Peacock Bass Fishing in Florida

Breaking News!!! Peacock Bass attack family in Palm Beach

I have been hearing news about Peacock Bass being caught in Palm Beach County for a while now. It’s kind of like Big Foot. I’ll never believe that s##t till I see it. Well, that goes the same for fishing stories… as a matter of fact, I’ll believe a big foot sighting over a fishing story without a picture any day. I have seen some weird stuff out there in the Florida Everglades at night, I get it. But don’t tell me some crazy story about catching Peacock Bass in Palm Beach County. Anyone who knows anything about Peacock Bass can tell you that they are only in two Counties in all of North America and neither of them are Palm Beach.

After much delay on my part I finally cracked the code to get back into my web mail for this very blog. Sitting in my in box was an email that had been waiting weeks to put a huge smile on my face. What I found was a letter from “Felix” who simply layed out in a matter of fact form a half dozen locations in Palm Beach where he claims to be slaying Peacock Bass on a regular basis. Yeah sure… that’s normal, no big deal I have heard that before. Show Me!!!

Oh wait… there are a half dozen attachments here…

Peacock Bass Caught in Palm Beach Florida

Peacock Bass Caught in Palm Beach Florida

Peacock Bass Caught in Palm Beach Florida

OK, I am a believer. This is really good to see. Not only are peacock bass there in Palm Beach but all three are nice & fat female Peacock Bass. Healthy females means a healthy stock. Healthy stock means mo money or more smiles for Palm Beach. Here are a few more pics Felix sent along in a follow up email this week.

Palm Beach Peacock Bass Hot Spot!!!

12-14 December Peacocks in Palm Beach

12-14 December Peacocks in Palm Beach

The shot above is great! Nice sized female, great pattern & colors and a sunset catch… perfect. I am going to vote this next and last picture as my favorite though. Fishing is a great way to escape & spend time away or with friends and family, looks like Felix enjoys it all. Taking the next generation out & teaching them how to fish is something everyone should do.

Next Gen Slaying Peacock Bass in Palm Beach!!!

Felix, any info you want to add that I left out, toss it into the coments. Great shots, thanks for the invite… we are on after the holidays for sure;-)

Tags: Big Foot, big foot sighting, catching Peacock Bass in Palm Beach County, Felix, Florida Everglades, Palm Beach County, Peacock Bass

December Peacock Fishing Getting Good!

WOW! I know it was just a few days ago when I said that “this is probably the last post for the year…” Then I asked for  some tips on Peacock Bass Fishing Tips in December? Still looking for some tips but now I have a few of my own. Gabe & I went out today to do a little South Florida Peacock Bass Fishing & came back with mixed results.

Overall it was good but we ran into several problems. First, the good news.

We saw Peacock everywhere, many were paired up. The ledges are getting cleaned off, & the Peacocks are coming back up from the deep and coming back to the shallows. This is great for me because I can’t figure them out deep.

I also learned that they are not looking for the typical fast retrieve that usually gets them hooked! We both had good luck with a little smaller lure & slower presentation. None of them really seem to be very attached to a particular nesting area yet here in Weston so the strike is a little harder to get.

We each landed some real nice Peacock Bass & we both thought that they were fighting much harder and stronger than usual, anyone else noticed this? I was thinking that this may be due to the cool water spell we just had. That maybe they were not doing too much when they were down deep and therefore have a lot of pent up energy. Whatever it is… awesome!!!

Now for the bad news… the bad news totals 3 lost lures, 1 broken lure, 4 lost Peacock Bass and no photos of the ones we caught. [I did manage to get some video but I need a new cable to get it uploaded]

We both use braided line. Gabe had two break offs while I had one. One break off on braid is absolutely ridiculous so you can imagine how we felt about 3 of them. Gabes line is brand spankin new, I’m not sure what pound test. My braid is an 8 pound test and is about 2 months old. These were not knot problems, the lines were shredded. I have some video that I will be updating this posting with soon.

I am absolutely sure that mine was not due to drag issues either. I pay very close attention to my drag & give them just what they need. Fortunate for me it only happened once but I still have no explanation for any of the break offs. Bottom line, 3 lost lures, 3 lost fish:-(

The one that got me the worst is I actually had a brand new lure fail. I got a Strike King Red Eye Shad a couple weeks ago for my birthday. I decided to use it today and it worked great for about 30 seconds. Unfortunately it was the last few seconds that would have made the difference between me praising it or dissing it completely.

I hooked up with about a 4 to 5 pound Bull Peacock Bass he was a great fighter, one of those that will rip the pole out of your hands if you give them the opportunity. I fought with him for a bit and worked him up to the bank. As I was about to grab him he gave one last violent lure rattling thrashing and off he went leaving me with a limp twisted line around my pole. Gabe & I both were shocked that he got off and that’s when I saw what actually happened. The rear hook, ring & eye were completely ripped off the lure. Unbelievable!!! Well, it’s true. I have video of this too. Again, as soon as I get the cable I will upload. I will never ever buy another one of these or accept one as a gift – LOL. Anyway, bottom line: The Strike King Red Eye Shad is JUNK!!!

posted by: Mitch Bennett / admin

Tags: Peacock, Peacock Bass, Peacock Bass Fishing Tips, South Florida Peacock Bass Fishing, Strike King Red Eye Shad, Weston

December Peacock Bass Fishing Tips?

