Freshwater

Yellow peacock bass (tucunaré amarelo)

Tucunaré amarillo (pavón amarillo)

Cichla kelberi

Freshwater

At a glance

Typical size

1–4 lb.

Depth

2–15 ft.

Best time

Morning and late afternoon.

Found in

2 areas

Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.

Identification: Bright yellow-gold peacock bass with three dark vertical bars, white spots on the fins (especially the tail and the back of the dorsal fin) and a gold-ringed eyespot on the tail.
Typical size: 1–4 lb.
Maximum size: About 2 ft and around 10 lb.
Diet: Fish and shrimp.
Behavior: Aggressive hunter of shallow cover, points and drowned trees; nests in shallow water and guards its fry.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from Amazon & Pantanal and Brazil Lakes & Rivers. Native to the Tocantins and Araguaia rivers; widely stocked in reservoirs of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Goiás and the northeast.
Habitat: Native to the Tocantins and Araguaia rivers; widely stocked in reservoirs of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Goiás and the northeast.
Depth: 2–15 ft.
Fishing depth: 2–10 ft around cover.
Best season: Warm months; spawning fish guard nests in spring and summer.
Best time: Morning and late afternoon.
Best tides: No tide; wind and water level matter more.
Best weather / conditions: Warm, sunny, stable weather.

What to tie on and what to throw.

Best bait: Small live fish where allowed.
Best artificial lures: Topwaters, jerkbaits, soft plastics and spinnerbaits.
Tackle setup: Medium baitcasting or spinning rod.
Hook size: 1/0–3/0.
Line: 20–30 lb braid.
Leader: 25–40 lb fluorocarbon.

The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Native to the Tocantins and Araguaia rivers; widely stocked in reservoirs of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Goiás and the northeast.
Rig up: Medium baitcasting or spinning rod. 25–40 lb fluorocarbon.
Pick your bait: Small live fish where allowed. Lures: Topwaters, jerkbaits, soft plastics and spinnerbaits.
Fish it: Cast to drowned trees, rocks and points; work topwaters at dawn and dusk.
Time it: Morning and late afternoon. No tide; wind and water level matter more.

Fishing techniques: Cast to drowned trees, rocks and points; work topwaters at dawn and dusk.
BigJoe's tip: Fast, erratic jerkbait retrieves trigger strikes when topwater slows down.
Catch and release: Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.

Edibility: Good eating when fresh.
Cleaning: Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.
Cooking suggestions: White, mild meat; good grilled or fried.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: Treble hooks; use pliers.
Regulations: Brazilian states set limits; outside its native range rules vary. Every country requires a fishing license (in Brazil, the Licença de Pesca Amadora), each Argentine province and Brazilian state adds its own rules, and most rivers close during the spawning season. Indigenous lands and strict reserves are closed to outside anglers without permits.
Conservation: Introduced peacocks have reduced native fish in many reservoirs.

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Sources & photo credits