Peacock Bass Fishing - Colombia
Peacock Bass and Payara Combo on Two Rivers - Akuani River Lodge
Fly or lure fish for peacock bass and payara in the Colombian jungle. Spend four full days fishing for peacock bass on the Vichada River and two full days angling for payara fish at the renowned Maipures Rapids. Your home base for peacock bass fishing will be the Akuani River Lodge, where you will stay for six nights, and for the payara fishing days, you will spend one night at a comfortable camp near the Orinoco River. The Lodge operates from January through March and caters to a maximum of eight anglers per week. The package includes two hotel nights and domestic flights between Bogota and Inirida.
2025 Rates start at $4,600.00 per person for 9-nights and 6-days guided fishing.
Afloat Adventure
Afloat Adventure, the outfitter, has been operating out of Medellin since 2016. Their goal is to provide anglers with unique fishing experiences in beautiful and remote areas of Colombia.
The Vichada River is home to numerous lagoons and is a blackwater river, which is a slow-moving channel flowing through forested swamps or wetlands. It offers plenty of opportunities for topwater fishing, where you can catch massive temensis (three-bar) peacock bass, some weighing over 22 pounds. The Vichada River is a tributary of the Orinoco.
The Orinoco River, located in the Tuparro National Reserve, is one of the longest rivers in South America, spanning close to 1,400 miles in a giant arc. It is considered the fourth-largest river in the world in terms of discharge volume. Anglers can expect to catch 20+ pound payara (vampire fish) using deep divers and other deep lures in the strong currents of the Maipures Rapids. Along the Orinoco, giant sardinata, which resemble American shad but are much larger, can be caught using small poppers, jigs, spinners, and flies. Anglers looking to catch redtail and tiger shovelnose catfish (the ones with distinctive stripes) should use bait. The German explorer Alexander von Humboldt called the Maipures Rapids the eighth Wonder of the World.
The Fishing Program
Season: The fishing season runs from mid-November through mid-March.
Boats: For peacock bass, you will fish from Bongos, which are a type of canoe. The Bongos are big and comfortable, with casting platforms. For payara, you will mainly be fishing from the bank or rocks. You'll fish two anglers per boat and a guide.
Guides: Experienced guides do not speak English wellommunicate what's important. You will have the same fishing guide for the entire week.
Equipment: No gear is provided. Single hooks are required on all lures and flies when targeting peacock bass and payara. Lures and flies are available for purchase at the Lodge. Our confirmation packet includes a list of what to bring.
Requirements: All lines and leaders need to be at least 40 to 60 pounds. Bring stripping gloves to avoid burns from these fast species. All fishing is catch-and-release.
A Fishing License is currently not required in Colombia, but a $400.00 Sikuani Communities Fee is required and paid with your final balance.
A Typical Fishing Day:
You'll get up to ten hours of guided fishing each day.
6:00 a.m. - The schedule is flexible, but they recommend getting up early. You can enjoy breakfast at the Lodge or take it on the boat. Snacks and drinks are supplied.
Noon - Lunch is either at the Lodge or on one of the beaches.
5:00 p.m. - The fishing day typically ends.
7:00 p.m. - Dinner at Camp.
