By Capt. Justin Napior
Happy New Year everyone!! If you plan on taking some time off to visit Family or friends in south west Florida and have peacock bass on your bucket list, bring your rod and reel and tell grandma you’re fishing the fresh water pond behind her house.
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The peacock bass have been around in south west Florida for a long time. Fisherman would catch the invasive species in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale and bring them to Naples. I remember catching them as a kid when bass fishing in the local lakes and canals. Now they inhabit many of the local canals in the area and have become very popular on social media and are on most angler’s bucket lists! And I don’t blame them, these fish are extremely aggressive and they are a blast to catch on light tackle and fly. They are very colorful fish and photograph really well!
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My favorite rig for these aggressive fish is pretty simple. I use a ¼ ounce jig head and a paddle tail or an Owner twist lock and any bright colored lure. Many classic bass fishing rigs will work as well. These fish typically hang out near shore lines, banks, and around some sort of structure like a dock, rocks, bridges or fallen trees. Sight fishing them is very fun and is great for any skill level! All it takes is a decent cast and a twitch or two and they are usually honed in on it. If lures are not your thing, you can pick up some live shiners from the local tackle shop. Live shiners and a 2/0 circle hook will pretty much guarantee you a bite and a caught fish. You can find them in the local canal systems by walking along banks or kayaking; many of the canals are accessible by foot, so go explore you may be surprised at what you can find.
Well I hope everyone has a great New Year and if you get a chance to fish for some southwest Florida peas, I wish you luck! And till next time, tight lines everybody.
Capt. Justin Napior is the owner of Backcountry Culture Fishing out of beautiful Naples FL.. Specializing in snook and tarpon. If you’re looking for some SWFL fishing contact him at capt.jnapior@gmail.com or call 239-682-7101