Big Payara caught in Bolivia at sunset. They tend to feed early and late.
Payara
Hydrolycus scomberoides
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Payara Description
Payara are a fearsome-looking and superb gamefish found in various parts of the Amazon basin. Their most notable feature is their large two lower front teeth which can get up to 4 inches long. They also have a number of other sharp teeth in their bony mouth. They kind of look like a Salmon with some sort of alien head stuck on them. Payara supposedly reach sizes of up to 50lbs although the current all-tackle record is 39lbs.
Payara live in or near faster currents, unlike Peacock Bass and most other Amazon species. They have good eyesight and will often turn away from lures at the last moment. Low-light times such as morning and late afternoon are the best times to try for them. Their strike can be very quick and they can drop your lure or fly in an instant if you are not ready for it. Their bony mouth is hard to hook, so repeated strong hooksets with sharp hooks are a must. Once hooked, they make powerful runs and often leap to try to throw the hook.
I have heard that Payara taste ok but these fantastic fish should be released whenever possible.
Payara Pound for Pound Fight Rating - 9.5 out of 10 on the Freshwater Scale
Payara generally live in swift currents, and as a result can pull very hard. When they hit hard, it feels like your rod got struck by lightning. You are generally not going to be able to horse them in; they are going to make some drag-screaming runs. Their bony mouths make it hard to hook them solidly, so they often throw the hook on one of their violent leaps. They will head under rocks if you let them, and they often get into swift currents which can make them very hard to land. One of the toughest pound for pound fights in freshwater. You are doing very well if you hook half the ones that bite and land half the ones you hook.
Check out this big Black Caiman chase a hooked Payara out of the water. That white blur at the end is me running.
Hydrolycus scomberoides
HOME
Other Species
Payara Description
Payara are a fearsome-looking and superb gamefish found in various parts of the Amazon basin. Their most notable feature is their large two lower front teeth which can get up to 4 inches long. They also have a number of other sharp teeth in their bony mouth. They kind of look like a Salmon with some sort of alien head stuck on them. Payara supposedly reach sizes of up to 50lbs although the current all-tackle record is 39lbs.
Payara live in or near faster currents, unlike Peacock Bass and most other Amazon species. They have good eyesight and will often turn away from lures at the last moment. Low-light times such as morning and late afternoon are the best times to try for them. Their strike can be very quick and they can drop your lure or fly in an instant if you are not ready for it. Their bony mouth is hard to hook, so repeated strong hooksets with sharp hooks are a must. Once hooked, they make powerful runs and often leap to try to throw the hook.
I have heard that Payara taste ok but these fantastic fish should be released whenever possible.
Payara Pound for Pound Fight Rating - 9.5 out of 10 on the Freshwater Scale
Payara generally live in swift currents, and as a result can pull very hard. When they hit hard, it feels like your rod got struck by lightning. You are generally not going to be able to horse them in; they are going to make some drag-screaming runs. Their bony mouths make it hard to hook them solidly, so they often throw the hook on one of their violent leaps. They will head under rocks if you let them, and they often get into swift currents which can make them very hard to land. One of the toughest pound for pound fights in freshwater. You are doing very well if you hook half the ones that bite and land half the ones you hook.
Check out this big Black Caiman chase a hooked Payara out of the water. That white blur at the end is me running.
Payara Tackle
Payara can be landed on the heavier tackle used for Peacock Bass. You need a fairly stiff rod to get that hookset you want, otherwise you will lose quite a few. Braided line helps with hooksets and a wire leader us a must. Spinning, baitcasting, or fly tackle will all take Payara. Click here for tackle recommendations.
Payara Techniques
Payara like things retrieved fairly rapidly, whether lure or bait. They are often found at bends in the river where the current is a little faster. They can be found in the faster current or near it. They often give away their location by rolling or busting on bait. When you find active fish like that, stay in that spot and work it over until you find something that works.
Payara Lures
The picture below shows some lures that have worked for me. You can fish the flies on conventional tackle by just adding a sliding sinker and casting out and retrieving. A straight retrieve has worked a lot better than a jerk and pause for me. Most larger minnow-type lures with some flash and wiggle should garner strikes. They sometimes hit topwaters, but subsurface is usually the way to go. No matter what lure you use, you should consider switching out trebles (especially thicker ones) with thin but strong single hooks such as those pictured:
Payara can be landed on the heavier tackle used for Peacock Bass. You need a fairly stiff rod to get that hookset you want, otherwise you will lose quite a few. Braided line helps with hooksets and a wire leader us a must. Spinning, baitcasting, or fly tackle will all take Payara. Click here for tackle recommendations.
Payara Techniques
Payara like things retrieved fairly rapidly, whether lure or bait. They are often found at bends in the river where the current is a little faster. They can be found in the faster current or near it. They often give away their location by rolling or busting on bait. When you find active fish like that, stay in that spot and work it over until you find something that works.
Payara Lures
The picture below shows some lures that have worked for me. You can fish the flies on conventional tackle by just adding a sliding sinker and casting out and retrieving. A straight retrieve has worked a lot better than a jerk and pause for me. Most larger minnow-type lures with some flash and wiggle should garner strikes. They sometimes hit topwaters, but subsurface is usually the way to go. No matter what lure you use, you should consider switching out trebles (especially thicker ones) with thin but strong single hooks such as those pictured:
A really hefty Payara caught on the Orinoco River, Venezuela on a fly
Payara often live and hunt in or near very fast water
Payara Baits
Payara feed on a number of baitfish, and I imagine most fish found in their area that are small enough to get in their mouths would work.
Where To Get the Big Payara
They are only found in the Amazon. Venezuela has historically had the best fishery for big ones at Uraima Falls but that has become a much dicier destination due to safety concerns. Columbia, Peru, and Bolivia all have good fisheries.
Other Payara Resources
These guys are the best in the business at putting people on Payara:
www.fishcolombia.com, www.rodgunresources.com, www.acuteangling.com
Payara feed on a number of baitfish, and I imagine most fish found in their area that are small enough to get in their mouths would work.
Where To Get the Big Payara
They are only found in the Amazon. Venezuela has historically had the best fishery for big ones at Uraima Falls but that has become a much dicier destination due to safety concerns. Columbia, Peru, and Bolivia all have good fisheries.
Other Payara Resources
These guys are the best in the business at putting people on Payara:
www.fishcolombia.com, www.rodgunresources.com, www.acuteangling.com
There are some smaller Payara species, like this one from Peru
The author's friend Gary with a big Payara caught on a Rapala in Colombia
