Frequently Asked Questions About a Peacock Bass Trip


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Why do I have to travel to South America to fish for peacock bass?

You don't. However, while the canals of south Florida do harbor good concentrations of peacock bass, the majority of anglers desire to catch the much larger fish native to South American rivers and lakes. Not only will you have an opportunity to target the largest peacock bass (or payara or sardinata) in the world, but you will be exposed to exciting wildlife, beautiful scenery, new cultures and the sites and sounds unique to South America.
Where Is the best place to fish for peacock bass?

The largest concentrations of trophy peacock bass are found in Brazil and Venezuela in the Amazon/Orinoco watershed. Peacock bass are tropical fish and require warm waters to flourish. The exact destination one should fish depends on your preferences. Do you desire lots of fish? Do you want to target record class fish? X-TREME ANGLING has visited most of the peacock bass fisheries in Brazil. We've selected the finest fisheries to offer to our clients, forgoing those lodges and camps whose fisheries have declined over the years despite how much advertising space they may obtain in fishing publications. Our staff is ready to customize a peacock bass trip to suit your particular desires and travel budget.
Q: Why is peacock bass fishing seasonal?

The Amazon/Orinoco systems of Venezuela and Brazil possesses relatively reliable rainy and dry seasons. The dry season is the only time to fish for peacock bass in South America. We try to avoid the high water situations for our clients, however despite our best efforts to gauge when to send anglers to South America, occasionally dry season deluges raise the river systems making for very slow fishing. Again, our personal first-hand experience in dealing with seasonal weather variations will result in you having the best opportunity for productive fishing.
If would like to bring a trophy fish home, what should I do?

We strongly advocate catch and release at all of our lodges. The replica mounts that are becoming increasingly popular are now so lifelike and accurate, it is foolish to attempt to bring a frozen fish back through foreign and U.S. Customs. Also, the new replica mounts will last a lifetime, while a skin mount deteriorates over time. We have some very good contacts with taxidermists that stock a wide variety of exotic species mounts in all sizes. It is wise to take good color photos of your fish to send to the taxidermist, so that an accurate representation of the fish you caught will be best achieved.
Isn't South America a dangerous place to visit in terms of crime?

While some of the larger cities in South America (as they are in the US) are plagued by crime, the majority of the fisheries that we associate with are in remote areas, far from the criminals that frequent the inner cities. Typically, other than small villages along the river's edge or small communities surrounding some of the lakes we utilize, you will not encounter many people not associated with the lodge or camp. Our clients are greeted from the moment they clear customs and are supervised every step of the way during the course of their fishing trip. Our lodge owners, managers and guides are aquainted with many of the local villagers. In fact, many of the lodges employ the local residents of small villages and communities at their facilities. Some of the highlights of the trip are when you might have the fortunate opportunity to enter one of the villages with your guide and meet some of the local residents. The key is to use common sense. While you might have to overnight in one of the major South America cities either traveling to or returning from a fishing lodge, it is wise not to travel off the main streets or major restaurants. Also, don't walk around with flashy jewelry and don't count money in a public place.
What about insects, especially mosquitos? It must be awfully buggy on one of your trips!

Generally speaking, the rivers and lakes we send our clients to are too acidic to support the growth and breeding of mosquitos. Since we primarily send our clients to South America during the dry season, the insect population is very low at that time of year. Many of our traveling anglers report that they encounter more insects in their back yards during the summer months then they do on a fishing excursion. While some of the river systems (especially the Ventuari system in Venezuela) contain noseeums (basically minute sand fleas or chiggers that leave itchy marks on your skin), the majority are relatively insect free. While we do recommend that anglers come prepared with an insect repellent offering a 55% solution of DEET to ward off any unwanted pesky insects, the majority never bother to apply it.
Do I need to take pills, shots, etc. to combat tropical diseases?

