Amazon Peacock Bass Fishing Trips with the World's Leading Authority

Where to Catch Them

Choosing the Right Destination

Fishing TV shows, fishing advertising and fishing product sales techniques are full of hype and hyperbole. This may not be too far removed from fishermen's own perceptions of the exaggeration jokingly associated with their sport, so it is often accepted with the proverbial grain of salt. Its probably OK for selling magazines and promoting Saturday morning TV shows. A little bit of flimflam is probably harmless for such casual entertainment decisions, but when it comes to making decisions about trips costing thousands of dollars, we believe that it's a far more appropriate service to our clients for us to tell it like it is. So, we are pleased to provide this condensed, unexaggerated guide to where we fish for peacock bass, when and why.

The giant peacock bass, Cichla temensis, is the largest species of the genus Cichla and is the most important sportfish in lowlands Amazonia. Its natural range consists primarily of pulsative lowland rivers with extremely variable seasonal water levels and often widely spaced fish populations. These giants are found in Brazil, Venezuela and Columbia from the Rio Negro and Rio Orinoco drainages as well as blackwater tributaries of the Rio Madeira and Branco along with a few effluents of the Rio Solimoes and Amazonas. Unlike several other, smaller species that have been transplanted elsewhere, C. temensis has proven resistant to human manipulation. Efforts to introduce these huge predators into other regions have mostly failed, probably because of a great sensitivity to cold or variable temperatures. As a result, and in spite of its relatively widespread range, sportfishermen tend to concentrate their efforts in certain regions and specifically in certain rivers within those regions. Here's a look at where and when.

Some limitations are quickly evident. A combination of political and safety issues have currently made both Columbia and Venezuela less attractive destinations, so anglers focus most heavily on safe and friendly Brazil. Within the Brazilian Amazon basin, three types of peacock bass fisheries provide attractive and productive angling opportunities and each of them has its own characteristics and variables. In every case, performance is determined by the single most important factor in successful peacock bass fishing, water level. The variables are complex, but we can get a good idea of each region's differences by considering the main characteristics of the fisheries.

Rio Madeira Basin: The Madeira, like the Solimoes and the Rio Branco carries suspended particulate matter and is not itself a fruitful peacock fishery, but many of its lower tributaries, such as the Igapo Acu, Matupiri and Marmelos provide perfect peacock habitat. These rivers range from relatively clear to lightly stained blackwater and are equally excellent for fly and conventional anglers. They typically produce large numbers of peacock bass, with a high concentration toward the smaller sizes while still offering access to big hulking 20+ pounders that lurk here. This is the place to go if your goal is lots of action with a variety of fishing styles. Under good conditions, these waters will produce 15 to 50 fish per angler per day, yet still provide trophies into the 20 pound class. We usually concentrate on this region in September and October, when water levels are generally perfect. The Rio Madeira basin represents a great balance between quantity and size and is a great place to start a serious peacock bass habit.

Rio Negro Basin: The most famous of all trophy peacock fisheries and the heart of the species' territory, this huge basin contains the world's largest peacock bass. With at least a dozen productive blackwater rivers, such as the Unini, the Urubaxi and the Caures, we normally fish this area from late October until the end of February. The deeply tannin-stained waters are unique in their austere characteristics, containing less biomass but often more biodiversity than clearer waters. Quantity tends to be lower here, with anglers typically landing 10 to 20 fish per day, but size is the key. Often several of those daily fish may be in the teens with fish in the low to mid-20 lb. class common. If a shot at a world record is your goal, then this is your fishery.

Rio Branco Basin: Fishing in this region generally begins in late November and can continue right into March. Like the Madeira, the Rio Branco itself is not a peacock sportfishery. However, its clear water tributaries, such as the Tapera and Xeriuini produce greater numbers of peacock bass than anywhere else in the Amazon basin. Although peacocks over 20 lbs. are not common here, the area is known for a high proportion of midsize fish and with more than enough fish in the high teens to satisfy any fisherman. Anglers here can land as many as 20 to 100 fish per day! The pristine waters in these tributaries drain through the vast biofilter of northern savannah lands. The resultant clear black waters lend themselves to sight fishing and are highly productive for both fly and conventional anglers. When you add in the exceptional beauty of this region, with its small waters, white sand beaches and looming forests, you have the makings of the most idyllic peacock adventure of all.

The key to successfully fishing any of these regions is to be in the right place at the right time. Peacock fishing is simply at its best in dropping water conditions. Everything we do is geared to enabling us to effectively access peacock bass waters as they drop. Thankfully, the Amazon has a reasonably consistent seasonal progression of water levels that allows us to predict fairly well, where we'll be fishing and when. But, even though we can make complicated schedules, Nature still has the power to trump any human plans. So we stay mobile. Why? In the face of falling and rising waters, bureaucratic unpredictability and the demands of a mighty, untamed river system, our best strategy will always be to stay flexible and be prepared to move even faster than the changing waters.

For more information on where to fish for peacock bass, see our peacock bass fishing maps.