Got any tips? Lets hear them. LOL

I have not been able to get out much this month but when I have the Peacock Fishing has been slow to say the least. Most of my hot spots are void of fish, at least it has appeared that way. Between the rain & the cool waters I have not even seen a minnow on some of my outings.

On a couple of trips this month I have seen Peacock Bass but they have not responded to anything. I have tried it all, fast retrieve, medium, slow, jerk… tossing everything in my box. These guys will just move out of the way like its not even there or worse yet run from it. WT?

I did catch a very nice little 3 pounder yesterday after working him for several minutes. I had been out for a little less than an hour & had already tied on about 6 lures. I was using a Rapala jointed floater in silver & black when I saw the swirl. He ran at it a half dozen times but kept cutting it short. I switched up to a Rapala Rattle Trap style lure to get it a little deeper. I was jerking it / bouncing it through his area when I finally hooked up with him.

Had it not been for the swirl I would have never known he was there. He was a decent fighter, gave a nice little run but nothing to brag about. He was a very very good looking Peacock though.

[No picture because the lcd on my new cam broke, bad 2 months for cameras]

Anyway, outside of using live bait… got any ideas you want to toss this way?

Tags: Peacock Bass, Peacock fishing

Happy Holidays Everyone!

To all my friends, family, readers & fellow earthlings… Happy Holidays, Stay Safe, Enjoy some time with your Family. I’m fairly certain that this may be the last post for 2009 so Happy New Year as well.
The hot spring Peacock Bass Fishing in South Florida is just around the corner. So far we have had a record setting warm winter, this is going to make for one heck of a good year for the Peacock Bass Fishing in 2010. I cant wait!!!

Tags: Peacock Bass Fishing, Peacock Bass Fishing in South Florida

Camp Rain Out

Here are some pictures from the Girl Scout trip. Click once to see the whole picture. If you like it, click again to see the BIG picture. Download what you want from the big pictures & let me know when your done so I can get this off my blog;-)

Peacock Bass Fishing Pro

November Peacock Bass Fsihing in South Florida

Me & my buddy Gabe went out searching for some new Peacock Fishing spots today. I think the shots speak for themselves. Peacock Bass Fishing in South Florida during the month of November. Yeah boy!! I love South Florida!!!

Peacock Bass Fishing in South Florida

Two Times the Peacock Bass Two Times the Fun!!!

Gabe w South Florida Peacock Bass in November

Gabe getting his South Florida Peacock Bass Fsihing on!!!

Want to know how we catch these big beautiful Peacock Bass in November? Check out all my Peacock Bass Fishing articles under “Peacock Fishing Tips & Tricks” & other categories.

posted by: Mitch Bennett

Peacock Bass Fishing in South Florida

Tags: Peacock Bass, Peacock Bass Fishing, Peacock Bass Fishing in South Florida, Peacock fishing, South Florida

Bad news for Fish Lips

As we all know the economy has been a bit troubling to say the least. Stress has been on the rise & the number of unemployed has continued to grow. This isn’t just a problem for people it’s a huge problem for fish.

Fish & wildlife agencies nationwide have reported a 7.7 percent increase in the number of fishing licenses sold in 2009 in comparison to 2008. There hasn’t been an increase of this magnitude since the 1970’s.

Photo Courtesy Flickr ID : Two Dead Fish

“We believe national campaigns such as Take Me Fishing are having a positive effect,” said ASA President Mike Nussman.

More & more fish lips are being ripped everyday. Photos of happy people holding up their prize catch are on the rise. Wall Street may be snagged in the weeds but stores like Bass Pro Shops & others like it continue to prosper with their connection to freedom & the great outdoors.

Enjoying some time off

Fishing is a wonderful way to leave the stress of everyday life behind and enjoy time with your friends and family. Get yourself away from the computer, turn off the TV, put a smile on your face and take the family fishing.

If you do not already have a fishing license or the gear you need stop in at Bass Pro Shops. They have everything you need to get you on the water and ripping some lip.

posted by: Mitch Bennett / admin

Tags: Bass Pro Shops, fishing, fishing license, Mitch Bennett, Take Me Fishing

Red-Bellied Piranhas Found in South Florida!

Ok everyone. Here we go again. As if the Parrots, Frogs, Lizards, Iguanas, Pythons, Mayan Cichlids, Tilapia & a hundred or so other nonnative species were not enough we now have a new visitor in town. The news has just been released that in a period of several days two Piranahs were caught in a Palm Beach pond.

