This giant 18-pound peacock bass is an angler's dream.
The rivers and lakes of South America are filled with true monsters. There are few places where anglers can target so many different species of exotic fish in freshwater. While many people take fishing trips there to target a variety of game fish, most people want to go peacock bass fishing.
Despite the name, these large predators are cichlids, and are not related to North America's largemouth bass in any way. The great thing is, there are many fishing techniques that can be utilized when angling for this exotic species.
When hooked, the peacock bass offers an incredible fight that will rival any similar-sized freshwater fish species on Earth. In today's video, Ty PigPatrol hooks into an 18-pounder on a crankbait while fishing a river in Colombia.
What a fish, and what a catch! No wonder the peacock bass has become such a popular sport fish. There are a few different species of peacock bass including the butterfly peacock bass, speckled peacock bass, royal peacock bass, and Orinoco peacock bass to name a few. The speckled variety is the largest of the bunch, which is what the fish in this video appears to be. The current all-tackle world record, as recognized by the IGFA comes in at a whopping 29 pounds, 1 ounce.
Most anglers utilize jerkbaits, crankbaits, and topwater lures to catch peacocks. However, they can be caught on nearly everything. Plastic worms and live baits like minnows or shiners have proven effective for Florida peacock bass populations. The fish is not native there, having only been in the Sunshine State for around 40 years or so, mostly around the Miami, Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale areas in south Florida. Normally, the fish is native to rivers in the Orinoco and Amazon River basins. The fish are found throughout Brazil, Venezuela, and Peru.
While most fishing guides will put you on these beasts using traditional tackle, they are popular for fly fishing too. Anglers usually utilize large streamers and poppers usually reserved for larger species when targeting them. One thing is for sure, after watching this amazing catch, this is a species we are adding to our bucket list of fish to target at some point in the future!
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