Some of you may recall that I've been running an experiment on the use of red-bellied Pacu in ponds and started the experiment this past January with a few 2-3 inch fish which were grown-out in an indoor facility and stocked in the ponds around April 1.

The results thus far have been absolutely stunning to me and just a little on the scary side. This evening I decided to try to catch a big hook shy Florida LMB. I rigged up a live 4 inch CNBG and sure enough hooked a 10 pound class Florida LMB that flared its gills as it threw the CNBG back at me in a head over tail jump. A second attempt at another Florida provided a most surprising result...a 2.7 pound Pacu that measured 14.5 inches. To add shock to the surprise, this same fish has now been caught 4 times in a variety of ways since being stocked around April 1.

The good news is that this Pacu is not hook shy...the bad news may be that it ate a live 4 inch CNBG which was impaled on a circle hook. The Pacu were intended to be looked at as a possible grass carp replacement....not a mainline predator.

These fish are growing at about 1 pound a month and at that rate should provide some interesting fishing this fall...assuming there are any other fish left in the pond. For a running set of pictures of these amazing fish go to my web site at:

http://www.meadowlarkponds.com/grasscarp.htm

and scroll down to see the sequence of pictures, including the one from this evening. As the summer goes on, I'll post additional pictures of this interesting fish.

That is truly awesome and interesting. Please keep the reports coming. I'd love to toss a few Pacu in my Nebraska ponds for the summer and see the looks on peoples' faces when they catch them.

Weird concepts about tilapia are driving me crazy as well.

You guys are going to make my early retirement short-lived and I love it.

ML, about 6 weeks ago, I put a couple of tiny pacu in my minnow pond just for fun and curiousity. They already appear to weigh nearly a pound. They will eat as long as I stand there feeding them. Their growth rate seems to be world class. I also noticed that they are omnivores. I saw one hit a gambusia, and have also seen them hit floating junebugs and dragonfiles. I wish I could back off on the feed and see whether they feed on weeds, but I would have to starve the minnows too.

Bobad,

I guess this makes you and I members of RAD's Pacu club....or at least candidates for members.

If there is a faster growing freshwater fish anywhere, I'd be surprised. I used to think Tilapia were fast growing and they certainly are in comparison to most all of our common pond fish, but the Pacu is really something else, on an entirely different level. They have a great fight also....much like a Jack in saltwater.

It is curious to me as to why these fish aren't more often grown by comercial growers? They are reportedly great eating fish...and if they keep growing like this, I'll soon find out about eating them.

If you don't mind saying, Bobad, what's your plan with your Pacu? Continue in the minnow pond or let 'em loose in your larger pond? I'd really like to hear your observations going forward...this is one interesting fish and the more we can learn about it, the better.

Not at all. Glad to share.

Since I have seen how fast the pacu grow, and how gnarly they are, I think I'll release them into the main pond. I'll miss the daily feeding frenzy, but knowing those guys, I think it will continue in the main pond. Maybe they'll teach my BG to be aggressive, and my RES how to eat pellets.

If I could find a cheap source for pacu, I wouldn't mind stocking 25-50 a year just to have a dependable biting and hard fighting fish. Too bad they don't spawn until year 3. From what I've seen so far, their value for weed control is zilch. They simply like the feed too much. They wait for my arrival every afternoon, and practically take pellets out of my hand. I see no signs at all that they are snacking on the weeds around my minnow pond.

They're a great novelty fish, and should have good shock value for friends and relatives fishing my pond some day. I want to set up my BIL for a fishing follies movie. I'm spreading rumours that I have pirahna in my pond, and when they get to ~3 pounds, I will invite him to fish. I can't wait to see his face when he hooks 1 and sees those teeth.

"Maybe they'll teach my BG to be aggressive,..."
------------------------------------------------
I put in 50 lbs. of Talapia a month or so ago, and the BGs and HSB both seem more aggressive. Can I purchase Pacu at a pet store? I have an 800 gal. storage tank, concrete and open top, and have been raising a few RES and roseys. Guess I'll have to add a few Pacus.

Does anyone know the (lower) temperature tolerance for Pacu?

