Fishing near Penedo, Alagoas

Penedo sits on the Alagoas bank of the Rio São Francisco near the river's lower course — the stretch locals call the Baixo São Francisco — where wide channels, submerged structures, backwater pools, marginal lagoons and islands create a varied freshwater fishery. The "Velho Chico" is the dominant draw, pulling anglers who work everything from deep holes and current seams to shallow margins, all within sight of the city's historic waterfront.