 By
Charles Spivak
While most people spent New Year’s Day 2005 at football games
or were watching those games on their television, I spent it fishing
for Peacock Bass on the Unini River in the Amazon rain forest about
220 mile WNW of the city of Manaus, Brazil. My fishing partner for
this trip was Lewis Cunningham of Reel-it-Up Global Angling Adventures
(www.reelitup.com).
This New Year’s Day ended up being one of my best fishing
days ever and a great way to start 2005. It was the third day of
fishing on our 7-day fishing trip. The day before I had landed a
23-pound monster grande that had our native guide Izaihas jumping
into the piranha infested water to free up my 65-pound test PowerPro
line that the fish had wrapped around a submerged log in an attempt
to free itself. All this occurred as a thunderstorm was bearing
down on us. As you can see 2004 had also ended well for me.
New Year’s Day started with the river a little high from the
rain that had fallen the day before but the increased water level
did not seem to affect the fishing. The morning started well with
both Lewis and I landing two 18-pound beauties before we took our
first aqua (water) break. The day ended with 21 peacocks caught
and released with 10 of the fish weighing over 12 pounds including
fish weighing 20, 18, 18, 16 and 15 pounds. The 20-pound grande
peacock was a story in itself and is a good example that although
skill is important in fishing that luck sometimes is better.
It was nearing 5 PM and we had been fishing hard for over 10 hours
with only a small 20-minute break for lunch. While my partner was
at the front of the boat religiously working a large woodchopper
(he was far behind me in that days fish count), I being tired from
all that I had caught was sitting on my bottom on the center chair
lazily casting a Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow to the shore. Between casts
I would take a drink from my Skol cerveja (beer) followed by a puff
from my Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story cigar. The cast was
no different from the hundreds I had thrown that day.
The lure hit the water about one foot from the shore. I began my
retrieve when all of a sudden the water exploded with that familiar
sound of TNT going off in the water that every person that has ever
caught a peacock bass is familiar with. It initially felt like another
8 to 10 pounder until I realized that the fish was going where it
wanted to. I cannot adequately describe the power that a 20-pound
peacock bass has. I ended up with the drag as tight as I could get
it as the fish twice almost sent me into the river as it tried to
go under the boat.
Once again the 65-pound test PowerPro line lived up to its billing.
Finally after several minutes the giant was under control (sort
of) and Izaihas was lowering the over sized net into the river.
As he pulled the net into the boat the fish completely filled it.
Pictures were taken and measurements were made and the grande was
returned to the river where it was revived leaving us soaked from
its splash. Another cerveja was opened as Lewis, Izaihas and myself
toasted the end of a great New Year’s Day.
Unfortunately, it continued to rain and the Unini River rose to
a point where it started to flood the jungle making the remaining
four days of fishing difficult. In addition to Lewis and myself
our group consisted of Sonny Inscho (a remarkable 76 year old Birmingham
native), Kitty and Dan Perkins of Sylacauga and brothers O.T. and
Michael Miller of Birmingham and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania respectively.
In spite of the last four days of difficult fishing our count ended
with 361 peacock bass, 47 over 12 pounds with four over 20 pounds
caught.
Our outfitter on the Unini River was Amazon’s River Plate
Anglers (www.riverplateanglers.com).
Our two man-sleeping tent was set up on a 10 X 15 foot barge that
drafted only 4 inches of water. A dining room was set up on a 10
X 19 foot barge and the entire camp was moved up or down the river
while we were fishing in an attempt to find optimal water conditions.
They set up the entire camp on one of the many sandy beaches that
line the river. This is a great concept for peacock bass fishing
that works except in the conditions that we found ourselves where
the whole river was flooding.
Considering that we were in the middle of nowhere the accommodations
and food were remarkable. The staff was extremely friendly and the
guides went out of their way to provide the best fishing chances.
Had the water conditions not risen so dramatically I am convinced
that we would have caught a huge number of peacock bass with at
least a dozen over 20 pounds.
This was my fourth trip to the Amazon to peacock bass fish. I thought
I would like to give you my top 10 suggestions that you won’t
find in the books:
1) The Amazon is not a place to work on your tan,
coverage counts. Spend the money to get at least two outfits of
jungle wear (they will do the wash for you everyday). Get long sleeve
shirts that will cover your forearms during the mid-day sun.
2) To protect your hands get fishing gloves or
for a cheaper alternative buy some gardening gloves and cut off
the fingertips. If you baitcast, leave the baitcasting thumb intact
to help you keep your fingerprints on that thumb after a weeks worth
of casts.
3) Get some water shoes. They are comfortable and
quick drying. Wear them with white socks to protect your ankles
from the sun.
4) Forget monofilament. Peacock bass are strong
and those over 20 pounds are amazing. Use braided line. When attempting
to land a large peacock bass there will come a point where you simply
will have to muscle the fish or it will be lost. Learn the Palomar
knot. It is 100% with the line. I personally recommend the 65-pound
test PowerPro. It is the size of 16-pound test monofilament. I have
never had it break even with my 23 pound peacock bass sawing it
around the submerged log. I have personally seen Spider Wire break
three times with a big peacock on the other end.
5) Don’t forget subsurface lures. Top water
lures (ex. Woodchoppers) are the peacock bass standard and the explosion
of any size peacock bass on it has to be seen to be believed but
it has been my experience that it is just as easy to hook a peacock
using a subsurface lure. My favorite subsurface lure is the Yo-Zuri
Crystal Minnow. I have had a large number of peacock bass caught
using floating, suspending and sinking Crystal Minnows. I honestly
don’t think that the color matters. The motion of the Crystal
Minnow consistently elicits a strike and is much easier to cast
when you find yourself tired of casting those large woodchoppers.
It is a great pattern to have one partner throw a top water lure
while the other uses a subsurface lure.
6) Bring zip lock plastic bags. Things get wet
in a rain forest. Also bring band-aids. You will need them after
a week of dealing with lures with sharp treble hooks.
7) Those 99-cent garbage bag raincoats do as good
a job as larger, heavier and more expensive rain gear. Plus you
can use one to cover your gear when the heavens open up on you.
8) Bring a towel to soak in the melted ice water
in your cooler in the hot afternoons. It can be wrapped around your
neck and helps with the brutal afternoon sun.
9) A 6-foot medium heavy rod is the best to bring.
Buy a high quality rod case. The airlines seem to spend extra attention
in trying to destroy them. On every trip I have seen at least one
case damaged.
10) Bring bug spray. Although the black water of
the Rio Negro River system with their high tannin levels from the
decaying vegetation keeps the biting bug populations low, you will
need the spray for the no see-ums at dusk.
If you have ever thought about peacock bass fishing, do it. Catching
peacock bass is an incredible life experience. Adding to this is
the fact that you do it while experiencing the Amazon jungle. There
are a number of outfitters that offer peacock base fishing (fixed
camp verses mobile camps) at varying costs.
I can personally recommend Lewis Cunningham at Reel-it-Up (205-970-0151
or 866-801-3209). Lewis can help you arrange the right trip for
your needs and I personally know of no one who will work harder
to make your trip a success. I hope your New Year’s Day was
as good as mine.
Charles Spivak
Birmingham, Alabama
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