Are Peacocks taking over?

[Bassn Blvd]

It seems as though the Peacocks are moving further north in S.Florida.  I'm finding them as far north as northern Palm Beach County, and in decent sizes.  Does anyone think there is a possibility of them taking over the bass population?  

I think they are a beautiful looking fish and put up a great fight.  From what I understand though, they do not survive very well in the live well for tournaments.

[Guest Steve_P.]

I used to fish and live in Western Broward county. I'd catch a hundred LM to one Peacock. I never saw where they were taking over at all, but I have read that they can push LM out of an area. Who knows???

[Bassn Blvd]

It's nothing to go out and catch 10-20 Peacocks in a couple hours now.  I was thinking over the next 10-15 years.

[Guest Steve_P.]

You're not complaining, are you???? : ;D

[bocabasser]

i don't think they are taking over, just moving further north. i believe they are adapting to the winters better than when they were first put in dade and broward countys in the 80's. i have been fishing the same lakes in nw broward county that have amazing populations of peacock and largemouths coexisting nicely. the snake heads and oscars are what i worry about.

[-HAWK-]

Maybe not taking over, but they are definetly making some impact..

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1204407984

[GobbleDog]

In all my years of fishing lakes and ponds throughout Central Florida, I've never caught one. I wish they would move a little further north because I'd love to catch a peacock bass.

Has anyone ever heard of them being caught in Lake Okeechobee?

[bocabasser]

Maybe not taking over, but they are definetly making some impact..

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1204407984

i kinda don't get what you mean? what impact does that photo represent?

[-HAWK-]

In that photo the man caught both bass on one lure. So what i meant was they are definetly not talking over, But they are very aggresive and  for sure competing for food. From the story it seems the Peacock tried to steal the lure straight out of the LMB's mouth.

[SouthMiamiBassMan]

Down in Cutler Bay (south Miami) i see them coexisting just fine. More then once I have seen schools of LGM bass with a Peacock or two in them and vice versa.

[bocabasser]

the state record was just broken this weekend in one of the residents i fish. a guy caught a 10 pounder and weighed it on a boga. he caught it on a rapala countdown. he threw it back after taking length, girth and photos. it is in the sun-sentinel newspaper. go to sun-sentinel.com to read the article. my hat is off to that guy for releasing him without jumping through hoops to make it official. i am telling you that coral springs has THE  best peacock bass fishing in the state. period.

[Bass Mekanik]

I read that article the other day too. Congrats to him and his fish.  I would love to see the pictures of that 10lber. ps bocabasser lets do some fishing in that local lake of yours I would love to set a record on like 4lb test.

[bocabasser]

for sure mekanik. i am pretty much booked up with tournys through may. i have spring break the first week of april, but i can't gaurantee i can break away. this summer for sure when it gets roasting hot outside. those gated communities are loaded with monsters-both peacock and large. we'll connect soon.

[RoLo]

The peacocks were stocked in Florida more than 20 years ago,

so their niche is already well-established and well-behaved.

After one or two mild winters their range may extend slightly northward, but this is never a problem.

Butterfly peacocks cannot survive in water below 60 deg F.,

so the first cold winter would prune them back to their tiny confined range in south Florida.

Roger

[bocabasser]

The peacocks were stocked in Florida more than 20 years ago,

so their niche is already well-established and well-behaved.

After one or two mild winters their range may extend slightly northward, but this is never a problem.

Butterfly peacocks cannot survive in water below 60 deg F.,

so the first cold winter would prune them back to their tiny confined range in south Florida.

rolo do you believe that they may have adapted to the winters here? i mean is it possible for them to become more tolerant of the cold winters? the reason i ask is because every 5 years or so it seems that you hear of peacocks moving further north. bassin blvd said he has caught them in northern palm beach county.

