Brazil Peacock Bass Fishing

"18 Peacocks Over 13 pounds!"

2007-12-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

"I can always count on River Plate Outfitters and Rod & Gun Resources to put me on the Amazon's best fishing. In just 5 1/2 days on the lower Unini River, I caught 18 peacock bass over 13 pounds including the beautiful 23 pounder shown here and another 20-pounder. I look forward to a very productive trip again next season and plenty of photo opps with big fish!

Larry Larsen, President of the Peacock Bass Association and author of four books on peacock bass."

Uproar on Unini River

2007-05-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

How to Catch Giant Peacocks (that may yank anglers out of the boat!)
By Larry Larsen

Note: The following is a chapter excerpt from Amazon Peacock Bass, Larry Larsen’s fourth book in the Peacock Bass Series. Larsen is the world’s foremost authority on peacock bass and a member of the Fishing Hall of Fame. The book is available from the Peacock Bass Association at www.peacockbassassociation.com or from www.larsenoutdoors.com.

I lofted my giant Amazon Ripper toward the laydown just off the near shore of the narrow lagoon. The plug was mid-way toward its landing when a big fish blew up the water's surface some 100 yards away as it chased 3/4 pound baitfish against the opposite shore. The guide instinctively started to swing the stern of the boat with the electric to ready us for the chase after that feeding fish. My surface plug landed about 20 feet off the sharp dropping bank as the boat slowly began to move away.

Popping it twice, I was ready to reel it in quickly and prepare myself for a long cast at the fish that had given its location away just 10 seconds earlier. I didn't have a chance. A giant peacock exploded on my plug and then fired its afterburners and exploded away. If that sounds like a lot of "explosions," well, there is just no other adjective to describe this action!

The fish ripped the rod from my hand and I watched it fly off toward the rear of our boat and slowly start to sink. My guide, my partner and I all quickly grabbed rods to try to snag the sinking rod and reel. I was very lucky. Initially, the fish had bolted 10 feet toward the bank, but then it turned and headed for deep water away from the brush pile. That slowed the acceleration of the rod away from me in the bow of the boat, and my guide, Sabastiao Brito, was able to get one of my backup rods under it.

I jumped to the stern of our aluminum fishing boat and grabbed the rod handle as he flipped it to the surface. I was happy to save my $450 outfit but was elated that the fish was still on. I grabbed the wet rod with two hands as the peacock powered its way down the small lagoon. It reversed course and jumped three feet out of the water. I hung on as it again jetted away, back toward the laydowns.

"That's a good fish," my partner Ruede Wheeler shouted. The experienced angler would know. He had caught a 19 1/2 pounder two days earlier and his largest ever, a 23 1/2 pounder the day before in the same lagoon. I had been "snake bit" the first four days of the trip failing to catch a peacock over about 12 pounds, but I knew this one was over 20.

I leaned back with all I could on my 7-foot rod redirecting the fish away from the obstructions. It jumped twice more before I could work it close to the boat. Sabastiao tried unsuccessfully to scoop it up 3 times, and my heart sank 3 times when the fish powered away from the big net. On the fourth attempt, I kept the bass' head up and into the net it went. The monster was mine.

Rod Overboard Action and Reaction
Sebastiao quickly unhooked the fish and weighed it. The 24-1/2 pounder was my largest ever in some 30 trips to Brazil after the ultimate freshwater fish. We measured it at 24 inches and a 22-inch girth and then, for good measure, confirmed the weight on another set of scales. After a few pictures, we released the giant and watched it swim away in good shape. High 5's were in order, and we all three laughed as we recalled the rod overboard ordeal.

Never before had a fish, even a peacock bass, jerk the rod from my hands. I have caught several hundred big fish in the 20 to 40 pound range on the same tackle without losing my grasp of the rod. Heck, I have caught numerous tarpon between 80 and 120 pounds on the same equipment without such an embarrassment. I felt foolish.

I had heard numerous stories in the Amazon about anglers having their rods jerked from their hands by big peacock, but I discounted the possibility of an avid angler like myself with extensive experience catching giant peacock bass living such an occurrence. I was wrong, and I am humbled. I had never said that it couldn't happen to me, just that it was a slim possibility. The 24 1/2 pound "keg of dynamite" from Brazil's Unini River straightened out my thinking.

Trolling Topwaters for Giants
Ruede and I were fishing a large black-water lagoon just off the river that offered more than a dozen false channels, some of which were 1/2 mile long. Rain showers were a part of our daily experience and the river was rising each day and turning more turbid. While the river turned to a muddy-looking brown color, some lagoons remained relatively undisturbed with the prime black-clear waters.

The day before, after casting about four hours, we were trolling our 7-inch long topwater Woodchoppers along one of the points in the big maze of a lagoon when a giant exploded on Ruede's black and orange version. The 23 1/2 pounder headed straight toward the wooded shoreline, stripping my partner's braided line all the way to the few feet of monofilament backing on the spool. Watching the line disappear, Ruede shouted at Sabastiao to reverse the engine, which the Brazilian guide had already done.

It was the moment of truth with only the arbor knot maintaining the connection with the big fish. Suddenly, the boat gained traction in the reverse mode and the fish swam into a submerged tree trunk where one of the loose treble hooks snagged its root. Ruede was then able to put line back on his spool as the boat headed toward the hung-up fish, visible in about 3 feet of water. Such entanglements are the cause of a lot of lost fish, but my partner was lucky.

As we approached, the fish saw the boat and bolted toward deep water, tearing the plug's hook from the trunk. The giant was still attached to the plug! Ruede then fought the fish with a partially full spool of line in open water and eventually won the battle. It was his largest peacock in five trips with operator River Plate Anglers and the trophy of his very productive big fish week. He also caught three 19 1/2 pounders, and fish of 21, 22 and 22 1/2 pounds. His previous personal best was 21 pounds.

Locating A Monstrous Blackwater “Double”
My big 24 1/2 pounder was my personal best for only one day. On the following day, Ruede and I ventured an hour up river in search of new water with good quality and visibility. After several days of intermittent rain, many of the lagoons with large mouths into the river were turning turbid. The water level of the Unini had risen a couple of feet over the week, and finding the perfect lagoon waters was becoming difficult. We went into 3 brown-water lagoons off the river before Sabastiao snaked our 18 foot-long boat through a short, twisting creek mouth with overgrown foliage.

We ducked under a fallen tree and pushed back brush to work the boat through the shallow channel. Clinging vines whipped us from above and bushes scrapped our fishing equipment and us as we passed. Finally, it opened up into a beautiful crescent shaped lagoon with dark, black-clear water. Fish were moving along both banks and in the middle. We caught 3 or 4 mid-size fish around 10 pounds each, before moving into big fish territory.

Sighting a big fish chasing bait near one shore we moved our boat to the action and lofted our casts toward the disturbed water. On my second cast back to the same spot, a big peacock exploded on my orange and black Big Game Ripper. It powered away pulling off line from a tightened drag. Two minutes into the fight, I had a modicum of control when it shot skyward to fully reveal itself.

"Grande," I said to my partner as I glanced toward Ruede who was not even looking at my fish. He was busy with a fish of his own. A follow-up cast to the area where I had hooked up met with success for him, and he, too, had his hands full.

Both big fish were brought to the net at the same time and Sabastiao netted them. My fish was truly a giant, weighing 25 pounds even. Ruede's peacock was certainly not a baby at 19 1/2 pounds. The pair weighing a total of 44 1/2 pounds was the largest peacock "double" that I have ever heard of. Several years ago, another friend and I had taken two peacocks that weighed 39 pounds even. Ruede, a dentist from LaPorte, Texas, wasn't through.

Fishing Tactics for Bubbles and Mid-Lake Haunts
Within 30 feet of that spot on his third cast, my partner hooked and landed a 22 1/2 pounder. I caught and released a 20 1/2 pounder later in another lagoon to cap off a very great day.

The fishing during the week on the Unini was decent in terms of numbers, but it was excellent for giant 20-plus pound peacocks. While the five active anglers in our fly-in barge camp operation landed over 300 peacock, 10 were over 20 pounds. Paul Engel of Naples, FL and Greg Hochstetter of Jupiter, FL caught a total of 3 fish over that mark during the week.

Most of our fish were taken from a variety of places. Backs of lagoons in shallow flooded timber were productive areas for a couple of days. Sand bars adjacent deep water held big fish a couple of days, and laydowns proved prime spots a few times. Most big peacock were taken 30 or 40 feet off the shoreline, and some mid-lake catches were enticed by casting to visible schools of fry on the surface of a quiet lagoon. The technique of casting to "bubbles" or the "ball" of fry as they swim slowly along and dimple the surface is effective for the two parents, which are usually swimming beneath their brood. They will blast a lure tossed near in an instinctive reflex mode.

Lure Choice and Productive Modification
We also threw our big topwaters at feeding fish that were blowing up the surface while chasing bait. The Luhr-Jensen Big Game, Single Prop Woodchoppers were the most effective lures most of the week. While a few of the big fish were taken on Fire Tiger models, the orange and black color scheme proved to be the top peacock attractor. Magnum Amazon Rippers, also made by Luhr-Jensen, were a distant second in terms of lure productivity. My largest fish of the week came on a modified 6 1/2-inch long Ripper. I had added a third treble hook and removed one of the two tail spinners.

Submerged baits that typically do well, such as the PET spoon, Krocodile spoon, Redfin and Yozuri minnow baits, were not very effective under the existing conditions. It was a "topwater week" for the most part, but not all attractions proved successful. One of the most vivid images from the week was a 12 pounder that come up under the plug and jumped out of the water 3 feet in the air, landing some 10 feet laterally on its tail at reentry. The fish, as in a slow-motion video, remained vertical with mouth agape and lure between its lips for the full 4 seconds or so of its flight. When it crashed back into the water, the peacock simply opened its mouth and released the lure.

