The humble Peacock Bass, an introduced species, has been much-maligned since its release by enthusiastic anglers. The hyper-aggressive nature of the fish has seen to destruction to many habitats and local species. They are so gregarious that in many places where they have overtaken all other populations of fish they have turned to preying on their own young as sustenance.
We have seen the species spread across countries in South East Asia and there are no signs of stopping, as more waterways have been plagued. One thing is for sure, they are here to stay whether we like it or not.
From an angling standpoint the highly territorial and inquisitive nature of the Peacock Bass lends itself as a viable target for anglers of all skill levels. They aren't hard to catch, though big smarter ones can present a decent challenge. Like the Largemouth Bass in America, they can be caught in a wide variety of methods and for the lure fisherman it can only be a good thing.
Recently we got a chance to have a bit of fun fishing chasing these friendly fish. They react to speed and can be exciting to tease, most of the time in full visual contact. Just goes to show that some days the simplest, least challenging of fishes can be great fun too!
Didn't take more than one cast with a prospecting Jackson RA Pop popper to find a willing customer who went at it with zero reservation...
PBs love twitchbaits, the wilder the action the better. And they don't get much wilder than the Megabass X-70...
This day was made super fun with the use of an ultralight delight - the Evergreen Temujin 'Aerial Level Stroke' - a 2-6lb rated rod with a very parabolic lock up. Matched to a Shimano 1000 size reel loaded with 4lb line, its maximum fun even with average sized fish like this one who went for the DUO Spearhead Ryuki...
Another mad twitcher comes in the form of a Bassday sinking minnow - the Sugaminnow Lipless 50S in fantastic chrome finish...
Here's a nice specimen, complete with the bulge in the forehead signifying a male in heat. At this size they're a handful on the light gear. This one was max thrills on the Temujin 'Spider' ultralight rod...
The big guy fell for a diminutive lure, the blade-tail Kozo Spin 7 by Viva...
The Temujin 'Spider' is the preferred rod for ultralight freshwater work, and of course is the rod of choice amongst fellow anglers...
The DUO Bivi mini-vibe has also become a favourite tool for many...
This lit-up fish shows its best colours as it got all excited about the quick-twitched IMA Gunpeki mini-jig, another way of catching these fish...
DUO Bivi strikes again...
For slightly deeper water or drops the Zipbaits Tiny Khamsin DR twitched is seldom ignored...
The DUO Poco Poco popper is still one of the most exciting ways to fool fish. The takes are nothing short of awesome...
Rigged with light single hooks, the Sugaminnow Lipless' erratic twitches are amplified. Here it is neatly pinned in the upper lip of this nice fish...
Another very mature humpy-headed male which provided a few scary moments in the snaggy waters on the ultralight outfit...
PBs like the small but deadly Zipbaits Rigge 46S MDR too!
You never really tire of catching these willing fish. Maybe its the super light outfits that made every hook-up extra fun...
Like in the previous picture, this guy fell for the ever consistent Megabass X-70...
And another...
When the bite tapered off and the fish went deep, cranks like this OSP Blitz MR did the trick...
The OSP Blitz has a magical effect on fish, and has proven time and again to produce when the fishing is slow, a real gem in any tackle box...
The Zipbaits Tiny Khamsin DR is another lure that deserves a place in every anglers' box. Like its bigger brothers the Khamsin and Khamsin Jr. it produces on cue...
On the very next cast it scores again with a very bump headed male...
The Bassday Sugaminnow Lipless 50S in a natural translucent pattern works beautifully in clear waters...
It scores on consecutive casts when a pod of fish are found...
Three in a row on the Bassday sinking pencil...
Sometimes bigger lures do count for bigger fish and its proven with this nice one on the Zipbaits Khamsin SR...
Didn't take more than another cast to find another one of its mates with the natural perch patterned lure...
And to prove good things comes in threes, another good fish that went hard on the Temujin light spin rod...
Back to the Bassday Sugaminnow Lipless 50S and another PB...
Jackall Bros Diving Chubby is another go-to lure when the bite slows and the fish seek deeper holes...
The Megabass X-70 also stirs up some action when the fish smarten up...
And scores a few fish in consecutive casts too...
Not the biggest of Bass but great fun nonetheless...
Lastly it was down to the Zipbaits Rigge Flat 50S just before it was time to go as the bite shut down...
It was a revelation as it produced hit after hit...
The Bass were really forming a queue to have a go...
We've found another go-to lure for these fish. Was a great way to end a fun-filled session!
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