Capt Bob LeMay 0 Report post Posted March 26, 2023 Still doing a bit of freshwater scouting whenever I'm able since I'm wanting to find a good population of peacock bass in my local canals... Funny thing - in the canals behind all the houses down here in south Florida the peacock population is doing just fine - but none of those canals allow access with a boat.... and back in December the bigger canals that I can launch my skiff into - got a bad cold spell that killed off many of my local peacocks... Finally found a few peas the other day along with a host of other small fish species... The following pics show my first few - all on the same small popper... using a 7wt rod... a small spotted gar was my first fish that morning _ and came on my first or second cast that day, working around bonnet heads this baby largemouth came on the next cast this oscar was next - for those who've never encountered them - they're typically two to three times as thick as a bluegill - and can really pull - once again that same popping bug followed by this small bluegill with no peacocks hitting my flies... I finally resorted to a lure on a light spinning rod and found my first peacock that morning - followed by three or four more from the same spot... I only used two fly rods that day - an old Sage 7wt that I'd just made a new cork handle for - and a lighter 5wt.. Didn't find many peacocks yet (but that should change as local waters warm up in spring -then summer) -and only used two fly patterns all morning.. the SpeedBug - a saltwater popper using a soft foam head on a #1 hook... my version of Norm's Crystal Schminnow on a #4 hook for the 5wt rod... Note the wire weedguard... I only used my camera that first hour - the pics shown were typical of what I encountered up and down several different canals during the morning - just nothing like the 'glades - alligators everywhere I went as well... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
niveker 0 Report post Posted March 26, 2023 Looks like you had a good morning there, good variety of fish. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capt Bob LeMay 0 Report post Posted March 26, 2023 All of it very close to home… Most days I’m out of Flamingo or Chokoloskee and towing my skiff 93 miles one way just to get to the ramps… Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mark Knapp 0 Report post Posted March 26, 2023 4 hours ago, Capt Bob LeMay said: Still doing a bit of freshwater scouting whenever I'm able since I'm wanting to find a good population of peacock bass in my local canals... Funny thing - in the canals behind all the houses down here in south Florida the peacock population is doing just fine - but none of those canals allow access with a boat.... and back in December the bigger canals that I can launch my skiff into - got a bad cold spell that killed off many of my local peacocks... Finally found a few peas the other day along with a host of other small fish species... The following pics show my first few - all on the same small popper... using a 7wt rod... a small spotted gar was my first fish that morning _ and came on my first or second cast that day, working around bonnet heads this baby largemouth came on the next cast this oscar was next - for those who've never encountered them - they're typically two to three times as thick as a bluegill - and can really pull - once again that same popping bug followed by this small bluegill with no peacocks hitting my flies... I finally resorted to a lure on a light spinning rod and found my first peacock that morning - followed by three or four more from the same spot... I only used two fly rods that day - an old Sage 7wt that I'd just made a new cork handle for - and a lighter 5wt.. Didn't find many peacocks yet (but that should change as local waters warm up in spring -then summer) -and only used two fly patterns all morning.. the SpeedBug - a saltwater popper using a soft foam head on a #1 hook... my version of Norm's Crystal Schminnow on a #4 hook for the 5wt rod... Note the wire weedguard... I only used my camera that first hour - the pics shown were typical of what I encountered up and down several different canals during the morning - just nothing like the 'glades - alligators everywhere I went as well... Very cool. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites