An effective selection of peacock bass lures includes a wide variety
of top-water and subsurface lures. Although many have a long history
of successful use for black bass, striper and musky, they are often used
in a very different manner for peacock bass. Most also require an
upgrade to the hooks and split rings to ensure their survival during a
peacock bass' onslaught.
 Topwater
Lures- The violent, explosive topwater strikes of peacock bass have
made them the subject of books, magazine articles and television shows.
Their well deserved reputation as exciting, powerful fighters is based
largely on their awesome topwater prowess. Although peacocks are
readily caught in good numbers on subsurface lures, almost every angler
selects the topwater option when the fish are inclined to cooperate.
A good selection of topwater lures is a must for anglers seeking to experience
the peacock's legendary strike. Effective topwater lures can be divided
into two categories based on their type and the way they're used.
Propeller Types - Probably the most famous
peacock bass lure is the Luhr Jensen "Woodchopper". It bears a well
deserved reputation. Guides love them, fisherman depend on them and
peacocks absolutely smash them. Propeller lures create a roostertail
behind them as the angler rips them rhythmically through the water.
Typically, the lures perform best when ripped rapidly ahead for two feet
or so by a downward sweep of the rod tip and then promptly ripped again
when the angler cranks up the resultant slack. The surface disturbance
created is reminiscent of fleeing baitfish and feeding peacocks.
For one of the most competitive creatures in the water, this must sound
like a dinner bell. It certainly attracts peacocks and stimulates
violent strikes. The "Woodchopper" works beautifully with the medium-heavy
baitcaster or the heavy spinner
Several other propeller lures are just as effective
and have their own special advantages. The Amazon Ripper is a similar
bait with subtle differences. It has two rear props and only two
sets of treble hooks, omitting the front set found on the Woodchopper.
The Ripper's weight is canted more to the rear making it easier to use
when a lot of line is weighing it down in front, as in the case of trolling
or long casts. The lack of a front treble hook makes it less likely
to grab the line when used with spinning tackle, reducing the frequency
of tangles. The ripper works great when trolling and when used with
the heavy spinner.
Both lures described above are the 6-3/4 inch, 2
oz. sizes. If you're fishing for big peacocks in Brazil, Columbia
or Venezuela, these are the sizes you need. Cichla temensis (or Tucunare), found in the Amazon basin, are commonly caught well into
the twenty pound class. These huge fish are most effectively caught
on the large size lures. Smaller versions of these lures are also
available and can be effective for the smaller species (Cichla orinocencis or butterfly peacocks and Cichla monoculus or papoca). Although
either size can catch any size fish, be careful not to stock up on smaller
versions if your target is really trophy size Cichla temensis.
You'll wind up spending a lot of time with smaller fish instead of "trophy
peacocks". Although small lures can often catch big fish, statistically,
the old adage "big lures catch big fish" holds true much more often for
this type of surface lure.
When you need to downside (fatigue, change of pace,
fishing conditions), two good options are available. The "Peacock
Special" although only 3/4 oz., creates almost as much of a ruckus as the
bigger lures, but will work well with the medium baitcaster or even the
light spinner. It's great for sore arms and tired hands after you've
been slinging the big baits for awhile. This lure gets a lot of strikes
and fishes much bigger than it really is. This is the lure that caught
the 27 pound world record. A word of caution is, however, in order
when using this lure. It comes with smaller hooks in proportion to
its smaller size and doesn't lend itself readily to a hook upgrade.
It is perfectly balanced from the factory and larger hooks tend to cause
it to ride lower in the water and diminish its performance. Although
the factory hooks are reasonably strong, their smaller gap makes a solid
hookset more difficult in the peacock's bony mouth and the finer wire enables
the hooks to rip out more readily when caught in the fleshier parts of
the mouth. Use a lighter drag setting to offset this difficulty but
be prepared to lose some of the big fish that this lure attracts.
The "Jerkin' Sam" is similarly sized to the "Peacock
Special" and works very well with lighter tackle, however it doesn't generate
as large a roostertail and is a generally quieter lure. It is often
very productive early in the day and in very clear waters, situations in
which the other prop baits are not always at their best. Be aware
that, like the "Amazon Ripper", it lacks a set of nose hooks. Because
peacocks often strike at the "head" of a bait, some strikes may be missed.
