Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

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Rare
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by Rare »

Have you ever tried using small peacock bass?
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Rare
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by Rare »

:thumright: Good answer!! :thumright:
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Kingofthesea
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by Kingofthesea »

Great answer. You're like the Freshwater Wikipedia. :auto: :auto: :auto: But I bet those little ones Rare uses are killer :scold:
Those old queen slave owners that wrote our Constitution 200 years ago were brilliant.

"Every four years Americans get the President they deserve".

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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by Rare »

Kingofthesea wrote: But I bet those little ones Rare uses are killer :scold:
The last time I fished for peacocks was when I was 12yrs old. For me to fish for them now, I have to be dead bored out of my mind or about to go postal. :mrgreen:
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krash
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by krash »

Live bait not needed.. simply use an X-Rap, cast, twitch, twitch bam they can't resist
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by Doubles »

Hmmmm....
I grew up on a freshwater lake loaded with peas.

My go to bait for peacocks would be a 3- 5" tilapia freelined to them.

I sight-fish so I cast accordingly.

Ive had good hits with the x-rap and doa swim baits.

My "secret" bait would be a marabou of some type (i know its no live bait)...in a color that "matches the hatch" ...i'll leave you to figure out the weight and presentation. Its more fun that way.

Once they get interested you can have some topwater fun.
I will at times let it drop and once i feel it hit bottom slowly work it up. Ive seen some awesome strikes this way.

Largemouth like the marabou also, but worked along the bottom.


Good luck.

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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by swordfish »

A well presented fly in a hatch matching color will do amazing too! I LOVE seeing them destroy a fly!

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mackadaysmoker
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by mackadaysmoker »

ive been catching them on a banjo minnow in south miami

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shos260288
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by shos260288 »

Golden Shinners work well also sometimes called roach fish, but the small tilapia are killer bait for them as well. About 20,000 butterfly peacock fingerlings were stocked into major canal systems of southeast Florida between 1984 and 1987 by the FWC. These fish were introduced to increase predation on illegally introduced and abundant exotic forage fishes, especially the African spotted tilapia. Most of the fish were introduced in the lakes around MIA and they slowly moved north. I remember a very cold winter we had in the late 90's that killed many of the Peas for they will die if the water temp reaches 60 or below. They have made a nice come back in recent years. The bigger fish are usually caught between February to May, and unlike the Largemouth Bass will feed during the hottest part of the day. They also will give you a fight 2X that of a Large Mouth.
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by mackadaysmoker »

I bought them from bps about 3 years ago though.

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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by shos260288 »

I haven't fished for Peas in awhile been focusing on the salt as of late, but they sure are lots of fun. I used to have a lake in Cooper City that I lived on, and it was loaded with good size Peas, but when I moved to Weston stop fishing them, for the lakes out there don't seem to hold as many of them.
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by Kingofthesea »

Yeah. Shos is one of those sneaky members. He knows all of this great info but he doles it out slowly. I think he's a 'closet' freshwater lover.
Those old queen slave owners that wrote our Constitution 200 years ago were brilliant.

"Every four years Americans get the President they deserve".

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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by shos260288 »

I guess you can say I'm a switch hitter lol. Fresh or Salt, I just love the game :reeling:
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Kingofthesea
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by Kingofthesea »

You know what they call guys that love it both ways right?
Those old queen slave owners that wrote our Constitution 200 years ago were brilliant.

"Every four years Americans get the President they deserve".

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shos260288
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

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Multi talented? LMAO
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Kingofthesea
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by Kingofthesea »

That's the word I was looking for :lol:
Those old queen slave owners that wrote our Constitution 200 years ago were brilliant.

"Every four years Americans get the President they deserve".

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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by Sirsnookalot »

I did quite a bit peacock fishing over the summer, did well. It's a little different in Delray/Boynton, seems to be less competition and the peas are not as aggressive as I've caught around Miami. It's a lot of sight casting, both crappie jigs and inline spinners are excellent, I tie my own marabou jigs preferring a better hook. They're a lot of fun but I have to disrespectfully disagree that they fight as well as jack, fishing primarily salt I am biased.

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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by mrogge »

IMO the peacocks are just starting to rebound here in Broward. Another 2 seasons and the fishing will be great. But I am STRESSED OUT because this latest generation seems smarter or something. All the usual baits I would fish DONT WORK anymore. Not talking about bedding fish. Or live bait. I want to know what baits and colors you all find to work RIGHT NOW!! My old baits were deadly for peacock. Theyre now just ignoring them!! PM me if you dont want to post publically. Need the info for my 11yr old who fishes tournaments. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by gruntking »

miguel456 wrote:It is illegal to use baby peacock bass as bait.I would also suggest using baby spotted tilapia and jewel cichlids as bait.

im not real big on the fresh side of things but umm isnt it illegal to transport live cichlids or tilapia ?
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by Kingofthesea »

Hmmmmmm....interesting legal question coming from the kid that raided the cobia farm :auto:
Those old queen slave owners that wrote our Constitution 200 years ago were brilliant.

"Every four years Americans get the President they deserve".

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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by Rare »

Kingofthesea wrote:Hmmmmmm....interesting legal question coming from the kid that raided the cobia farm :auto:
Hmmmmmmm.....what were you doing with them yellowtail when we went to DT? :biglaugh:
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krash
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by krash »

X-rap & Pins Minnow still work great for me in Broward, and Dade, county.. if ya can't find gold/black silver/black work just about as well bu catch more ciclids and LM bass.
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

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I was delirious from the sun and can't be held responsible for my actions.
Those old queen slave owners that wrote our Constitution 200 years ago were brilliant.

"Every four years Americans get the President they deserve".

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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by mrogge »

Any x-rap color and size recommendations? THANKS!!

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Rare
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by Rare »

Kingofthesea wrote:I was delirious from the sun and can't be held responsible for my actions.

Lmfao!!! Yes, yes....that supports the night crawling on the gunnel :jester:
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by gruntking »

Kingofthesea wrote:Hmmmmmm....interesting legal question coming from the kid that raided the cobia farm :auto:

hey we all do dumb things when we are young
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by fiveeight »

gruntking wrote:
Kingofthesea wrote:Hmmmmmm....interesting legal question coming from the kid that raided the cobia farm :auto:

hey we all do dumb things when we are young
And some continue to do dumb things.....

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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by krash »

mrogge wrote:Any x-rap color and size recommendations? THANKS!!
8 gold/black
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Kingofthesea
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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by Kingofthesea »

gruntking wrote:
Kingofthesea wrote:Hmmmmmm....interesting legal question coming from the kid that raided the cobia farm :auto:

hey we all do dumb things when we are young
Joey my friend, one of life's greatest amazements to me is that I've never served hard time so I would never throw stones at dumb. But to our credit we both have the stones to admit to our less than brilliant moments and understand they are just pieces in a larger mosaic. I thought the pic of the 'great cobia caper' was priceless. Is it still there? lol
Those old queen slave owners that wrote our Constitution 200 years ago were brilliant.

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Re: Best Live Bait for Butterfly Peacock Bass

Post by SaltyDog »

I smell a troll goldfish work good too lol

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