ESPN Record Hunters - Peacock Bass
 Two anglers. Two weeks. Hundreds of huge peacock bass.
The Unini River in Brazil is a tributary to the greatest river in the world — the Amazon. It's unique and sometimes dangerous waters also spawn some of the biggest peacock bass on record. Rob Fordyce and Joe Rodriguez set out to search the black water for a world record and in the process they learned life lessons about their abilities, their friendship and themselves.
Every day the two old friends placed a wager with the payoff ranging from catching an alligator by hand, to swimming the river with the piranha to serving the winner as houseboy. While they never lost their sense of humor, they sometimes lost their pride.
The two anglers caught over 40 fish heavier than 15 pounds. But they also made a new friend. Their companion for the week was a modern day Tarzan; a man raised in the jungle who could call the jaguar, track the wild pigs, and cook the native fish over an open fire streamside. You'll fall in love with Gonzega, just as we did. He will remind you of another era in our own country, when men survived by instinct and skill.
Meet the Record Hunters
Rob Fordyce
Growing up in South Florida Capt. Rob was able to pursue many outdoor activities year round. These activities included team sports such as baseball and football as well as fishing and hunting.
After attending the University of Tennessee on a baseball scholarship, he returned home and began guiding on a fulltime basis. Capt. Rob has been guiding fulltime for 17 years and spends 280 to 300 days per year on the water.
His line of expertise is guiding light tackle and fly fisherman to bonefish, tarpon, permit, snook, redfish and huge sharks and jewfish. Most of his time is spent in Miami's Biscayne Bay, the Florida Keys or deep in the backcountry of the Everglades.
Rob was fortunate to start fishing at a young age which has provided him over 25 years of experience fishing these areas. Rob credits his father with fostering his interest in the outdoors, and still hunts and fishes with him often.
Rob Fordyce has become one of the top light-tackle fishing guides in the country and has held world records for bonefish and pompano. He has also guided clients to 6 world records. His boat is the VooDoo Daddy and although we don't know what voodoo he puts on the fish, we know it works.
Joe Rodriguez
Born and raised in South Florida, Joe has lived and fished in and around the Miami area his whole life. With a total of over 25 years fishing, he has turned his life passion into a successful career.
Best known for his incredible skill in fly fishing, especially for tarpon, Capt. Joe spends over 200 days a year on the water. In addition to professional inshore guiding, he also fishes an average twenty tournaments a year. He fishes primarily bonefish and tarpon tournaments in the spring and fall.
Joe is a first generation American of Cuban descent, who is a licensed and insured United States Coast Guard Captain.
Has held world records in saltwater and has guided clients to records as well.
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