Information Central (c) Larry Larsen
Partner Fishing Tips
 I get a lot of letters from anglers who have unique (and some common) experiences when fishing for peacock bass in the Amazon Basin. Those who have seen my video
know that I suggest everyone use the "team" approach when going after the giant peacocks in the Amazon. Two anglers trying to catch the teeners will almost always
catch more of them than one angler will. A giant peacock might strike the third or tenth presentation, for that matter. If you get a strike and miss the fish and your
partner waits for you to get your bait in and cast again, that fish may not hit another time. One of you should enjoy the catch and the next time may be the partner's
time. As viewers of my DVD learn and perhaps from their personal experiences with peacocks, the successful hookup doesn't always fall on the first cast or even the
first strike by a giant. Your partner might hookup first and he may "birddog" the second one for you. Here are a few comments dealing with partners.
Partner Fishing Really Works
One avid peacock angler wrote me about a recent trip he had taken and the experience he
had while fishing with a first timer. The conditions were tough fishing due to high and slowly dropping water levels. "I was able to show my partner that casting behind a
hooked fish had a good chance of catching another and often larger fish," he related. "This
worked on two small fish early on, but 2 days later it worked even better. The fish weren't
hitting topwater, so I changed over to a blue/pink sinking Yozuri Crystal Minnow while my partner threw a Banjo Minnow."
 "
 Our guide positioned us near a small nook at the edge of the river, and
well, I was in the back of the boat and kept casting behind my partner. I had a good fish on but it got off. I was disgusted
and commented that I guess the fish had got a taste of that hook! I then waited for my partner to cast the Banjo, watched
him slowly bring it in a little, and then I cast behind it again. That's when I got THE HIT! It turned out to be my first 20 plus
pounder weighing 22 pounds even. What a thrill! I was lucky to get it in. Thanks go to my guide and to you for helping me
catch two 18 pounders one day using that very technique on a prior trip!
My Partner Stole My Teener! - Another avid peacock angler wrote, "Hi Larry, After
watching your new video (Master's Secrets to Peacock Bass Fishing) about catching all those large teeners, I remember loosing a teener to a friend of mine. We were fishing a
large lagoon and I was watching the water and saw what I thought was a shallow shelf that came off out to the middle of the lake to deeper water. So I cast a topwater plug
over the deep water to the shallow shelf and ripped back towards the middle of the lake into the deep water. On the second rip, there was this massive explosion and my plug
went flying about 3 to 4 feet through the air."
 "I kept ripping and enticed a second strike but the fish missed the plug again," he continues. "About that time, my buddy in the boat
with me had reloaded and was ready to cast and the fish-steeling son-of-a-(gun) (I say this with a smile, because I would have done
the same thing) cast to the exact spot on the second strike zone. Ba-Boom! Not only did the teener strike a third time but my buddy
hooked up with and boated the 16.5 pounder. I still say it was my fish! Thanks again for the video."
Tandem Fishing and "Doubles" Tricks
I preach "Team Fishing" to maximize the "doubles" with a partner. It does take work and dedication to catch doubles when the fishing
is "tough". I hope all peacock bass anglers will master this technique as a friend and member of the Peacock Bass Association
wrote (with the appreciated comments), "Thanks for the great video. It was really a treat to watch the CD Rom you made on the "How-to and What-not
-to" on fishing for big peacock bass," his email stated.." It's difficult for black bass and
pike fishermen to grasp the type of hit given by a 12 pound-plus peacock on rod, reel and
line. For the generally un-informed North American fisherman that truly doesn't have the right stuff, he is going to miss fish, lose lures, and have his often under-classed
equipment torn up, not to mention developing a bum attitude."
"I can't over-emphasize the importance of having proper equipment, line strength (I'm
sold on 80 pound test Power Pro braid), reels and rods. I haven't taken a rod the last two
times down, preferring to use the ones the operation provides. They have been able to generally stand up to the abuse by man and fish. However, matching the right length of
rod to the height of the fisherman can sure help in achieving the proper lure presentation.
It took me an entire trip early on to learn that lesson. Also selecting a rod with backbone
and yet a supple tip to get the most out of the 'Woodchopper-tupe' retrieve may bring in more fish and provide the desired cadence to trigger a strike.The right cadence helped
last year on tough fishing on the Unini River when the rain came and the water rose. Had it not been for a minnowbait, I would not have caught a 19 pounder and two other
"teeners".
"I was fishing in tandem with a friend who was using a topwater plug. The peacocks just
didn't want that chopper bait but they hammered the minnow!!! They tore that lure's sides
up that day," he explained. "Larry, that leads me to my last comment. I can't tell you how
on the mark you are on having your partner cast behind your hooked peacock to hook the inevitable second peacock and boat a double. It truly is a higher percentage cast, and
often the bigger fish will hit. Don't miss that moment unless you're shooting video and you just got to lay that camera down. Huh!
 Again many thanks to you and my partner that day; thet minnowbait that I borrowed from him was the only one he had!"
Aggressive Fish Double-Teamed
I received another interesting letter from a PBA member commenting on a newsletter article about a peacock bass which
had struck a friend's lure. The friend had battled it to the boat and found another broken-off plug in its mouth. The member
wrote, "Reading that reminded me of an episode that happened to me two years ago. My partner and I were fishing one of the
lagoons off a Rio Negro tributary when he reeled in his surface plug, and a large peacock hit it right at the side of the boat. It
ripped the rod and reel right out of his hand. The guide immediately dove in the water and tried to grab the rod but missed it. We tracked the fish for about five minutes,
because we could see it swimming in the clear water with the big lure in its mouth, but then, we lost sight of it. We went over and had lunch and then about an hour later, we
went out fishing again."
"My partner cast toward the bank and hooked a fish, but he couldn't pull it in. The guide
moved our boat toward the fish, and we found it tangled up in the roots of a tree. It had
two lures in his mouth, and he was dragging the rod and reel behind him. We finally were
able to net him and get back the rod, reel and both lures. The first time the fish struck, he was out in the middle of the lagoon!" .
Editot's Note: Tips reprinted with permission from PBA's "The World of Peacock Bass" monthly eZine.
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