners, and sight cast, too. Shady areas are good choices to try your luck, as well as around culverts, canal bends, and intersections, too. A variety of artificial baits work well with peacock bass; fishing with minnow-imitating crankbaits or twin-tailed minnow/jig combos are rewarding choices.... ...but don't waste your time using plastic worms! These 'bass' are not exactly like our largemouth bass, and very rarely strike on the old largemouth bass standby, the plastic worms. Fly fishers favorites include pencil poppers, epoxy minnows and streamers.
If you're coming to southeastern Florida for a fishing vacation, be sure not to miss out on this one-of-a-kind fishing action! We hope that you'll give Florida fishing for peacock bass a chance on one of your Florida fishing vacations. It's a unique and memorable adventure! The king of fresh water fishing in Florida is the largemouth bass! Learn about Florida fishing for largemouth bass! Where's the best Florida fishing for bass in other regions of Florida? Find out! Just visit The Top Fresh Water Fishing Spots page. If your Florida fishing vacation brings you to the south Florida region, be sure to check out Everglades fishing! Not finding the bass fishing information you're looking for on our site? Find More Florida Bass Fishing! Return to the Florida bass fishing main page. Return to the FFVA Home page.
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