Amazon Fishing Charter

A private charter for sportfishing in the Amazon for friends, families and groups!

Imagine fishing along the world's largest river, in the midst of the world's largest rainforest! And the fish to be caught are some of the world's largest and hardest fighting! Amazon waters also offer incredible beauty and the opportunity to test your skills against one of freshwater fishing's greatest challenges; the Peacock Bass! We can arrange a private charter for you and your friends! Fishing season is August to November.

Explorations Inc. is proud to offer sport fishing in the Amazon for Peacock Bass since 1993. We design our itineraries for people with a love of fishing and the outdoors who are looking for adventure in relative comfort. The ships we prefer to use have air-conditioned cabins, with twin beds and private baths/showers. The trip is limited to approximately 12 anglers. Traveling on the upper part (over 2,300 miles from the mouth) of the Amazon River and its tributaries, you will fish pristine areas far removed from cities and civilization. You will be fishing in the middle of a sea of green - the vast Amazon rainforest.

Fishing challenges with exotic species await you! The most infamous are the colorful tucunaré, or Peacock Bass, and the red-bellied, black and white species of piranha. Other aggressive species include arawana, with its upturned mouth, famous leaping ability and aerial displays when hooked; payara have awesome teeth; pacu and oscars also provide tough fights; several species of catfish such as the suribim will also hit lures; and many more species hardly even known to man inhabit the region. One must often be alert to avoid hooking a caiman or fish hawk which are also attracted to lures.

We also fish in Peru's largest nature reserve, the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, with catches of 40 - 100+ fish a day being common. This vast wilderness of almost 7 million acres, or 10,800 square miles, is protected from fish netting, and by virtue of being seasonally flooded, it is not populated. It is a very productive habitat for aquatic wildlife and the fishing should remain strong or even get better with each succeeding year! The lush tropical setting adds a great dimension to the outdoor experience. While fishing in remote jungle rivers, lakes and lagoons, you are likely to see monkeys, sloths, brilliantly plumed birds overhead in the orchid-laden trees, caiman and river turtles throughout the waterways. Often spotted in your fishing waters and your prime fishing competitors are the pink and grey species of freshwater dolphin and the impressive giant paiche (or pirarucu) which matures at lengths of 6 to 10 feet. (Usually on every trip several of these prehistoric looking fish are boated, mostly babies from 10 - 25 lbs, with the largest caught to date being approximately 130 lbs.)

This special fishing adventure and custom boat charter takes you to a remote part of the globe; to areas void of commercial fisheries and sportfishing lodges. Excluding occasional local natives, dolphin and water birds, you should see no other fishers! The all-inclusive (air, lodging, meals, fishing excursions) format helps to insure that the only hidden surprises are the daily natural wonders and catches, not additional charges.



Sample Itinerary

DAY 1, Friday: Upon arrival in Lima, Peru, you are met at the airport by local staff personnel who will assist with your luggage and then transfer you into town to a nice hotel in the upscale suburb of Miraflores for the overnight stay.

DAY 2, Saturday: An early morning flight to Iquitos takes you from the urban jungle to the rainforest jungle and your first look at the world's largest river, the Amazon! You are met the airport and transferred into town to the dock where you board a speedboat to catch up with the ship which has been sent ahead upriver (in order to save travel time). Leaving Iquitos, you can absorb the dramatic scenery of the town's waterfront as vestiges of civilization quickly give way to native thatched houses along the shore. Once aboard the "mothership" and cabin assignments, the local guide provides an orientation about the ship and the week's upcoming activities during the buffet lunch. This day (and all night) is spent traveling upriver, although there is usually time for a short stop at one of the few jungle towns (such as Nauta), for last minute items and a walk around. In the evening you relax and enjoy the beauty of the world's largest rainforest! Sunsets are a special time in Amazonia as they can provide an unbelievable myriad of colors. Later, the dark Amazon sky becomes nature's own planetarium with its open expanse of brilliant stars. You can look for the Southern Cross constellation, shooting stars, satellites, and even the visible band of the Milky Way as the ship continues up the Amazon River.

DAY 3 - 6: During these four days you will not only have a great fishing experience, you will also have a great life experience. Each day brings you new opportunities to observe some of nature's greatest spectacles and scenic fishing locations. The smaller boats and the determination of the guides provide you with access to backwater lakes and lagoons.