Another great memory was a 22 pounder that exploded on Ruede's big Woodchopper and jetted off under a 30-foot wide tree that hung off the nearby bank at about a foot above the surface. There was no way to get the boat under the tree and chase the fish which had bulled on down the bank another 50 feet before becoming temporarily entangled in some brush. So, Sabastiao went around the tree, as my partner let out line while keeping a taunt connection to the fish. The guide then grabbed the braid and hand-lined the tired, giant fish to the net.

On the Move Camping and Scenery
Between hook-ups, there were plenty of distractions. In some areas, freshwater dolphin rolled on the surface of the river or lagoon. Caiman slid off the banks and disappeared into the depths in a few lagoons and the skies overhead were always busy. Macaws and papagaios (green parrots) were almost hourly sightings, and toucans and pato ducks added color and uniqueness to the "aeroscape." During a shoreside lunch break one day, a river otter, locally called "lantra," popped up on a log just 20 feet away from our boat and curiously viewed us in our "feeding" mode.

The River Plate Anglers Safari Camp is a spacious screen house lodge with separate dining and lounge areas. Each 10 foot wide by 15 foot long cabin barge or screened-in bungalow has two beds, a toilet and shower combination, a sink, table reading lamps and air conditioning. Generators provide power for cooking and recharging batteries that handle bungalow lighting, fans and water pumps and electric trolling motors on the fishing boats. Each evening, after a swim in the river, our group of anglers enjoyed cocktails and hot hors d’oeuvres while watching the sunset and recounting daily conquests and failures.

During our week on the Unini, our camp moved upriver on three different days, totaling about 25 miles during the week. The moves keep the numerous lagoon fishing waters ever changing. The camp management and staff would break camp mid-morning, hook up all the barge components, and then tow them to another expansive sandbar. In the afternoon, the individual bungalows are once again spread out along the beach for some privacy.

After dark, we fall asleep listening to croaking frogs and sounds of other nocturnal creatures. We dream of the next giant peacock bass that will dare try to jerk the rod from our hands. That’s scary, but it doesn’t have to be a nightmare!

-end-

Battles Won and Lost

2007-05-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Costly Mistakes Can't Be Helped; Sometimes They Can!
By Larry Larsen

Note: The following is a chapter excerpt from Peacock Bass Addiction, Larry Larsen’s third book in the Peacock Bass Series. Larsen is the world’s foremost authority on peacock bass and a member of the Fishing Hall of Fame. The book is available from the Peacock Bass Association at www.peacockbassassociation.com or from www.larsenoutdoors.com.

"The net, the net, the net," I shouted at my Spanish-speaking guide as I pressured the big peacock bass near the boat. Two more short runs peeled line from my heavy casting reel as the drag moaned in discontent, but the battle was almost over. The guide, on his very first day with a client, still had a bewildered look on his face, and, at the time, I didn't know how to say "net" in Portuguese. So, I grabbed the net (or "rede") and handed it to him.

He put the net into the water, and I leaned back on the heavy-action rod to direct the peacock head-first into the net.

"All is well," I thought. "The fish is mine."

But, the guide just froze and didn't lift the net.

"Lift up, lift up," I shouted, realizing he wouldn't understand my English. But I showed him with an upward motion of my forearm, how to accomplish raising the net. He seemed to get the message just before the 12 pound peacock turned and started to swim out of the net.

The fish jerked its head to the side and the lure's trebles popped free just as the guide lifted the net with the peacock inside.

"Whew," I gasped, only to see the big fish wedge its head into a small hole in the net. Then, with a characteristic shake, the peacock expanded the net hole and tore through it landing back in the water. I watched the fish dive for the depths, as the guide stood looking at the gaping hole in the net.

I shrugged disappointed, shaking my head. Then, I smiled. That fish on a small lagoon off a northern Brazil river had earned its escape. I believe it was destined not to be handled by man that morning. My guide from the previous three days had become very sick and my partner and I were dealing with a substitute, with very limited, if any, experience.

All in all, the loss of that fish was no big deal. I have probably caught a hundred larger. But, it reveals that there are many mistakes that can be made throughout the day that will cost you a peacock bass. In South America, it often seems that the ones that do get away are all giants. Big peacock bass certainly have the know-how and the strength to strain the limits of our guides, equipment and our reflexes.

Improper drag setting, for example, is a common fault in the loss of big peacock bass. It is vital to set the drag before the fish strikes, either at home or as conditions change. The drag should be less "giving" in an area of heavy timber and snags than in open water above a sand bar. Some anglers try to adjust the drag while the peacock bass is on. With a giant peacock, even an experienced fisherman can't get away with that.

Catastrophic Cavort
I remember making such a stupid mistake once, and it cost me a 20-pounder. I was fishing a lagoon off a river in the Amazonas Territory of southern Venezuela and had caught four peacocks between 18 and 21 pounds already that week. Two were from the same flooded stand of trees that I was again casting toward. I lofted a cast to the edge of the timber and had a monster boil up on it.

I set the hook and held on as the fish swam parallel to the treeline. My drag was clamped down tight and that prevented the 20-plus pounder from moving into the trees. Over the following five minutes, I carefully worked the big peacock away from the entanglements, as my guide thoughtfully paddled our boat toward the center of the cove.

I was about 75 yards away from the potential hang-ups and the fish appeared tired after jumping several times and struggling against my powerful rod. Not wanting the hooks to tear out of the fish at boatside on a last, desperate attempt to escape, I eased back on the star drag ever so slightly. That, I thought, would give me a little safety buffer in case the peacock saw the boat and tried to make another run. The drag then would absorb the shock.

Well, I was right, but I had miscalculated. The giant did indeed see the boat and took off, but it pulled line like I had just hooked a freight train. It headed back for the timber, taking most of my spool of 40 pound test monofilament and smoking my thumb in the process. I tried to stop the fish with the thumb on the revolving spool and got a burn for it.

The fish swam right into the timber, made a right turn and my line separated, sounding like a gunshot. My guide and I sat there in the boat in awe of the fish that we expected to be whipped and safely away from any entanglements. I felt like crying. But, I had only myself to blame.

Unfortunately, anglers are not always prepared mentally to handle a trophy peacock bass when it strikes. Everyone makes mistakes, even the most experienced of us. Poor mental judgment is not inherent only in beginners, but it usually will show up among them more frequently.

I have seen novices make many critical mistakes when first seeking trophy peacocks, but with these fish, catastrophic mistakes are easy to make. For those anglers that say, "big peacock bass always seem to get away!", I say get prepared and stay that way. Knowing some of the potential problems to which a giant fighter may be exposed should aid in that preparation.

I have fished for peacock with more than one hundred anglers, including "name" tournament black bass pros, outdoor TV show hosts, and total novices who had seldom handled a rod and reel. And, I have seen many big peacock bass escape, even from technically-proficient, peacock-experienced fishermen. Yes, I lose some, too. Some situations can't be helped, but many can.

Equipment Examinations
Getting a big peacock bass halfway to the boat only to have the hook pull out or the line snap is a frustrating experience. The failure mode may or may not be apparent. Hopefully, there is something to blame for the loss and a bit of experience to remember. Too, the best anglers will learn from their mistakes.

Having sound equipment and paying proper attention to tackle details really begins at home prior to the trip. Naturally, sharp hooks are a must on offerings. Big hooks which are sometimes more difficult to pull into the hard mouth of a big peacock bass, may fall out easily when they are dull.

Trophy hunters, like me, often fish with big baits expressly for the giants, and equipment should reflect that goal. Large, heavy-duty hooks are thicker than smaller ones and, thus, require sharper points and a more forceful hook set. All factory-made or installed hooks need additional sharpening. I use a hone or file on each lure in my tackle box to get the sharpest point possible. Each morning on the ride out to the fishing grounds, I "touch up" the points on all the baits I will be using that day.

Light-action, "whippy" rods are still responsible for many lost peacock giants each year. The limber staffs ideal for some North American species are not suitable for peacock. A medium-heavy action rod should be considered the minimal stiffness acceptable to tangle with a big peacock bass. The rod blank must have adequate backbone and/or leverage to properly set the big hooks and fight the fish.

Short rods have to overcome a leverage-deficiency in order to power a peacock away from heavy cover. A 6 1/2- or 7-foot heavy or medium-heavy action rod will surpass most problems in the hands of an experienced angler. I have used the graphite rods in those two lengths and actions for several years and found them to be up to the task.

Rods that have minute fractures in them tend to come apart at the time of maximum stress, like when the giant is powering away one last time. Broken guides also have been known to come loose or nick the line at an inappropriate time. Unless the baggage handlers in the airports are careless (and they often are), those are potential problems that can be eliminated at home by careful inspection.

Reel drags can be a major problem. Equipment that is cheap, old or heavily used may not have the smooth drag that is needed for handling big peacock bass. Overhaul your gear and keep it maintained for best luck. On my last few trips, I've been using high quality, precision made reels that perform great.

Line up for Action
Line is always suspect when a big peacock bass breaks off. Line too light or too old, or use of an inferior knot are often the possible culprits. Going after huge fish with light line is usually foolish. Naturally, the habitat and other water characteristics should dictate the line test to a certain extent.

Heavy cover and the potential for big peacock bass mean you should select the line suited for the job. Lines testing 25 and 30 pounds are advisable for fish up to ten pounds in dense timber cover for example. I've often seen novice North American anglers venture to South America with 15 pound test line and light rods in hopes of doing battle with a real heavyweight. That's not too smart, unless you are after one of my line class world records.

I've used lines testing from 4 pounds (when after one of my world records) to 100 pounds, but to be safe, consider the following. My favorite line for topwater fare is 80-pound Power Pro. Don't believe that this is overkill. You will be very sorry, very soon in many of the waters mentioned in my books.

