Species › South & Central America › Peacock Bass

Freshwater

Peacock Bass

Cichla temensis · tucunaré, pavón, speckled peacock

Water temp
79–90°F
Peak season
Oct–Feb
Best light
Daytime
IGFA record
29 lb 1 oz (13.19 kg)
Peacock Bass (Pesca Esportiva na Amazônia 3.JPG)

Photo: Wellerson Santana · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Peacock bass are large cichlids, not true bass, recognizable by the eye-spot on the tail, three dark vertical bars and a flaming orange-and-gold body, native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins. The speckled or three-barred peacock (Cichla temensis) of Brazil's Rio Negro tributaries is the largest, while the butterfly peacock (Cichla ocellaris) was introduced to southeast Florida's canals in 1984, where it is now a thriving, tightly managed sport fishery around Miami and Fort Lauderdale. They are ambush predators that hunt in warm, slack water along sandbars, lagoon mouths and fallen timber, and their explosive attack on a surface lure is the reason anglers travel to the Amazon.

Typical size3–10 lb (1.4–4.5 kg) in the Amazon; 1–4 lb in Florida
Trophy20 lb+ (9 kg) speckled peacock; 7 lb+ butterfly peacock in Florida
Table fareGood — but almost always released; Florida has a small bag limit

Where & when

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Amazon lodges fish the falling and low-water months (roughly September–March on the Rio Negro and its tributaries) when fish concentrate in lagoons; Florida peacocks bite year-round, best from spring through fall when water is above 70°F (21°C).

Rio Negro tributaries (Rio Unini, Rio Jufari), BrazilBlackwater lagoons that produce 20 lb-plus speckled peacocksCinaruco River, VenezuelaOrinoco llanos river with trophy pavónMiami-Dade and Broward canals (Tamiami Canal, Airport Lakes), FLEstablished butterfly-peacock fishery in urban South Florida

How to catch

Ripping topwater propbaitsCast large prop baits and 'woodchopper' style surface lures to lagoon edges, sandbars and fallen timber and rip them hard with aggressive rod sweeps, creating as much commotion as possible. Peacocks charge from a distance; keep ripping until you feel the fish.
Jigs and live bait in Florida canalsIn South Florida, work a 3–4 in bucktail or soft-plastic jig with a fast, erratic retrieve along canal walls, culverts and shaded bridges, or drift a live shiner. Peacocks sit tight to structure in the heat of the day and chase anything that moves quickly.

Gear

Rod6½–7' medium-heavy to heavy baitcast or spin; medium spin for Florida
ReelBaitcaster 7:1 or 3000–4000 spinning
Line50–65 lb braid for the Amazon; 15–20 lb braid in Florida; 40–60 lb mono leader

Lures

large prop baits and topwater choppersjerkbaits and sinking minnowsbucktail and soft-plastic jigs

Baits

live shiners (Florida)live baitfishcut fish (rarely)

Regulations

Amazon and Orinoco peacock fishing runs through licensed lodges under Brazilian, Venezuelan and Colombian permits and is catch and release by convention. In Florida, peacock bass are managed by FWC with a daily bag and a size rule that protects larger fish; a freshwater license is required.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: 29 lb 1 oz (13.19 kg) — Speckled peacock, Rio Negro basin, Brazil, 2010 (Andrea Zaccherini). State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

Can you catch peacock bass in the United States?

Yes. Butterfly peacock bass were stocked in southeast Florida's canals by the state in 1984 to control invasive fish, and they now provide a well-established fishery in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, with fish of 3–5 lb common and the state record over 9 lb. They cannot survive cold water, so the population is confined to the warm urban canals of the southeast coast.

Bite forecast — Peacock Bass

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Peacock Bass.

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