Nonetheless, it should be part of your tackle mix to provide extra versatility.
The larger prop baits come with strong hooks from
the factory and don't need to be changed. "Woodchoppers" sometimes
come with a prop on the nose which should be removed to provide better
performance. Because they rely on sound and physical disturbance
of the water to attract strikes, these baits are all very sensitive to
proper "tuning". Anglers should make sure that each lure moves properly
and creates the proper surface disturbance. Adjusting the props and
the alignment of hooks will help to make your lures work as effectively
as possible. Take a few moments with each lure before putting it to work,
after each strike, and after hanging it up on structure, to make sure it's
working properly.
Walking Sticks - I have tremendous fun with
the Heddon "Zara Spook". It's an absolutely great topwater lure for
peacock bass. I especially enjoy using it in the early mornings and
late afternoons. Not necessarily because the fish like it better
at that  time,
but because it seems to fit the mood of the angler and the feel of the
surroundings. Just after sunup, when the water is perfectly still
and the birds haven't started screaming yet, the quiet snick, snick, snick
of a "Zara Spook" walking its way across the surface seems to belong in
the languid lagoons. It makes the sight of a huge "vee" accelerating
towards your bait doubly exciting. You can palpably anticipate the
instant of the strike. Even if the lure had no hooks on it, you couldn't
help but relish this kind of moment.
Walking stick type lures add another dimension to
topwater fishing for peacocks. Unlike most other lures used for these
speed triggered assassins, these baits are most effective when fished slow,
in the "walk the dog" motion. They will often get reactions from
peacocks when all other surface presentations are being ignored.
The medium/light baitcaster is the perfect rig for this lure although the
light spinner also works very well in the hands of an experienced spincaster.
Using this lighter, more sensitive tackle, the walking motion is easily
imparted by a combination of rhythmic crankings of the reel and oscillations
of the rod tip. Because of their small size and casting ease, these
lures lend themselves to use in tight structure.
Strikes often occur immediately when the lure lands
close to fallen wood, logs, sticks, bushes or trees. After landing,
draw the line tight and begin walking the lure back to the boat.
Watch for swirls and disturbances behind the lure. When peacocks
are turned on they'll violently strike lures, including these topwaters,
with reckless abandon. But when they're less aggressive and reluctant
to strike, a walking stick lure will often get their interest without triggering
a strike. They will swirl behind the lure, slap at it with their
body or even mouth it tentatively. This is the anglers cue to make
the presentation more interesting to the fish. Speed it up a bit
without losing the walking motion. Make it appear frightened and
fleeing, increasing the peacock's interest. You'll usually get another,
stronger reaction, perhaps even a tentative strike. If you don't
hook up, raise the lure's action up another notch, creating an even faster,
more erratic motion. Sometimes this cat and mouse game will go on
for three or four rounds before a peacock decides to just totally crush
the lure, or, loses interest and swims away. This level of anticipation
is guaranteed to raise the angler's blood pressure, pulse rate and the
hackles on the back of his or her neck.
Topwater Lure Colors - Peacock bass are funny
about colors, especially in regard to topwaters. Often, peacocks
seem to react more to the noise and motion of a surface lure than any other
factor. A properly presented and tuned lure is generally the most
important factor in consistently eliciting strikes. Sometimes, however,
selecting the right color can make important differences. If it's
bright out, use a light-colored lure. Dark shades are generally more
productive in low light conditions. I have no qualms about using
wildly colored topwaters. Peacocks seem to be perfectly happy to
attack the silliest and most outrageously patterned lures you can imagine.
When using the big propeller lures on tannin-stained (black water) rivers,
a Black and Orange combination is very productive. In clear waters,
try a perch pattern and on muddy rivers, a bright green or clown pattern.
If I can point to a single favorite color, it would be red or orange below
and green above. It looks a little bit like a peacock bass to me,
maybe to them also.
For walking stick lures, a bullfrog pattern is very
effective early in the day, while an Orange/Green Natural works well the
rest of the time. The Florida bass pattern works very well with the
"Super Spook". Rattling versions add usefulness on muddy rivers.
Take a range of colors and types with you to optimize your chances under
any conditions.
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