Line does have an extended shelf life, but many days in the sun or in varying temperature extremes can shorten its effectiveness severely. Repeated breaks with appropriate size line denote either poor knot tying or rotten line. After extensive use, some braids wear themselves down when the fibers cut into each other. Knot tying proficiency, even with braided line, is easily gained, but a rotten line must be replaced. The best knot that I have found for braids (and monofilaments) is the Palomar. It is easy to tie and has a near-100 percent strength.

Naturally, general wear and tear can deteriorate the strength of a monofilament line, too. The abrasion may not be noticeable, but the smart angler will snip off the first six feet or so of his line after each substantial use. Prevention is the best insurance against line failure and the loss of a big peacock bass.

Terminal tackle can very easily fail around even mid-size peacock bass. Split rings, snaps, swivels or line ties on many plugs suitable for largemouth bass just can't cut it when put up against a peacock. The hardware can also become weak or may have a manufacturing defect (other than being too weak) not noticed beforehand. Again the stress on all equipment is maximum when a big peacock bass is hooked. Other equipment problems such as a rotten or broken net, boat seats not able to handle the strain during a battle, etc. are potential problems that you may face in South America.

Physical Shortcomings
A poor hook set is the most common cause of losing a big peacock on the way to the boat. I've watched anglers fail to set the hook into a fish going away with the lure. While many peacock bass hit so hard they set the hook themselves, strength and quick reflexes are often vital to success.

A large topwater lure with one or two big tail props will "resist" a smooth hook set, even with low-stretch braid or other superline. Just the resistance of the water on the plug will slow down the acceleration in a hook set. The angler that feels a light hook set is needed for peacock lures with exposed treble hooks is sadly mistaken. He'll lose some big peacocks.

Failure to exert enough pressure to keep a big peacock bass away from any anchor rope, outboard or trolling motor, or out of dense cover could be the result of a physical shortcoming. That could also be the result of a mental lapse on the part of an angler, as I explained earlier. I've often seen big peacock bass take off in heavy cover and drive so deep into it that the angler never again saw the trophy.

Many guides will dive into the dark depths in pursuit of a brush-tangled peacock, but you normally have to be in control of the fish at all times to eventually land one.

Mental Lapses
The difference between a good fisherman and a bad one is usually not the ability to think. It is the ability to apply knowledge on the water. The good angler will be concentrating on what he is doing and thinking about what he will do if that big peacock bass strikes his lure on each retrieve.

In the heat of battle, a fishing partner will occasionally grab the line to assist in the landing of a trophy. At that time, the peacock bass has a shorter, more firm point to pull away from than a length of line running through the rod tip. It is often then that big peacock bass get away.

Another piece of advice is to never let an inexperienced partner or guide help you land the peacock bass by touching your line. Net help, if effective, is great, but too much can happen on a short, taut line if the fish is still energetic. Grabbing the line to lift the giant into the boat is dangerous indeed and can be costly.

Never try to "horse" a big peacock bass in waters with few obstructions. That's undue strain on the equipment. Conversely, never give the fish slack line. It will usually spit out the hook then or use the extra length to wrap around an obstruction and break the line. Both situations occur to many anglers during the heat of battle.

Catch-and-Release
As noted earlier, when the guide does use the net, he'll hopefully net the peacock bass head first. Trying to net a "green" fish from the tail end is a major cause of lost trophies at boatside.

Since we always release the big peacock bass after the battle, I try to lip-land them with either a Bogagrip or a Fish-On grabber. The Boga-grip can also weigh the fish. The net can cause loss of the protective slime coat and later infection on the fish, so I prefer not to use them. Since the lure in a thrashing fish mouth can easily entangle the net, don't ever use one on a small or mid-size fish.

You can also use a gloved hand, or simply let the guide grab the fish. Peacocks have raspy teeth which can draw angler blood if lipped sans protection. Once landed, it is important to take pictures, measurements and weight quickly and then immediately release the fish.

It is very important to understand the correct way to release a big peacock. Conservation of the peacock bass resource is vital. As opposed to largemouth bass, most peacocks cannot take the stress of being out of water a long time. Be sure to revive in shallow water any fish that doesn't immediately swim off when placed back in the water. That fish may be over-stressed.

Peacocks are a precious commodity. Even a tired fish that swims away is not out of danger. Piranhas, dolphins and other predators may go after the over-stressed peacock. The danger in the deep comes in many forms, as was proven on one of my trips to the Amazonia Region.

My partner Rodolfo Fernandez and I had caught and released three 15-pounders in a small lake off the Jufari River. We had done well and released all in, what we thought, was perfect health. But this story is a sad one. One of the big guys didn't fare well, as we found out later.

While having lunch, I noticed what looked like an animal or big fish on the surface a few hundred yards away. We motored over to a struggling fish and netted it. It was one that we had caught earlier. Every fin, plus several chunks from the meaty part of the tail, had been eaten off by piranhas. The giant peacock had no propulsion or stabilization, so it floundered on its side, at the mercy of the piranhas.

The moral of this is to emphasize the importance of releasing a big fish quickly and while it is strong. If there is any doubt, take it to the shallows for release and recuperation. Piranhas generally don't inhabit super shallow waters.

Knowing many of the potential causes of losing big peacock bass, I doubt if I'll ever lose another. Ha! Want to bet?

-end-

Questions to Ask and Answers to Expect

2007-05-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

Note: The following is a chapter excerpt from Peacock Bass & Other Fierce Exotics, Larry Larsen’s second book in the Peacock Bass Series. Larsen is the world’s foremost authority on peacock bass and a member of the Fishing Hall of Fame. The book is available from the Peacock Bass Association at www.peacockbassassociation.com or from www.larsenoutdoors.com.

Traveling to exotic destinations in search of exciting, unique sportfish is relatively common in today's world of fast jets and boats. South America is probably the closest region offering innumerable fishing waters and many great gamefish in sizes and varieties that most North Americans haven't experienced.

Planning a trip to encounter perhaps the angler's most exciting fish ever is a task not to be taken lightly. The preliminary decisions a traveling fisherman will have to make are where to go, when to go, and what species to focus on. There are over 15 exciting sportfish species in South America. Peacock bass and payara are found in Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and a few other countries, and more U.S. visitors fish for those two species than any other freshwater fish in South America.

Where to go may depend a lot on whether you want to experience the far reaches of civilization, where Indians rule the rivers and lakes and where you may stretch across a hammock each evening and drop mosquito netting to keep out the insects, or you want to have some comforts of home while catching your quarry. Other selection criteria will depend on the species pursued, the size available in waters/countries and the time of year available for the trip.

The timing of a successful trip is critical, and the consideration of such should be perhaps the most important parameter in the selection process. Many experiences have taught me that truly great fishing can be had somewhere in South America every single month of the year. It's THE place to be all year long, and the secret to fishing success is simply being in the right place at the right time.

Great locations are prime only during certain times or seasons of the year, so the traveling angler should have a fairly flexible vacation schedule to take advantage of the "seasonal opportunities" in the different regions of South America. Payara fishing is extremely seasonal, but peacock bass have a much longer angling "window." For example, the traveling sportsman can fish peacocks during the prime "dry season" almost year around because of various outfitter locations and their mobility.

Mobility seems to be the key to success. Many operations can move from one watershed to another in order to access the best possible fishing at that time. The ability to adjust to current water and weather conditions makes the difference between a productive or non-productive fishing venture.

The best possible conditions usually occur in the dry seasons, since the water is low and stable. This is when there is less rain, and when most fish are in places where you can catch them. In a river or in a lake, it is important to have stable water levels. These conditions occur at different times throughout the South America region.

For example, in the southernmost regions of Brazil's Amazonas, this dry season is in the months of May through October, generally. In the central part of Brazil's Amazon region, the dry fishing season is around the months of September through mid-December. In Northern Brazil and southern Venezuela, this season occurs from mid-November to mid-April, generally. Fishing seasons in man-made reservoirs located in these regions may vary because of power-pool drawdowns, but the wet season, dry season pattern will be roughly the same.

High water and "new" water are, however, specifically bad news for peacock bass fishermen! Frequently, the best or even the only good fishing in high water situations is at the mouth of a creek or lagoon just out of the current in the river. Late rains during the beginning of the "dry season" or "off-year" rains in the middle of the dry season can cause problems. The fish may either move into the mouth of the lagoon or creek staying close to the river, or scatter into the flooded jungle timber! Peacock bass are very difficult to catch in the latter situation.

In normal dry season conditions, large numbers of peacock bass will be off the river channel in the adjoining lagoons. In low water and minimal current conditions, they may be concentrated around huge rocks or in deep pools right in the river. Peacock bass normally prefer "black water" rivers and "black water" lagoons. If the lagoons have relatively clear, black-stained water and the rivers do not, usually the best peacock fishing will be in the lagoons.

I have caught good numbers of large peacocks in rivers and lagoons that did not have black water, but normally black water areas are best. Large, speckled peacock bass may be holding close to the current, but will not usually be right in it. Butterfly and Royal peacock species tend to be smaller and are often found near the current or around rock piles. Larger peacocks can also be found holding very close to huge rock boulders in the slack water out of the current.

Additional Species, Comparisons and Trade-offs
South American jungles are known as exotic, unknown territory with many types of native species virtually unknown to man. This is also the case with the fish found in this huge continent. Many times I have caught fish that I have never seen before, and that our native guides had never seen caught on an artificial lure. In some way or another, many of the lesser known fish species are living examples of prehistoric times.

Numerous warmwater species in South America's fresh water attract the attention of U.S. sportsmen. In fact, many of the world's most sporting gamefish live in South American waters. Among them are the widespread, exciting peacock bass, the saber-fanged payara, the golden dorado, the lightning-fast sardinata, and several species of very sporting catfish of the family called "Zungaro." The catfish include the Doncella Zungaro and the striped El Tigre Zungaro, also called "Surubim" in Brazil. Toothsome piranha, the prehistoric, armored trieda (or amara), the silvery, snake-like arawana that twists skyward like a rocket and other interesting species add to the variety a typical angler confronts in many of the warm water areas.

