Peacock Bass Fishing: Everything You Need to Know for an Epic Catch!

In the world of bass fishing, most anglers are more than experienced with largemouth and smallmouth, but America has one bass species available that’s not only an oddity but a blast to catch, as well.

The peacock bass isn’t touched on nearly enough in pop fishing culture, and today, we’re going to go over everything you need to know to start lipping these exotic beauties regularly.

Let’s get started!

What is a Peacock Bass?

Unless you live in Florida, Hawaii, or the Amazon, you might not even know what a peacock bass is. That’s because they’re not native to the United States, and they were imported from the Amazon and other parts of South America in the 80s.

Like many South American fish, peacock bass are much more vibrant and peculiar in comparison to their northern counterparts, such as largemouth.

This makes them visually stunning if you’re used to only catching your standard North American bass species, but they also vary dramatically in other ways.

This is because, while extremely similar, peacocks aren’t bass. They look like bass and grow to the same size, but they’re cichlids. This is important because it plays a big role in their behavior.

Where Can You Catch Peacock Bass?

Like we said, peacock bass aren’t native to North America. They’ve only been here for about 40 years, and unfortunately, only a couple of places in the US are capable of meeting their physical needs without potential issues.

So, if you want to hook into these beautiful bass, you’ll want to book your next vacation for the Sunshine State. Hawaii is also a great destination if you’re looking to get a few trophy pictures with them, but Florida is the primary spot on the mainland.

This can make it difficult for some bass anglers further west, but it’s a worthwhile experience whether you’re an hour away in South Carolina or vacationing from Wisconsin for a bit of sunshine.

Identifying a Peacock Bass

If you’re in the right spot to catch them, you really can’t miss a peacock bass. They closely resemble the North American bass you’re used to, but they have some extremely exotic features.

Two features stand out without having to measure anything.

First, there’s the coloring. Peacock bass are mostly green, just like largemouth and smallmouth bass, but it’s a deeper, more vibrant green. However, its fins also feature bright orange accents that add a colorful pop. Visually, the peacock bass looks like it belongs in the Amazon rainforest.

Then, you can look at the head of a peacock bass that’s matured and see a large forehead bump.

Because the most predominant details are so distinguished from every other bass, or even every other fish in the United States, you don’t have to worry about measuring fins or looking at lateral line patterns. There aren’t any other fish in the US that you can mix them up with. 

In terms of their sizes, American anglers might be a little disappointed.

In Florida, the average size is 1 to 3 pounds.  Anything over 5 pounds is considered trophy size, and the state record is 9.11 pounds.  

However, in their native home of South America, peacock bass grow much larger.  The IGFA record is 25.7 pounds, caught in the Amazon in 2021. That’s a lot larger than the world record for largemouth, but unfortunately, you’re not likely to ever see that in the States. 

In the Amazon, peacock bass average 5 to 10 pounds with 15+ pound peacocks being caught by most anglers who make the trip.  The best part is that most are caught on giant top-water plugs taken with extreme aggression.  Considered by fisheries biologists to be the strongest freshwater fish in terms of creating a lifelong memory, not much compares to seeing the topwater explosion of a 10+ pound peacock bass.  

BassForecast founder, Mike Mehlmann, has been twice. On his most recent trip, he caught this 23.1-pound giant.  “We had 8 guys in our group.  All caught Peacocks over 15 pounds.  It was the ultimate fishing trip experience that I would highly recommend adding to your bucket list,” said Mike.  

Arranging trips can be tricky due to many factors. If you are going to arrange the trip of a lifetime, feel free to email Mike.mehlmann@bassforecast.com, and he will share his insights and tips on timing and vetting outfitters.  

Peacock Bass Behavior Differences

Peacock bass do behave differently than largemouth despite some key similarities. 

First, while largemouth bass love warmer waters, peacock bass require them. This is why they’re not introduced all over the country, and only the hottest waters in Florida have them.

So, you’re likely to find them going out of their way to get more heat in situations where largemouth might start getting a little lethargic or not too worried about the temperature.

In comparison, the sudden temperature drops Florida experiences have a more profound impact on peacock bass than they do the largemouth that naturally acclimate to the weather a bit easier.

That’s not a common concern, though. Throughout most of the year, peacocks and largemouth bass are going to be just as active as one another and hang out in the same areas.

The big difference is that peacock bass run in schools. They don’t strictly belong to one school of fish, and they will randomly swim with other schools, but they’re not the lone wolves that largemouth are. 

That impacts your approach to fishing for them in some good ways, but it also has a drawback.

Since they swim in schools, it’s a lot easier to find a large group of peacock bass rather than having to hunt them down one by one like you often have to with largemouth.

This can lead to more back-to-back catches if you play your cards right, and the excitement can be nonstop, but there’s a drawback.

If you’re particularly reckless with your boat, a lot of people are pressuring the same school, or anything like that, you can set off a bunch of fish in unison.

It’s a lot like bluegill. You can catch them back-to-back, but you can also scare them all out of the area at once. With largemouth being more spread out loners, there’s a good chance that you can cast somewhere nearby and find another that wasn’t so concerned with whatever mistake you made in a nearby spot. 

