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The World of Peacock Bass
July
2010
Official Newsletter/eZine of the Peacock Bass Association
www.peacockbassassociation.com
© Larry Larsen, Executive Director
In This Issue:
- World Record Peacock Now Official
- Unini Fishing Permits Suspended
- New Delta Flights in Sept/Oct
- Forbes Top 10 Fly Fishing Lodge Award
- Easy Searching on Interactive Trip Finder
- New Amazon Yacht Operation Video
- Due Diligence Necessary Always
- New Boat Manager At Hooked On Adventures
- Visa Fee Adjustments From Brazilian Government
- New 10-Year Brazilian Visa Issued
- New Peacock Jigs Hot Sellers
- Welcome New Supporting Member!
- CLUB CONCIERGE
- Member Comment/Reprint Policies
 World Record Peacock Now Official! – On June 1, 2010 the International Game Fish
Association (IGFA) officially certified the 28 pound Peacock Bass caught by Bill Gassmann on February 9, 2010 as the new All-Tackle World Record, according to Captain Peacock
Yachts & Expeditions owners Leonardo Leao and Nasser Fraxe. Gassmann ,of Des Moines Iowa, fishing with a group booked by Quest Global Angling Adventures, caught the 37
-inch long with 25-inch girth, monster peacock bass aboard the Captain Peacock yacht operation while fishing in a backwater slough off the Rio Negro. The huge peacock
hit his clown patterned Woodchopper and
 after a furious 12 minute battle, Bill and his guide Elvis were able to land the huge fish.
"We are very happy to show the fishing world our exclusive concept combining mobility, safety and first-class service and accommodations in order to create unique
moments like this," says Leonardo and Nasser. "The opportunity is for every angler, from the first-time peacock bass fisherman up to the most knowledgeable ones. You can
visit Captain Peacock at our website to find out more about the World Record Peacock Bass fishing that we offer." Since receiving the IGFA Certificate, Gassmann has traveled
to Manaus for an awards presentation from the Capt. Peacock operators and Dallas taxidermist Ron Kelly also
went down to cast a mold of the world record fish. Shown in the images are (L to R) Gassmann, Kelly and Leao
holding fish, Gassmann holding IGFA Certificate and Kelly holding the Record Mold after returning to the U.S.
For those wanting more information, contact Capt. Peacock at (817) 471-2716, or visit their website at www.captpeacock.com.
 Unini Fishing Permits Suspended - The official permits that we previously reported issued to Peacock Bass Expeditions on the
Unini have been suspended until further notice, according to U.S. agent Garrett VeneKlasen of InterAngler. "We are hopeful that a
resolution can be found among all parties involved before the fishing season commences, but the magnitude of the problem is
considerable and guaranteed issuance to any one outfitter is highly unlikely at this point," he says. "Peacock Bass Expeditions,
InterAngler, LLC and CCM feel as though it is important to be up front to all clients interested in fishing the Unini with Peacock
Bass Expeditions. At this point, we have not collected any deposits and will continue to hold reservations without payment
until a resolution can be found." InterAngler further notes that they will keep everyone posted as things develop and greatly
appreciate everyone's consideration and patience. For more information on this fishery development or his other Amazon trip
offerings, contact Garrett at 1-575-770-6103 or email him at interangler@newmexico.com.
 New Delta Flights in Sept/Oct – Delta has now added Atlanta/Manaus flights
during September and October and the rates are still competitive, according to Lilliam Larsen, GM/VP of Monarch Tours/Venice Travel. "Both Delta and TAM now
provide great alternatives for everyone's schedule," she explains. "For flexibility, the TAM daily schedule may be best, and if you prefer to avoid one or two
overnights in Miami, the Delta schedule may be a better alternative." In addition
to contracts with Delta and TAM, Monarch Tours can now assist clients with any sportsmen's travel needs to
Mexico or Argentina with Continental Airlines. "The peacock bass fishing season is just starting," she adds,
"but in the case of Mexico and Argentina, the fishing season is often year round. Depending on the number of
people traveling and the dates, we may be able to offer additional discount options to our customers." For
more information, call Lilliam at 410-370-8340 or e mail Lilliam@monarchtours.net. Individuals can check out their website at www.monarchtours.net.
