Deadly On Anything

Another windy day in South Florida, sheesh. I guess it’s that time of year. But that also means that, with the sun out and the weather warming up (not that that this “winter” was really that cold) the peacocks should be around.

Now i’ve been fishing this lake for years, and it had brought me some good fish, but over the last 6 months or so, catching any kind of fish has really been a challenge. I have not seen any decent peacocks swimming around for awhile, have not caught any in double that time, at least. I get a few largemouth here and there which isn’t too bad, but no real size to them.

So like most any day, I head down to the lake to make a few casts and try to catch a few largemouth. I don’t even target peacocks going there. I had rigged up one of the new DOA Airheads I just got. My favorite largemouth color, Purple/Black. I have it rigged on a 6/0 3/8oz weighted weedless hook. That way I can work it like a swim bait along the bank, or let it drop to the bottom and work the lure like a worm. I always cut a little slash in the Airhead tail, to give it more action. That way no matter how slow it moves through the water, the lure is always wiggling.

I get to the lake and bomb my first cast about 5,000 yards across the lake and start my steady, slow retrieve. Thats when I look down and spot a little 2# largemouth rolling along the edge. So I speed up my retrieve to put the airhead in its face when some color flashes out of the corner of my eye to catch my attention. WHOA! 2 really nice peacocks come out of the depths below the edge, taking interest in my lure. Then they disappear. The bass didn’t bite either. After awhile I figure out where to find these fish. They are down past the edge, nesting on the downslope. You couldn’t see them, but after searching the bottom with the weedless airhead, I found the nest. I could feel the go’s at the lure. They wanted this airhead OFF their nest. Hitting it and swiping at it, then it would stop. Okay, now i’m off the nest. I’m getting the picture. After working the lure for awhile and no takes, I gave up.

But I had to give it another go in the afternoon. So four hours later I was back. And the peacocks were still there. Hitting the lure in that same spot on the edge. I had to anticipate the hits, so I could try and set the hook as quick as possible. And finally it paid off. BAM! The fish was on and it was taking line.

Now when it comes to bass fishing, I’m on the drag getting the line in and trying to land that fish as quick as possible. I’ve lost too many nice bass taking my time and trying to let them have some control, you cant do that, just land it.

The peacock almost took me around a weed patch, but Bently was there to jump and grab it. A nice one!

I foul hooked it in the side of its gill plate, oh well. It was going for the Texas rigged lure and I angled it. I felt bad but the fish was fine. No harm, no foul. Snapped some flicks of the beast.

I’d say it was in the 5# range. You could tell it was on a nest with its obviously empty stomach. Had it been full, mighta been in the 6 range. But who knows for sure. I just look at the tail, and you can tell its in the big range. Especially for my lake that gets nothing but hammered all the time!

My first peacock in quite some time, and a nice one. Especially on an Airhead. Deadly On Anything sounds about right. Good day.

-Superduper Jason