Theo, my knowledge base for this fish is skimpy at best, but several texts have said 60 degrees is the lower limit. I've proven that to be false already this spring. We had an unusual spring storm with some snow even that dropped water temps to 56 degrees on April 14. No loss of Pacu at all. This is one interesting fish.

Ahvatsa, I buy them from PetSmart @ about $5 per fish. I've located a source for them in Argentina, but I can't get past the customs requirements.

I've never caught a Peacock bass, always wanted to, but having caught these guys, I don't regret never catching a Peacock now....they couldn't be any more exciting than these fish. I've now caught them, without trying, on crankbaits, spinner baits, various flys, worms, and now a 4 inch live CNBG.

p.s. Ahvatsa, please let us know if you put some in your concrete tank...we've got to keep track of the potential members of RAD's Pacu club.

Yes, my original purpose was to find a better grass carp...but that objective has been overcome by events

I wasn't aware of the year three spawning. I certainly believe I can raise some spawners...all it takes is a biiggg tank. I could see these fish reaching 20 pounds easily in three years...heck, I'm expecting 5-6 pound fish this year. Do you know what they require for spawning? I'd be interested in building a small spawning pond just for Pacu if I knew what they needed to spawn.

I've been working on more possible cheaper sources and also working on the possibility of paying a fish grower to overwinter a large number of these fish.

There are a lot of unknowns that we need to run to ground on this fish, but the potential is staggering.

That big tearing sound everyone hears is ML pushing the envelope.

They (jokingly) asked me if I wanted some pacu when I picked up my tilapia. They opened the lid of a 6'x 8' tank and packed in there like sardines was some pacu pushing 20lbs. I asked how big they get and they said around 80lbs. That would be a heck of a fight on the end of a line!

This fall I'm thinking of looking at a solar powered swimming pool heater to create a localized area of higher water temperatures in my pond. I'm not sure if that would be the aquatic equivalent of opening pandora's box, or not. But it does make me wonder about the possibility of keeping your exotic fish alive year round, not to mention increase the winter growth rates, possibily, for my domestic fish. What do you mad scientists think

Howard,

Do you have any numbers on what the system is capable of doing? If we knew what the system could produce in terms of heat, knew the size of the pond, and your average winter temp, we could probably make a reasonable estimate of the effects on the water temperature of the pond...my friends like Theo and Burger would eat that up (heck me too)...but I'd guess unless the pond is very small, the effect of a solar heating system will be negligible on the overall pond winter water temps and because of mixing there would be minimal area of warmer water.

Now if you could isolate the area, actually use a swimming pool, you might be in business, again depending on the output of the system. Heck, I threw in a hot tub for the cause...the least you could do is dedicate a swimming pool.

When I first stocked them I read where they were not a real good fish market fish as they had a y shaped bone along their backbone. Someone was working on a cooking method toasting the bone and allowing the meat to be used in fish sticks and similar items.
No one who has eaten the 50 or so we have given away or eaten ourselves has ever complained about bones. The taste is excellent.
Mine are around 8 pounds in a little over two years, from about 1 3/4". I noticed that on the two occasions that I have slowed feeding or changed to a lower protein food the pacu have slowed or stopped growing. They will get fat when fed a lot, you can see it in their bodies, they apparently store up for the lean times. Don, another Thai pond guy had 12 pounders at 3 years and caught at least one on live bait. I have caught them on a rapala like lure but, later lost the lure when one took it into the bamboo.
They eat/attack all of my plants, but remember I started with 100. I have between 10 and 20 left and they will be catch and release only for a year or so.
And as for hook shy, mine school, so when one gets hooked the rest go into seclusion. That is if I am fishing the surface, fishing the bottom I can catch them all day and have caught one twice in the same session.
ML, have you thought of raising another set as a back up?

ML, you have heard this before, but I want to chime in and say what a very nice web site you have. It is wonderfully organized and a joy to poke around in, not to mention that it is really informative.
Thanks,
Lou

Rad,

Have you seen any evidence of spawning or spawning activity?