While the risk of contracting a tropical disease is rare, the possibility does exist. We stay in close contact with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta for their recommendations on inoculations and preventative medications. The majority of the diseases that are serious are associated with more densely populated areas. Mosquitos transmit diseases like malaria and yellow fever from one host to another. Because you are fishing in areas with very little human population, this lowers your risk. Hepatitis A is probably the most prevalent disease that confronts any traveler, be it a luxury vacation to the Caribbean or a fishing expedition. This disease can be contracted by drinking contaminated water or eating contaminated food and is very commonly associated with improper food handling and preparation. Although we advise that you consult a travel medicine clinic prior to your trip, if you plan on traveling extensively to South America, we recommend Hepatitis A and B vaccines, yellow fever vaccine, malaria prophylaxis and a tetanus booster for your trip.
Is there a chance I might encounter anacondas, other dangerous animals or schools of man-eating piranhas?

Although the thought of traveling to the Amazon conjures up visions of giant anacondas ambushing unsuspecting travelers from their lairs in the jungle canopy, this is more hype than reality. The majority of our trips do not involve trekking into the heart of the rain forest, where you are more likely to encounter animals like jaguars, tarantulas and poisonous frogs. The anaconda, despite what you have seen depicted in movies, is actually a snake of the Great South America plains or Llanos region, preferring swampy pools and bogs and not main rivers. As far as piranhas are concerned, they are only dangerous when trapped in drying pools or lagoons with their food source exhausted. Although I would never thrust a bleeding hand or foot into the river at any time, I would have no problem bathing in the rivers that the guides tell me are safe. Probably the biggest danger you will encounter are freshwater stingrays which can pack a venomous wallop if you should happen to step on one while wading. Because of that fact, we strongly discourage wade fishing.
I am a bit nervous about going to a South American peacock bass camp where no one speaks my language (English).

Every camp we send clients to offers an English speaking host or manager. While it is true that most of the guides do not speak fluent English, they do speak fishing-English and they have little problems communicating as to what lures you should use, working on your fishing techniques and inquiring as to whether you would like a drink or to eat. Each of our clients also receive an English-Spanish-Portuguese fishing translation guide to help you better communicate with your guide. It certainly helps if you can learn a few Spanish or Portuguese phrases if you will be traveling to Venezuela or Brazil.
How is the food at these remote camps?

The camps, lodges and houseboats take great pride in serving you very nutritious and tasty food. You will usually be served a variety of meats, chicken and freshly caught fish, and can expect little touches like soup and desserts and even freshly baked bread. The water is typically bottled from a reliable distributor or is filtered.
How can I avoid getting sick on one of these trips?

The main preventative measures is to use common sense. The lodge personnel are very concerned about the need for proper food handling. Fruits and vegetables are soaked in solutions that kill most of the bacteria that will cause harm to you. The meats, poultry and fish are adequately refrigerated prior to cooking. Use common sense when it comes to eating in a foreign country - basically do not eat anything from open market food stands; do not drink the water from any sink and stay away from raw fruits or vegetables unless they are peeled or washed in a disinfecting solution. Some suggest that visiting anglers should start taking Acedophelous bacteria (the good bacteria found in yogurt) to fortify their GI tracts prior to a fishing excursion. Definitely bring an antibacterial hand wash in which water is not required and use it frequently.
What if my family or business needs to reach me in an emergency?

While we do not encourage simply "staying in touch" with your family or work (remember this is supposed to be a fishing vacation), many of our lodges and houseboat operations offer satellite phones. The lodges that do not are in radio contact with the main headquarters in either Caracas, Puerto Ordaz, Boa Visa or Manaus. You may leave our number with your family or work in case of emergency and our office will make every effort to get an important message to you.
Your itinerary lists airlines that I have never heard of, as well as charter flights to the lodges. Are these aircraft safe?

International air carriers must conform to the same safety standards as American carriers if they fly international routes. Local charter aircraft are secured from very reliable sources by our lodge operators and offer pilots experienced in flying into the Amazon/Orinoco watersheds.
I am paying a lot of money for such a trip. What happens if I have to cancel at the last minute?


We recognize that last minute illnesses and emergencies do occur. However, it is very difficult to replace an angler at a remote lodge with just a few days remaining prior to the departure date of the trip. For this reason, we strongly recommend that our clients obtain travel insurance. Not only will this reimburse you for the cost of the trip if you must cancel due to illness, but this also covers such things as emergency medical evacuation in the event you must be immediately transported out of a remote area.