Choose Which Fishing Trip You Would Like To
Learn More About
Peacock Bass Focused Trips
There are 16 species of peacock bass, but these trips focus on catching the largest species, the Cichla, Temensis. Temensis are known as one of the greatest sportfish in freshwater fishing. Their bull dog fighting style, explosive topwater strikes, and beautiful coloration make a must experience for traveling anglers.
Rio Negro Explorer | Brazil
The most consistent fishing trip in the Amazon! This beautiful yacht roams the enormous Rio Negro basin from mid-October through March, concentrating on accessing productive waters.
Floating Bungalows | Brazil
This trip provides a great chance at large peacock bass in an intimate jungle setting. These floating bungalows can take you to the most inaccessible headwaters regions.
Curicuriari | Brazil
If you're hunting for a real shot at a world-record peacock bass, then this is the place for you. It's already been proven to be a world record class
fishery.
Payara & Multi-Species Focused Trips
Target a wide range of exotic species, including the fearsome payara, also known as the vampire fish. With their long, fang-like teeth and aggressive nature, payara are a top target for adventurous anglers. On our multi-species trips, you’ll also have the chance to catch piranha, bicuda, giant catfish, and more, all in one unforgettable expedition.
Xingu River | Brazil
If you’re looking to catch a variety of fish species, then this is the trip for you. Enjoy the diversity of sport fish and the various fishing techniques used to catch them.
Rio Aripuana | Brazil
With two tributaries, two lakes, and access to the Aripuanã, you'll find diverse aquatic habitats, including creek mouths, rapids, eddies, and boulders, perfect for a variety of fish species.
Arapaima Focused Trips
Arapaima grow over 250 pounds. These giants are found in lagoons and slow brackish water. Their size and strength are incredible, and you will never forget the moment you start reeling in one of these Amazon beasts.
Arapaima Focused Trips
Private Waters | Brazil
Arapaima can grow more than 200 pounds. These giants are found in lagoons and slow brackish water. Their size and strength are incredible, and you will never forget the moment you start reeling in one of these Amazon beasts.
Arapaima Focused Trips
Golden Dorado Focused Trips
Hunt for the hard-hitting golden dorado, a powerful, acrobatic predator known for its dazzling gold color and aggressive behavior. These apex freshwater fish are a bucket-list target for experienced anglers.
Paraná River | Argentina
This fishery gives you multiple opportunities to catch Dorados. The lower Paraná is generally known as an area that delivers a high quantity of fish. When conditions are good anglers typically catch 10-30 dorados a day.
Arapaima Focused Trips
Arapaima Focused Trips
WHAT OUR ANGLERS HAVE TO SAY
Join Us: Get monthly newsletters, discount offers and new content notifications exclusively for our members. Join for FREE below with your name and email.
Join Us: Get monthly newsletters, discount offers and new content notifications exclusively for our members. Join for FREE below with your name and email.
Read Our Newest Blogs
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam
The Redtail Catfish: A Quick Overview
The Redtail Catfish (know as Pirarara in Brazil) can grow up to 5 feet long and weigh over 100 pounds. Its distinctive reddish-orange tail and large, paddle-like fins set it apart from other catfish. Found primarily in the Amazon Basin, these fish thrive in slow-moving rivers and floodplains.
Grady Field with a Rio Aripuanã Red Tail
The Current IGFA was caught in 2010 in the Rio Amazonas, Brazil. It weighed 123 pounds (1).
Best Times to Fish
It really depends on the location. Smaller tributary rivers often fish better when water rises whereas lower elevation/flood pulse rivers fish better when the water is at its lowest and the redtails are more concentrated (and not in the flooded forest. More on that later).
Many anglers claim that early morning and late afternoon are the best times to target Redtails. However, I have seen them landed during the day as well.
Gear and Tactics
When it comes to gear, a sturdy rod paired with a high-capacity reel filled with 100 lb braided line is needed. These catfish often lurk near boulders, fallen trees, and other underwater obstructions so a heavy braided line is a must. The line is run through an egg sinker and then attached to a swivel, cable, circle hook combo.
If water levels and clarity allow, Red Tails can also be caught on lures (2). If you spot one in a clear or blackwater river, try running a sinking minnow or jig a few feet away from the Red Tails head.
Unique from other Giant Catfish
According to book Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco and Guianas Redtail catfish belong to the family Pimelodidae-Long Whiskered Catfish. Many of the popular large catfish species the Amazon is famous for also belong to this family such as the: Piraiba, Jau, and Surubim. (3)
While many of these larger catfish are carnivorous the diet of a Redtail also includes fruits. An educated guess leads me to believe that falling fruits coincide with their movements into flooded forest habitat per page 305, “One of the few species of giant catfishes frequently found in flooded forest. Consumes a large variety of food types, including fish, crabs, and fruits.” (3)
Josh Wilhelmsen with a Rio Aripuanã Red Tail
Catch One Yourself
If you want to catch a Redtail we recommend a Multi-Species destination such as the Rio Aripuanã. These giants are powerful and a fun challenge for anglers. They are beautiful fish and holding one while releasing it back to its native waters is a thrill for all anglers.
Resources
2024 IGFA World Record Game Fishes. Print Edition. Page 155.
CATFISHNOW. https://catfishnow.com/pluggin-the-amazons-redtail-catfish/
Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, & Guiana. Sleen, Peter & Albert, James. Pages 299 & 305.
(866) 832-2987
