peacock bass

[bonefishwhisperer]

the water is great for FEB and the bite is on...went to the local canal for a couple hrs today and shredded the peacocks...here are a few pictures

[drolfson]

So, um, what were they hitting on?

Man, I gotto go visit my Sister in FLa!!!!

[bonefishwhisperer]

ANCIENT CHINESE SECRET!!! lol they will take about anything along the lines of baitfish...I mainly use baby EP minnows or a metalic flash "jiggy fly" but anything will work at times...I shy away from natural material as it seems to make them hesitate...all sightfishing and no cast longer than 15ft... on the right day/conditions you can get countless peacocks in the right place...I fish them when its too nasty out for the flats...excellent fish to learn flyfishing on as they are very easy to catch much like bluegills

[Gnu Bee Flyer]

Nice looking fish, are they native to Florida or are they an escaped exotic like the Oscars were?

Man I wish bluegills were that big.

Are they good eating?

[bonefishwhisperer]

they were stocked here in the 80's and now are native and doing well....people eat them but I never would...these are really not the big ones that are coming but generic everyday peacocks

[drolfson]

bonefishwhisperer;

Thanks for the info!! Those really are some pretty fish. My Dad has visited my Sister in Fla, and seen them cruising the lake in her backyard, but been unable to get anything but some gills out of there. I keep telling him to go bigger and deeper, but he still uses trout flies most of the time.

I may just hit you up for help when I get a trip to visit her planned!

Thanks Again!

[FishnDave]

Man, those are BEAUTIFUL fish! I caught a few on the Hawaiian island of Kauai years ago, but that was on spinning gear. Incredibly strong fish, they were straightening steel saltwater hooks!
Would love to catch them on a fly rod!

Thanks for sharing those pictures!

[bonefishwhisperer]

they are basically only in Miami...some are in Broward around Ft Lauderdale but they are smaller and few...Homestead has the tail end of the peacocks...they simply cant survive unless in the box cut canals here with the auqafir keeping the water above 70 yr round...they will be spawning very soon and it will be extremely easy to catch them...it already is pretty easy right now...I would say they are the easiest fish to catch around here...here are some other exotics

[HideHunter]

Well - I'm so jealous I could spit.

Water here is too thin to walk on and too thick to throw a fly through.

Congrats and Thanks for sharing though.

[Lew]

Smorgasbord. Great fish. Great pics. Send us some warm weather.