.
Although the water was a black
tannin colour it was clean (not a
contradiction in terms). Check out the
underwater image of the peacock in
this article which best illustrates this
point better than words. According
to Pelado and Reiss, when conditions
are clear like this, red and white is the
most successful colour combination
but when the water is discoloured,
red and yellow is top dog. Our
results did bear out this statement.
Apparently the yellow stands out
better than white in dirtier conditions.
A typical day began with a
wake-up knock on the cabin door,
followed by a cooked breakfast
at 6am and departure from the
Blackwater Explorer around 6.30.
Anglers can stay out all day until
around 5pm or alternatively come
back to the mothership for lunch and
a siesta before embarking upon an
afternoon session. It was nice break
to come back to the mothership and
avoid the worst of the hot midday
sun. Alternatively, if staying out on
the water, each dinghy contained
hammocks which were duly strung
between shady trees after a bite to
eat. With no biting insects it was
a pleasurable alternative to the
mothership. On some days we all met
at a pre-arranged time and location
to enjoy a bank-side barbeque of
peacock bass fillets cooked traditional
style over a wooden rack and open
fire.
Where does one begin to look for
peacocks when confronted with a
flooded river many kilometres wide
and resembling an inland sea? There
was so much water it was difficult
to work out where the main river
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15 lb. Rob looking perplexed as we go on a bush bashing short-cut . |
channel was located and very easy to
lose one’s bearings without a guide.
At times the guide would take short
cuts and push - often with some
difficulty - through dense foliage
into vast backwaters. I thought to
myself at the time that I was glad
he knew where he was going. There
were no feeder creeks, discoloured
water or discernable current. Instead,
what confronted us was a horizon
of water interspersed with clumps
of timber and patches of jungle. If it
was barramundi water it would have
been a total waste of time fishing it.
Thankfully peacocks are a different
kettle of fish.
In addition to being one of the
world’s most attractive and hard
fighting sportfish, peacock bass
are dumb. God bless them for that
attribute! They are not leader shy,
do not spook easily, will take a wide |
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variety of lure types and live in quiet
backwaters out of the main current
flow. In a flood situation they love
structure and points. With predators
like freshwater dolphins actively
pursuing them they need to be able to dive back into the sanctuary of
snags if danger presents itself. At times
they are prepared to venture out into
the open to feed, mostly in a school
situation. Quite often while casting,
the jungle quietness will be shattered
as the water erupts in a free for all
frenzy as peacocks decimate bait
schools, not unlike tuna feeding in the
open ocean.
Using surface lures such as
big noisy woodchoppers is a very
satisfying way to fish, especially when
peacocks can be seen feeding on
bait schools in the open. They simply
cannot resist the surface commotion
of big fizzers slowly ripped across
the surface. Watching a competent
angler retrieve a big chopper is not
only music to the ears but a work
of art. We enjoyed a couple of all
too brief sessions on the choppers
and to a lesser extent Zara Spooks .
The first involved working a shallow
bay when a peacock ripped into a
school of baitfish. Rob Bland (15lb
Rob) already had a chopper tied
onto one of his rods and let rip in
the general direction. The audible
sound of the working chopper was
simply too much not to attract the
attention of the bass, resulting in
a very visual hook-up. The second
involved working some tree stumps in
the shallows. We knew the peacocks
would have to be there and they
couldn’t resist.
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15 lb. Rob catches his first peacock bass on a woodchopper.
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This peacock bass couldn't resist the woodchopper commotion.
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