By David Caywood

I get asked on a regular basis "What are you taking to the Amazon?" Here is a break down on what I take, why I take it and where you can buy it.

RODS:
All Star 3 pc 747C: This is a must have rod and is made specially for using big, heavy, top water propeller baits for Peacock Bass. Due to the nature of having to rip the Lurh-Jensen Woodchopper across the surface, this lure requires a stiff, very heavy action rod. The reason for this is so that all of the effort goes into the moving the lure, not bending the rod. It is 6' 2" for working out of a boat in tight quarters and comes in three pieces for carrying onboard an international flight. I only use this rod for Woodchopper style lures. Also take a serious look into the 747S. It is a close cousin to the casting rod already mentioned but in a spinning format. If my rod tube does not make it, I will have both of these carry on rods to use. (AKA Insurance) All Star Rods Inc. 1-800-451-5914 (about $140) UNFORTUNATLY ALL STAR NO LONGER MAKES THIS ROD AND TO DATE I DO NOT HAVE A REPLACEMENT.

Two piece Bionic Blade rods by Bass Pro Shop: For the money there is no better rod that these when going to the Amazon. These rods are very durable, take tons of abuse, hold up well and are reasonably priced. I have never had one break of the 10 I carry down to the Amazon when I go.
Order number Price
28-116-042-00 Casting Med/Hvy 2 piece $79.99
28-116-102-00 Spinning Med/Hvy 2 piece $79.99
28-116-087-00 Spinning Med 2 piece $79.99

These are 2 piece and as such require a much shorter rod tube case to check below in the hold of an airplane. (See "Loose the Tube" article) Bass pro Shop regularly has them on sale for $49.99 and by all you can. (BPS 1-800-227-7776)

Some people use only casting rods and reels. Others only use spinning equipment. Consider using both. I use the casting rods for all top water and spinning rods for jerk baits and jigs. The reason for this is that each rod and reel type uses a different set of muscles. At the end of a long day in the Amazon, you will be glad you brought both!

REELS:
Casting: The all new Aub Garcia Record #150. This reel replaces the Abu Garcia 5600. The record #150 is an all metal bait casting reel with a 6.3:1 take up speed. It is the perfect woodchopper reel and there are not many reels out there that are this fast and of this quality. It is so smooth that the first time use it you will be impressed with the distance you can throw any given lure. This reel stays on my All Star 747C and always has a Woodchopper on the end. After two seasons, I just give them away. (BPS #28-380-557-00 $63.88)

My favorite all time reel is the Diawa Millionaire 300 and 320. The 300 is the exact same as the 320 except it has a much larger line capacity. They are as expensive as they are hard to find but after all the jungle duty through the years I still have the same pair I bought 5 years ago and I estimate they have been in service for over 1000 hours in close proximity of the equator. I use them for all top water baits except the Woodchopper. Cabela's used to carry them and might still. 1-800-237-4444. The Shimano Calcutta is a very popular alternative.

Spinning: Diawa 3500 (BPS #28-330-244-00 $149.99) and I take two of them where ever I go for fishing the jerk baits. I have never had a problem and my spare has been used many times by others when their reels have caved in. If the 3500 is a bit too big, take a hard look at the Mitchell 300X Gold (BPS 28-300-738-00 $49.99).(I now have over 14 Daiwa reels in my arsenal.)

FISHING LINE:

I use the new braided line and in fact when fishing the Woodchopper style lures, it is a requirement. The reason for this is the fact that braided line does not stretch like monofilament. With the Woodchopper you want all of the effort being transferred into moving the lure across the surface of the water with none of the effort going into the stretch of the line or the bending of the rod. I will use #50 on my All Star 747C with the Ambassador 5600 reel for the Woodchopper. The Woodchopper is the only lure I use on this rig. All of my other reels have #30. Using braided line means that you will be able to get more line on the reel than with the equivalent monofilament and it has far better abrasion resistance. Brands such as Fireline, Spirerwire, and Power Pro are all real popular. They all have their own characteristics so try them out before getting down to the Amazon.

LURES:

Top water: By far, top water action is the appeal of fishing for Peacock Bass. The water literary explodes underneath the lure and it may be awhile before you see it again! The top dog of the top water food chain belongs to the Luhr-Jensen Big Game Woodchopper. At 6 ¾ ozs. it is one big piece of balsa wood. With the extra heavy hardware and the monstrous prop on the back,(never on the front), this lure is by far the most popular. Colors have never been as important as the displacement of the water during the ripping of this style of bait over the water. I always have 4 with me. (BPS # 28-275-896 clown 59, speckled peacock 71, firetiger 79, sunshine perch 10, red/white 37, $11.69)
High Roller makes a fantastic lure called the Rip Roller. Not quite as big as a woodchopper, it throws further and is well made. They are abit hard to fine but the this website has a link or you can go to www.hroller.com .

My favorite top water lure is the walking variety. The action of the Super Zara Spook closely mimics the wounded baitfish. This style of lure is a very subtle, seductive and very productive. Again color plays a far distant roll compared to the side-to-side action that might take a little practice to master. (BPS #28-255-960 silver mullet 02, red head 01, gold sardine 04 $4.99) I always have at least 2.

For some strange reason, one year I took a very expensive lure called a Sammy 115, made by Lucky Craft. It is a top water-walking lure with a difference. Because the front 40% of the lure stays above the surface, the effect it is has on the action of the lure is amazing. When the water is perhaps shallow and extremely calm, a woodchopper comes off like a freight train and does more harm than good. The Sammy is the answer. Both the 115 and the 100 are about the same. I like the Tennessee shad color but again the action is the big appeal. Lucky Craft has two drawbacks. One, price, at $14.99, compared to the cost of others, this is one expensive lure. The other problem is that the hooks on all Lucky Craft lures need to be changed out and substituted with something far stronger. (BPS Sammy 100, #28251-540, Sammy 115 #28-251-541, Tennessee shad 37 $14.99)

Sub Surface: The lure that will catch the most peacock bass is the subsurface jerk bait. The Yo-Zuri Suspending Crystal Minnow 5 ¼ inch in the color Blue/Silver has probably caught more fish than all others hands down. Take six and keep some hidden away. (BPS #28-267-826 Blue/silver 41, $6.95)

The very first time I went to the Amazon I took something that I thought might work. The suspending Lucky Craft Pointer 128 in the color American shad, is a lure that has taken off and is the new super lure. At $16.99 it should be and again you have to change out the hooks just like on the Sammy. I take the three hooks off and put replacement hooks that are one size bigger than the originals, but only on the front and the back. I do not replace the middle hook. While you are at it you can beef up the snap rings. I will take 6 of these also and hide three. (BPS #28-251-533 American shad 70, $16.99)

Other Lures: Take some Gold Spoons for when things slow down when the sun get high in the sky. I go to the burger shop Krystal and get a few red straws and place small pieces of the straw on the shank of the hook. Medium size cast master or the equivalent, will have your partner asking if you have any extras. There are cheap so take several in different styles and sizes.

Jigs: White buck tail jigs have always been a favorite and work well in the rocks or when a fish's buddies show up under the boat trying to take the lure away from the one already on line. Some anglers put a jig on a rod and then make a figure eights with the rod tip on the surface of the water with the jig only 12 inches out from the tip. A lot of fun but be careful not to break your rod.

Soft Tackle: Leave it at home. The Amazon is in a constant state of decay and as a result the tannin level in the water prevents mosquitoes from surviving as well as well as grubs and worms. These fish eat other fish. Everybody is some body's lunch. This helps to explain why these fish are so aggressive.

Peacock Bass Tackle Amazon Jungle Tackle