Reports

WOW!  2,361 Peacock Bass up to 24.5 LB.    What away to start off the 2010 Season in The Amazon onboard “The Belle”. As always the service and hospitality is second to none. My clients scored the most peacock Bass ever caught in my 11 trips to the mother land. That’s right , Two Thousand – Three hundred and Sixty – One Peacock alone. Plus there were several other species caught , like Piranha, Giant Catfish, Barracuda, and much more.   One boat in one day caught another record amount 147  Peacock Bass. Here are the stats.     Numbers:    2361Size:             10 lb.’ers – 21,    11 lb.’ers – 10,     12 lb.’ers – 11,    13 lb.’ers – 7,                         14 lb.’ers – 6,      15 lb.’ers – 7,       16 lb.’ers – 5,     17 lb.’ers – 5,                        18 lb.’ers – 6,      19 lb.’ers – 6,       20 lb.’ers – 5,      21 lb.’ers – 4,                         22 lb.’ers – 2,     23 lb.’ers – 1,        and  24.5 lb.’ers – 1!                    (non-published were under 10#)Baits Used:     Lures of choice for this trip were Woodchoppers, High Rollers and Jigs. A Jig caught the 24.5 Lb. by John Keefe from NC.The New Fishing boats were very stable and roomy to fish out of, as always the guides were excellent, which enabled us to catch the numbers we did.As my clients send in more picture’s I will enter another report.Here are the open spots for 2010 . I also have date’s in January & Feb.November 5 – 13 ( 2 spots)December 10 – 18 ( 14 spots)December 31 (10 spots)So if your looking to join in on the fun while the action is “HOT”, Give me a call.With Delta Airlines stopping their flights to Manaus in Jan. TAM will be the only direct carrier other then Copa that stops in Panama first. So the seats are booking up fast being those a peak months.Join me in The Amazon for a Trip of a life time.Capt. Frank Carbone954-325-1115

Last week I received a call from a gentleman in the fishing industry , by the name of Kil Song from NJ. He asked to come down to Florida to film a Show on Lake Okeechobee with Korean Pro Angler and TV celebrity Shin Dong Man A.K.A. “Shark”.    Well, four days later we were casting on the “Lake” for top water Largemouth bass. With a strong wind blowing out of the east, I couldn’t go to my fish, so I went way inside Ritter Island for some great action and to get out of the wind.    I think the biggest Shock to Shark was when I re-spooled his reel with 60 lb. braid, instead of his 12 lb. mono. With some doubts I had asked him to make a long cast into the cover while waiting for the camera to get set up. Well, on his first cast and three cranks of the reel he busted and land a nice 2 lb. to start off the day.    The bait of choice was Gambler’s Big Easy , Flappin’ Shads and skinny dippers. Most of the bass that we were catching were in the 2-3 lb. range until I busted this beauty.       Around noon we had to out run a storm and ended up in Bay Bottom, once there Shark started throwing spinners baits in the cut and landed three in a row. I had lost a big bass that was chasing shad in the middle that had gotten wrapped around a stick. Next thing I knew I heard yell and he hooked into this “HAWG”, which put a smile one his face , as this was the biggest Bass of his life.    Needless to say we had a great day, and made a new friend. I have to say this is the first time I had ever fished with a Korean Angler , and it was a true pleasure.    After talking so much about Peacock Bass the film crew and Shark decided to make another show in Miami so on Sunday we were back on...

What a nice day I had today with repeat clients The Stewart’s from New Jersey. I have taken out several family members in the past and always enjoyed their company. In a half a day trip they managed to put 15 Peacock Bass in the boat including this Beautiful 6 LB. Trophy .      This was a duel effort as both husband & wife each took turns reeling it in, “What a nice husband Billy is”. The Peacock Bass fishing is still good even with the freeze we had back in Jan. Right now you can catch Snook and occasional Tarpon and some Big Carp while fishing in Miami for Peacock Bass. So give us a call the next time you want get away and come on down to South Florida. I guide 7 Days a week. Capt. Frank Carbone 954-325-1115

Last week myself & Steve Pressman took a few days off and decided to go to Alberta for some Trout & Northern Pike. It was nice to get out of the hot weather and cool down a bit. The scenery  is absolutely beautiful Ram river and there was wild life all over , we saw Both Whitetail & Mule Deer, Big Horn Sheep & Elk.                                 While fishing for Trout we saw Sheep on the hillside   We tried our luck with Trout fishing , but didn’t have too much success, so we headed down to the southern part of Alberta for Northern’s.           We had done much better catching over 80 Pike up to 28 ” .                                    Next year we are going to plan a fly – in Trip if anyone is interested, probably around June. I hope everyone had a nice summer and looking forward to seeing most you this winter. I have some group trips coming up for The Amazon, Panama  for Deep sea Action and Mexico for largemouth, join us if you can. Capt. Frank Carbone 954-325-1115

