Violent nest defense attacks
In fact, it seems that when a lure is walked over a nest full of juvenile peacock-bass, the female is very aggressive. The fish instantly rises to the top of the nest to give a virulent blow. Clearly, her intention was not to seize the lure. Too bad, it was plump! Later, when recounting the anecdote to our guide, he explained that female peacock-bass always fiercely protect their young from potential predators. When they're not exploring their immediate environment, the fry find refuge in their mother's mouth.
Hunting on the edge of a giant peacock bass
We continue our descent to a river mouth. The landscape clears and, on our left, a translucent shoal gradually takes shape. We launch in this direction. Suddenly, the sound of hunting makes us look up. The scene is at the very edge of the bank, under the palm trees, some 40 metres away, and under a film of water, we can make out the dorsal fin of a large peacock-bass chasing prey. Excitement grips us and we're ready for instant action! Just enough time to move forward slightly and we launch with all our might to reach the stalker.
A violent struggle between the branches
My propeller lure is the first to hit the hunting zone. A long pull and paf my rod suddenly snaps! A close fight ensues. The fish runs into a branch. I restrain it to the extreme, very confident with my 50 lb braid. He's now clear of obstacles. José takes the opportunity to get off, managing to tie himself to the branch of a buried palm tree despite the strong current. We can now make out the size of the monster in the clear water. It's a real big peacock-bass! It's one of those fish you come here to find on the Pasimoni.
An 80 cm jungle giant in the net
With its dorsal fin bristling, the untamed creature waddles with all its power. He's the master of this place and he makes me feel it. I'm receptive. Well aware of my privilege, I intend to seize my chance. After a few back-and-forths, our valiant creature gives up his fight in the net with dignity.
What a majestic beauty! At nearly 80 cm, it's a fine vintage. We collectively savor our catch and the fantastic circumstances of this opportunity. A few souvenir photos, a sympathetic reoxygenation and we duly return our offering to the rio.
Now it's time to return to camp, our heads full of these moments of joy, to share our daily exploits with our comrades. And as all these emotions have left their mark on our stomachs, we now have only one thing on our minds: to enjoy the tasty tapas for the aperitif... And don't forget to tie our knots again, so we're ready for the dawn!
