Floridapeacocks (US)

 Florida Largemouth Bass - "Battle With The Best"

Virtual Library of Sport September 24, 2007 The Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides (Centrarchidae) (1) is probably the worlds most sought after freshwater game fish. It is a member of the sunfish family and is truly a warm water fish. This species is native to the Southeastern U.S. and thrives in temperatures of up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Largemouth Bass are opportunistic feeders and are generally at the top of the food chain in their respective lakes, ponds, sloughs and swamps. They are primarily a fish eater. However the largemouth will feed on just about any other water creature or animal that lives in its environment. They are truly an awesome predator! The Largemouth Bass is typically a shallow water species and is seldom found in more than 20 feet of water, making them easy to target for the average fisherman with or without a boat. They thrive in vegetation rich environments alive with small baitfish such as the wild shiner or shad. The thick vegetation provides adequate cover for the bass to ambush its prey.

The Largemouth Bass reaches sexual maturity in about 3 to 5 years. They spawn in remote shallow water bays with a hard bottom that are full of vegetation so they can protect their fry from other predators such as the Red-eared Bluegill. The fry can not tolerate temperatures less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit so the bass lay their eggs in May through July when the water temps reach the middle 60’s to low 70’s. However in Florida and Southern Florida specifically some fishermen say that there are always some fish spawning all year long, you just have to find them. The Largemouth is found now in just about every corner of the globe. From the Florida everglades to the California Delta these fish have thrived and represent a passion for millions of anglers worldwide. Additionally, the Largemouth Bass has been introduced throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, South Africa, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Brazil just to name a few. Scientists and anglers had already recognized by 1932 that Largemouth Bass in peninsular Florida grew to a larger size and had different coloration than their northern counterparts. These differences, as well as other physical characteristics, were used to classify Florida Largemouth Bass as a distinct subspecies in 1949. Although each is recognized as a unique biological unit, the two subspecies of Florida bass have been widely introduced throughout the nation because of their potential for producing trophy-size fish. However, native populations of this subspecies are unique only to the central and southern portions of the Florida peninsula. As a result, they represent a natural resource that is both biologically unique and economically valuable.

South Florida Everglades bass fishing (2) is a once in a lifetime experience. Here you will experience first hand the true habitat of the South Florida Everglades largemouth bass. You will see lots of alligators, exotic birds like the great blue heron and other wildlife (3), but the best of all are the trophy sized Largemouth Bass all year round. Whether it is up on Lake Okeechobee or in the canals of the Florida Everglades, there is always a bass fishing adventure ready for you here in our region. The state record currently for a largemouth bass is 17.27 pounds. The fish was caught in an unnamed lake in Polk County, Florida back in 1986. We see lots of bass over 10 pounds come from the big "O" and 30 pound 5 fish stringers are caught every day in the canals of the Florida Everglades. Our fishery is alive and well and will be here for years to come.

In 1984 the Florida fish and wildlife commission had a problem on its hands. The canals of South Florida were overrun with exotic species of fish like the Oscar and the Spotted Tilapia that were not native (4) to our canal system and were threatening the local population of largemouth bass. They decided to introduce the South American counterpart of the Largemouth Bass, the Peacock Bass (Cichla ocellaris) (5). This has proven to be a very effective countermeasure and has eliminated most of the undesirable species in the canal system. The population of Largemouth Bass in the Florida canal system has finally come back to where it once was years ago. The Peacock Bass has provided anglers from across the globe a new trophy fish to seek while visiting South Florida and domestic anglers a new fishing destination stateside.


South Florida is the only place that you can catch the mighty Peacock Bass in an urban fishing environment. The Butterfly Peacock Bass was introduced to South Florida waters back in 1984. Though the Peacock Bass closely resembles its North American counterpart (the Largemouth Bass) the Peacocks are not related to the Largemouth but are a member of a family of fish known as Cichlids. There are over 800 different types of Cichlids known worldwide and they are commonly found in the aquariums of freshwater fish enthusiasts. Over twenty thousand Peacock Bass were released into the lakes and canals of South Florida during the fish and wildlife’s stocking program. Because of their sensitivity to cold weather, South Florida is the only place in the contiguous United States that they have been successfully introduced. The only other places that you do not need a passport to catch these fish are Hawaii and Puerto Rico. One of the greatest things about the Peacock is that you do not have to rise at the crack of dawn to catch these fish. They feed the most during the middle of the day.

The Peacocks grow at an alarmingly fast rate, reaching a pound in size in their first year! To fuel this growth, they must eat a tremendous amount. This makes them eager to attack all different types of baits and lures. The faster that you can retrieve your bait the better when fishing for this species and if they hit and miss just keep the bait coming full throttle. They have been known to hit top water baits 3 or 4 times before finally getting hooked. It is not uncommon to catch forty or fifty fish in a day. The state record currently for a Butterfly Peacock Bass is just over 9 pounds. Since the addition of Butterfly Peacock Bass to the IGFA world record listings in 1996, nearly every Butterfly Peacock bass world record has come from the South Florida area. As they continue to grow, the records will continue to fall and you will notice that nearly all the records (6) are the same size, paralleling the growth of the first generations of fish.

Get in on the action! For sheer excitement, pound for pound the peacock bass may be the hardest fighting freshwater fish around (7). The article is written by Capt. Steve McDonald of Bassmaster Guide Service Inc., a Florida Bass Guide Service. Bass Capt. Steve would be pleased to hear from you and to answer any specific questions that you may have. Capt. Steve is also the librarian for bass fishing for the Virtual Library of Sport. Further Information:

1.Micropterus Salmoides (Centrarchidae) - http://floridafisheries.com/Fishes/bass.html


2. Florida area fishing maps - http://myfwc.com/fishing/oims/index.html


3. Florida fish & wildlife - www.myfwc.com 4. Florida non native fish - http://floridafisheries.com/Fishes/non-native.html


5. Cichla ocellaris - http://floridafisheries.com/Fishes/non-native.html#peacock


6. Record catches - http://floridafisheries.com/record.html


7. Florida Fishing Tips - http://floridafisheries.com/docum/fishtips.html