Well it was nice to have return Clients Kim Swiggart from Oklahoma, his son Parker and business client Carlo out for another Good day on the water.    The boys had a good time catching all kinds of fish. peacock Bass Mylan  Cichla’s, Oscar, largemouth Gar, and a few other tropical fish.          The peacock Bass today were caught on small shiners jigs, and top water lures. This was Carlo first time ever catching Peacock Bass and as beginners luck would have it he caught the most. The peacock Bass is the most explosive , hardest fighting freshwater fish you will ever have on the end of your line. Just come on down and let me show you, you won’t regret it.   Capt. Frank Carbone

Last week I had a great guy by the name of Marc Carlette from Switzerland. Marc and I spent a nice out on the water catching over 30 Bass up to 5.5 lb.  Most of Marc’s fish were caught on Shiners until he ran out . The rest of the Bass were caught on Frogs, jerk baits, Zara Spooks,10 – 12″ worms down deep and of course Gambler Ace.    The best time has been first thing in the morning , not that we weren’t catching in the heat of the day, but it’s hot out there. By 1:00 PM you are ready for the swimming pool.      5.5lb. caught on a shiner The action is good so come on down to South Florida for some top water action in The Florida Everglade’s with Capt. Frank Carbone, “The Hawghunter

    The Amazon Hawghunter is introducing for the First time at an unbelievable price 8 days / 6.5 Days of fishing. All – inclusive (except international Air)  ONLY $3950.00   Premier Class in Amazon Peacock Bass Fishing and Adventure The New Yacht assure our clients the very best in Comfort, Security, Finest facilities, 5 star services, Best of Fishing guides with the best fishing boats in the Amazon, and the opportunity to bring home that ‘World Record’ or simply the best Adventure memories of a lifetime ! I assure you can do this ‘here’ at the best price in the Amazon, including WiFi Internet,FREE phone service, minimal charge Monday night football, and the best seat anywhere for the Orange Bow l !  50″ Flat Screen Satellite TV and much more The Yacht is a newly built 96 ft yacht designed to host up to 18 anglers in first class accommodations and services along with new extra wide Pro-Type Tracker fishing boats with new 60 HP Yamaha motors. .        You need only to show up with a small carry-on bag, two clothes changes, & utilize our ‘rental tackle package’, then enjoy ! We strive to make it like week-ender travel, simple, light, and one lot of fun with photos to prove it. New State Rooms with 7 Ft. Beds not like others these are built for Americans.      Our 5 star Chef will serve you both American & Amazonian dishes in the Dining room. Open BarThe men who will guide you and put you into big fish for six days are the hand picked ‘cream of the Amazon’, none second seat             Every person must ‘live the Amazon’, once..or twice…then probably every year thereafter…!For more details Call Capt. Frank Carbone at  954-325-1115

The Bedznar’s from Chicago have been fishing with “The Hawghunter” for the past 12 years. Today was special because this was the first time 7 year Old Mathew came fishing with us. His older brother Mike who was 7 the first time he fished with me and is now 18, started things off with the first fish of the day. Then Matt got his first Florida Bass from the Everglade’s.  Matt needed a little help from Dad, Chuck holding up his Bass. Within an hour young Matt set the hook on his trophy a nice 21-1/4 ” by 14 -1/2 ” Bass. This will earn him a certificate from the State of Florida for catching one over 5 LB. By 11:00 AM it was so hot, so we called it a day around noon, and headed to the swimming pool. The real Family Angler, Amy  was left behind taking care of the youngest, 4 year old Grace. All the bass today were caught on Shiner’s and released for the Next Angler to catch.

Well, it took 7 years for 5 year old Rhett Harmon from Las Vegas to bring his Dad Dave back to Florida to go fishing again . The boys enjoyed 2 fine days of fishing together , while Mom shopped.    On day one we headed to Miami for some peacock bass, once there the action started out with Rhett catching the first few before Dad got on the board. At the end of the Day Rhett out fished dad with the biggest Peacock.    look at that smile The next day we were out to the Everglade’s for some largemouth action. The action was a little slow until the afternoon. On this day dad took the bragging right with catching the most & the Biggest, eventhough Dad let him hold it.   The competition is always great , but the true Greatness is a Father & Son sharing quality time  together Fishing  and always having the fond memories to fall back on, the fish is just the bonus.                                                                                      Dave & Rhett are both looking forward to Joining me in the Amazon   hopefully  this winter. Capt. Frank Carbone. “The Hawghunter”, is always waiting to be apart of those memories and welcome all anglers 7 Days a Week.    