Many adventurous anglers travel to fish interesting, remote areas and care less about gourmet food and an exquisite atmosphere. In fact, much of the very best fishing action are in locations that are difficult to access and where great lodges or fixed accommodations are non-existent. Often new areas that are undeveloped commercially open up to great fishing with a spartan camp setup. The demand for such wilderness experiences, even those sporting a hefty price tag, is often tremendous.

Some booking agents offer "exploratories" which mean exactly that. Little is known about the fishing, although the areas do show great promise, and the accommodations can be very minimal or even rough. I've been on a few exploring trips where the fishing was very rewarding and a few where it was terrible. It's always a gamble, but knowing that you're the first sportfisherman to wet a line in a little-known tributary can be exciting.

Who has the best trip? No single trip will meet everyone's needs. Some booking agents have just one or two trips and will try to sell you on such, but it may not be the right one for you. They may not meet your time needs, facility needs or species preference. A good operation will not just try to conform everyone to the same mold.

If it does meet your needs, I would advise you to fish in one of the remote rivers rather than in a reservoir, because your fishing will be consistently better. I would advise you to fish out of a mobile camp or houseboat, rather than a fixed camp or lodge. In your evaluation of the various options, it would be wise to develop a Trip Option Summary chart with the basic information on all opportunities you come across. Study the market so that you can make an informed decision.

Finding the Booking Agents
It is best to book with a specialized fishing travel agency that can best handle the specific details of such a trip. Inquiries from each fishing excursion you come across should result in a wealth of information. Leads can be generated from word of mouth, advertisements in fishing/outdoor magazines, some tackle shops, some travel agencies, sports shows, articles in magazines and newspapers, record keeping agencies (IGFA and Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame), and local outdoor writers. Once you have the literature, brochures, newsletters, etc., study them thoroughly.

In a few cases, you may be able to book directly with a South American fishing tour operator, but I should warn "caveat emptor" or "let the buyer beware." This is not a wise option. What little you save by not going through a U.S. booking agent will not be worth the headaches with which you'll most probably be faced.
Most booking agents prefer clients with groups but will take individual reservations for a trip. Some operators offer "hosted" trips in which a knowledgeable English-speaking representative of the U.S. booking agent will travel with the group. But, will the host be a fishing expert and chaperone or someone along with other motives, such as to go fishing every day all day long? That's a good question to ask.

Other host-type considerations are determining how an operator's "camp manager" fits in. The top booking agents offer trips with English-speaking, fishing experts. For those considering taking along a non-fishing spouse, the host aspects take on an increasing importance. Fishing guides are normally discouraged from fishing so they can devote their energies to taking care of the fishermen, but they are only hosts during the day on the water.

How to Determine Outfitter Reliability
Booking agents in this country can provide areas with the absolute best fishing, the worst, or something in between, depending on a lot of factors. The best booking agents will postpone a trip for good cause rather than send clients on a very questionable and costly experience. No one consciously offers bad trips, but some outfitters let marketing zealousness overrule their abilities to produce every time they book a group. Quite a few agents will book trips without intimate knowledge of the best timing for the particular trip and in some cases without any first-hand experience with the fishery or the camp/boat.

Fortunately, a few agents will not send anyone to an area that they have not personally checked out. That diligent investigation is what separates the good booking agents from the rest. Some travel throughout the year extensively on "check-out" trips to verify camp owner's claims about their facility or operation "offering the very best fishing over the course of many months."

Some have researched the peacock bass exhaustively and can tell you which 22 tributaries of the western Amazon are "white water rivers" with poor fishing and which 45 are the much better "black water" tributaries. The top booking agents can generally tell you where the rainy season has affected a fishery and where it has not, based on their knowledge of runoffs and time of the year. Fishing a tributary just 100 miles north of Manaus, Brazil, may be great in January, but another fishery that was far better just two months earlier may provide lousy fishing at this time.

Most booking agents will present the highlights of their offering, and a few could even be termed "promoters." They will give you the strengths of the particular trip and avoid any mention of weaknesses. You'll have to ask in some cases, but a professional will take the time to explain any concerns. The most reliable booking agent will try to determine your interests and goals and match you with the optimal trip that minimizes the potential problem areas. He certainly doesn't want you to have unrealistic expectations and a reason to complain and not re-book, or worse yet, scare others away with tales of horror.

It has been my experience that the most efficient and reliable outfitters in South America have an American owner-operator who lives in South America and who is involved in the day-to-day operation of his camp or lodge. The most efficient operations have guides who are natives of the areas you will be fishing.
Native guides usually know where to look for fish, but their actually fishing knowledge may be based on catching fish with a handline. At most South American operations, guides will work hard to get you into the fish. Generally speaking, however, most are not able to recommend which type of lure to use until they have guided for a few seasons.

Questions to Ask Before You Send the Deposit
It is wise to obtain thorough answers to all your specific questions prior to booking the trip. Prepare a list of precise questions before you call. You have a lot to do with the success of your trip, and it all starts with good and necessary communications. When it's decision time, the traveling angler has to decide what he wants to do and how much money he is prepared to spend.

Where are the best places/camps to fish and who are the best outfitters?
What are the living facilities at the camp/lodge/houseboat like, and do they have showers, flush toilets, shared or private baths, beds, air-conditioning, overhead fans, provisions for electrical appliances and laundry service?
Is the food and water safe and included in the pricing?
Will they have plenty of ice, bottled water and soft drinks for the boat coolers and meals?
What is the maximum camp capacity and are there other lodges or locals that increase fishing pressure by fishing the same waters?
How are the fishing boats equipped (swivel seats, trolling motors, outboard size) and are the guides experienced?
Are the guides, transfer agents and camp managers bilingual and can they provide expert advice?
When is the best time of year to fish, and are the fishing seasons different from country to country?
What are the wet/dry seasons; how does weather effect fishing?
How many fish can I expect to catch, how big and what species?
What can I expect to see in terms of birds, wildlife, topography, water size?
What is the policy on keeping trophy fish; is catch and release enforced?
What are the best gamefish in South America?
Are there other things to do besides fishing?
Are the facilities feasible for the handicapped, elderly, women, children or those with special health conditions?
How much does it cost and what are the cancellation, refund, deposit policies and expected additional costs?
Is a single-supplement available at an extra cost, and what is the latest that I can book the trip?
Can a shorter stay be booked or a "combo" fishing trip or other options be added?
What would you look for in a camp, outfitter, booking agent?
What is the length and itinerary of the trips and how do you get there; any charter flights?
What are the dangers/hazards, such as piranha bites, mosquitoes, insects, snakes, and political situations?
Are safety precautions taken (life vests, fire extinguishers, first aid kit, etc.)?
Are emergency communications and/or medical care available?
What is required to travel (passport, visa, tourist card, immunization, special customs and immigrations requirements)?
What is the best method of fishing (Baitcasting, fly-fishing, spinning, live bait, trolling) and the best tackle to take?
Can I use American dollars, or should I exchange currency?
How much should I tip, when and to whom?
What kind of clothing and luggage should I take and how much?
Can I check my luggage through; what should I carry aboard?
Can you provide a list of references of paying guests for me to call?

Planning The Trip
Some booking agents book the domestic (U.S) connecting flights as well as those from the U.S. city of international departure. It is often wise to let them do so. More than once, I've seen anglers miss their South American flight out of Miami because they had personally booked their own airline with minimal connecting time at the international airport.

Most agents in the know recommend a layover of at least 3 1/2 hours between the domestic flight arrival and the international departure. Someone on a moderately late flight or a passenger on a canceled domestic flight requiring some re-routing may be able to make the Miami connection with such built-in connection time.
Remember that many flights to the angling areas of South America only happen once or twice a week. If you miss the international flight down, you often cannot re-route in order to catch up with your group. Too, many operations depend on the entire group arriving at the same time for ground transfer, wheel and float plane charter connections and/or riverboat transportation logistics.

Missing customers just cannot be accommodated in the outreaches of South America several hours or days later. Most agents will provide a detailed itinerary along with their Rates & Responsibilities. You'll have this well ahead of your trip so that you also can make any logistics plans on the connecting travel accordingly.
Acts of nature or political turmoil may take a toll on your fishing excursion, regardless of how well you plan the trip. I learned early on that flexibility is a valuable commodity on any trip to South America.
Most reputable agents will provide you with a "Pre-trip Information" handout for the specific trip that you book. This information varies, depending on your destination.

Tackle and Reading Recommendations
Take the right tackle, or your trip will be less than successful. Fishing for many South American species will be "foreign" to many - pun intended. Very little similar North American experiences can prepare you for some of the thrills of the southernmost America. Most good booking agents offer a listing of tackle recommendations for a particular species with precise information on lure/fly name or model, type, size, color, manufacturer, and even suggested quantity.

With such insight, the traveling angler can put together a tackle box containing the most appropriate selection of lures for the trip. The detailed lists will also cover all types rods, reels and other equipment that are best suited for the venture. The most appropriate action or weight and the best suited line in terms of strength, type (monofilament, braid) and even manufacturer will be noted. The professional booking agent will also be able to recommend the best places to obtain the right stuff. He'll have contact phone and address for the ordering sources.

A good booking agent may also offer information on modifications that will make the lure even better for the intended fish. Replacing standard hooks with heavy-duty 3X saltwater hooks is one such move that will enhance the catch rate on some of the more aggressive species. Also, you may need to change out smaller split rings, propellers, or other hardware on some plugs.