[Hung up Paul]

I'd love to go peacock fishing some time when I visit down there.  I hear pound for pound they put up twice the fight of a LMB.  I've done some reading and learned that they are not really bass at all, they are actually cichlids.  Interesting... and for the guy that's worried about Oscars taking over, the peacocks were introduced in part to keep the Oscars in check... oscars are the baitfish lol.

[RoLo]

rolo do you believe that they may have adapted to the winters here? i mean is it possible for them to become more tolerant of the cold winters? the reason i ask is because every 5 years or so it seems that you hear of peacocks moving further north. bassin blvd said he has caught them in northern palm beach county.

Normally, an evolutionary change like that would take hundreds of years (thousands),

but when it comes to Mother Nature I suppose anything is possible.

The first peacocks were stocked in 1984, about 23 years ago.

During that time their range has fluctuated, but mostly back-and-forth.

I'd imagine it's similar to a tender plant that swells northward, but is pruned back after the first hard winter (water temps below 60 deg).

According to the FWC, the butterfly peacock is not a "permanent" resident much farther north than Boca Raton.

Roger

[RoLo]

I'd love to go peacock fishing some time when I visit down there. I hear pound for pound they put up twice the fight of a LMB. I've done some reading and learned that they are not really bass at all, they are actually cichlids. Interesting... and for the guy that's worried about Oscars taking over, the peacocks were introduced in part to keep the Oscars in check... oscars are the baitfish lol.

Actually, the butterfly peacock was introduced to control the spotted tilapia, which are overrun and stunted in many south Florida waters.

Roger

[SimonSays]

I'd love to go peacock fishing some time when I visit down there.  I hear pound for pound they put up twice the fight of a LMB.  I've done some reading and learned that they are not really bass at all, they are actually cichlids.  Interesting... and for the guy that's worried about Oscars taking over, the peacocks were introduced in part to keep the Oscars in check... oscars are the baitfish lol.

Actually, the butterfly peacock was introduced to control the spotted tilapia, which are overrun and stunted in many south Florida waters.

Roger

Just watched a show on verses about the peacock bass, reminded me of this thread.  It pretty much said everything that RoLo did...Low temps during the winter kill them so they won't be moving too far north and that they were first introduced because their main forage was the spotted tilapia.

[SouthMiamiBassMan]

[Hung up Paul]

I'd love to go peacock fishing some time when I visit down there.  I hear pound for pound they put up twice the fight of a LMB.  I've done some reading and learned that they are not really bass at all, they are actually cichlids.  Interesting... and for the guy that's worried about Oscars taking over, the peacocks were introduced in part to keep the Oscars in check... oscars are the baitfish lol.

Actually, the butterfly peacock was introduced to control the spotted tilapia, which are overrun and stunted in many south Florida waters.

Roger

...you gotta read my post again and notice the "in part" part...

Per wikipedia:

"In 1984, Florida officials deliberately introduced butterfly peacock bass and speckled peacock bass to the southern region of that state. There they prey on other non-native and invasive species such as the oscar and the spotted tilapia."

[George Welcome]

Regardless of why their introduction, their movement north is a weather cycle event only. The first full week of cold weather will push their population southward as the water temperatures drop.

The last time they had reached northward was ended in 2003 when cold snap after cold snap drove their boundaries to solely Dade county.

[JRL]

Regardless of why their introduction, their movement north is a weather cycle event only. The first full week of cold weather will push their population southward as the water temperatures drop.

The last time they had reached northward was ended in 2003 when cold snap after cold snap drove their boundaries to solely Dade county.

George, I totally agree with you in terms of canal dwelling peacocks.  I can tell you though that the school in my lake (which is no where near dade county) has been here for 4 years now, and have yet to have a die off due to cold weather.  They have no access to the palm beach canal system.  They do however have access to 30+ feet of water, several 25+ foot areas, and a few bridges.

I counted 7 this morning on the dock.  Normally there are 15 or so.  The few we did catch today came from a 25 foot ledge (I.E. warmer water).

[bassfanatick]

I wish we can get some in the lakes here.