Peacock Bass Tackle Preparation

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Baitcast reels need not be extremely expensive to be highly effective. Quality of construction is more important than their price tags. Two things to consider when shopping for a baitcast reel for peacock bass are:

1. durable gears
2. extremely smooth drag

Although many believe that it is the shear power of the peacock bass during their runs and surges that will exploit lesser built reels, I believe it is the constant casting and retrieving of plugs that are typically much larger than the reels are designed for. Select baitcast reels that have a fairly large spool size, typically a minimum of 120 yard capacity to handle 20 lb mono diameter for large topwater baits.

In general, when using braided line that possesses a break strength of 65 to 100 lbs., the diameter of these lines is the equivalent of 17 to 25 lb. monofilament. For those with limited experience using braided line, experience shows that first spooling your reel with monofilament to approximately 1/4 to 1/3 of the capacity will prevent problems such as the braided line burying upon itself within the spool and backlashes.

Spinning tackle can be very effective for peacock bass fishing. Spinning tackle is most appropriate when working small to medium-sized topwater lures, jerkbaits, spoons and bucktail jigs, but is not as effective when fishing large topwater plugs.

After more than 12 years of fishing for trophy peacock bass on a regular basis, I am convinced that the most effective rod length and action for targeting fish in excess of 12 pounds on large topwater plugs is one that is between 6'2" and 6'6" in length and be considered of medium/heavy to heavy action.

This particular length and action of rod allows you to more efficiently use the wrists and arms to retrieve large topwater plugs across the surface. This, in turn, affords less fatigue on your wrists, arms, shoulders and back, as you are now letting the stout rod and no-stretch line take the majority of shock as you aggressively retrieve plugs across the surface.

If you've been using longer, lighter action rods in the past when casting larger topwater lures for some 6 to 10 hours a day, you will appreciate the shorter, stiffer rod and braided line combination.

When casting or trolling long, heavy jerkbaits, rods of 6-1/2 to 7' are the tools of choice. When you are fishing with smaller topwater lures, smaller size jerkbaits and spoons, rods of 6' to 6'6" and of medium/heavy action are appropriate.

Some anglers have a preference for spinning gear, but believe that it is not suited for the peacock bass. Quite the contrary. I have landed some of my largest fish on spinning gear, however knowing when and where to use this tackle is important. Throughout the course of a fishing day, I will frequently alternate between spinning and casting outfits, as these work different muscle groups of the wrists, arms, shoulders and back and cuts down on my fatigue while fishing.

Spinning rods are very appropriate for casting 4-6" jerkbaits, ½ to 1 oz topwater lures and when working
1/4 to 1 oz. bucktail jigs. These rods should be 6-7 feet in length, with medium/heavy action. When working large topwater lures, however, I do think that the casting outfits allow you more power and offer less fatigue than spinning gear.

For many veteran peacock bass anglers, one of the biggest break-throughs to help them catch more fish has been the advent of the new braided "superlines" that are made by a process of using polyethylene gel in a woven or spun fashion. This process creates a line that is much stronger than mono, has minimal stretch and is extremely abrasion resistant. In addition, the line will not set on the spool and is limp. The spinning process or weaving of mircofibers together to make one braided line allows for these new lines to offer a high break strength compared to their line diameter.

What this all means is simple - it will allow you to retrieve lures harder, faster and longer than you can with monofilament. This is especially important if you enjoy working large topwater plugs to tempt giant peacock bass. Through trial-and-error, it appears that the best line strength for topwater lures is between 50 and 100 lb break strength, depending on just who the line manufacturer is.

Because these super-lines offers very little stretch, this characteristic may pose a problem for first-time users. The problems you might face include: knot slippage; line burying upon itself within the spool and rod breakage. The problem of knot slippage can be overcome by learning new knots that have been devised for braided line. click here for COMPLETE, DETAILED BRAIDED LINE KNOT INSTRUCTIONS

Buried line within the spool can be lessened by using monofilament backing and making sure that you've put the line on the spool in a tight fashion. Finally, rod breakage, which is a factor of harsh hooksets, no-stretch line, tight drags or trying to horse fish away from cover, can be overcome by backing off on the drag, especially when you are playing a large fish in open water, away from cover.

Anglers that simply just won't fish with braided line should select a monofilament line with similar characteristics as the super-line, that being low stretch, abrasion resistant and the heaviest break strength for the diameter. For large topwater lures consider using between 17 and 30 pound monofilament. When fishing with jerkbaits, spoons, or bucktail jigs, braided lines are not as advantageous as when casting the large surface plugs.

Depending on the fishery, monofilament ranging from 14 to 25 is sufficient, even much lighter when fishing in watersheds that yield large numbers but not many trophies. I have had many a memorable day on peacock fisheries with 6 lb line on my medium action spinning rods targeting smaller, yet still spunky, fish. Keep in mind, however, that no matter how talented you are as an angler, or how heavy the line you come armed with, you will experience broken lines and lost plugs on just about every trip to South America.

If you are pursuing an International Game Fish Association all-tackle or line class record, you'll need to make sure that your line conforms to the standards of this organization and that you select a line that is rated to break at or below the strength listed on the package. Refer to the IGFA section for more details on going after that record fish.