Some agents offer written advice on specific strategies for the fish you are after. A discussion of "seasons" and "situations" will aid in your trip planning. Many peacock bass agents even provide a free copy of one of my books on Peacock Bass, which is full of information on the fish. Many operators and retailers have claimed that "no one goes to South America without a copy of one of my books!"

Basic Information/Special Conditions
You can call the Atlanta-based Center for Disease Control at (404) 332-4565 or 332-4559 for a fax report on vaccination recommendations for different countries and appropriate drugs to prevent malaria, etc. Two other sources of information on facilities with similar knowledge are the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) in Atlanta and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in Newton, MA. International Travel Health services in most major cities can fix you up with the shots/prescriptions if your family doctor can't.

The Department of State has a pamphlet entitled "A Safe Trip Abroad," and it's available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Also available from the same source is the Department of State publication, "Tips for Travelers to Central and South America."

Notify the booking agent of basic information that he should be aware of such as Name, Home Address, Passport No., Telephone (home and business) and Fax Number. Give him an emergency contact/phone number and the name of your roommate (if accommodations are based on double occupancy). Specify any special dietary requirements, special health considerations or medical condition, mobility problems relative to accessing boats or vehicles, and/or any special travel arrangements to be made in conjunction with the trip.

-end-

"We All Found the Floating Barges to be Quite Comfortable"

2007-01-25T08:02:00.000-08:00

I want to thank you for all of your help in planning, preparing and scheduling our peacock bass fishing trip to Brazil. Between our need to change outfitters and my lack of experience with this type of travel, I know we were not the easiest group.

In the end, we had an amazing time. Often you anticipate a trip like this to such a degree that the reality is a letdown. Not this time!

We were really happy with the outfitter and guides. We all found the barge set-up to be quite comfortable. For those considering it in the future, the air-conditioning worked very well. In addition, the food and drinks were good and there was always plenty of both.

Most of all, the guides were excellent. They worked hard, always spotted fish for you, they were extremely good at repairing damaged lures and tackle and were always willing to do whatever it took to rescue a hung lure, or more importantly, a tangled fish.

Keep me in mind if you ever are putting together another peacock bass group and need someone to fill an extra spot.

T. Nolan
January 24, 2007

"You Get An A+ At Every Step of the Way"

2007-01-24T12:45:00.000-08:00

January 17, 2007

Dear friends at Rod & Gun Resources,

Our Oklahoma group wanted me to say "Thank You" for all of us who went on the Brazil Peacock Bass Trip.

We really had a very good trip. Weather, water levels, camp, personnel and fishing were all tops.

Thanks for your timely Fed Ex's, notes, letters, assistance with the visas, etc. You kept our trip on track. And J.W. thank you for cancelling our Jan. 06 trip due to high water conditions--I know many other outfitters didn't cancel their trips.

All of the staff at Rod & Gun Resources and River Plate Outfitters get an A+ at every step of the way. We are looking forward to another peacock bass fishing trip in the near future.

Sincerely,

George Bridges
Lawton, OK

"Want to Photograph a Big Fish?"

2006-12-29T13:14:00.000-08:00

Excerpted with author’s permission from:

PEACOCK BASS ADDICTION! BOOK 3 ©1999 by Larry Larsen

Chapter 5 JUFARI HI-JINKS
Explosive Brazilian action from tropical bass

As the guide nudged the outboard into gear and pointed the bow up the lagoon, I lofted a cast near the small cove that interrupted the rainforest-shrouded bank. We were into our troll just about 20 feet when the attack took place.

My medium-heavy action rod exploded with one of the most astonishing strikes of my life. The giant peacock bass slammed the huge spoon like a train going the other way, and the beefy, 7-foot rod splintered in front of the cork foregrip upon the impact.
My reaction was to grab the remaining 5-foot “section” and point the staff skyward to absorb the powerful charge of the fish as it headed toward some submerged brush near the bank. My efforts to keep the rod trip up were futile, as the monster pulled line from the drag on my firmly attached casting reel. My 60-pound test braid held, but I had more than my hands full trying to combat the awesome peacock.

“Quick…” I screamed to my partner, “Grab a hold and help me keep the rod tip up.”
Quickly my agile friend jumped over the seat and joined in my fight. As he kept the rod tip section pointed up, I slowly gained back line from a fish that was finally tiring some. Slowly, our team effort pulled the fish toward the boat.

The grand fish jumped three times clearing the surface as we kept tension on the line and prayed. The Pet Spoon’s single hook stayed implanted in the fish’s jaw and the line and Cross-Lok snap swivel remained intact. We were both elated when my guide Sebastiao slid the net under the giant. We quickly weighed and photographed the destructive fish. The peacock bass weighed 17 ¼ pounds on my partner’s small scale. …That big fish was my first and most exciting action that day in the Jufari River system in northern Brazil.

Another angler also caught his two biggest peacocks of the week that day. The twins weighed 14 ¼ pounds each and came from two different lagoons. We caught several others up to 12 ½ pounds in the blackwater lakes off the Amazon tributary.
The week in the rainforest was a very successful one for me. I caught two monsters, one 20 and the other 22 pounds, and eight other “teeners” during the week, but none of them shattered my rod. My equipment fared well in the four great lakes that I found that week. My guide and I searched some 25 different waters to find the deeper lakes that held the giants. Friend T.O. McLean actually beat me into one of them on day two.

I had quickly caught a five pound peacock from the mouth of a lagoon when I heard a voice from behind the trees separating the main water body from the “boca”.
“Want to photograph a big fish?” he asked. “ I caught an 18-pounder as I started to troll my Woodchopper.”

Needless to say, we rounded the point of trees and got our photos. The fish measured 32 inches and was released in healthy condition. It was the same lake where two days later I caught a 34-inch long 20-pounder. In fact, I caught and released three other giants in those waters. That lake was adjacent to an even better “secret” lake, as host Rodolfo Fernandez and guide Sebastiao Ferreira Brito called it.

Secrets Revealed
Our secret lake held even more giants and was much smaller. Brito discovered it from the lay of the horizon, and Fernandez, an expert fly fisherman, and I checked it out early in the week. The circular lagoon dropped off quickly into 30 feet of water. The super-deep lake was a caster’s lake, too small to even consider trolling. My Woodchoppers explored every part of the surface over a five-hour period, but my partner started off with his fly rod.

Within an hour after discovering the lagoon, Fernandez caught a giant, 25-inch long butterfly peacock that weighed over 8 pounds and had a 15 inch girth. The fish struck one of Fernandez’ hand-tied creations that he calls the “Ariramba Fly”. My action soon followed. On a Peacock Bass colored Big Game Woodchopper and the silver Pet Spoon that day, I caught 11 over 10 pounds, including two 15 pounders and my 22 pounder (which also measured 34 inches). The latter fish struck at 11:30 a.m. Fernandez caught his biggest fish of the week an hour later after switching to conventional casting equipment and a Woodchopper, and it weighed 15 pounds.
As expected, those two lakes cooled on my second and third attempts to enjoy their bounty. I and my partner could count on one or two giants from the previously “red-hot holes”. My clown pattern Woodchopper cast to deep, open waters paid off handsomely early in the week, but a trolled Number 18 Pet Spoon was responsible for several giants the last half of the week.

Overall, though, I had a very good week on the Rio Jufari, tallying 124 peacocks that included 28 fish over 10 pounds. My best “numbers” day was 32, but my catch each day was double-digit. My second and third full days on the waters were best in terms of giants, or “teeners”, with three each. During the week, I caught two 13-pounders, five 15-pounders, one 17-pounder, two 19-pounders and the two over 20 pounds.

Jungle Atmosphere
There are lots of water birds along the Rio Jufari, including giant storks, kingfishers flying from tree to tree along the meandering waterway, hawks, egrets and multi-colored herons. On this trip I noticed more indigenous ducks puddling around and more terns constantly diving on schools of minnows than I have seen on any other rainforest waters. Several other species of birds including scarlet ibis, macaws, parrots and parakeets were sighted.

We also saw otters and a couple of “jacare” or caiman. Capybara, sloth, and even monkeys are sometimes seen around lakes and lagoons on of the Jufari. In the waters swimming with peacock bass are many species of fish with awesome teeth, freshwater stingrays and dolphin, and many other varieties of colorful forage fish.

In fact, we came across some of the tropical fish netters in one area of the river. They had set out containment or “holding” nets for their stock. Much of the discus, tetras and other colorful exotic freshwater aquarium fish are collected in the tributaries around Barcelos. The Rio Negro town with a population of about 7,000, is called the “tropical aquarium fish capital of the world.”

The tropical fish catchers are native river people, called “caboclos” who pack in supplies at Barcellos and then, with their families, slowly motor the 50 miles or so upstream to the Jufari River area where we were fishing. They travel in creaky, overloaded houseboats once the rainy season is over. They eke out a living from the rivers flowing into the Rio Negro.

From primitive fishing camps, some also hunt turtles with traps scattered around in lagoons. They use low-riding dugout canoes and catch food fish with their handlines. They also dab feathered lures from cane-type poles in brushy areas along the banks as they scull the dugout with their free hand. And, they do quite well catching sport fish.

As waters rise to make navigation again less hazardous and their harvest peaks, they head downstream to their villages and rainy season quarters. When not on the water during the dry season, they can be found scattered along the banks of the Negro living in stilted houses setting on tiny patches of cleared land from the rainforest.

Safari Camp
Our accommodations for the week were River Plate Outfitter’s mobile, floating camps, called “Jungalows”. The comfortable two-person tent barges are on 10 foot by 15 foot platforms, each with toilet, river shower, sink facilities, lights, ventilation fans, table and chair. They have fully screened walls, carpeting, canvas roof and an aluminum entry door. The main screened-in lodge barge has a lounge area and bar situated on the river bank and usually adjoining a white sand beach.

The aluminum-hulled barges draw just a few inches of water, ideal for mobility in shallow waters.

