The Hunt for Peacock Bass

November 24, 2009 – Air Kuning, Kampar (by Gerald K).  Most avid freshwater anglers would have heard of Air Kuning but few have had the opportunity to venture and fish in these lakes. It is a well known fact that large specimen size Peacock Bass are to be found here. If you look at the size of the Air Kuning wetlands system, it is not difficult to believe that there are some monster-size PBs (and even tomans) lurking in some corners.

Good or bad, Air Kuning is not easily accessible by road. Yes, you need a 4WD to access some of these lakes.  But, that’s not all. You need a boat too, if you want to explore the many hotspots around the lakes and the river system. Air Kuning is definitely an ideal place for kayak anglers.

Our first stop is a lake we named Tasik Tucunare (also known as Lake Kenneth, depending on who you talked too). Other than Sungai Kinta, all other water bodies in the area are nameless. Tucunare is a common name for Peacock Bass in Brazil, the country of their largest native region. Tasik Tucunare (or Lake Tucunare) is the largest lake in the Air Kuning wetlands.

The journey to Tasik Tucunare from Kuala Lumpur took about 3 hours. I found the journey itself exciting. The drive from Kuala Lumpur to Temoh (exit Tapah toll) on the North-South highway took about 2 hours. From Temoh to Lake Tucunare, it was off-road for one hour all the way. Going off-road with a convoy of 4WDs and driving through oil palm estates and ex-mining areas was an exhilarating experience itself.

Lake Tucunare proper is approximately 380acres in size, making it easily in the top 5 largest ex-mining water bodies in Perak. Our depth sounder showed uneven bottom and depths of no more than 30 feet.  To paddle around this entire lake while combing the water for fish took us 6 hours. The whole wetlands system that Tasik Tucunare is a part of is about 2,000 acres. We’ve explored less than 10% of this area.

Peacock Point. Viewed by satellite, the amazingly good fishing in Peacock Point is understandable. This is the largest area in the lake that is a lagoon that ends in a narrow point of less than 45 degrees. We believe seluangs and lampams who find their way into this “V” will be boxed in for a time, leading giant peacocks to swim right into casting distance to hunt them. The largest PB we caught here is passed the 3kg mark.

Kenny with his catch at Peacock Point

Muara Tucunare (or Tucunare Inlet).  Here, a feeder creek flows into the lake and if you know where the drop-off is, you will find both PBs and tomans patrol this inlet. There is a slight drop-off at the mouth of the feeder where the water has gouged out a hole in the lake. Even a minor drop-off of only a few inches offers many fish a place to hold and wait in ambush for food washed out of the feeder creek. If you use teeny, tiny hooks to catch the really large minnows here and use them as live bait, you have better chances of hooking up good size PBs and even tomans. 

Muara Tucunare

Toman Bay. Frustrating place. We have lost some very good lures here. Our sonar showed a shelf in this location. The top is less than 8 ft. The bottom is more than 20ft. PBs are aplenty too. But on a windless day, anchor your kayak, light a cigarette, keep your rod cocked and ready, and vigilantly watch the mirror-like water. Tomans will rise calmly, showing only their pointy nose and not a ripple more. Some times, the rises are less than 10 ft from your kayak. Casting accuracy is so crucial here. Too close and you frighten the toman into the depths. Too far, and they ain’t bothered. The cast has to be just right and when done so, the strike is almost immediate and very ferocious.

Toman Bay. Caught a PB instead.

The Shallows. The water here is shallow and fighting toman in shallow water will be a challenge, but the number of tomans here are really shocking.

Buffalo Lake. We named it so cos the water smells like buffalo dung. A friend once caught a toman here that was so large that it was beyond control. Probably about 7kg. In the end, the fish crushed the treble hook and spit out the lure. You can also find PBs around 2.5kg here. The lake’s earthy, chalky, mineral smell and in some parts, it smells like buffalo dung, since buffalo dung is probably what contributes to the water’s tint, is probably the reason why you find the fish there. 

Mystery Fish Cove. There’s a lot of a strange kind of fish here. They school in packs of 30-50 strong and rise in unison, making a rolling motion that reveals the whole of their dorsal fins. Dunno what they are.  That’s why I call them mystery fish.

The River System

The trip is mildly challenging because you will have to paddle out of Lake Tucunare and cross the river system to reach this cove. The current is meandering and just nice to give you a good workout. Fishing pressure here is delightfully low cos the cove is impossible to reach on foot or wheels. Must have boats to reach it. And tomans and haruans abound here too but the water is shallow, so fighting a big toman here will be tough.

North of this system, there are two more small lakes where you can find more PBs and tomans, but prospect of getting the monsters are much higher in the Lake Tucunare system.

Lake Tucunare (also known as Lake Kenneth)

By the way, if you are there on Saturday, head into Kampar town pasar malam for the best luk luk ever. All the stuff is fresh, especially the cockles. The sauces are spectacular and if you love pedas, the chilli sauce will make your hair sweat!

Best Luk Luk ever

Last but not least, please practice ethical bag limits and release those less than 1kg size.