PEACOCK BASS

[PoorManFishing]

Hello yall. I am in need of some spots for peacock bass. I know people say fish the canals and pounds and what not. i just need some direction, like do i go south of ft laudy how far west. PLease guys i am born and raised central floridian and have yet to catch a peacock. So if yall will help a fellow fisherman out.

Thanks

[krash]

The further South and West you goes the better, there really is no sure thing. Some days they are there and some days they are not.

South of Sawgrass and West of the Turnpike is a starting point. Public spots are not so easy to come by, but do a little search on the MyFWC site for Peacock bass and you can find a pretty good pdf brochure that tells the Peacock Bass in South Florida story, also can find a simple map of the Cxx canals, thne check Google Earth for closer looks at spots to try.

I lived here all my life and used to fish the crap out of the canal systems, along with a few private or ninja spots... many days I'd catch them at every stopn and many days I'd stop several times before seeing one or getting one to bite.

Use erratic suspending stick like baits, MPO is the Rapala x-rap in Black over Gold, Silver, or Green. Smaller noisy top watres like Chug bug or Tiny Torpedo also work well. Now days most of the time I'll spend around the C11 canal and its tributaries.

[chris21]

I fish for peacock about 3-4 times a week and have caught thousands in my lifetime places like pembroke pines, southwest ranches, miramar and weston are the hottest spots in broward for peacock, google maps is your best friend, use it to look for spots, I have found many spots like this, don't be afraid of no fishing signs those are usually the best spots lol, good luck bro let us know how you do

[Username28]

don't be afraid of no fishing signs those are usually the best spots lol

Just remember, trespassing is a fine...if the people call the police. You have to be willing to take that risk.

So the question is are you or

[PoorManFishing]

Thanks guys i really appreciate it. I am gunghoe on catching these now thriving fish. And will def be posting photos hopefully by the middle of next week. OH and can you keep and eat them? I usually do catch and release freshwater and salt for certain species. I just wonder what they taste like.

[migs24]

The lakes and canals are pretty filthy regardless of how clear they might look. You'd be much better off letting them go. You never know what raccoon or human carcass might be rotting up current. Enjoy the fight and let em go for another day

[chris21]

The lakes and canals are pretty filthy regardless of how clear they might look. You'd be much better off letting them go. You never know what raccoon or human carcass might be rotting up current. Enjoy the fight and let em go for another day

I am 100% catch and release for all freshwater fish especially peacock, please release them after you catch them!

[HJared]

I recently started looking for peacocks. Friends told me Markham park has them in the west canal which runs along 27. You walk down the path on the other side of the dog park. Went 3 days in a row with no luck. Tried tiny torpedos at different retrieval speeds, rat l traps, super flukes, poppers. I read that all these work for peacocks. I saw two peas by the edge and there were fish jumping everywhere but no bites. I ended up catching a couple gar, happy not to get skunked.

I also heard there were people catching them in CB smith park. I caught a baby on a watermelon green super fluke after two hours of walking around the lake, pitching it a few times, and moving on. Caught a couple LM along the way, but it was pretty dead. I might go back and try some different lures.

The web said Tradewinds park and Lake Ida is stacked but if im going there i might as well go to miami. If anyone has suggestions for where else I should go closer by me id appreciate it. I live in Davie on Hiatus between 595 and griffen.

[krash]

I recently started looking for peacocks. Friends told me Markham park has them in the west canal which runs along 27.

You mean the canal parallel to the dyke that borders the bombing range, airboat area.
There are Peacock in that canal but you can olny reach a very small part of that canal and really need a boat.

You are going to far and parks are not the best places to go.

Hit the local canals, all of them, my number 1 choice of search bait for Peacock Bass is the Rapala X-Rap in Gold/Black, used to be the Husky Jerk and I still use it a lot but the X-Rap gets down a little deeper when you are not seeing fish.

I'd walk the C11, along Orange Drive, between Nob Hilll & I75 and do pretty well. Make sure you hit all the connecting canals, culverts, drain pipes, bridges, and sprinkler intake pipes.. plastic floating geese are also prime targets for that tiny torpedo too.

[linh]

I fished Markham a couple of times but only caught a few peacocks. I did get completely spooled with 10lb mono on a mystery fish.

You should head south on weston road and start trying the ponds around there. Work your way west off saddle club or Indian trace.

[HJared]

Thanks for the replys. What color/size xraps u guys prefer? Do large mouths crush them to?

[krash]

I think I said gold/black is my favorite, but if not and you cannot finsd any of my old post Rapala Gold/Black is my favorite for Peacock, Silver/Black is the next choice but it catches more LM and Ciclids than the Gold.

[HJared]

do u use the 8 or the 10? I have a lake in back of my house LM cichlids sunfish and catfish, it probably is fed by one of the big canals, or stocked at one point. The fish never seem to take hard bait maybe im fishing em wrong but i try different speeds and stop go yoyo action. its weird. I catch on live worms and soft plastics. got a couple Size 8 xraps today and was playing around for a couple hours. No bites, maybe the fish were just not active today or these fish are to smart from seeing lures for years. but im gona wander west on C11 from hiatus tomorrow.

[krash]

8, but be aware the hooks do bend and break, thats just the cost of catchin um

soft plastics, dark colors purple, watermelon, or rootbeer, are my go to bait's for LM

If your lake is connected to a big canal it probably has Peacocks too.. they come and go in the canal behind my house and also when I fish the C11, sometimes you see them and sometimes you don't

[DigiCowboy]

8, but be aware the hooks do bend and break, thats just the cost of catchin um

They usually hold up fine for LMBs, but the snook and bigger peas put a hurt on them.
I am ready to make up a few 'special' ones with some upgraded hooks. It really sucks to lose a nice fish because the hook snaps

[HJared]

How long do u sit in one spot with ni hits before moving

[krash]

I seldom stop moving unless there is a reason to like some type of sighting, hit from previous cast, structure like shopping cart, rocks, pipe, culvert, tree hanging in the water...

There are points I hit and fan cast the area before moving on

[CaptainClutch]

The areas mentioned above are good spots. If u bring some livies down there then ur set. Xraps are good but nothin beats livies