The safari camp accommodates up to 8 anglers per week during the low-water “season” … (and) offers daily maid/laundry service. There is no “roughing it” in this camp.
The camp’s narrow-hulled fishing craft are 18-foot aluminum boats with 40 h.p. outboards, ideal to easily traverse the waterscape of the more remote tributaries. They can access the numerous “furos” or backwater river channels and the “igarapies” or narrow creeks that parallel the main river.

On The Move
River Plate Outfitter’s operation often puts you on smaller tributaries that can be accessed via shallow-draft boats or, in some cases, only by float plane. ... River Plate uses aerial observation to locate prime fishing areas. The remote waters often lie above natural boating barriers such as shallow river mouth sandbars.

Running The River
When I first laid eyes on the Jufari River, it was about two days after my guide had first laid his eyes on it. He had not been on the water before, so, in effect, we were both exploring the massive waterway. Experience definitely comes into play when moving through unknown waters.

There are certain keys to “running a river” successfully without hitting a lot of sand bars. Here are some of the clues which indicate current and a deeper river channel when it all seems like a maze of shallow waters separated by numerous islands and flooded marsh. Knowing what to look for will help keep navigation safe and maximize the fishing time.
riffles over sand bars,
movement of aquatic grass,
high banks,
taller, larger trees,
wakes of small limbs,
sandy, shallow inner bends,
debris in trees from higher waters,
bubbles,
fallen trees,
eroded banks,
sharp slopes,
leaf movement,
oxbow direction with inner-bend bushes and outside deeper banks.

You can order and purchase this book or any other in Larry Larsen’s Peacock Bass series at http://www.peacockbassassociation.com/ .

"A Giant Fish Blew Up on the Big Game Woodchopper"

2006-12-29T13:08:00.000-08:00

Excerpted with author’s permission from:

AMAZON PEACOCK BASS FISHING! BOOK 4 ©1999 by Larry Larsen

Chapter 1 FLOATPLANE JUNGLE BASS ON THE CUIUNI

Two tribes of howler monkeys were roaring at each other over the tree-shaking winds that had just swept into our isolated lagoon. My cast had allowed for the strong wind, but a gust pushed it another 10 feet off the drop at the edge of the sandbar island. I popped the big topwater plug twice, further disturbing any “quiet” of the black water environment that the surface-ripping winds hadn’t already destroyed.
A giant fish “blew up” on the Big Game Woodchopper, launching the plug skyward and 30 feet closer to the boat and leaving behind only a huge boil marking its spontaneous appearance. I quickly reeled in the heavy line and lure and returned the wooden “irritant” to the precise spot of temptation. The big peacock bass exploded again on the plug as it moved over 6 feet of water, and it “hung on” this time.
I too hung on, as it tore up the bar along the drop and then headed shallower toward timber. The fish ran well back under two large, overhanging tree branches, but fortunately, there were no long limbs under the extended surface branches. I put a lot of pressure on the fish to keep it away from the noticeable entanglements near shore. Then my guide, Juan, moved the boat away from the potential obstructions for the remainder of the battle.
Luckily, the fish swam in and out of the top of more limbs on the deepwater side of the drop without snagging my line. I didn’t realize how big it was until it started to pull drag and eventually showed itself. A few minutes later, I brought a weary 20-1/2 pounder up to the gunwale. Juan reached over and grabbed the huge fish. It was photo time. I rushed a few shots and placed the film star back into the tiny black water lagoon, just before the storm arrived.
I barely had time to don my rainsuit as the winds swept driving rain in our face. Juan motioned toward the shoreline cover, and with my nod, headed our aluminum boat into a somewhat-protected canopy of trees. We sat in the driving rain for 20 minutes, which gave me ample time to reflect on the success of the morning.
I had had quite a day on the lagoons off the Cuiuni River (also spelled Cuini or Cuiuini) in north-central Brazil. Of the 12 peacock bass that I had hooked and released, an 11 and 12 pounder were among the small specimens. I also took a 16 pounder, a 16 ½ pounder and one of 18 ½ pounds. A trolled topwater plug fooled the latter fish. I was working it from the moving boat about 80 yards back over only three feet of water in a long, 200-yard wide lagoon. Some may have thought me crazy to be trolling a topwater in crystal clear water over a narrow flat that shallow!

Fry “Balls” & Piranha Bursts
The 16-1/2 pounder smashed my topwater as I popped it through a “ball” of peacock bass fry on the surface. It was like three other big peacocks I had taken earlier in the week from other balls of young. Peacock bass parents will slam anything coming near their fry post-spawn as they are in a full-protection mode. It’s an interesting phenomenon to watch and to take advantage of. Newborn fry of one inch long or so and even older fingerlings up to 6 or 8 inches in length will form a “ball” and move about the surface of the lagoon with one or both parents swimming alongside or just beneath.
There may be 2,000 tiny fry in a 2-foot diameter ball moving on the surface. When winds are light, they can be readily seen. When the surface ripple is substantial, then it is very difficult to see, even by native guides with trained eyes. When danger approaches, the tiny fish will swim inside the mouth of the parent until it is safe to venture back out. If the angler can see the “ball” of fingerlings moving along the surface and toss a lure within 5 or 6 feet of it, the protective peacock parent will explode on the foreign source of anguish. An accurate caster may catch and release three or 4 of these “protective” fish a day during optimal times.
Another interesting phenomena are “piranha bursts”. On several occasions on the Cuiuni, a school of 8 or 10 piranha would burst into the air, leaping above the surface three feet or so, frantically trying to escape a big peacock that is right on their tail. The feeding activity might continue as the school disperses in mid-air a couple of more times until another giant swirl from the predator ends the chase.
At active times, peacocks are just easier to catch. On this trip, I often cast to commotion in one form or another and caught big peacocks. So did several others in our group, and in fact, anglers Ted Schmidt, John Mihalic, Tonia Teke and Debbie Kemp all caught and released 20 pounders.
One interesting, non-twenty pounder blew up on my “trout” colored Big Game Woodchopper knocking it 5 feet up in the air and 15 feet closer to my boat. I yelled at my partner for that day, Ron Teke, of Silverthorne, CO, to “cast quick” to the fish, knowing my lure was probably out of its range. His topwater plug quickly landed near the settling ripples, and the fish immediately exploded on it. By then I had reeled in my loose line and lure and tossed back again to the one triggering spot. The 17-pounder again exploded on my lure, and we were hooked up solid then.
The key to such productivity in the rainforest is usually being very observant about what is going on in the aquatic environment and changing lures and presentations in typically prime areas. If I toss a topwater bait into an obvious fish-holding area several times without a strike or a follow, I’ll switch off and throw a submerged bait such as a large 6-inch minnow bait or a one-ounce Pet spoon. Frequently, I’ll entice a strike that way.
Thoroughly fishing an area is always wise when fish signs are apparent. During daylight hours, larger peacock bass are almost always in the deeper waters of a lagoon or slow-moving waterway. Smaller fish are tighter to the bank in shallower water around or in protective cover. I fish for the bigger ones.

Conquering The Cuiuni Lagoons
That week while fishing the lagoons off the Cuiuni River west of the Rio Negro, with River Plate Outfitters, I personally caught over 60 peacock bass, with 25 of them weighing over 12 pounds each. Perhaps even more impressive to this frequent Amazon visitor is that 18 of those fish were larger than 15 pounds, and three peacock bass exceeded 20 pounds. It was one of my very best trips for peacock ever!
Getting there was not an easy task. It involved an overnight flight to Manaus, Brazil; then our group of 8 anglers boarded a large amphibious plane, took off from a small paved runway and landed on a twisting string of waterway deep in the Amazon Rain Forest. Guides in our fishing craft met us at the floatplane and took us to our floating camp, four large cabanas set up on floating barges tied up to a nearby sandbar. After watching our floatplane sail off over the jungle canopy, we set up our rods and tackle and were fishing the remote waters that afternoon.
The very comfortable, air-conditioned cabanas were towed by a large riverboat about 20 miles upstream almost daily to relocate the “home base” to mostly-unfished waters. All are pulled up on a serene sandbar each evening and staked out to prevent their drifting away. The floating cabins with private showers, toilets and beds are equipped with a 12-volt battery to power lights, fans and shower pumps. A generator powers the battery chargers, the cooking barge and the dining tent barge.
Each afternoon, our group of anglers would sit back in lounge chairs on the sandbar and swap stories about the giant fish taken or lost that day. Lying in the comfortable bed at night, listening to the sounds of nocturnal creatures such as frogs in the jungle and the fish feeding on small minnows along the shoreline beside your cabin barge is an interesting experience. Such sounds lull you to sleep. A generator far off in the forest offered a rhythmic hum.
At least once each night, a riverboat with tropical fish gatherers went chugging by with spotlight waving at the edges of the jungle as it made its way downstream. They were relocating their boat and small fishnets to search locations nearer Barcelos, the renowned “tropical fish capital of the world”.

