| If one of your favorite hobbies is fishing, allow me to introduce you to the fish I am most passionate for, peacock bass, the fiercest fighting fresh water fish. Peacock bass have straightened my hooks; destroyed my lures; broken my line, snaps, and swivels; ripped the gears out of my reels; broken my poles; dragged me and my canoe into the jungle; and escaped in every imaginable way. If you like a challenge, want to test your skills, learn some new tricks and have a fishing adventure, I recommend peacock bass fishing in Iquitos, Peru. Besides being ferocious predators, they are also smart, beautiful, and delicious. |
Peacock Bass Fishing Iquitos Peru |
| Here in Iquitos, Peru, they are called tucunarè, tucs, or tuquitos. I love catching tucs. I feel the most satisfaction tricking them with artificial lures from a one person canoe when the water is too high. Believe me it is not easy. If you want bragging numbers it is better to go when the water is low, in a two person boat with an expert controlling the boat. Either way, I would go with Dawn on the Amazon Tours and Cruises. Join us on a fishing expedition that will provide you with a topic of interesting conversation for the rest of your life. We will use our safe, comfortable river boat, Dawn on the Amazon III, as our base of operations and move to where the fish are biting. For half the price we can use our 35 foot, thatched-roof boat, Dawn on the Amazon I, to fish in the shade. Or we can branch out in small boats and canoes to access lakes and places where the larger boats cannot go. We will always be near our floating, comfortable home base, so you can fish as much or as little as you want. If your significant other is not interested in fishing, he or she will also have an amazing Amazon experience. Life is interesting along the river and you will experience new sights, sounds, and smells every day. We will observe nature. You will see and hear pink dolphins, monkeys, parrots, macaws, toucans, and hundreds of other jungle critters. You will love the beautiful butterflies and beetles. We will visit native villages and homes, take short or long hikes in the rainforest, swim, or just hang out and relax on Dawn on the Amazon. Dawn III has a modern kitchen/dining area, including a freezer and a refrigerator. You can enjoy the luxury of a cold beer or cool glass of wine in the middle of the rainforest after a hard day of fighting peacock bass. Did I mention new tastes? We will not cook like your grandmother. We will cook like a gourmet, Peruvian grandmother. This is a jungle experience and we will use the local fruit, produce, and spices, with fresh fish and chicken. We will have brewed Peruvian coffee every morning. All food and drinks will be prepared with pure water. Tucunarè have already destroyed my fishing gear so you should bring your own essential fishing gear. Two poles and two reels give you a back up. Contact me for advice about the best types and sizes of lures, lines, snaps and swivels etc., and to discuss the details of your fishing expedition to the Amazon jungle in search of peacock bass. If you do not want to bring your own favorite fishing gear, I do have some nice equipment to rent you. I was just kidding about my gear being destroyed. |
Sport Fishing in the Peruvian Amazon |
| This is the the most exciting freshwater sport fishery for the adventurous angler. Over twenty different species will take a fly or lure on any given day. Join Dawn on the Amazon, for an exciting day or a week of fishing for the hardest fighting, most delicious, most beautiful fish in the world. If you like fishing, please do not miss this opportunity. |
