Florida stocked peacock bass in the 1980s in an effort to control the exploding populations of other invasive aquatic species. (Shutterstock image)
Many people rank an Amazon Basin fishing adventure high on their bucket lists, but few can afford to make such a trip. However, some anglers in southern Florida experience the thrill of catching colorful, exotic fish from their own backyards, or they leave their offices on their lunch breaks to cast for various strange species.
"Part of the appeal of fishing in South Florida is the opportunity to catch species that anglers can't catch in other parts of the country," says Barron Moody, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist. "In urban South Florida, people can catch butterfly peacock bass and...