Post-Rain Maneuvers and Tactics
From our first afternoon on, the week was cast and blast. We would cast a big plug and the peacock would blast it. The fish that week were very active, despite a few intermittent rains. Often I noticed a few fish playing around off the deep drops along sandy beach points and would cast to them for a hookup. For maximum productivity, I typically cast into waters about three feet deep where the bottom disappeared from sight.
Not all of my big fish were landed however. I distinctly remember a 17-pound plus fish and one just over 20 or so that pulled off. Then, there was another monster every bit as large as the 20’s I caught that week that spit out my plug just 10 feet from the boat.
Sun seems to be everything to the peacock bass. It is what incubates the eggs on the bed, initiates the plankton food chain for the fingerlings and then increases the metabolism for the fish so that they can feed and grow. That is why a day without sunshine in the rainforest is often a poor fishing day. Peacocks sleep all night in the shallows away from large nocturnal predators that roam the deep. The sun wakes them up each morning, and if dark overcast skies meet the break of day, the peacock are slow to get started. They need the sun to fully get going, much as some humans need a shot of caffeine to become wide awake and/or be able to function intelligently.
We know that peacocks are not active at night, and, in my experience, they are usually less active under heavy cloud cover or during heavy rains, even later on in the afternoon. In hard rains, even the aggressive, “territorial” type strikes are hard to come by. One reason might be that the peacock may not hear a large topwater plug ripping through the surface waters. Small fish are usually more aggressive than big ones in a heavy rainstorm. An exception may be a brief, “refreshing” type shower that occurs during a hot afternoon and has minimal impact on the feeding activity of all sizes of peacock.
During that week on the Cuiuni, I believe that the fish were holding at the edges of the sandbars after rains and on overcast days. When the air temperatures were “cool”, the fishing was correspondingly slow. After a rain, the fish appeared to want to move into the shallows to take advantage of the sun’s heat in order to get their metabolism going again. As a result, they were positioned near the edges of the breaks off sandbars and points and in a fairly aggressive posture there. We were fishing at the beginning of the rainy season and the sky moisture came down on us almost every day on the Cuiuni.

Striking Reasons In Shallow Waters
There are several types of striking action that an angler may come across on the Cuiuni and in fact, on most peacock bass waters. The reflex action of a territorial strike is one where the fish just wants to destroy something in its “space” which may be a 50-yard square area in a small, deepwater lagoon. The territory also may be a “mobile” space that is everything within 40 or 50 feet of the fish, as it is moving about.
The peacock will also strike out of hunger in the interest of feeding or out of opportunity. When the latter arises, they will take advantage of a wayward baitfish or an artificial lure resembling one. This is a foraging behavior. Finally, a third type of striking reason is due to their protective post-spawn nature discussed earlier.
Submerged lures are often better for feeding-type strikes or for enticing a less than super aggressive fish, while topwater plugs may generate any of the aforementioned types of strikes. Both work on “balls of fry” if you can get the lure on the front edge of the fry or within a few feet of it. If the cast lands 10 feet away, it generally won’t produce, and even if it lands on the fry ball, it may or may not be struck.
Hooks on all lures need to be extremely sharp and if they are too heavy, they do not hold a point well. It is best to replace a dull, heavy hook with one that is very sharp. In fact, I’ve found that many lures you may buy at the tackle store will not have sufficient hooks to hold the largest peacocks you may catch. A few may have hooks that are too heavy to keep sharp. Carrying extra replacement hooks in your tackle box is a good idea.
The 18 ½-foot long aluminum flat bottom boats with wide casting decks are comfortable to fish from, and handle the small waters well. The 15-hp outboards and trolling motors employed offer adequate power to get around the numerous lagoons and false river channels that lace the Cuiuni. In five full days of fishing, we fished 25 lagoons and passed up another 25 that were too shallow, too small or were being fished by our fishing companions.
About 40 percent of the lagoons were too shallow, and even in the deep lagoons, about 25 percent were too shallow to hold big fish. The water was about three feet below the base of the trees in most cases, but there are many fallen trees and submerged laydowns, particularly in the deepwater lakes off the Cuiuni. The many oxbows are basically lagoons at low water with no flow trough and during the high water, rainy season, they become parts of the river with current flow.
When waters are low and relatively clear at the end of the dry season, rain will increase the water level and bring in more murky waters. Both are not favorable for catching peacock bass. When the forest floods as water levels increase substantially, the fishing is over. Most fish then move back into the jungle to feed, and the angler just can’t reach them.

The Mark of A Great Guide
Great guides in the rainforest usually make for a great trip. River Plate’s Cuiuni River guides, like all great ones, notice subtle signs of feeding activity and “balls” of fry swimming along on the surface. They also make suggestions to the angler about casting to points, sandbars and cuts and when to repeat casts to such obvious fish-holding spots. They are wise to the tactic of casting several times to a big fish that has given its location away or to a second big fish “partner” of one that was just caught and released. Both concepts are the smart thing to do when after big peacock bass.
The excellent guides also watch any hooked fish and move the boat away from battle dangers such as large laydowns, brush piles, rocks, etc. They are very observant about potential problem obstructions and try to alleviate any interaction with such on casts or from hooked fish by handling the boat appropriately. They will raise the trolling motor when a lively peacock is near the boat and is seemingly “hot”. They are very aware of what the fish is doing during the battle and always ready with the net or Boga Grip when the peacock is off the gunwale.
The guides are observant about a knot or abrasion in your line, a bent hook or other lure problem and will even “tune” your topwater plug if it is not running right due to a slightly bent propeller. They’ll add a little more cup to the blade with a pair of pliers to make the right (most productive) sound. They are very adept at suggesting lures and lure changes. Like many anglers, I carry four rods with different lures on each at all times while in the boat. That sometimes requires a lot of guide attention.
My Rio Cuiuni guide, Juan, who has worked with visiting peacock bass anglers for over six years, was very ”in tune” with my thought process about which lure to toss at a specific piece of cover and when to change to another for a different spot or for another shot at the same spot. He seemed to also know why big fish were in the places we found them and what might be the best lure to entice a strike from them, or at least, ... his thought process was identical to mine. He was knowledgeable, about fishing and fishing lingo, which is refreshing and different from most of the guides I fish with in the jungle.

Prime Timing, Options and Information
There was plenty of wildlife to enjoy during our fishing days on the Cuiuni River such as monkeys in the trees, a capybara along one beach, a few iguana and two snakes. Overhead, green parrots raced everywhere; toucans, pato ducks and macaws, 9 in one large group, colored the skies. A few dolphins mostly in the river channels and a 9-foot caiman were waterscape enhancements.
The prime fishing season on the Rio Cuiuni is January through March, but the water level can play havoc with the fishing and access to it. During high water, peacocks swim far back into the forest, while extremely low water levels prevent even the small boats from covering a lot of water from its cabin barge camp base. An 8-day itinerary will put you on fishing water 5 ½ days. If the waters of the Cuiuni are not conducive to great fishing, the River Plate Outfitters operation simply moves to better waters. Agent Rod & Gun Resources offers three of the fly-in cabin barge operations on various rivers throughout the Amazon and they are generally booked from mid-August through March, according to owner and avid peacock bass angler J. W. Smith.
Last year’s big fish on a Rod & Gun trip was a 26 ½ pound peacock caught on the Rio Urubaxi, which is another Rio Negro tributary that lies just north of the Cuiuni. Other rivers that Rod & Gun/River Plate Outfitters fish are the Araca, the Macucau, the Jufari, the Jatapu, the Caures, the Unini, the Jau, the Amapa, the Marmelos and the Madeirinha. That’s quite a list, but with three operations going at the same time, they need several options to offer the very best fishing under existing water conditions.
To find out more about the Amazon Peacock Bass Safari, contact J. W. Smith of Rod & Gun Resources, 206 Ranch House Rd., Kerrville, TX 78028; Phone (800) 211-4753; Fax (830) 792-6807; email: venture@rodgunresources.com or visit their website at http://www.peacock-bassfishing.com/.

You can order and purchase this book or any other in Larry Larsen’s Peacock Bass series at www.peacockbassassociation.com.

"Our Guide Was Priceless"

2006-12-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

I received your welcome note and request to let you know how the peacock bass fishing trip was--good idea. My husband and I have not stopped talking about the trip since we returned home.

This adventure not only met our expectations, but exceeded them. We were fortunate to hit a really good week on the river. The camp was expertly run by Barbara. The accommodations were very comfortable, the food excellent, and the service wonderful. All in all I would rate the camp 5 STARS.

Our guide Edivandro (Sapo) was priceless. He knew the river very well and knew where the big peacock bass were. Tell J.W. that he was right--Sapo wanted us to use the bigger plugs only. Well, that is what we did, and even though we did not catch the most fish in camp, it definitely got us the most BIG fish.

Still, we caught good numbers of peacocks. Butch and I caught 292 fish total for the week. 31 were 12 pounds or over. We caught SIX 20 pounders! We had one 21 pounder and one 22 pounder and one at 24 pounds! Yes, that is correct. Between the two of us we caught NINE fish of 20 pounds or more... With numbers like this, you can imagine our excitement. And the pure viciousness and aggressiveness of the peacock bass is indescribable.

I would most definitely recommend this trip to anyone who loves to fish.

Sincerely,

Joanne Elliott

The Most Amazing Week of My Life!

2006-12-01T10:22:00.000-08:00

I just got back from what was probably the most amazing week of my life. My 13 year old son and I spent the week of Thanksgiving fishing for peacock bass on the Unini River in the Amazon. We booked the trip through the good folks at Rod & Gun Resources and everything went off without a hitch.

We flew out of Miami for a late night arrival in Manaus, Brazil. Customs was smooth and we were greeted by a friendly driver who assembled our group for a short ride to a beautiful hotel (probably the nicest in Manaus). After a wonderful breakfast buffet, we were off to the airport and the float plane to the camp. The flight was great and the river landing was a real thrill, and a great deal smoother than any airport landing I’ve ever had.

Once at the camp, our luggage was quickly set up in our floating cabins. We had a quick snack, changed clothes and we were on the river fishing. It was that quick!

And that is where my preconceived notions of the Amazon came to an end. When you talk about the Amazon, everyone gets images of instant danger around every bend. Bugs, snakes, piranha and more are all out to get you and you are at the bottom of the food chain.

Once you get there and start to relax and appreciate the environment, you see that’s just not the case. We were camped on the most beautiful sand beaches you’ve ever walked on. Perfect white sand that you’d expect in Tahiti. It was so clean, it squeaked when you walked on it. The weather was very pleasant, the bugs were minimal and it was all in all, very comfortable and relaxing. One would think there are hoards of mosquitos but we probably only saw one or two the entire week. When we were fishing, we would get a couple of what I nicknamed “Wazzat Flies”. These were big, loud bee’s of some sort that would just hang around, looking at us as if to say “Wassat?” They never once landed on anyone or bit anyone. They were just curious. I even saw two collide in midair as they were trying to figure me out. They were more amusing than irritating.

