I have a fellow interested in an entry level fly rod for Peacock Bass... casting from land. I'm open to suggestions for suitable 4 piece blanks. Tiger Eye or Forecast seem like good brands at this level. I have never been to Florida and have no experience with Peacock Bass and have no idea which weight rods would be best. Thanks for all answers.

If they are fishing for them EXCLUSIVELY in Florida ... a 9'0" 9wt will work very well. Light enough to cast all day, yet powerful enough to cast big flies. I would NOT spend too much on the blank and components, peacocks eat rods. However, you are going to need a fast action ... something along the lines of a TFO TiCR would be great since they have a 'no fault warranty' - you will need it. IF they ever want to venture into South America and fish for them, you will need to build them a 10wt or 11wt rod for the bigger fish.

David,
I've only fished them twice, only once with a flyrod, the 8 wt flats rod I used was really more rod than needed as they don't make long runs, but pretty much fight in the area you took them from. I wouldn't go over a 7 weight, a Tiger Eye 6/7 or 7/8 would probably be perfect. I think the Tiger Eyes work much better at the lowest number in the 4 piece blanks.

David,
Any weight rod, 9 or under, would be fine. On a lighter rod the bass can be fought on the butt section. I would highly recommend that you consider the Dan Craft FT 4pc 7wt. At the distances that will be casted, short, a 9wt intermeidate line, or 10 wt floater, would be perfect.
Herb

I'd stick to a heavier rod - peacock bass are bruisers. Now if you don't overline on the tippet they won't break your rod (they'll break the tippet) but I'd guess you're going to run at least 10lb to 12lb leader/tippet.

I wouldn't feel overgunned for peacock bass with a 9-weight. But that's just me and I'm a light tackle enthusiast.

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Thanks for all the help. The client fished for these one time using a 5 weight rod and found it ideal. My guess is he must have found a school of young Peacock Bass. I've seen shows where South American Peacocks were caught and they certainly were bruisers. Even if their Florida cousins are less formidable I can see how a 9 weight rod would match up well.

I wonder if there are any Glass or composite blanks suitable for this build which will not cost a bundle? The client is rather new to fly fishing and not willing to spend a lot on this rod. PS ... I will not be offering any warranty.

Just tell him not to use a leader or tipper that is stronger than the rod, that should proclude the fish breaking the rod, although he can certainly break it himself if he beats it around enough.

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Thanks Tom. If I can get him to spring for it I'd like to build on a Diamondglass DFBPT4910 Pack Travel blank. I think fiberglass is a good candidate for these conditions. The extra cost seems a bargain for the peace of mind of the more durable blank.

1. Don't confuse the South and Central American Peacocks with what one catches in the Fl canals.
2. I don't see how you can beat a Dan Craft FT blank for durability. I also do not see the advantage of the less responsive fibreglass over graphite in this situation. These fish are scrappers but not monsters.
Herb

The Florida state record I believe is around 9 lbs. The weather is marginal at best for peacocks in Florida and they have had fish kills due to water temps before. The fellow I fished with fishes for them quite a bit and he uses a 6 wt rod most of the time, he uses a 15-20 lb shock tippet as the fish have quite an abrasive mouth. We saw nothing that even approached half the Florida record the day we fished, lots of 1.5 to 3.5 lb fish would be my guess, one may have been at 4 or a little better.

I agree with the comments that the FL Peacock species (as well as the Panama ones I fished for - Sargentos) are a formidable game fish, but they are not the monsters of S America. I have fished for them with my "6wt" (ERN 6.4) river bass fishing outfit with no problems. In fact, a nice Smallie in current might just as tough to handle. Personally, I think a 6 or 7 wt fast action works great. When I've fished for them there is a lot of casting and a lot of fast retrieves to get their attention and a "8wt" or above rod would wear out my old arms.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/2007 09:42AM by Steve Rushing.

Nine foot nine wt, Rainshadow RX7 or RX6 depending on your $$. Batson products....Always a good choice!