Finally, when it comes to the diet of peacock bass, you don’t have to learn anything new. In Florida, they eat the same things that largemouth bass do. So, your favorite largemouth bass lures are going to work.

However, you might want to change up your tactics a bit and maybe change a few go-to rigs.

How to Catch a Peacock Bass: The Gear

The fishing gear you’re going to use for peacock bass is going to be practically the same as what you’d use for largemouth. Unlike switching to trout or striper, you don’t need to buy a “peacock bass rod” or anything like that. 

With that being said, peacock bass are known for having a much harder pull than largemouth in a pound-for-pound fight. So, you’ll need to adjust your approach or upgrade your go-to equipment to deal with that. 

The main kit we recommend for getting started is a medium rod setup, a little bit stronger line than you’d normally use, and a mix of midsized crankbaits and soft plastics that you use for largemouth.

Like we said, you don’t need to change your equipment much. They go after the same food, and most anglers targeting largemouth in Florida end up catching plenty of peacock bass because of it. 

How to Catch Peacock Bass: Techniques and Strategies

While you can use your normal bass-fishing strategies and catch peacock bass in any lake or pond they’re present in, some techniques and strategies will help you boost your catch rate. 

When you hit the South Florida waters and start searching for an exotic peacock, try these tips first.

1: Be More Cautious with Your Boat

First, since peacock bass run in schools instead of roaming the water solo, you want to avoid spooking them every chance you get.

If you get a bit overzealous and rip your boat right over the top of a school, they’re likely to all leave the area and take cover. 

Make sure you keep an eye on your sonar, and move a bit more cautiously than you might if you were trying to zip right to the best hiding spot for largemouth. 

2: Get Comfortable with Your Drag

Like we said earlier, peacock bass fight a lot harder and a bit longer than largemouth bass of equal size.

As such, you’re a lot more likely to have to make on-the-fly drag adjustments during the fight. Especially if you’re using lighter equipment and line for finesse presentations. 

This seems like a skill any angler should have down, but realistically, most don’t have to touch their drag too often as weekend warriors unless they use light equipment. 

If you bring your standard medium spinning setup and 10-lb mono for peacock, you can easily get caught off guard when even a little 3-lb peacock makes your drag scream.

3: Sight Fishing

Sight fishing for peacock bass is easier than it is with other species because their natural coloring doesn’t help them blend in with the water as well. They’re bright, have very pronounced features, and generally stick out like a sore thumb. 

This is one of the top ways to target peacock bass as a bank fisherman. Simply walk up and down the bank line, along canals, and along other shallow areas looking for the vibrant green splotches with bits of orange poking out. 

However, a drawback of sight fishing is fighting the urge to plop your lure right in front of it. You’ll want to cast past the peacock in a way that pulls the lure into its line of sight while you retrieve it. 

4: Fish the Top

Peacock bass are great fun to target at the top of the column, and since they love getting into the warmth of the sun a lot, you can find them there a lot more often. 

Some of the best lures you can use for peacock bass are topwater plugs, shallow diving crankbaits, and soft plastic rigs that you keep in the top of the column.

Soft plastics that mimic golden shiners and minnows are exceptionally effective since they’re a huge part of the Floridian food chain. 

5: Fish Around Structures and Rocky Banks

While the peacocks love getting out in the sun, they also tend to school up closer to structures and rock formations that provide cover for hunting. 

This means that you can easily trigger back-to-back catches for quite a while by going to pier beams, rocky banks, stilts, and more rather than just casting around in the opening hoping to find the schools. 

6: User Lighter Tackle

Peacock bass are a weird species. If we go off the heaviest peacock caught, they can get dramatically larger than the world-record largemouth.

However, that’s in their native land. In Florida, you’re usually going to catch smaller peacocks, and the largest tops out at 9.11 pounds.

Despite all that, you want to use lighter equipment. This will help a lot with finesse presentations, and it ensures you don’t overpower the bass, stress it more than it needs to be stressed, and ruin the experience.

You can always work on your drag adjustment skills, but with peacocks, you don’t want to bring a big broomstick-style super heavy rod to the fight.

A medium rod and appropriate gear will handle most of what you want to do, but you might even want to scale it down to a light-medium setup. The only time you’re going to want to go a little heavier is when you want some backbone for topwater bites or punching through thick moss pads. 

7: Go Out Earlier in the Morning

Both largemouth and peacocks are active in the morning, but you’ll find that peacocks tend to rush to the shallows and the top of the column even more when the sun comes up. They want to bask in the sun and soak up that early morning warmth. 

Of course, you can also find them throughout the day, but this is a prime opportunity to bust out your topwater lures for a bit of early-morning sight fishing. 

Get Exotic with Your Bass Fishing and Target Peacocks Today!

If you're visiting Florida or Hawaii—or planning a trip—don't miss the chance to go on a peacock bass fishing adventure!

You don’t need special equipment if you’re already a bass angler, and while the experience is similar, you get a harder fight and a unique photo to add to your CPR trophy list. 

If you want to boost your success on the water, download the BassForecast fishing app to get real-time weather insights, peak feeding times, and expert fishing forecasts tailored to your location.

Whether you're chasing trophy peacock bass or your next big catch, BassForecast gives you the edge you need for an epic day on the water!