great pompano
Trachinotus goodei
The pompano of the blue waters. Sickle-shaped fins; lives on rocky shores and steep beaches and strikes micro jigs.
Also called: pampo-galhudo, galhudo
- common size
- 20–35 cm
- maximum
- 50 cm
- common weight
- 0.2–0.5 kg
- record/max.
- 0.6 kg
- depth
- 0.5–12 m
- ideal water
- 23–29 °C
who is the great pompano
The galhudo pompano is the pompano of clear waters. It lives on steep beaches, rocky shore edges, reefs and islands, almost always in clear blue water, in schools that circle the surf and shallow ledges. It is smaller than the pompano, rarely exceeding 45 cm, and is recognized from afar by its very long dorsal and anal fins, like dark sickles. It eats small crustaceans, molluscs and small fish. It strikes micro jigs and small baits tossed into the foam well, and gives excellent fly fishing on calm-sea days. It is wary: murky water and rough seas shut down the fishing.
fun facts
- The long fins look like branches, hence the name 'galhudo' (antlered).
- In English it is called "palometa".
identification
Tall, diamond-shaped body, blunt snout, silvery with 4 thin dark vertical bars on the upper flank. Dorsal and anal lobes very long and dark, extending beyond the start of the tail. No scutes on the lateral line. Difference from the pompano: the pompano has short lobes and no bars. Difference from the roosterfish: the roosterfish has an almost vertical head profile and an even slimmer body.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
where found
From Maranhão to Santa Catarina, most common in the clear waters of the Northeast, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro and the north coast of São Paulo, and on coastal islands.
Habitat: Steep beaches and coves with clear water, rocky shore edges, shallow ledges, reefs and islands.
coast
states
Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina
when to fish
best season
In the Southeast and South the season runs from November to April, with warm, clear water. In the Northeast, all year, best in the calm-sea months with clear water.
best time of day
Daytime. A fish of daylight and sun: bites best in good light and clear water, from morning to midday.
what affects the great pompano
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
Cold water drives the galhudo away from the shore.
atmospheric pressure
Steady weather favors it; a cold front muddies the water and closes fishing.
moon
Small effect.
rain
Rain that muddies the water knocks fishing out a lot.
water level
A calm sea and clear water are ideal; a surge ends the fishing for days.
noise
Wary in shallow, clear water: don't wade near the school.
wind
Strong wind ruffles and muddies the water; a light breeze helps hide the line.
tide
Prefers the rising tide, when clean sea water enters the cove and covers the ledges. On the falling tide and at slack, look for rocky points with current.
depth
0.5 to 5 m along the shore; around ledges to 12 m.
how to fish
- rod
- 7'0" to 9'0", fast action, 6 to 14 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 2500 to 3000
- line
- 10 to 15 lb braided line
- leader
- fluorocarbon 14 to 20 lb, 1.5 m
- hook
- fine hook no. 1 to 1/0; assist hook on micro jig
lures
- metal micro jig 7 to 20 g
- 1/8 oz jig head with feather
- Clouser-type fly no. 4 to 1
natural baits
- tatuí (sand crab)
- piece of shrimp
- corrupto
accessories
- polarized glasses
- small pliers
tip from an angler
Find the school with polarized glasses and cast ahead of it. Reel the micro jig in fast: the galhudo chases and strikes as it flees.
beach and surf casting
Sand fishing with sinker and natural bait beyond the surf, after pompano, betara and croaker.
guidehow to read the beach and rocky shore
Find troughs, sandbars and rip currents, choose tide and time, and fish the rocky shore without risking your life.
guidesurf and rocky shore rigs
Paternoster, 2-to-3-hook rig, pyramid sinker, feeder float for mullet and a rig for pompano, with practical measurements and the shock leader that prevents accidents.
guidebeach fishing for beginners
Where to cast the line, how to use the tide, which rod and rig are enough to start, sand baits, sea rules, and how to fish without risking the waves.
rules for the great pompano
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the national list of threatened species.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Small fish with sensitive skin: wet your hands, take a quick photo, and release it head-first into the wave.
in the kitchen
Good meat, like the pompano's, but the fish is small. Fried whole or baked.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00798192, b = 2.87; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana, comprimento total); coeficiente a ajustado ao porte máximo registrado). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
sources and references
The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
- scientific FishBase — Trachinotus goodei (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship and references. Page checked on October 13, 2026.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026 — Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)Most recent national list. The species is not on it (search by scientific name in the text published in the DOU, checked on October 13, 2026).
- official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Trachinotus goodei (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)National assessment by ICMBio, published in 2023. DOI verified on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Trachinotus goodei (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 04/02/2009)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Carpenter, K. E. (org.) (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Roma: FAO.Chapter Carangidae (Smith-Vaniz, W. F.).
- scientific Menezes, N. A.; Buckup, P. A.; Figueiredo, J. L.; Moura, R. L. (orgs.) (2003). Catálogo das espécies de peixes marinhos do Brasil. São Paulo: Museu de Zoologia da USP. 160 p.List of the marine species recorded in Brazil. Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record in FishBase, which cites the catalogue for the species.
