Peacock Tail
Peacock Bass Fishing – Making The Best Out Of This Exciting Activity…
No other sport fish in the world approaches the peacock bass’ reputation for ferocious, awe inspiring strikes and sheer tackle busting power. The peacock behaves like an aggressive largemouth bass on steroids with a really bad attitude. When a peacock decides to strike a surface lure, it hits with such power, noise and impact that you have a hard time believing it’s real. It can literally startle an unsuspecting angler into reflexively flinching and trying to drag the bait away.
Subsurface strikes can be no less impressive, feeling as though your bait somehow got hooked onto an underwater freight train. The peacock’s violent behavior and amazing displays of sheer strength seem impossible for a fish twice its size.
It seems to expend more energy than it can possibly contain for the first minute or two of its encounter with an angler. You’d think that a fish that fights this hard would tire very fast, but fishermen quickly learn that even as it comes to the boat, there’s usually another hook-straightening burst of power or line-peeling run remaining.
Peacock bass are Cichlids, members of the most highly evolved group of fishes in the world. Hundreds of species exist in both the old and the new world and represent some of the most diverse fish in the underwater domain. Many, such as Oscars from South America and the mbuna from Africa, are among the most popular home aquarium fishes, while other species such as tilapia, and are farmed to provide food for our tables
Cichla Ocellaris, the butterfly peacock, has a much wider range than its larger cousin. These peacocks (called mariposa) are differentiated by three black rosettes marking their sides instead of the black bars of temensis. Butterflies are not only found throughout Amazonian, but have been successfully transplanted to Central America, southern Florida, Mexico and Hawaii.
Although rarely exceeding 7 or 8 pounds, they are terrific fighters, readily strike the same baits and are every bit as aggressive as their larger cousins. A third species, Cichla Nigrolineatus, (or royal peacock) is found in faster moving waters and rarely exceeds 3 or 4 pounds.
Cichla temensis, called “tucunare azul or paca” in Brazil and “pavon azul or pinta lapa” in Spanish speaking countries, are very sensitive to water temperature and are therefore essentially restricted to the equatorial tropics of Amazonia. Specimens of this species of peacock bass have been caught as large as 27 pounds by anglers. Reports of commercially caught fish of over 35 pounds have come from the market in Manaus.
There are surely plenty of new records still swimming in the vast, relatively unexplored waters of the Amazon. Tucunare coloring and appearance is widely varied through its range and specimens from the same waters can often appear to be members of different species. All specimens have the trademark tail spot for which they are named, as well as black markings on the gill plates. Body color can vary from a dark brownish green through deep yellow to almost silver. Three black, vertical bars of varying size and intensity mark their sides and blood red runs along their bellies and colors their lower fins.
A common color variant, called “paca” displays dotted, horizontal white lines overlaying the pattern on their sides. (It is said that specimens with this color variation are even stronger and more tenacious than their brethren.) A second color variation has black connected splotches on the back and a horizontal black blotch along the belly. In some clear water fisheries, peacock’s fins are streaked with an unearthly electric blue. It’s hard to believe that a predatory fish as fierce as a peacock can also be so beautiful
As the rains come to an end in the areas feeding a river, water levels begin to drop, first in the headwaters and then further downstream. The waters recede from the flooded jungles and once again become confined in the lagoons and river channels. The baitfish, and of course their consumers, the peacock bass, return as well. During the early part of the dry season, the peacocks feed voraciously on the fattened and concentrated baitfish. This is prime time for peacock anglers. After a month of heavy feeding, they begin to spawn.
Unlike largemouth bass, which become aggressive and pugnacious when on the spawning beds, peacocks simply gather their young and retreat from fishermen presenting lures. The optimal time to fish for peacocks is the pre-spawn period, those four weeks or so after the rivers drop and before the fish get on the spawning beds.
About the Author
Abhishek is an avid Bass Fishing enthusiast and he has got some great Bass Fishing Secrets up his sleeve! Download his FREE 135 Pages Ebook, “How To Become A Bass Fishing Pro!” from his website http://www.Fishing-Masters.com/88/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.
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Bees, Snails, and Peacock Tails Shapes– Naturally $14.79 Come explore the hidden shapes and patterns in nature. The peacock`s flashy tail is a masterpiece of color and shape. A buzzing beehive is built of tiny hexagons. Even a snake`s skin is patterned with diamonds.Poet Betsy Franco and Caldecott Honor winn… |