The exact daily schedule is mostly set by the location, weather, fish and your angling desire. The normal and suggested routine is to schedule a 6 AM daybreak (after coffee and toast) fishing excursion, returning to the ship around 10 - 11 a.m., when hunger and heat sets in. After breakfast, resting/socializing and a buffet lunch around 1 - 2 p.m., you head out again in the launches to fish until sunset. Upon your return to the ship, a delicious full buffet dinner is served. Some nights (and at mealtimes) the ship may be moving to different locations, if not, you are always welcome to try your luck fishing for the great variety of catfish found in the Amazon rivers.

DAY 7, Thursday: The ship heads back to Iquitos and going with the flow of the Amazon River allows for less travel time on the return. There is usually time for a short morning fishing session further downriver and another stop later in the day for village walk to better see how the local people live. Although there are no tourist shops where we go, it is usually possible to barter or purchase some souvenirs such as paddles, spears, blowguns, gourds, baskets and other native items.

DAY 8, Saturday: After breakfast and arrival in Iquitos (for those connecting through Lima), you have some free time in town to explore, relax or shop in this unique town of the rubber boom era. Iquitos and its markets are full of activity and interesting sights. Motorized rickshaws are the principal means of transportation in town and a ride on one is well worth the inexpensive price! The local staff personnel will assist with the transfer to the airport and check-in for the midday flight to Lima. You are then met at the Lima airport and for the holdover (until the night flights back to the USA), we will transfer you into Miraflores (to the hotel previously stayed in for the first night) and have a day room available to store luggage, etc. In the evening, the local personnel will transfer those with night flights out back to the airport. During the afternoon you have free time to walk around, shop, relax, etc., or you can arrange independent optional explorations, activities, museum visits, etc., with the local personnel. Those returning to the USA will be assisted with connecting flights departing Lima this night, arriving in the USA early on Sunday morning, allowing for morning connections back to their home city. (For an additional $75/pp/dbl you may choose to overnight in Lima this Saturday night, or Iquitos and fly out either the next morning or next night - hotel and transfers included.)

Your riverboat, the M/V Jungle Discovery, takes you up river from Iquitos, Peru, to the confluence of the Ucayali and Marañon Rivers and into the Pacaya- Samiria National Reserve.



You are welcome to call us anytime at 1-239-992-9660, or toll free at 800-446-9660, or email us at travel@GoExploring.com

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Many consider this fish to be the toughest fighting fish in the world! It is extremely aggressive and acrobatic when hooked. Despite its name, the infamous Peacock Bass is the largest member of the cichlid family in the Amazon Basin. In some ways it does resemble a large mouth bass, but the larger Peacocks do not develop a pot belly and, during mating season, the males develop a large bump behind the head. In Portuguese and along most of the Amazon, the fish is called tucunaré. Due to the spot at the base of the tail, the Spanish nickname is pavon meaning peacock. In contradiction to North American bass, the larger the Peacock Bass, the better it fights. Be prepared for broken and lost tackle!

The Peacock live in the same habitats as other such notorious angling challenges as piranha, arawana, pacu and Zungaro catfish. Occasionally caught with lures, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world (over 800 lbs) the paiche or pirarucu also inhabit these waters. In this area of the upper Amazon (and most areas), the reality is that the majority of the Peacock usually boated are in the 2 - 5 lb range as they school and are more aggressive. Many 6 - 10 pounders are caught and larger ones have been lost! While the quantity is usually good, the trophy size Peacock (20+ lbs) have yet to be caught by sportfishers in the upper Amazon, the largest to date is 13 lbs. Maybe one day...


M/V Jungle Discovery

Your home for 6 nights on Amzonian Rivers is the ship, M/V Jungle Discovery, a comfortable base from which to explore the Amazon! The vessel was built in 2005 and offers ideal accommodations for a wide variety of rainforest cruise experiences. The small passenger excursion boats used for outings provide access for an even closer look at the Amazon rainforest and its peoples.

Specifically designed for the waters of the Amazon's various rivers, the M/V Jungle Discovery is 98 feet long, 34 feet wide, with a draft of less than 4 feet. The ship's design provides plenty of space on its three decks and has 14 beautiful wood-paneled, passenger cabins, all on the upper decks. All cabins are air conditioned and have private bathrooms with hot water showers.

The dining room, where delicious buffet style meals are served, is air conditioned as well. Complimentary coffee, tea, and bottled drinking water are available throughout the day. The ship's bar is well stocked with cold drinks and there is ample deck area, covered and uncovered, with comfortable deck chairs and hammocks for a leisurely look at life on the river.