And the fishing.

It’s like nothing on earth. I do believe we’re both spoiled for life. We live on a lake in Texas and we’ve fished for years as well as chasing reds on the coast, but nothing compares to this. Our guide would take us down the glassy waters and turn off the main river onto a tributary. He didn’t talk much, so we’d turn around and look at where he’d point. He’d been on these rivers for over 6 years and knew every bend and lagoon. His knowledge was truly amazing. He had a GPS built into his head and never got lost.

We fished a variety of lures from big woodchoppers to small sub surface baits. The small baits brought in higher numbers and varieties of fish, but the big woodchoppers were the real excitement. You would be in a pristine, prehistoric lagoon (I kept thinking “Gilligans Island”), ripping that loud woodchopper across the surface of the perfect glass water and suddenly the water would explode. I likened it to a big man doing a cannonball from the trees. The big peacock would explode on the topwater and leap into the air. Sometimes they’d hit so hard, the rod would get ripped from your hands (and the guide would actually JUMP IN to get it!)

There is nothing like it. Once you figure out what kinds of structure they like, you were certain to hook up MANY times a day. We found our best fishing at the mouth of inlets where there was a lot of foliage growing out of the point (we nicknamed it Peacock Weeds). The fish hang around waiting for dinner to swim by. We also haunted the backs of lagoons, along banks and in submerged woods. Even in low water, there are stands of exotic trees growing through four or five feet of water. You might be casting on one side of a lagoon and hear a huge splash in the trees as a big peacock chased its prey around the tree trunks.

Many times, our guide would suddenly turn towards a small opening in the jungle. Some of these creeks were no wider than the boat and we’d machete our way into the bush, power over logs and squeeze between trees. Suddenly, you’d emerge from the darkened jungle undergrowth into a beautiful and timeless lagoon. There was never any sign of human habitation, so it’s not hard to imagine you’re the first person to ever enter the place. Some lagoons were an acre or two, some where huge and connected to many more through small waterways. We explored dozens of these over the week, each time pulling up impressive numbers of fish.

And even if you decided to just relax and watch the surroundings, you’d never know what was around each bend. We saw monkeys in trees, bizarre birds, hundreds of macaws and parrots, caiman, a huge variety of strange fish and even a jaguar playfully splashing around on a river bank. A five-pound toad hopped through our camp one night, brightly colored butterflies were everywhere. There was always something to see and capture your imagination. Even the numbers of plants that could be growing in a single tree, some of which would have long, hanging roots dropping 100 feet into the water, kept you looking all around and constantly surprised.

The “Garden of Eden” images are true, but it was really quite benign and relaxing. My son quickly turned into a Huck Finn of the Amazon… barefooted, relaxed and happy with everything that came our way.

Of course, it was all made so comfortable with the amazing system put into place by Rod and Gun Resources and the folks at River Plate Anglers. The floating cabins are quite comfortable. Good beds, private bathroom and shower and even AC (even we never used it). Every morning we’d wake up to a full breakfast buffet with exotic local juices, hot Brazilian coffee all served in a separate floating “dining room”. After breakfast, we’d back up whatever we wanted for lunch and get on the boat.

After a full day of fishing, we’d head back to camp around 5:00 and there would be a table set up on the beach with drinks and a different snack each day. We’d all talk about our fishing and at 7:00, dinner was served. And it was a great dinner. Every night was a different buffet of courses and every day was fresh fish, caught an hour earlier. There was a full open bar, soft drinks, ice cold beer and bottles of wine.

After dinner, we’d usually retire back out onto the beach to a canopy of bright stars. There was never a late night though. After such a full day of fishing and a big dinner, it seems everyone was ready for bed by 9:00.

I never thought Maxx and I would be fishing the whole time. I thought, who could fish 8 or 9 hours a day for a full week without a break… But I was wrong. He was rousting me out of bed by 6:30 every morning to get breakfast out of the way and get on the boat. We never took a day off, the fishing was just too amazing to miss, even for a minute.

We even had lunch on the boat, usually tucked under the jungle canopy, then right back on the rods.

All in all, it was the trip of a lifetime. I’ve been to some of the great cities of the world but nothing compares to the Amazon. Especially when you can see it from such a comfortable and brilliantly thought out standpoint.

We’re already planning on going back again for NEXT Thanksgiving. I told Maxx we should do this every year till I’m too old to even walk. He agreed.

Chris Greta

Everything Was Better Than I Had Imagined!

2006-11-15T07:18:00.000-08:00

We just got back from our peacock bass fishing trip on the Uinini on Saturday and I wanted to tell you immediately what a great trip we had. We fished in Jim "Tino" Nichols' camp and our guide was Sapo. Everything was better than I could have imagined. The fishing was incredible.

My son Kevin and I had hopes of catching a 20 lb. fish....fifteen minutes into the trip, Kevin caught a 20 1/2 pounder! I had six over 20 lbs., including a 21 and a 22 pounder! Kevin also had a 19, an 18 and several others over 12 lbs. I had two 17s and seven more peacocks over 12 lbs. We used big topwaters exclusively. Please convey my info to J.W. Smith. It's too bad our buddy Joe Doggett (Houston Chronicle outdoor writer) didn't make the trip.

Keven went out caiman hunting with two of the guides and was able to catch one--much to his and everyone's surprise.

The camp staff could not havae been any better and Kevin and I hope to return as soon as we can. Thanks again.

Gerald and Kevin Andrews

Record-Setting Week in Brazil

2006-10-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

Our Brazil Amazon peacock bass fishing program has been spectacular so far this season (we began in August). Our groups of six to eight anglers have averaged well over 1000 fish per group per week. The Kincaid party from Tennessee, fishing the last week in September 2006, caught an all-time-record 2,980 peacock bass, with many double digit fish up to 21 pounds.

The late fall and winter fisheries on the Rio Negro river system are shaping up to be fantastic--easily the best in many years. Water levels are perfect and favorable for catching lots of big peacock bass.

This could be the best year in the last 20 years of peacock bass fishing in the Amazon Basin.

J.W. Smith

"His eyes were like radar"

2006-06-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

I have been a professional guide and running guide services/fish camps for the past 21 years, so that qualifies me better than anyone to judge my peers.

On my recent Amazon Peacock Bass fishing trip, my guide, Benny, on the Jufari River, is head and shoulders above any guide/fisherman I have ever met. He was not only proficient in bait casting, but fly fishing and spin casting. Benny could do anything. He could get out impossible backlashes, especially for my partner, mend reels, fix and tune woodchoppers to his specs, and his eyesight was incredible. I would give all I own for his eyesight. His eyes were like radar, they never stopped moving. He would look and point and say, “Big fish,” and troll over as fast as he could. Then he would direct our casts. Usually it produced a big peacock bass, sometimes more than one. I did not see a thing. Not a ripple on the water, swirl, or anything.

Not to take away from the other guides because by talking and comparing notes with fellow fishermen, they all were equally proficient. The main thing was the professionalism of the camp. The camp manager, Alexandro, was invaluable. The entire camp staff was highly proficient, gracious, and it wasn’t faked. I firmly believe they enjoyed what they were doing. The meals were exquisitely prepared and I should have married Ruth, our cook, and brought her back with me. Bottom line—I have never felt so pampered in my life. The tour Alex took us of the native village was very impressive. I felt like I was on the Discovery Channel. I think we made a hit with the kids when we passed out the hard candy. The entire trip was an experience that awed me to the core and exceeded my wildest expectation.

- Ron Smith

"This was a fantastic trip."

2006-06-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

January 16, 2004

J. W. Smith and Melissa Roberts did an excellent job of getting us to and from Manaus. They provided us with all the information and assistance we need to obtain passports, visas, tackle and personal items we needed and all the appropriate contacts names and numbers for the USA and Brazil. Melissa really had a difficult job considering our return flight to Miami was canceled and rescheduled for the next day by LAB. She rebooked our flight to the USA, all domestic flights, hotels in Miami, negotiated refunds from LAB and called our wives to inform them we were delayed.

River Plate Anglers has the best operation I have ever booked with. I have fished ad hunted the USA, Canada, Alaska and Brazil and this is the best. Their handler in Brazil, Brahma and his wife Meg, took care of all transportation and accommodations in Manaus.

The ground transportation in Manaus was excellent. Brahma met us upon arrival in Manaus from the USA and upon arrival in Manaus from the Jufari River. He handled our transportation completely. I was very pleased with the 208 Caravan float plane that flew us to the Jufari River. The pilots seemed to be very competent. The fishing boats were 20 foot aluminum skiffs with 25HP outboard motors and electric trolling motors – perfect for the job.

The camp consisted of eight floating barges with one vinyl coated canvas cabin on each barge. The cabins were docked on beautiful white sandbars.

The camp staff was outstanding. Each day, when we arrived from fishing, we were met by the camp steward with drinks and snacks. Entering the cabin, the first thing you noticed was that it was freshly cleaned and your laundry was folded neatly on the bed.

The food was all outstanding.

Six fishermen fished seven days, caught 500 peacocks with 30 weighing from 10- to 20-pounds. My partner and I caught 11 from 10 pounds to 19 pounds and could have caught 100 smaller fish per day but we targeted the larger fish. Everyone caught a wide variety of species of fish.

While we were fishing each day the camp was moved up river to new fishing areas. This practice exposed us to new fishing and great scenery. We also got to fish two more, smaller rivers.

This was a fantastic trip. The camp and staff were outstanding. I would book and fish with operation again in a heart beat.

- Gene Locke