Regarding back-ups, yes, in fact I just stocked the "B" team and the "C" team is in the hot tub now. I'm hopeful I can catch some of the original "A" team this fall before cool down and carry them over through the winter as potential breeding stock...it sure is easy to get attached to these fish. I can readily see why folks like/enjoy them as pets.

heronblu,

I'm honored and humbled by your nice comments. Thank you...and poke around all you want. I update it when something interesting happens in the ponds, like the unfolding Pacu story. Usually that happens every couple of months at least.

ML,
My pond is about 1/3 acre. At this point, i have done no real research as to whether i can create enough heat to make a difference. Intuitively it seems that if if you could heat a pool, you should be able to create a small warm zone in a pond useing the same technology.I'll look into it more and update the board if it looks like it might work.

ML,
None yet, about once a month we net out 50 or so of the little guys and see what we have, so far it is almost all tilapia, with a very few silver barbs. My pacu are only about 2 1/2 years old.
Try as I may I can't find anything on breeding. I read that, in their home habitat they move from the rivers into lakes to spawn, but I don't know if they breed there as well. I will keep looking, they are breed here in my neighborhood but I haven't found the place yet.
Ml, have you provided a chew toy? Early on we had placed some 1/2 gallon plastic milk bottles around the pond for bouys when we raced electric boats. One was sunk and the other 3 had bite marks on the submerged parts. Give you some idea what they do to my water plants. I don't know if they are playing, mad or hungry.
Here is a not so helpful link:
http://www.aquaculture.org.gy/Technical%...ater%20Pacu.pdf

RAD,

I could only read the first three pages? I'd love to read the other chapters. Any suggestions? Those first three pages confirmed the three year spawning age that Bobad mentioned. Thanks for the link.

Chew toy? This is an interesting fish. I do have some plastic/rubber markers out. I'll keep an eye on them.

Hey Rad,

A chew toy? I guess that rules out letting the kids feed them by hand. They're getting kind of big for the minnow pond anyway, and stir it up badly when we feed. So,,, I guess I'll transfer them into the main pond as soon as I can get around to it.

Pacu an awfully fascinating fish, and I appreciate all your information. I know you told us how fast they grew many months ago, but I was still shocked when I saw it for myself. I guess it has to be seen to be fully appreciated. They are easy to get hooked on, so I have to find a cheaper source than Wally World.

Why do I have a uneasy feeling that this thread is somehow going to end up with Dr. Condello crossing Pacu with his enormous BG and ending up with a 10lb toothy mouthed BG hybrid that likes rawhide chew toys?

Bobad,
Aquarium shops might occasionally get one back because of the size and they might pass it along to you. Might be worth a try, also try an importer/wholesaler or an aquaculture supply house. I don't think they will breed, according to the article all breeding had to be induced, injections, doable but complicated, females mature at 3 yr and males at 4.
One study I saw used wild fish and at mature ages were in the 3 lb range, gives you some idea how fast they grow when fed in ponds. The other thing is that they are supposed to grow well with 15% protein, but mine almost stopped growing until I went back to 25%. I envy you guys that can get 35 and 40%.
A problem I have noticed is as they grew I used a longer shank hook trying to prevent them from cutting the line. It worked, but occasionally they would take the hook deep enough to endanger an eye. I cut the line, left the hook and went back to a smaller size. They started cutting the line between 2 and 3lbs.
Also I read where they are fin biters and I have seen lot of missing fin parts on my tilapia. I can't say for sure that is from the pacu because it didn't start until the barramundi were about a foot long, but it could be, just something else to watch for.
Kids around here swim with them and they still have all of their fingers and toes.

Yep, I'm there...had a couple of line cut-offs last evening and I figured it was the Pacu trying for catch number 5. It reminded me of saltwater fish and the need for a wire leader.

I've been on a "call" list with my local PetSmart where they will call me when a customer brings back a Pacu that gets too large for their home system, which frequently happens according to them. However, they haven't called.

I finally transferred my pacu to the main pond. Since there was no way I could net them without muddying up my minnow pond, I had to catch them on a bream pole. (it was a dirty job, but someone had to do it).

The wife volunteered to do the catching. We used a pellet on a #8 hook. It took all of 10 seconds to catch thr first one. It put up a pretty good fight. It weighed about 1 pound, and was a beautiful fish. Those vivid colors are arguably unmatched in any North American fish. Despite the disturbance and the missing mate, the No2 fish also bit imediately. I guess that tells me something about their feeding aggression. When released into the main pond, they were reluctant to swim out into it. They hugged the shore for several minutes, fins protruding from the weater, before disappearing into their new digs.

My minnow pond is now peaceful, and requires only a handful of feed.

No doubt about it, they are the most stunning freshwater fish I have ever seen. When they break water jumping when hooked, it is a sight unlike anything I have ever seen. The fight is as good or better than any other freshwater fish.

I went fishing last evening in my 1/4 acre TGG pond...caught 5 Pacu and since only 4 were stocked somebody was caught more than once. Every one of these fish have now been caught multiple times, and yet they come back for more. They continue to grow at an astonishing rate. This is one interesting fish.

Bobad, how about a contest to see who can catch their Pacu the most times in a season? I've got one fish that has now been caught 5 times in three months and weighs almost three pounds.

That is amazing. Imagine a 3 pound LMB that you can catch over and over and over like that. I had no idea Pacu were so catchable. I can't wait to get ours...that fish sounds like a blast!

I won't bite on that one ML. You have a big head start on me!

I will miss the watching the pacu feeding in the minnow pond every evening. I hope they soon start feeding with the fish in the main pond. My guess is they will show up and feed with the bream in a few days. They never met a pellet they didn't like!

ML, Bobad,
One thing you might consider is over feeding them, if that is possible, they are subject to radical swings of available food in the wild and can store quite a bit as fat. In your case they will feed a lot when the water is warmer and slow eating as it cools.

Rad & ML,

Well, they're already feeding today!


I went to the pond today, and was on the far end feeding the minnow pond. My wife was doing a hook-and-line "survey" on the floating deck, 450ft away. I happened to glance that way just as she hooked a pacu. Even from that great distance, I could easily see the vivid sunset red fish, and the wife's smile . That fish was caught just yesterday. I believe they either have no fear, or have a death wish.

Their nickname is "Little river pigs" in the amazon.
The fisherman there used to use a stick to splash the surface which the pacu responded to, thinking fruit had fallen in the water and they were then speared due to their size.

Its been about a month since I caught the Pacu "A" team. Been busy ranching...but today was kind of rainy and cloudy so I went fishing instead. The result: the Pacu "A" team in Nova pond is now verifiably 3.2 pounds and 3.75 pounds respectively.

This is now a serious fish...in just three months in this pond surpassing most of the HSB that have been in this pond for four years. It has moved past the ultra-light tackle stage...you won't catch these fighters on light lines and you better handle them with caution much like one would handle a serious saltwater fish.

This experiment started out as a search for a seasonal grass carp weed control replacement...but this isn't a grass carp in any shape, form, or function. It is a game fish, perhaps the equal of any in freshwater. This remarkable fish compares favorably with the great saltwater fish called a Permit. It is wide and thick and uses this shape to its advantage when hooked. A spectacular fighter that comes back for more and more.

There must be some downsides to this fish...it is eating something besides weeds to achieve this incredible growth. I suspect it is opportunistic and will eat anything it can get in its mouth.

They should be around 6 pounds by this fall and will probably be too large to carry over indoors into next year....but I intend to give it a try anyway. What a fish!

I'd love to see a photo. Did you have your camera handy?

ML,

We have now made 5 catches on the 2 pacu. I can't tell them apart, so I don't know how many times each fish has been caught. Haven't weighed or photographed them, but they look to weigh 1 to 1-1/4 pounds. Mine aren't real fighters, as they don't seem to realize they are caught until they are out of the water. That's when they really explode. We've been catching them on bream poles. I can't wait to catch one on rod and reel pretty far from shore.

At fish feeding time, I am seeing lots of minnows and an occasional small BG panicing and jumping out of the water, which I never saw before the pacu were put in.

My guess is, the pacu are doing some light snacking on weeds and maybe minnows, but getting most of their food at afternoon feeding time.

