As co-host of the Saturday morning radio program The Weekly Fisherman on WQAM 560, Eric Brandon is expected to have a working knowledge of South Florida's salt and freshwater fisheries. But Brandon, who also works as an evening disc jockey on KISS Country, doesn't have a lot of time to go fishing.

After relocating recently to a waterfront town house on the C-8 canal in Miami Lakes, Brandon was chagrined that he could not manage to catch any peacock or largemouth bass in his home waters. And, to make matters even worse, he endured weekly embarrassment during his live on-air chats with Hollywood peacock bass guide Alan Zaremba as Zaremba merrily recounted bountiful catches in Brandon's watery backyard.

Eventually, Zaremba invited Brandon to fish the C-8 on his boat with him -- holding nothing back in the way of lures, presentation and locations.

``We're coming into the best time of year for open-water fishing,'' Zaremba said. ``This is as close to Amazon-style fishing as it ever gets. You can be aggressive with your baits.''

GOING DEEP TO FEED

According to Zaremba -- who fishes extensively for peacocks throughout South Florida and as a host on riverboat expeditions in Brazil's Amazon region -- the colorful cichlids are concluding their spawning cycle, which means they are leaving their canal-side beds and roaming out to deeper water to feed.

Zaremba's favorite lures for roving peacocks are floating Rapala lures sized Nos. 7-11, with silver and gold colors. He said suspending plugs such as X-Raps and other lures such as Heddon Baby Torpedoes and Chug Bugs also work well.

For peacocks still sitting stubbornly on beds or holding close to the bottom, Zaremba recommends 1 ½-ounce jigs in red and white, red and yellow or chartreuse and white.

For much of their September morning outing, Brandon went fishless -- despite constant casting with plugs and jigs.

SUCCESS, FINALLY

Eventually, he coaxed a peacock in the 2-pound class away from a sheltered overhang in a barrier wall next to the Palmetto Expressway and caught it on a Halloween-colored jig.

Then he followed that catch with two more nice peacocks up to about 3 pounds under some residential docks surrounded by lily pads.

Brandon was grateful.

``Alan showed me all the best lures to use and points to fish,'' he said.

Brandon made plans to buy a used boat -- a 13-foot Boston Whaler with a 25-horsepower outboard that he had seen on Craigslist.

``When I buy this boat, I'm going to travel this whole canal system,'' Brandon said.

At least he now knows several shortcuts.

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