I met up with Doug Stamm and Brad Hole at a Naples canal to
search for peacock bass, largemouth and freshwater snook. It was a chilly
morning as we launched into the Golden Gate canal just as the sun rose. Peacock
bass are cold water sensitive so we worked topwater lures for largemouth while
we waited for the sun to warm things up a bit.
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| Morning Commute Photo by Brad Hole |
We didn’t have to wait long as I had my custom painted
peacock colored spook crushed by a largemouth bass. I had barely released my
bass when Brad hooked up nearby. He landed his largemouth bass and after a few
pictures taken by Doug, he released it.
Work being done
Doug doing his thing
Brad's largemouth
Photo by Doug Stamm
The sun was warming up the air nicely as we entered the lake
area and it looked promising. The water was nice and calm and the area looked
fishy. We kept at it with our topwater lures when Brad’s was slammed by a nice
snook. The fish stayed deep and tried to pull Brad and his Revo around the lake.
He eventually tired and Brad landed it.
We worked around the edges of the lake unsuccessfully and
concentrated on a little canal with some good weed cover. It was there I landed
the best largemouth of the day from under a submerged branch. Although not one
of the giant bass that inhabit these canals, it was a decent fish for the day.
The water had warmed up by now, so we began retracing our
route looking for peacocks. We searched everywhere they should be, around
pilings, branches and rocks, but found none. We ended up back in the main canal
and our prospects were looking weaker. I saw a few peacocks holding close to a
dock piling, but they saw me too.
Then, Brad and Doug called over and alerted me to a peacock
they saw hiding under a submerged palm frond. Brad had already casted to it
with no luck. I tossed my bait near the structure and was immediately rewarded
with a drag screaming surprise. It was a nice male peacock bass with a grudge
and he pulled me right into the brush. I regained my composure and the upper
hand, and landed him soon after.
Male Peacock Bass
Photo by Doug Stamm
Soon, we found ourselves back at the launch. Even though the
day started a little cool, it turned out to be sunny and warm. By the end of
our day, we had managed to catch all the species we came for, and everyone had
fun. As always, I look forward to the next adventure.
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