Oscar

Oscars are aggressive and some anglers claim, a much stronger fighter than either a largemouth or bluegill.

Region

South

Catch ease

Easy

Habitat

Lake, Pond

How to identify an Oscar

The thick-bodied oscar is a dark brown fish with variable olive to red markings on most of the body. They key feature is an ocellus, a black spot encircled by a distinct red ring, on the tail. These conspicuous bilateral ocelli or "eye-spots" (some individuals may possess more than one per side) serve in an anti-predator capacity, causing confusion as to which end of the fish is the head. The caudal, dorsal and anal fins are rounded and fanlike, much like the saltwater tripletail. The oscar is a large, somewhat stocky cichlid with an oval shaped body, a large head, large eyes, and a large mouth. The first dorsal fin contains spines; the second is composed of soft rays and has a rounded shape. Both the base of the soft dorsal and base of the anal fins are scaled. Oscars are aggressive and some anglers claim, a much stronger fighter than either a largemouth or bluegill of equal size.

Where to catch Oscar

The oscar is native to the Orinocok, Amazon and La Plata River basins in South America. In Florida, its presence was recorded as far back as the 1950’s. Today the oscar is established throughout southeast Florida and has been introduced to Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Guam, Hong Kong, and other locations though many states contain fish that have been released from aquariums but do not possess breeding populations. The following list includes additional details on where to catch this fish:

Cliffs and Steep Shore Banks

Gradual Shores

Inside Turns and Coves

Lily Pads

Overhanging Trees and Bushes

Points and Break Lines

Shoreline Shallows

Sunken Objects

Freshwater Weed Beds

Freshwater Lakes and Ponds

Holes

Islands or Sand Bars

Open Water

Piers, Docks and Pilings

Rocks

Spring Holes

Walkways and Bridges

How to catch Oscar

The natural diet of oscars consists largely of smaller fishes, crustaceans, gastropods, and aquatic insects or insect larvae. Although oscars are generally sluggish or inactive, they are capable of ambushing and capturing fleeing prey over short distances. Attaining a maximum size of 18 in (45.7 cm) and 3.5 lbs (1.6 kg), they can be a challenge for an angler employing light spinning tackle or a fly rod. Captive fish have been known to live for up to 20 years. The oscar is prized for its tastiness and the chunky body can provide nice fillets. The following are fishing methods used to catch this fish: