Durability: There are not many freshwater fish that can pull 4X hooks straight but larger Peacock Bass are one of them. These colorful fish put a major hurt on traditional lures and many of the swimbaits and topwater plugs we traditionally fish for bass were quickly rendered useless. These wood baits are able to withstand the shock of the violent strikes as well as the constant barrage of casts into the thick structure that lines much of the Amazon shoreline where the Peacocks reside.

Everything in the Amazon is built with teeth and Peacock Bass are not the only fish that will strike the BGW. We caught plenty of Barracuda, Arowana, and Trahira, all of which did their part scratching up the lures. But it is not just the assault from fish that scratch this lure, as you work it the large hooks will also begin carving up the bottom and sides of the bait.

During my seven day field test there was one orange and black Amazon Ripper that worked particularly well, or maybe it was just the one that I had the most confidence in so I fished it every single day, this lure looked like it had been through a war just three days into the trip and yet with all the battle scars and chipped off paint it continued to remain fully effective.

As mentioned earlier constant tuning of the prop is required for maximum noise and water churn but after four days and over 50 fish later the bait needed more than just a bend of the prop. It was a sixteen pound Paca Peacock Bass that finally killed my lucky bait, it fought with such ferocity it actually bent the rear shaft and broke the center split ring loop clean off.

The Peacocks are not the only fish in the Amazon willing to take on the Choppers

I wanted to keep fishing my lucky bait so I decided to cannibalize another Chopper. Since the lure is made out of wood it doesn’t have a substructure like injected baits holding the metal components in place, instead they are simply screwed in and with a pair of pliers can easily be unscrewed and replaced on another lure.

My favorite bait was brought back from the dead and went on to catch many more fish. Overall the Big Game Woodchopper exhibits excellent durability and though it does take a beating it takes a very large fish to really hurt this lure. Baits that are not designed to stand up to the violent strikes and sheer torque that Peacocks are able to dole out either result in lost fish or a destroyed lure after a single strike.

Price & Applications: Though primarily designed for targeting Peacock Bass both the Big Game Woodchopper and Amazon Ripper are good for species that will strike at topwater and that includes Stripers and Largemouth Bass that are big and aggressive enough to take on the loud fast moving lures.

When it comes to fishing for Peacocks color is important but it seems to take a backseat to proper action. When it comes to Striped bass the lighter colors are typically the most effective. So just how good are these lures? For starters it only took two casts to catch my first Peacock bass and if I could only pack one lure to go to the Amazon then the Big Game Woodchopper would be it, followed by the Amazon Ripper, walk the dog styled baits and hair raiser jigs.

Surprisingly these baits are somewhat hard to come by these days and out of four local shops in the Bay Area only one actually stocked them on the shelf, and only kept a few patterns which were painted back in 2004. These lures retailed between 10.99 and 17.99 depending on size and anglers can find them online for around the same price. Peacock Bass fishing has become increasingly popular over the years but the cost of making the trip is somewhat prohibitive and reduces the overall demand for these lures. Combine that with the fact that you can get away for just a few baits for the whole trip as long as you tie good knots and there is little motivation for most retailers to stock the larger baits. Still most retailers will special order the lures for you and it is possible to find them online for very reasonable prices but not always in the patterns you might be looking for. 

Conclusion: Both the Big Game Woodchopper and Amazon Ripper are basically the same bait with a slightly different profile. Use the Amazon Ripper when fish really want to chase something fast and the Big Game Woodchopper when you need to displace a lot of water and call fish up from below to strike. Both of these baits were effective all day long but were definitely best when the temperature was warmer, the hotter it got the more frequent the strikes and the more we could slack off that shoulder burning retrieve.

The Big Game Woodchopper and the Amazon Ripper are two "must have" lures for anglers traveling to the Amazon to target Peacock Bass

The Big Game Woodchopper has a well deserved reputation and when it came to sheer numbers it was only beaten by a hair raiser jigs but when it came to quality fish the name of the bait sais it all, this bait gets the big fish to bite. Not only is it effective but it is a blast (though tiring) to fish and once you see a big Peacock Bass crush one of these baits it is an image that will stay with you forever. These baits are not just "Amazon Approved," they are an Amazon "Must Have" and an easy choice for our Editors Choice Award.