Orlando and Tampa Area, looking for Peacock Bass

[2PawsRiver]

We are headed to Florida April 22nd, flying into Orlando. We will be spending time in the Orlando area, as well as driving across to the Tampa area.

We will be doing the standard tourist thing, but will also be looking to do a bit of fishing, beach fishing and one thing I really want to find is find some Peacock Bass. I heard they were in Florida, but the Southern Park.....are we far enough South, or within a reasonable drive to catch Peacock Bass.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated and I would gladly return the favor by providing information to anybody headed to Michigan or Alaska to fish.

You can see alot of our local fishing on our website

MarkandChrisLundin.com

Thanks in advance for any information.

[Chainsaw]

You will be too far north for peacocks, they are not found too far north of the Miami area, sorry to be the bearer of bad news

[saltydancindave]

Might be a 4 hour drive from Orlando to get south of Alligator Alley, the general area where the peacocks are in the Ft Lauderdale & Miami canals. Good thing would be that midday is just as good a time as any for the peacocks to bite:cool:

[Captned]

Hello, new guy here. Any suggestions for bank fishing here in the Miami area for peacocks? I live here and haven't caught one yet...

Thanks!

Captned

[fxfly]

This is also a topic I am interested I; I understand the Peacock Bass are saturate in South Florida and the can be caught in almost any canal. However, there must be an area or a set of canals that are consistently more productive and have higher concentration of large fish?

The fishing is variable due to rain run off and man made influences such as flood water etc. So, there is a real need to hit the local fly shops while in South Florida.

But, general speaking, where do the lunker's hide?

[bonefishwhisper]

perhaps I might have a small amount ot insight on this...are these pictures taken yesterday of interest to you?

[fxfly]

Yes, and it appears you were fishing from shore?

Good looking fish; that is a heavy fly.

Were you using a sinking line or floating?

[bonefishwhisper]

always floating line...always a heavy fly...always from shore...highly predictable fishing...very easy to do as well...I use it for windy days when I cant get out on the flats

[sa1280]

Thats my favorite fall back on activity as well! Clouser-ish type weighted fly tied to look like a baby peacock on a floating line with a 4wt.

[bonefishwhisper]

I was using 10ft 5wt...4wt would be great also...light rod action is so sweet...pretty work and I'll be seeing you out on the flats soon

[fxfly]

Great fish; thanks for sharing!

If you are using a 4wt rod what is your leader formula?

[bonefishwhisper]

I use 5 and 6wt myself...you never know what might be in there...I have hooked tarpom and snook by accident...some so big only a 8 or 9wt would work...leaders are not an issue....I use 8-10ft with 10lb tippet so you can lift their head out for lippin...also some huge bass are in there as well plus grass carp...when fighting carp I want my 6wt because of the bulk of the fish...this is a mid range carp on 6wt....

[sa1280]

I keep my leaders very simple for most of my fishing: a "permanent" butt section anywhere from 2 - 4ft long, then I double up about a foot and a half of whatever line I use as my tippet using a spider hitch. At the end of the spider hitch, I tie a small double surgeon's loop to do a loop to loop with the butt section. The other, single strand of leader (tippet) I simply cut to length and tie on a fly or shock leader.
I like the 4wt for peacocks, the main lakes I fish don't have any tarpon of carp, so unless I hook a MEGA peacock (i hope!) I'm not too worried. If I am fishing somewhere there are tarpon I will use my 7wt. So far i have caught carp only on my 7wt, although they are strong, I havent had one run any distance yet. I have to try one on the 4 wt just to see. And as far as tippet for peacocks and carp, i use 10lb mono.
You're best bet for a big peacock is any place that either doesn't get a lot of pressure, or is C&R only. One lake i know of and fish is just that, its crystal clear to boot....I'm DYING to go snorkeling in there and see some of the big ones!

[lemaymiami]

As you guys from up north have probably figured out, locals don't have a problem finding and fishing the peas... They're in every canal, pond, etc. down here. If you can hook up with a local angler you'll be in good shape. If not the first local guide I'd try to hook up with is Alan Zaremba, since that's what he does, 'year round. Good luck, and remember that any canal that eventually drains into salt (most of them do, eventually) can also hold things that can really tear up a light fly rod. It doesn't happen that often but it can happen....

[bonefishwhisper]

all true...I see him many times while I run my dogs on a certain canal near the airport lakes...he is the peacock go to guy

[widdoes]

Guys- a few years ago on Sanibel I was walking along a freshwater canal and saw what I thought were peacock bass. This whole "too far north" thing has me wondering. Any thoughts.
-WJ

[fxfly]

My guess is, the peacock will eventually make their way as far north as central Florida. They were introduced well south of where they can now be found. They have migrated north over the years and I am sure this will continue.

[bonefishwhisper]

water temp keeps them in Miami area basically...they will die under 70 degrees and rely on Biscayne aquafir and deep box cut man made canals found in Miami for cold spells...self regulated..they cant even live in the Everglades for long...the literature is everywhere concerning the stocking of them here...I happen to live about 1 mile from the Airport Lakes where they stocked which is still GROUND ZERO and has the most...entire peacock businesses are ran from them lakes...I dont fish there because of JET SKIS...is there anything worse than them?

[saltydancindave]

Guys- a few years ago on Sanibel I was walking along a freshwater canal and saw what I thought were peacock bass. This whole "too far north" thing has me wondering. Any thoughts.
-WJ What you thought was a peacock bass was probably an Oscar or Mayan Cichlid as tilapia aren't that colorful:cool:

[bonefishwhisper]

or perhaps a Jaguar Guapote...nah, I think they are just here as well...was it like this?