There are about 330 miles of canals in Broward and Dade counties that are most heavily populated with this coveted species, including some in the shadow of downtown Miami and its airport. Generally, the prime peacock waters are bordered by Snake Creek to the north on the Dade-Broward line and in the south by Mowry Creek in the city of Homestead.

Shafland, a recreational angler himself, lists Black Creek (C-1 Canal), Pompano Canal (C-14), Snapper Creek, Biscayne Canal, Snake Creek and the Tamiami Canal (and the airport lakes that it feeds) as the most productive waterways.

"I consider this urban fishing," he says. "Every place I fish is behind somebody's house, and stuff like that. I don't fish the airport canals much, because there are too many boats and personal watercraft down there. I stay away from them and fish areas where I don't have many people around. The best canals are in the Miami Lakes area, but they're difficult to fish because the ramp is really poor. But I like it that way, because I have less competition."

One drawback to this canal fishery is the lack of quality boat ramps. But this is the common man's adventure, where a johnboat with a small outboard is perfect for launching down a sloping bank and working these canals, which are often narrow enough to cast across.

Another beauty of this peacock fishing is its accessibility to the shore-bound angler. The vast majority of these prestigious game fish are caught by fishermen who don't even own a boat. Many simply walk out their back door or cross a street to experience a sport that others pay thousands of dollars and travel thousands of miles to enjoy.

There is a bag limit of two peacocks a day, with no minimum size, but only one can be greater than 17 inches in length. This regulation is designed to protect enough of the species to ensure a sizable trophy stock.

That a state already plagued by the illegal presence of non-native fishes would actually introduce an exotic species speaks volumes of Shafland's dedication and persistence. He conceived the idea, researched it exhaustively and then overcame an array of hurdles -- both biological and political -- to make it happen. Today, Shafland's folly might be the fisheries success story of the last half-century.

The goals behind establishing a peacock bass population in these canals were twofold -- controlling an overabundance of exotic tilapia, and rejuvenating a sagging urban fishery. Shafland looks like a genius when you consider the results. With a diet consisting of about 75 percent tilapia, peacock bass have reduced that troublesome species from a high of 200 per acre to a low of just 48 in some areas.

"The peacock bass is a great game fish that's a lot of fun to catch, and we've got good numbers of them," offers Alan Zaremba, a top peacock guide from Hollywood who grew up fishing for largemouth in these canals. "Before peacocks got here, the largemouth fishery had declined because they had been beaten to death. If anything, I think the peacocks have improved the largemouth fishing, because the largemouths aren't getting hit on as much now. There are a lot more 4- to 6-pound largemouths in these canals than there used to be."