Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 536 is my conversation with Debbie Hanson, an award-winning outdoor writer and angler who has dialed in peacock bass fishing in the South Florida canal system. Peacock bass are native to the Amazon and thrive when water temperatures rise, which makes summer into fall prime time. We get into reading canal structure, choosing the right water, and the topwater cadence and retrieve strategies that turn followers into explosive strikes.
Debbie Hanson is an award-winning outdoor writer and angler who specializes in peacock bass fishing in South Florida. She is known for breaking down practical techniques that help everyday anglers catch more fish, and she shares her canal-fishing strategies in this conversation.
Summer into fall is prime time for peacock bass because they love warm water temperatures. Peacock bass are native to the Amazon in South America and thrive when water temperatures rise, so the warmer months in South Florida produce the most aggressive fish.
Peacock bass are targeted in the South Florida canal system. Debbie Hanson explains how to read those canals, identify productive structure, and position yourself to present to fish holding around it.
Debbie Hanson focuses on topwater cadence and a strike-triggering retrieve. She explains how varying the pace and the action of the lure provokes the aggressive, reaction-based strikes peacock bass are known for, especially around structure.
Peacock bass are native to the warm waters of the Amazon and are built to chase and ambush prey. When water temperatures rise in South Florida canals, that aggression peaks, which is why topwater presentations and reactive retrieves are so effective.
Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 536 with Debbie Hanson is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts. The video version is embedded at the top of this page.
I wanted Debbie on because peacock bass are one of the most fun fish you can target, and not many people break down the how as clearly as she does. She is an award-winning writer who actually fishes hard, and she has the South Florida canal game figured out. I wanted listeners who have driven past those canals and wondered what is in them to hear exactly how to go catch these aggressive, beautiful fish.
Press play in the player above to hear it.
Peacock bass are native to the Amazon and thrive in warm water, so the hotter months light them up. Debbie explains how to time your trips to the temperature and why that window produces the most aggressive fish. Hear it in the episode.
The canal system can look featureless, but Debbie knows how to find the structure and water that holds fish. She talks through what to look for and how to position. Watch the YouTube player above.
Debbie gets into the retrieve, the pace, and the lure action that turn a follow into an explosive strike. It is the difference between watching fish and catching them. Listen to that section.
Debbie explains how peacock bass relate to structure and how to present to them once you have located it. If you want to target these fish on purpose, this part is gold. Hear it in the full episode.
The day after talking with Debbie, what stuck with me was how approachable she makes peacock bass fishing sound. These are exotic, aggressive, gorgeous fish, and she lays out a clear path to catching them right in the South Florida canals.
If you have ever wanted to throw topwater and get an explosive reaction strike, this is the conversation. Debbie gives you the timing, the water, and the cadence to make it happen.
The Tom Rowland Podcast brings you long-form conversations with the most accomplished anglers, hunters, conservationists, and outdoor professionals in the game. Listen to every full-length Tom Rowland Podcast interview.
Debbie Hanson is an award-winning outdoor writer and angler who specializes in peacock bass fishing in the South Florida canal system. She is known for clear, practical instruction that helps everyday anglers catch more fish, with particular expertise in reading canal structure and triggering reaction strikes on topwater. Her work focuses on making technical fishing accessible and getting more people, especially newcomers, onto the water with confidence.
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