Winter cools off the Florida waterways. This is a critical factor in the survival of the Butterfly Peacock Bass. Many early attempts to stock these fish in Florida failed because they died off in the winter when the water dropped below 65F (18C). The exception to this is the very south of Florida which maintains temperatures in the 80s and 70s, although the water temperatures are much cooler.

Technique

If you’re going to venture out during winter casting is the preferred method over trolling and lures are preferred over live bait.

 

Flashy diving, shallow running and surface plugs are the most effective along with jigs, large streamer flies and fly-rod poppers. When they strike on surface plugs, it’s aggressive and savage so be prepared.

 

Once your hook is set Butterfly Peacock Bass will put up a strong fight, making repeated short jumps and they don’t give up when they’re close to the boat.

 

The minimum line strength is 20, but in most situations, 40 lbs is recommended as the big lunkers can exceed 30 lbs and are tough to land on a 20 lb test line.

Rain Wrecks Havoc in South America

Winter for most parts of South America is the rainy season with water levels rising significantly causing lagoons and rivers to merge together into one large flood plain for much of the Amazon Basin. It rains daily and comes down very hard. It’s nothing like anything experienced in the US or Canada. In fact, the rains are very similar to the monsoons in India.

 

The higher water levels increase the Peacock Bass’ habitat, which makes locating the fish much more difficult and can often be fruitless, other than you catching a cold.

Reversed Seasons

Keep in mind before booking a fishing trip to South America that it’s located in the southern hemisphere where the seasons are reversed. When it’s summer in the northern hemisphere, it’s winter in the southern hemisphere. The length, duration and starting and ending times for the heavy rains are not consistent across the continent.

 

We suggest checking with local lodges and your guides before booking a trip. However in most regions the rainy season starts in December and lasts until March/April.