Peacocks in Lakes and Canals of Miami

[bluebill]

I had to drive over to Miami for a job on Monday. I fished late Monday afternoon and most of Monday morning.

My goal was to scout for peacocks. Caught three medium size blind casting in an area where they usually hang out. No sight casting at all as the peacocks are not yet in the shallows looking for bedding sites.
I did see one in 8 feet of water just lounging not eating my lure.

I drove home via the Tamiami Trail ( Calle Ocho ). I will not do that again as construction is extensive for twenty miles or so west of Krome Ave and you get stopped by at least half dozen flaggers.

But, west of the hwy construction, I did stop at one of the big water control structures. Water was being released and flowing strongly easterly. Bass and bluegill were hanging out above and below the structure and I did catch many and saw some big bass. The bite was on with lots of cane polers on the south site of this spot where water is released under the hwy into a canal that heads south into the Glades.

[TRKpoker]

If you can give me some notice let me know when your going to be in the area and maybe we can get some trout fishing done OR some freshwater snakehead fishing done. Up here in Broward the snakeheads are a great fight and really good eating. Mostly I can only plan on weekend fishing.

Tight lines,
Tom

[bluebill]

Some good news for Miami peacock bass fans.

Developers are starting to come back to life and several new communities are under construction in West Kendall. Each one has a typical lake that will populate with peacocks. Fishable numbers could be available in three to five years. Then the key is to gain access.

[bluebill]

How about Peacock Bass Fishing in Weston, FL., the residential area just west of Ft Lauderdale.

Anyone fished in Weston? Krash probably has.

I have a new contact who has a home in there but it looks pretty tightly built up.

[krash]

Weston area is good, but yes tightly locked down. Its pretty much either you know someone or ninja fishing at its best, same goes for P-Pines. The area was considerably better before the big freeze a couple years ago, but there are Peacock Bass to be had.

I personally have not been since going down for the count with my heart issues last September, but have a buddy who does pretty OK in some of my spots. What I did notice, before going down for the count, was that there were less Peacock Bass but more fresh water Snook being caught.

My suggestion is if you have access or are willing to put in lots of time stopping making a few cast, maybe walking a couple miles, go for it. Jump om Google earth, mark out several locations and hit it, don;t park anywhere you see "Tow Away" signs, do not leave a mess on the bank including pieces of line or spent rubber, and if confronted by a local resident be polite and when told to leave go peacefully.
There are very few gurantee's when Peacock Bass fishing, if coming from afar I'd suggest Miami canal systems.

[bluebill]

Krash,

Thanks for the comments you are a trooper.

Yes, my preference is the Miami peacock spots. I add a few new locations there each year.

I asked my new contact who lives in Weston but he is not a fisherman. I can try his backyard canal but that is too limited. If I get a chance to fish Weston , I will take your advice and study Google Earth maps and lay out a residential attack plan.

Is the canal on the south side of Weston overfished? Is it the Griffon Rd canal?

[krash]

Krash,

Thanks for the comments you are a trooper.

Yes, my preference is the Miami peacock spots. I add a few new locations there each year.

I asked my new contact who lives in Weston but he is not a fisherman. I can try his backyard canal but that is too limited. If I get a chance to fish Weston , I will take your advice and study Google Earth maps and lay out a residential attack plan.

Is the canal on the south side of Weston overfished? Is it the Griffon Rd canal?

No its not really over fished, but there is good reason, its hard to fish lots of walking and fish there one day and not the next.. On the North side of that canal is a walk/jogging/horse trail, but only a few places to park.

The canal behind your buddies house may be good, depending on how far you can walk it, most are all interconnected via under-ground/street pipes or lakes, I would try it if I had a chance.

[Gibby3474]

Great fish. Wish we had them.

I've had the opportunity to fish for them several times in Broward County and Miami-Dade County. I had a spot along Alligator Alley where I was catching them on fly rod, but haven't caught any since the 2010 freeze.

I've found that when they're on their beds, you can catch them easily on fly rod -- if you're persistent. They'll hit the fly almost every time you get it in the nest.

[krash]

Fishing bedding peacock bass should be illegal.... there should be no pride in catching them its just to easy kind of like catching fish in a barrel with a grenade. (Sorry guys but this is MPO)

[Gibby3474]

Fishing bedding peacock bass should be illegal.... there should be no pride in catching them its just to easy kind of like catching fish in a barrel with a grenade. (Sorry guys but this is MPO)

I don't necessarily disagree with you, and I don't have plans to do it.

[krash]

Fishing bedding peacock bass should be illegal.... there should be no pride in catching them its just to easy kind of like catching fish in a barrel with a grenade. (Sorry guys but this is MPO)

I don't necessarily disagree with you, and I don't have plans to do it.

Its just MPO, and its not illegal... but I see way to many photo's of knot-headed P's with smiling anglers, sure some are caught by blind casting.
I have read, seen, and heard well if you are careful and release the fish in the same general vicinity of where they are caught they will go back to the nest. I've seen it my self. The instant you hook up with one fosh of a pair both scatter for a few seconds and more often than not while the fish are being molested the ciclids and/or bream move in quickly and ravage the nest. Way to many times where tomorrow go back and the nest has been abandoned by both fish and neither fish is anywhere to be seen.
Unmolested fish stay on the nest, until the eggs hatch, and stick around the general area a couple days after a successful hatch and guard the fry.
I walk the banks by my house and see the same fish, especially the males, come back to the same spot to nest year after year. Its like the stake out a claim to a specific piece of bottom.

[bluebill]

Gibby -

Thanks for the peacock bass report and the great photos.

I also have caught some peacocks out the Trail near the Indian Casino several years ago. I am pretty sure they have repopulated since the two years of freeze. Now, when I get over to Miami I try to increase my chances to catch a few peacocks by fishing the best spots I know of and they are several lakes and canals in the general Kendall area.

I like fly fishing for them because it really works and if you de-barb the hook, it rarely causes any obvious physical damage to the fish. I also fish them with light spinning gear with single hook small crappie jigs. Again, I bend the barbs down.

Some of the fishers on this forum like to fish crank bait plugs and I enjoy that also , but in my experience, the double trebel hooks are more likely to hurt the fish

Krash's sermons over several years have got me avoiding deliberately passing my fly or jig close to a bedding pair of peacocks.
And, I have found plenty of fish in deeper water where they are just cruising and not yet on their shallow bed.

I have tried eating LM bass and enjoyed the taste. Never tried eating a peacock but have met a few folks in Miami that do keep and eat them.

[bluebill]

Going over to Miami for the weekend for a family birthday.

I will fish for peacocks mainly and largemouths if they are biting. Light spinning gear only, jigs and small plugs. All, catch and release. I usually catch a few big bluegill on these same lures.

The water should be warmer than on my trip just over a month ago so I am expecting better results.

Will post results next Monday or Tuesday.

[bluebill]

I have photos of three peacocks caught yesterday, Sunday morning in a Miami lake.
Do not remember how to attach the photos (they are stored on Photobucket) but will try copy and paste.
Well that did not work so I will need to call my IT Guy for help.

[bluebill]

I will try to post photos of three peacocks I caught yesterday in Miami.

They differ alot in markings on and near the tail. Each photo is just before release and each fish has a few inches of water over it.







I fished Sat and Sun morning only and the bite was over by noon. Only saw one fish on a bed. All other sightings were of peacocks in deeper water and that is where I caught these.

I think the fish will move quickly into the shallows as soon as Miami gets some rain.

[DaveR]

Good on ya. Still haven't got my lazy ass down there to get me one. Al Gore promised I would be catching them in Sarasota by now.