 Forbes Top 10 Fly Fishing Lodge Award - The low water conditions last season provided the
unrivalled opportunity to sight-cast to huge cruising peacocks, and also search out those elusive Aruana, according to Jon Toft, European
Manager of Amazon Agency Corp. who operates the fly-fishing-only Agua Boa Amazon Lodge. "Our team of experienced guides utilizing our
invaluable jet boats in those excellent low water conditions provided continuous fishing throughout," he says. "We are proud to announce that our
continued efforts to provide both an excellent fly fishing experience and service to our guests from around the globe have resulted in the Agua Boa
Amazon Lodge occupying the number one slot in Forbes magazine list of the top 10 Fly Fishing Lodges in the world." Some upcoming changes to
their group/host booking policies for the 2010/2011 season will occur and all agents will have details, according to Jon. "Our policy of
providing complimentary 8 day Global Rescue medical evacuation service to cover to all visitors to the Agua
Boa Amazon Lodge has also been extended to the season of 2010 – 2011." For more information on the lodge,
contact one of their agents or write to Jon Toft at jon.toft@aguaboaamazonlodge.com or visit their website at www.aguaboaamazonlodge.com.
Easy Searching on Interactive Trip Finder
- The Acute Angling website continues to evolve with each update and a new easy-to-use function allow visitors to find the trip they are interested in through three
simple search options, according to Garry Reiss. "You can now home in on the fishing trip that best suits your
 needs, instantly, on-line and automatically, just by querying our new, interactive Trip Finder," he says. "The searches are: Trips
by Accommodation; Trips by Species; and Trips by Calendar. Quite simply, you can view all aspects of our trip schedule by selecting the type of lodging you
prefer, or the fish you wish to catch, or the time of year you would like to travel." The Acute Angling Trip Finder responds with a webpage displaying "baseball
card-like" synopses of the trips that apply to the query. Click the card and the Trip Finder will display an
overview with a full menu accessing a description of the trip, details on the accommodations, a sample
itinerary, a schedule of available dates and how to proceed to book the specific trip. "You'll also find numerous
links within each trip section that take you directly to specific articles or information relating to that trip or
fish species," he continues. "Additionally, all of our archived articles, newsletters and detailed species related
data remain on the site, easily accessed through our interactive search tool." For more information, PBA
members are invited to visit http://tripfinder.acuteangling.com or contact Paul at 1-866-832-2987 or Garry Reiss at 1-866-431-1668 or email webmaster@acuteangling.com.
 New Amazon Yacht Operation Video - The Amazon King Yacht is the newest Supporting Member offering in our PBA World Peacock Bass
Directory. The 90-foot long hotel boat will ply the waters of the Amazon watershed, the Rio Negro and Rio Madeira, according to North
American Liason Manager, Steve McDonald. "The King has 10 state rooms that are digitally climate controlled by each of our guests," he says.
"Anglers will fish daily with a Brazilian guide from new 18 foot "tracker" style bass boats with 50 hp Mercury 4-stroke engines and an electric
trolling motor. After a long day of fishing the rivers they can indulge themselves with a cold one at our fly bridge bar while watching the jungle glide by."
For those that have an interest in a virtual tour of the boat, check out a short video on the Amazon King (Barco Hotel Icamiaba-I) at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGp4Cb6jbVc. For more information on the boat
hotel operation contact Steve at booking@monsterpeacockbass.com or call him at (877) 352-7565.
Due Diligence Necessary Always
– The peacock bass fisheries are like the weather sometimes, "wait a little
bit and things will change". We have a few new Amazon operations starting up this year and others are
expanding or offering different areas or facilities, as an older operation or two drop out of the overall outfitting
picture in South America. Such changes are not unusual; if you have been a PBA member for a long time, you
have seen many of the changes. As always, our members know to use "Due Diligence" when exploring any
opportunity presented to them, whether in the pages of our eZine or Directory, or especially via direct emails
 to them from sources not affiliated with PBA. The wise anglers
know what questions to ask an operator/agent or outfitter and how to best check claims made in their brochures, websites,
press releases or other materials. We often have to rely on our Supporting Members as the "source" of information in our
newsletter. We normally tell all members to only consider dealing with PBA Supporting Members because if the operator or
agent doesn't belong to PBA, they probably aren't too serious about their future in the peacock bass industry. Whenever one
outfitter puts out a press release saying that they have new permits for an area (such as several of our Supporting Members
have done over the years), we attribute that info to them (told by the operator). If you get an email from someone (not a
member of PBA) who claims they have a new operation that will be the "best ever" with big claims, be sure to
check it out with several sources before you put money on the table. Our industry is constantly changing and
most newcomers have good intentions. Many have an experienced operation behind them and things should go
as expected, but the paying customer still needs to check out all claims. I know from personal observation
over 20 years that when an outfitter promises his clients one thing and delivers another, those customers are
going to a different outfitter on all of their following trips. When agents or outfitters lose their credibility, most
go out of business. All PBA members should have or develop confidence in their selected booking agent, and
they will if they do their "due diligence". Develop a list of questions before you call or email them. Ask for
references of past clients or others familiar with their operation and get things in writing. You'll be glad you did.