Piranha are usually found in fresh waters along the Amazon River in South America not South Florida. One of the fish was a foot long and by the looks of his belly was clearly enjoying the local cuisine.

florida piranha

The first one was caught by a young man and the second was captured by the FWC. Now state wildlife officials are treating the West Palm Beach pond with poison (rotenone) in the hopes it’ll kill any other piranhas that might still be in the pond. The poison will also kill all the other fish in the four acre pond. That is a small price to pay if the eradication process is sucessful.

The FWC believes the Piranah were released into the pond by an aquarium owner. This is how the majority of nonnative species set up shop in our enviornment. Releasing any nonnative species into South Florida’s ecosystem is a crime. Violators can face up to a year in jail and face severe fines for this crime.

“The only way to be sure all of the piranha are gone is to apply a safe-to-use fish toxicant to kill any piranha that might still be present in this pond,” said Scott Hardin, the FWC’s exotic species leader.

Is this problem really contained? Will the poison work? These are big questions that need to be answered and answered quick. Most of the water systems here in South Florida, even ponds, are connected to other bodies of water through underground pipes and water transfer systems. So the question remains… are we safe from Piranha? I know one thing, I wont be dipping my toes in the waters of Palm Beach any time soon.

Tags: Amazon River, FWC, Palm Beach, Piranah, Red-Bellied Piranhas Found in South Florida!, South America, South Florida, West Palm Beach

Custom Big Bass Bait Delivered to Your Door

I cant begin to tell you how nice it is to just go online find something you like order it and have it show up at your door a couple of days later. I love it. I just got in a package with over a dozen different colors & styles of “custom big bass baits” from www.custombigbassbaits.com

4” Little Minnow Swim Baits Sexy Shad www.custombigbassbaits.com

What I have here is a great range of swim baits in a dozen different color patterns that I will be testing on our friend the Peacock Bass over the next few weeks. My camera got stolen out of my car yesterday so I cant take pictures at the moment. I’ll have that sorted out soon enough. Meantime, check out the range of products they are offering at www.custombigbassbaits.com plenty of sizes & colors to choose from. I’m checking out the 4″ Little Minnow Swim Baits. Watch for upcoming articles on this line of swim baits I have a feeling the Peacock Bass are going to love them.

Update: borrowed my buddies memory card & used it in my video camera to take some stills today. The quality of the pictures is not that great but it will do for this post. Here are a couple of shots of the Big Bass Baits Custom poured Swim Baits I got in. It pains me that I cant use them until I get the camera issue straightened out.

Assortment of Custom Swim Baits from www.CustomBigBassBaits.com

Assortment of Custom Swim Baits from www.CustomBigBassBaits.com

Tags: 4" Little Minnow Swim Baits, color patterns, custom big bass baits, Peacock Bass, swim baits

Ida cant stop the Peacock Bass fishing Pros!!!

Me and a couple of buddies headed out to Sawgrass Recreational Park to rent a boat today. We got there at 6am. Can you believe they don’t open up till 7am? We were left sitting there watching the sun come up. All three of us started fishing around the docks. I hooked up with a small Peacock Bass just before sun up. The little sucker stole it from a much much larger Peacock Bass. I was fishing top water & there was a massive swirl. I have seen this swirl plenty of times. I got an instant rush, twitched it again & BAM the little guy moved in for the kill.

Pre-Coffee Florida Everglades Peacock Bass

By the time Sawgrass Recreational Park opened and we got all the paper work done it was already 7:30am. The winds were absolutely ripping. By 11am I was sure that wind could be used as a form of torture in times of war. I can still feel it in my ear & I’m still leaning to the left a little. It was absolutely relentless. As it turns out we were getting some of the outer feeder bands from Hurricane Ida.

I still thought we were in for a good day because of the early action at the dock. Little did I know that we would not see but two more fish for the 4 hours we were out. Gabe landed a Cichlid or an Oscar…? not quite sure what it was. I landed a small Large Mouth Bass on the top half way through the trip. That was it!

Once again, we headed back to one of our favorite Florida Peacock Bass locations closer to home and started ripping some lip!!!

Peacock Bass Fishing in Florida

Gabe - Peacock Bass Fishing in Florida

Gabe - Nice Florida Peacock Bass Fishing

Mitch with Female Florida Peacock Bass

Mitch with Female Florida Peacock Bass

Gabe Fishing Lands another Florida Peacock Bass

The action end of a Florida Peacock Bass

Great looking Florida Peacock Bass

We have ventured out to the Florida Everglades a couple of times in the past month without much to show for it at all. On the top, middle, deep… fast slow it just doesnt matter. It seems like the smaller water systems are much better producers for Peacock Bass this time of year. We just keep on nailing them & nailing them.

That’s all I have to say for this piece. Remember to send in your own Florida Peacock Bass fishing stories so we can post them. Custom Big Bass Bait reviews are coming soon.

posted by: Mitch Bennett / admin

Tags: Florida Everglades, Florida Peacock Bass, Florida Peacock Bass fishing, Hurricane Ida, Large Mouth Bass, Mitch Bennett, Peacock Bass, Sawgrass Recreational Park