THE ULTIMATE ANGLING BUCKET LIST

So why go to the trouble of fishing it from a boat. The simple answer is that some of the more affluent
residential areas of central Miami back onto these canals, where the only access to much of the system
is by boat.
Another important point of difference, not only between the Miami canal system and that of the UK,
but also between it and the rest of the US, is that it lies on top of the Biscayne aquifer, which even in
winter rarely drops below sixty five degree's in temperature.
This is crucial to both the well being and the containment of peacock bass. Not only can peacock's not
spawn in water below sixty degree's, they would also struggle to survive in it too.
This then has been crucial to their spreading and prospering throughout the whole three hundred and
thirty miles of the system. But more important still, it also confines them within it too.
The FWC were very careful not to introduce another alien species they could not contain which might
exacerbate the problem of exotic introductions still further. And in that regard, the experiment has been
a complete success. Numbers of other exotic species have fallen off dramatically since the peacock bass
started munching their way through them, and to quote Star Treks Mr. Spock, the peacocks themselves
have lived long and prospered as a result.
So much so that the world record for the species, previously from from Venezuela, was toppled from
the Miami area shortly after my visit, placing the Biscayne Canal system very firmly at the centre of a
brand new multi-million dollar sport fishery.
As a visitor to the area, I not only needed to hire in the use of a boat, but also the services of an
experienced guide, so Dawn and I booked a day with peacock bass expert Frank Carbone who operates
'Hawg Hunter' Guide Services, 'Hawg' being the local term for a super sized large mouth bass. And
when it comes to equipment and professionalism, they don't mess about in this part of the world.
Even though we were 'only' going canal fishing, Frank still turned up with a twenty one foot flying
machine with two hundred and fifty hp of engine
clamped to the back of it. A little OTT at face value.
But when you consider the size of some of the lakes
he also guides on for large mouth bass you can
appreciate the reasoning.
So with drinks in the cooler and six dozen roach like
live-baits called shiners in the live well, it was off to
the suburbs of Miami to slip the boat from its trailer
and start working our way through the system.
Peacock bass differ from endemic species of North
American bass such as large mouths in a number of
ways, the most important of which being that despite
their build, name, and aggression, they are in fact not
actually bass at all, but members of the cichlid family.
They also fight much harder than the resident
varieties, and will feed when other species of fish
would prefer to get their heads down and sulk.
Largemouth bass for example prefer over-cast cooler
weather and hate flat calm bright sunny days.
Peacock bass on the other hand are at their best when,
Phill Williams, Midas Cichlid
383