Go to the following link, posted earlier in this thread, for all of my Pacu pictures...scroll down past the GC to the July update for Pacu with the 3.75 pound fish.

http://www.meadowlarkponds.com/grasscarp.htm

Bobad, it may be that you are experiencing a behavior of repeatedly caught fish that I have observed/experienced...fish that have been caught many times before, sometimes they kind of just give in, seemingly knowing the outcome or maybe its a lack of reserve energy. On the great trout streams I've been fortunate to fish, I can tell quickly if a fish has been caught before, especially recently caught ones. Not to bore you with stories, but in the Texas hole on the San Juan River, just about every trout has been caught numerous times and the fight is nothing at all, but go downstream, away from the crowds and catch one and it is a completely different fish.

Today I was targeting large LMB...trying to see how large of a LMB I could catch on a very small minnow. Without going into the reasons for that, I'll just say I caught four LMB of 4 pounds, one HSB of 4 pounds, many LMB between 2 and 3 pounds, several "bull" CNBG, and three Pacu, two from the "A" team that I mentioned and one from the "B" team of about 2.5 pounds. The largest Pacu was the equal or superior to every single one of those fish, in term of fighting.

Please, let's keep comparing notes...there must be some bad characteristics of these fish that we haven't discovered yet, or someone would have already done what we are doing. If I lived in Florida or South Texas and didn't know any better than I know now, I'd sure have a Pacu pond. What a fish.

ML,
My youngsters were much like yours, fat. The hump and deep body near the anal fin are give aways. They are eating, as you said anything they can get in their mouth. I caught one on a rapalla.

This was November last year. They were upwards of seven pounds as of a couple of months ago.
The two downsides I have noticed are, that no plant is safe and they seem to communicate well, it took them a while to start doing so, but around a year old when any fish was caught they stopped biting. The only exception so far has been bottom fishing with cooked shrimp.
Don, the other Thai guy, said he would not stock them again, but didn't elaborate. I think it was the water plant issue.
Bobad, the first one we caught was about 8" long, on a grape, one of my pond rats was wadding and accidently dipped the grape in the water. The pacu inhaled it, scared the you know what out of the kid and he jerked it straight up out of the water, no fight in the water, but the fish and the kid were covered with dust and dirt by the time it got back in the water. Several months later I got the first one on rod and reel and it was as ML describes, it used its body and ran parallel to the shore and with that broad body was a tough fight, when it jumped, well you get the idea.

Rad and ML. I'm really jealous of those fish. They look like they cold kick some serious butt. Does anybody know what the upper limit of size could be in ponds like yours?

Dang, Rad, that was why I wanted to try this fish as a GC repalcement. Maybe they just don't like pond weed? Or maybe they need to be a little older? Or maybe there is just too much other food available for them? I just haven't seen much evidence...yet...of vegetative consumption in my ponds.

Are you able to contact Don? I'd really like to hear his experiences also especially as related to why he wouldn't restock them. I suspect their eventual size might be a factor(huge), but in my case, with cold weather coming in the future, these fish won't get much over 6 pounds, I don't think.

I don't know the upper limit in ponds, but I'm working on a fly fishing trip to Argentina which offers 60 pound Pacu on the fly. Interested in going?

I'll try Don's email. He said that he had caught a 12 pounder and his pond runs from 3 1/2 acres to 5 during the monsoon. I can't remember if it was 3 or 4 years old.
I read that they have been raised in home aquaiums up to 24" which for me will be 8 to 10 pounds.

I'll find out next year. I stocked my pacu a little late this year, but next year I'll stock at ~70F. I thing 6 Lbs is entirely possible given the usual warm water from early May-early October here. They seem to respond to "over feeding" with extremely rapid growth.

Still no sign of plant consumption, but my water is muddy, and plants are scarce.

Rad, if you connect with Don, tell him to come on and say hello to us. We haven't heard from him in a long, long time.

Bobad,

An interesting thing happened in my first stocking which really surprised me...I stocked my "A" team about April 1 in about 68 degree water temp this year mainly because I needed the open space in the hot tub. Around April 14 or so, we received an unprecedented snowstorm...grandchildren actually made snowmen for the first time in their lives... My water temps fell/plunged to 56 degrees. I fully expected the Pacu to die....but they didn't and as as we know they have actually thrived.

