OUR SECRET WEAPON
The Ultimate Peacock Bass Trolling Jig/Fly
There are instances in which water and weather conditions, or perhaps when dealing with a less skilled angler, will create a situation in which you will simply have a very difficult time catching any peacock bass. This often leaves you and the guides frustrated. Our answer is the Ultimate Peacock Bass Trolling Jig/Fly.
 Our Ultimate Trolling Jig/Fly is basically a weighted fly, using a dumbbell head and large, fish-attracting eyes with a super strong and sharp proprietary hook (see image). Our standard jig components (bucktail, flashabou and occasional mylar) are then tied to the dumbbell head and hook. Anglers may now cast this jig behind the boat and troll it. This will allow you to cover a large amount of water under less than favorable fishing conditions, especially when other lures, such as topwater baits and jerkbaits, fail to produce. Our Ultimate trolling jig/fly has saved many a fishing trip when anglers were faced with poor conditions and a slow bite.
Troll the Ultimate Trolling Jigs in lagoons and quiet tributaries approximately 50-60 feet behind the boat. Every 10 seconds or so, give the jig a quick jerk of the rod to stimulate an interested fish that may be following the bait to strike it.
 Many anglers that cannot cast very well have found this technique most rewarding and even skilled anglers may switch to this technique when they see their less talented partner catching fish. This technique will yield numbers and trophies. It has the potential of turning a mediocre fishing experience for you into a memorable one. These trolling jigs are available in all of our standard colors and custom colors are also available as well.
IT’S A JIG….NO IT’S A FLY
 For fly anglers, our Ultimate Peacock Jig / Fly is ideal for tempting peacock bass. If you’ve not yet fished for peacock bass with a fly rod, you’ll soon discover how aggressive and powerful these fish are. The fly rods that you select for peacock bass must take these factors into consideration. To capitalize on the fish's aggressive nature, you must throw large, wind resistant flies and then work them using a variety of retrieval techniques. To stop the fish from running into the flooded jungle and other underwater obstructions, where they’re virtually impossible to extricate, you’ll often have to apply substantial pressure [more on the subject of fighting large peacock bass later in the text]. A stiff action, high modulus graphite rod is best suited to fit both bills. You need a rod with lots of backbone, capable of developing high line speed to deliver big flies long distances and the guts to stop freight-training fish. A 9-foot 10-weight fly rod is the perfect length and action to fish large flies.
Peacock bass are not leader shy and most of the fly anglers that fish the Amazon don't use tippets, unless they are looking to set an IGFA world record. We discovered that first-time peacock anglers totally overlook the need to shorten up the distance between the end of their fly line and their fly. Their background is usually in freshwater and they have been taught to use a long tapered leader - 10 to 12 ft. in length. For casting these larger peacock-style flies, they need to shorten this up to about 5 ft. Use a two-foot piece of 80lb. mono ending in a loop as the butt section attached to the end of the fly line with a nail knot. Add three-feet of straight 50 lb. mono or fluorocarbon for my leader and this is done with a loop to loop connection.
 You now have a leader of just 5ft. (See diagram courtesy of artist and fly fishing guru Bill Elliott of Tequesta, FL). During the day I will replace the three-feet of 50 lb. mono several times as I change flies. This short leader allows the weight forward 10-wt. line to cast and turn over these flies at long distances with less effort. After catching a peacock bass, the first thing to do is check your leader. If you have to, change your leader after every fish. You don’t want to work for an hour on a fish and lose it because of a bad leader.
The primary line should be a 10-wt clear sink tip line by Scientific Anglers or other reputable fly line companies. The first 10 feet of this line will sink at a rate of only a few inches each second. Allow the fly to sink until you can no longer see it, usually a depth of 12 to 24 inches, depending on water clarity, before starting the retrieve. |
