When a Spotted Peacock Bass strikes at your bait, it will do so with such a hard hit that you’d better have your drag loosened to reduce the risk of snapping your line and make sure your rod is secured.

While the Spotted Peacock Bass loves the sun, the summer heat drives the surface water temperature north of 82°F degrees, driving the Spotted Peacock bass into deeper lagoons and out of the shallows. This occurs in the summer and early fall, in the perspective of the southern hemisphere – this would be our spring and winter.

Water conditions at depth are very murky and filled with debris. Fishing for them during this time takes patience and lot of gear as getting snagged is pretty common. The best time to fish for peacocks during this time is during the early- to mid afternoon. This is when they retreat to the deep as the surface water temperature increases.

At depth, they will feed on bait fish. Deep water techniques are more difficult, not only because of the debris, but as this is not a habitat that is the Spotted Peacocks first choose. Their preferred habitat is in the shallows with the sun on their backs. Peacock bass are active in the shallow water late in the morning and early in the afternoon when the sun is high. This is contrary to the North American Bass, the peacocks enjoy the sun and it governs so much of their life. They are slow early in the morning and in the evening.

Deep lakes and lagoons offer the greatest challenge for catching Spotted Peacock Bass. The Spotted Peacocks hide amongst the debris waiting for prey to show up. As you can see by the image, the bottom of lagoons are filled with fallen timber and sunken logs and it is very murky.

Use the same techniques for catching largemouth bass. As these lagoons are full of sunken debris choose your lures carefully. Weedless lures will help reduce getting lures snagged on sunken debris with spoons and spinners being essential due to the poor visibility conditions. If you have the choice to fish in shallows and river conditions, do so. Fishing in deepwater lagoons will prove frustrating. However, if you are going to fish in these conditions, make sure you have extra tackle as you are likely to get snagged.

The most effective technique for going after peacocks in this habitat is through the use of a weedless fly with a sinking rig. While effective, it does not offer the same level of excitement as fishing for peacocks in shallow waters. In the deep water, sunlight is not as strong and peacocks are not as quick.

When a Spotted Peacock Bass strikes at your bait, it will do so with such a hard hit that you’d better have your drag loosened to reduce the risk of snapping your line and make sure your rod is secured or you’ll loose your rod and everything attached. The Spotted Peacock is the largest Peacock Bass and a ferocious fighting fish so be prepared for a fight and don’t let up until it its landed in your net.

For a video slideshow of a memorable peacock fishing adventure, check out my friend’s peacock fishing adventure at Bass-Fishing-Source.com.