Any that I don't catch this fall, I plan to try to watch very carefully to determine what their fatal water temps are. I'd really like to hear what you may find along those lines also. I was told by aquarium experts that 60 degrees was the magic number...but they forgot to say "it all depends".

Will do Sunil, I was going to email earlier, but was reluctant to, he is a deminer by profession.

I've also been concerned about Don.
I sent him a supply of pellet hooks and materials and he replied - then he just dropped out of sight.

His is a very dangerous profession applied in a very dangerous part of the world.
I thank him for his srvice and pray for his well being.

All is well just got an emil from him, he will be back online in a few days.
He did say;
The large Pacu in my pond are in the 15 to 20 pound range and have been there almost five years.

"p.s. Ahvatsa, please let us know if you put some in your concrete tank...we've got to keep track of the potential members of RAD's Pacu club."
_________________________________________________

ML
I bought 6 and put in a holding tank at a windmill.(800 gal. pics will be posted later). There are 8 or so RES some FHs and a few goldfish. I put in an extra 50 small Rosys with them. I ocassionally feed some 400 max. Will see if they winter before stocking more.
Am I in RAD's club now?
I sent this to RAD quite a while ago. Turn on sound a nice experience.
http://www.asa100.com/

I watched it again, that guy is a much better photographer than I.
Keep an eye on the number of other fish in the tank, when hungry the pacu will eat anything. I think, not sure on this, but they should slow down feeding as temps cool, so you might consider fattening them up during your high temp time. They do get fat and in the wild, store it to live off of during lean times. Welcome to the club.

With all the RES propaganda of late, surely they are safe? The RES were put in for snales and they DID their job! I will add more FHs as needed. They need to double in size and I'll put them in a small BG pond. When is the next club meeting? Your place?

It's raining right now but is supposed to clear by January. Then might be good.

Finally got time to post pics














We shall see how they winter. Tank holds 800 gal.

Ahvatsa,

How about the High Parana River in Argentina next January? I'll be there fishing for Pacu and also freshwater Dorado in another location.

That picture of the fish in your hand looks almost identical to mine when first purchased. You won't believe how fast they grow. I just shake my head in disbelief every time I catch one. Welcome to the club.

Ahvatsa,
They are jumpers, I don't know what scares them but something does and when it does they fly everywhere. I have them go 10-12 feet in the air.

"You won't believe how fast they grow."
_________________________________________________________________
Meadowlark
That is an understatement! 40 days and they have doubled PLUS! I hope they winter...gonna be an expensive spring...lol
Furious feeders!

Intersting pacu experience this morning, I walked the pond around 8AM specifically looking for signs of a poacher. I didn't find any evidence, but have had a couple suspicious things happen over the last several days. I hooked up a couple of telltales and walked back to the house. Around 11 I looked out at the pond and saw a fish flipping around on the surface, got my binocs and it was a dead tilapia, about 3 lbs being eaten by two pacu. The head and tail were gone and they were going to town on the rest, I just checked again, 2:30PM, and there was about a pound left.
How the tilapia died I don't know. Poacher is the first thought as I don't see dead fish very often and then only after fishing.
I checked again at around 2:50 and the tilapia was gone. The pound probably wasn't eaten yet but the piece was small enough that a pacu could take it under water and it and others could eat it fast enough that it would not resurface. I have seen them do this before with a piece of watermellon rind, but a 1 pound chunk of fish is impressive, I ain't going in the pool today.

Good story Rad. Just more evidence what a gnarly fish pacu are. The last 3 times we hooked 1, we couldn't land him. Once the 8# test line broke, and twice it was bitten off just above the hook. We hated to start using heavy line for small bream fishing, but now use 10# line. I really would like to know their weight. I wouldn't be surprised if they are 5#. I hope we can catch them just before the water temps fall.

I don't know if I can ever be without pacu in the pond now. Maybe some big bass will make me forget about them, but currently they are the star attraction in the pond.

Interesting story Rad. When I first started with Pacu, I expected them to be vegie only because of the various research I had read...but they are opportunistic feeders. They have to be to sustain their unequaled growth rates. I'd be willing to bet that the Tipaia in question was injured by a poacher or something else and the Pacu were taking advantage of it and just finished it off.