| PEACOCK BASS, Cichla monoculus, common Peruvian name, Tucunarè; size up to 12 lbs. Their explosive strike, ability to break heavy lines and straighten hooks, or drag an angler and canoe into the flooded jungle make them the Holy Grail of sport fishing. PAYARA, GIANT WOLF FISH, Hydrolycus scomberoides, common Peruvian name, Chambira; size up to 46 inches, and 31 lbs. Payaras possess huge fang like teeth, making Piranha look tame by comparison. Also known as vampire fish, Dracula fish or water wolf. They prefer strong current. Live piranha make the best bait, but can be taken on lures. They are very powerful, great jumpers when hooked, difficult to get in the boat, more fun to catch than to eat. Remove hook with caution. WOLF FISH, Hoplias malabaricus, common Peruvian name, Fasaco; size up to 5 lbs. Prefer shady areas, low light conditions, adapted to low oxygen conditions. A powerful predator, fun to catch, not my favorite to eat. Another toothy fish, remove hook with caution. SILVER AROWANA, Osteoglossum bicirrhosum, common Peruvian name Arahuana; size up to 20 lbs. Great jumpers, set the hook hard and hang on. The male broods the eggs and fry in their mouths. The young swim in and out between the large teeth. Valuable aquarium fish, and hard fighting sport fish. Can be spotted jumping out of the water to eat insects and small birds from the trees. Remove hook with caution. RED-BELLIED PIRANHA, Pygocentrus nattereri, common Peruvian name, Paña; size up to 1 lb. As Roger Harris of junglephotos.com says,"the Amazon's most notorious animal. Its powerful bite and sharp teeth can sever a finger or toe, but there are, contrary to popular belief, no confirmed fatalities resulting from a mass attack." Piranhas do not eat people, people eat piranha. Easy to catch. Use caution when handling these fish. Do not leave loose in the bottom of the boat. BLACK PIRANHA, Serrasalmus niger, common Peruvian name, Paña Blanca; size up to 5 lbs. Handle with extreme caution. PACU, Colossoma macropomum, common Peruvian name, Gamitana, Tambaqui, Pacu; size up to 50 lbs. This is a prized fish, not only for its delicious meat, but also for its great fight when hooked. Many believe the Pacu is a harder fighter than the Peacock Bass. Their teeth resemble those of the horse and are used to crush fruits and seeds. TIGER SHOVELNOSE CATFISH, Pseudoplatystoma tigrinum, common Peruvian name, Doncella; size up to 60 lbs. A large and powerful predator. A popular aquarium fish and a delicacy at the dinner table. RED-TAILED CATFISH, Phractocephalus hemioliopterus, common Peruvian name, Pez Torre; size up to 5 ft. and 125 lbs. Considered to be the prettiest catfish, popular aquarium fish, frequently caught. DORADO CATFISH, Brachyplatystoma flavicans, common Peruvian name, Dorado; size up to 4 ft., 70 lbs, is the most delicious of the region’s catfish. GIANT CLAWED CATFISH, Pseudodoras niger, common Peruvian name, Turushuqui; size up to 50 lbs. Nocturnal, Distinctive rows of claw-like bony protuberances along each side. Armored, prehistoric looking, hard fighting, delicious. SHARK CATFISH, Calophysus macropterus, common Peruvian name, Mota; size up to3 lbs. Frequently caught, hard fighting, fun. OSCAR, Astronotus ocellatus, common Peruvian name, Acarahuasú; size up to 3 lbs. The supreme pan fish of the upper Amazon. Very delicious. Popular aquarium fish, great fighters. PIKE CICHLID, Crenicichla johanna, common Peruvian name, Añashúa; size up to 1 lb. Five species in the area we fish. Fast, colorful, fun to catch. PERUVIAN CICHLID, Heros appendiculatus, common Peruvian name, Bufurqui or Bujurqui; size up to six inches. There are about 50 kinds of cichlid in the Peruvian Amazon. Most are too small to be considered game fish, but many are popular aquarium fish. Males in breeding color are truly spectacular. The Peruvian Cichlid and a few other kinds are excellent pan fish. |
| This piranha could eat these other fish for breakfast |
| This giant freshwater stingray caught near the confluence of the Amazon and Nanay Rivers from the back of Dawn on the Amazon III |
| Peacock Bass Fishing Iquitos Peru If you have joined the many sport fishermen who have taken an Amazon peacock bass fishing trip to Brazil or Venzeuela then your next Amazon peacock bass fishing tour should be Iquitos Peru. Visit this link of our photo gallery, Fish and Mammals of the Peruvian Amazon . Contact us today. |
| Big cat |
| Big catfish, big mouth |
| Mark with peacock bass |