In the past 5 years I have noticed more and more couples while on their Honeymoon have been booking trip with me. I think that’s great when a couple share time together on the water, like this couple Brent & Paige Urbaniak from Kansas City, Missouri. We started out in Blue Lagoon, after about 10 mins. I spotted a large school of Fish, so we started to chase them down. When we got in range Brent through a Zara Spook in the middle of the school and hooked into a nice Jack Cavalla to start thinks off. Paige, then answered it with a 3 lb. Peacock Bass that nearly pulled the rod out of her hands. The real action started as we headed back into the canal system, which I always refer to as “The Venice of Miami”. By 11:00 AM Paige was a little over heated, and  a bit of too much celebration the night before , so we head for some cold drinks and shade at Sonia’s Hide a way, a great little Cuban Cafe. After lunch it back out for more action, as the couple ended up with about a dozen Peacock Bass up to 4 lb. and 1 Jack to end a great day and some nice picture’s for the Honeymoon Album. Of course Paige caught the big one. Good luck to the both of you and stay happy. Good Fishin’ from , “The Hawghunter”, Capt. Frank Carbone

Recently I had taken out Wallace Bias, he is the author of the book “Fishing with your Father”. This is a good book because for me it brought back memories that I could relate to also.   The day started out with a surprise and a bonus, as Wallace hooked and battled a nice largemouth 6-7 lb. So,. this answers the question most of you ask can you catch Peacock & Largemouth Bass at the same time. The rest of the day it was all Peacock Bass. Wallace an avid Fly- fisherman had fun catching them on a fly, he had also used some small shiners to complete his day on the Water.   Wallace, next desire is to join me in the Amazon for the monster Peacock Bass up to 25 lb. You can find more on that trip on my Amazon site :www.amazonpeacockbasstrip.com   Hawghunter Guide Service offers more then just fishing in South Florida for Peacock & Largemouth Bass. We also pride ourselves on Worldwide Fishing & Hunting Trip. 

World Record PeacockNow Official! – On June 1, 2010 the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) officially certified the 28 pound Peacock Bass caught by Bill Gassmann on February 9, 2010 as the new All-Tackle World Record, according to Captain Peacock Yachts & Expeditions owners Leonardo Leao and Nasser Fraxe. Gassmann ,of Des Moines Iowa,  caught the 37 -inch long with 25-inch girth, monster peacock bass aboard the Captain Peacock yacht operation while fishing in a backwater slough off the Rio Negro. The huge peacock hit his clown patterned Woodchopper and after a furious 12 minute battle, Bill and his guide Elvis were able to land the huge fish. “We are very happy to show the fishing world our exclusive concept combining mobility, safety and first-class service and accommodations in order to create unique moments like this,” says Leonardo and Nasser. “The opportunity is for every angler, from the first-time peacock bass fisherman up to the most knowledgeable ones. Since receiving the IGFA Certificate, Gassmann has traveled to Manaus for an awards presentation from the Capt. Peacock operators and Dallas taxidermist Ron Kelly also went down to cast a mold of the world record fish. Shown in the images are (L to R) Gassmann, Kelly and Leao holding fish, Gassmann holding IGFA Certificate and Kelly holding the Record Mold after returning to the U.S.   You can be the next record Holder join The Hawghunter onboard Capt. Peacock Luxury Yacht

  The South Florida action has been steady, in the hotter weather. My peacock Bass trip have been averaging between 12- 25. On the other hand the Largemouth Bass in the Everglades has been higher in numbers. Your average day on the water is around 50 with an occasional larger one in the 5-7 LB. range.    First from New Jersey was Paul Zara and his fishing buddy. On there day of fishing for Peacock Bass they totaled at 23 the biggest being 3- 3/4 LB.   Then I was very impressed to have Jim Mc Connell Florida and his two lovely daughters . The girls left their Husbands & Children home as they went with dear old Dad on their traditional Fishing Trip. The Trio have been Hunting  Fishing together ever since they were young, “I think this is great”. They had spent 3 days on the water , first they peacock bass fished and then hit the Largemouth on the next two days.  The Bass have been hitting real good on Gambler Ace and Large 10- 12″ worms on the bottom. Then finishing up the week was Harry Beerridge and his Son from Virginia having a great day catching up to 25 peacock Bass. The thing about South Florida fishing it is good all year round.      

The Everglades action continues to be successful especially on Artificial Baits , such as Gambler Ace wacky style. Also we have been catching them deep on big worms. Needless to say Shiners are always a good choice as Master Angler Matt Pressman from Pembroke Pines Fl. found out last Saturday. Matt on his first two shiners caught this beautiful 7 lb. and on the very next shiner caught a 5 lb.                                      As always he out shined his Dad, Steve owner of The Pillbox Pharmacy , and this was Steve’s Birthday Present Trip. Matt did feel bad, and let Dad hold his fish for the picture, “Yea Right”.                                                                                                                               At the end of the day the father & son caught over 40 bass mostly on shiners and when they ran out plastic worms.   Next I had another Father & Son from Georgia Robert and & Robert JR. Kidd. These boys used only Artificial plastics. Again wacky style Gambler ace and the bigger Bass came on 12″ worms deep. On Jr. last cast of the day he caught this nice Bass to end a great day on the water.   As the water is dropping the bass are filtering into the canals and making the action fantastic. So if you thinking of coming down for a good day of fishing this is the time. Give us a call or emails us . Capt. Frank Carbone  saids come on down and join the Fun.