 New Boat Manager At Hooked On Adventures - "Naldo" Esteves who was born and
raised in the Amazon jungle of Brazil has joined the Hooked On Adventures' crew, according to owner David McCarthy. "Naldo's father was a commercial fisherman all his
life, and fishing with his father from an early age gave him a serious passion for nature and fishing," says David. "Naldo has worked in sustainable forest management and for
a Brazilian fishing operation from 2005 to 2008. He came to the United States in 1998 to attend college at Brigham Young University and obtained an Associate Degree in
business. He is married to wife, Nancy Mitchell Esteves from Nyssa, Oregon, and they have two beautiful daughters; Sarah, age 6 and Sabrina, age 4." Naldo is a man of
many talents including fluency in Portuguese and English and considers himself intermediate in Spanish. For more information, contact Hooked on Adventures at (888)
295-HOOK (4665), email info@hookedondventures.com or visit their website at www.HookedOnAdventures.com.
 Visa Fee Adjustments From Brazilian Government - Brazil has adjusted its visa application
fees for U.S. citizens based on reciprocity with U.S. Government visa fees, according to CIBT,
who is PBA's recommended Passport/Visa expediting service. The new Brazilian Tourist visa
fees that apply to most of our individual members increased from $150 to $160. Some good
news however for those needing a Brazil Business visa; the application fee has decreased from $210 to $160. For all PBA members that use the PBA online form tool at the CIBT website, know that their forms and
instructions have been updated to reflect the new visa application fees. For more information on the PBA
Discounted passport and visa expediting services that CIBT offers, visit http://www.us.cibt.com/tourkits/tourkits.aspx?
 New 10-Year Brazilian Visa Issued
– I received word from long-time PBA Supporting Member Jim Kern that the new 10-year visas are now being issued for U.S. citizens traveling to Brazil. Two weeks
ago, Jim's wife Jan received her new visa from the Houston Brazilian Consulate for their trip to Manaus, and it was issued as valid for 10
years. He spoke with his Brazilian partner, Leonardo Leao of Captain Peacock Expeditions who reportedly told him that this was because
the U.S. had recently relaxed visa regulations for Brazilians. Brazilians are now allowed to obtain 10 year visas and thus, Brazil has relaxed
regulations for U.S. citizens. "Whether a client gets one is at the consulates discretion when they apply," relays Judi Galst of CIBT.
"There is no way for the traveler to specifically request the 10 year.
When the client applies they can end up with a 1, 3, 5 or now 10 year visa - no one knows what they will get until it is issued." Note: We at PBA are very happy about that!
 New Peacock Jigs Hot Sellers – Three new peacock
jigs are hot sellers this spring as peacock bass anglers stock up for the fall, according to Andrew Taylor of Lure Parts Online. "They've been a big success," the avid
peacock chaser and long time PBA Supporting Member relates. "The jigs come in 3 different sizes and are named Butterfly, Paca and Acu, of course. They are
designed with a longer collar that's ideal for those interested in tying on tinsel and/or bucktail. The jigs all have premium, extra strength hooks that'll stand up to
trophy peacock." The 3/8 ounce jig carries a 4/0 hook, the 1/2 ounce jig utilizes a 6/0 hook and the 5/8 ounce "Acu" has a sturdy 8/0 hook. There are six great colors
to choose from. For more information on the new jigs, go directly to their catalog at http://lurepartsonline.com/cart.php?m=search_results&search=2525. For those wanting to check or any of their other lures or their great components, e mail them at info@LurePartsOnline.com or
visit their website at www.LurePartsOnline.com.
Welcome New Supporting Member!
I want to thank our newest Supporting Members, Steve McDonald of
 Amazon King yacht operation and Bassmaster Guide Service for expanding PBA. Steve has been
an Individual Member for 3 years, so he is familiar with our organization and benefits. Check out his two informational pages in our PBA World Peacock Bass Directory and drop him a welcome email or note. The
growth of our Supporting Member base continues! I hope all Individual Members appreciate new SM involvement in PBA.
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Club Concierge
Club Concierge for-Members-Only service is available to provide helpful information via web links. Click
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accessible from other pages on our site.
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All members are encouraged to email eZine/Newsletter Feedback/Comments by clicking here or send me letters about news, issues and topics. Only signed e-mails are considered. PBA will not publish material/letters that are libelous in nature or testimonials. Permission to reprint from The World of Peacock Bass Newsletter must be obtained from PBA.
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