Called “tucunare” in Portuguese, the peacock bass is a born ambusher and one of the most ferocious freshwater fish you’ll find anywhere. Interestingly enough, the “bass” portion of the fish’s name is a bit incorrect. Peacocks are actually members of the cichlid family (like oscar).

Peacocks come in several varieties, including speckled, black-barred, butterfly and royal. In our area of the Amazon, we see all of them except royal. The world record peacock (a 27-pounder caught by one our anglers) is speckled. These varieties range in color and size, but the behavior is pretty much the same. Mean. Aggressive. Territorial.

Acrobatic brawlers on a line, they snap 30-lb. monofilament like thread, straighten saltwater hooks, mangle lures and send rods home in more pieces than you came with. They are almost exclusively diurnal and aren’t the least bit sun-shy, hitting most lures at the surface with explosive force. They’re not too choosey about baits, but landing them is guaranteed to be one of the toughest freshwater fights you’ll ever get in. You’ll love every second of it.

Types of Peacock Bass

Black Barred Peacock Bass

Butterfly Peacock Bass

Speckled Peacock Bass