Like Bobad, my Pacu have played havoc with light line BG fly fishing. They are a blast! I'm guessing that my "A" team Pacu are now about 6 pounds, but I haven't landed one in awhile....hooked but not landed. In another month or so, I'll start a deliberate effort to catch the larger Pacu and move them into the hot tub for their winter vacation. I also plan to scale up the numbers next year with many more grown out and ready for stocking along with Tilapia.

Just like Bobad says, the Pacu have become the star fish around here. I'm still looking for any bad characteristics as a pond fish, but as yet haven't found anything really bad...but still looking. I guess breaking all my light lines might be considered a bad characteristic..but its one I can live with.

Hey Guys, try GSP (gelspun) line such as PowerPro 20# test/6# equal diameter -or- Berkley Fireline Crystal 14# test/6# diameter my choice)

George,
Thanks for the suggestions,the problem so far has been the teeth, the fish swims back and forth across your field of view and with each turn the line crosses the teeth, then they jump. Wire is the way to go, but I like to fish the surface. I am using PowerPro 10# now with a long shank hook, by watching the bait and setting as early as possible the fish only gets the shank to chew on. When caught they snap their jaws shut on the steel, keeps you on your toes.

I'm not disagreeing with you Rad, but I share George's opinion about the toughness of Fireline Crystal.

Rad, It's good to know I'm not the only 1 with that problem!

When the pacu were in the 1-2 pound category, I always hooked them in the lips. Now that they are bigger, I guess they suck the bait in quicker, and are able to bite the line. It's a dilemma. I don't want my pacu to grow a beard of hooks, and I don't want to bream fish with a wire leader. I think I'll try the Berkley line and see what happens. (Thanks George and GW!)

Another update
They have grown beyond my wildest dreams.(double plus was an UNDER-estimate). I keep Aquamax 400 at the tank and 2 of the 6 now eat the roseys that come up for the feed. These 2 are an inch+ longer and fatter than others. They can totally inhale a 2" rosey. I did this on a whim and now will have to look at more info. Haven't searched yet but, any reproduction info? I have been involved in a Bamboo project and have missed my Pond Boss time and friends.
One more thing, the windmill that supplys water is a shallow well with large iron and mineral content. The Pacus seem to be thriving in this extreme HARD water.

Yet another update.

I hooked 2 more pacu Saturday, and lost them again. This time, the larger (10#)line held, but the hooks got mangled. One time, the hook was simply straightened. The other time, the shank was badly bent and the hook was also straightened. The fish obviously chomped down hard on the second hook. I'm going to a bigger hook. I'm dying to get a look at those fish.

bobad, I don't remember, exactly how big are these hook destroying monsters?

GW,

They're not that big... look to me like they're ~3-4 pounds. It's all in the jaws and teeth. They eat hard fruit and crack nuts for a living, and are armed accordingly.

ahvatsa,
I think you will have to pass on reproduction, it looks like it is induced in both sexes, at least in aquaculture situations. As for them eating other fish it sure looks like it, if given the chance. I wonder how big they would get on a fish diet?

Bobad,
I don't know the size of hook as they are not numbered here, but it is fairly large, maybe 1 or 01 long shank, I also use wire hooks, I cut the line and release all that have the hook near the eyes. So far no blind fish or other casualties during the last 2 years. Also there is a new type of wire that has a plastic coating that you can melt instead of tying, I will pick some up soon and try that. Let me know if you try the Fireline Crystal, I am going to California in a week and will pick that up as well if it works.

GW,
This is a very tough, stubborn fish and I prefer to wear them out in the water. These do more self inflicted damage flopping aroung on my banks than from the stress of the fight. I know George has had bad luck with lighter line with his small mouths, but so far the pacu have been very resilent. But, I will try the Fireline Crystal. I want to keep the line strength as small as possible, I catch 1 pacu to every 25 tilapia and a tilipia on 10# test is not much sport, that is what I am using now.

It is with great sorrow I must ask for a moment of silence for my 6 courageous Pacus...
Guess I'm in the market for a hot tub.