Peacock bass are held in high regard by anglers all over the world for their aggressive nature and hard fighting ability. When talk of peacock bass fishing arises most people immediately start talking about South America and the Amazon. However, many people don’t realize peacock bass are much closer to them than they think. Peacock bass can be caught here in the United States and it’s as simple as traveling to Miami, Florida.
Butterfly peacock bass were introduced into the Miami area man-made canals in the mid 1980′s by the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission to help control the spread of non-native exotic species that were being released into the Miami canals. The spread of these exotic species went unchecked for many years as the native fish population didn’t feed on them. The introduction of butterfly peacock bass was the perfect solution to this growing problem as peacocks would feed on these non-native fish while increasing sport fishing opportunities in south Florida. Since its introduction, the peacock bass population has exploded in the south Florida canals and has provided anglers with exceptional peacock bass fishing!
Peacock bass are a tropical species and do no tolerate colder water temperatures below 62 degrees. Unlike Florida’s natural bodies of water, the water temperature in the canals never dip below the mid-60′s. This is due to a few different factors, but the main factor is due to the Biscayne Aquifer. The aquifer lies only a few feet below the grounds surface and helps the canals maintain constant tropical temperatures year round. During the winter, warmer water from this aquifer flows into the canals and keeps the water temperatures in the mid-60′s and above.
