Peacock Bass

Once the Peacock bass was introduced by the Florida Fish & Wildlife, it started to expand well beyond the original intentions. Now the peacock bass are being spotted in Palm Beach and as far west as Southwest Florida. Since this freshwater game fish was first introduced into the Southeast Miami canal systems by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission in the 1980’s to help control the populations of non-native species such as the Oscar, anglers are eager to find out if the rumors about these fish being hard fighting and caught in these parts of the state, which are all confirmed.

Indeed, it has. The butterfly peacock bass earned a prominent place on my “fishing bucket list,” not to be scratched off until the time (and place) was right. Although after researching and catching a few of these hard-fighting fish, I learned some interesting facts about this particular species.

What To Know About Peacock Bass

Peacock bass are members of the cichlid family that are native to the Amazon River Basin of South America.
Peacocks are very sensitive to low water temperatures and cannot survive in water temperatures that dip below about 65 degrees. Low water temperatures will cause peacock bass to stop feeding and turn darker in color because of slowed blood flow. This is the perfect species to pursue during South Florida’s hot and humid summer months.
These fish prefer to hang out near seawalls, shorelines, and in the weeds along canal edges where they can easily ambush their prey.

This species can be targeted with both live bait and artificial lures. If using artificial lures, try a gold Rapala F7 floating minnow or a topwater torpedo. If using live bait, peacocks prefer shiners (try a 2/0 or 3/0 circle hook depending on the size of the bait).

Peacock bass are a fairly sturdy fish, so catch-and-release survival rates are quite high if the fish are handled correctly. They have sandpaper-like mouths similar to those of a largemouth bass, so they can be handled by the lower jaw, using the same thumb-and-finger grip.

Maybe a few of you are thinking, “big deal, it’s a cichlid!” Hey, that’s just fine, go ahead and turn your nose up at the peacock bass. These feisty fighters love to take long, strong runs and are a total blast to fight. Florida peacocks have become one of my favorite freshwater targets.