the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
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hour by hour
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why this index at —?
choose the day
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the california kingcroaker
how to recognize it
Elongated, rounded body with a straight belly; long, low head with a conical snout that projects past the mouth, which is horizontal and set low. It has a short, thick barbel on the chin and no canine teeth. Gray to metallic blue above, white below, with dark wavy lines on the flanks and black pectorals; juveniles have a dark spot on the flank. The chest scales are much smaller than the body scales, and the third spine of the first dorsal does not reach the second dorsal. The Atlantic betara (M. americanus) is a different species.
Also called: betara-da-califórnia, california corbina, california kingcroaker, california king-croaker
don't confuse with:
where found
open on the large mapWhere to look: Sandy beaches, bays and open-coast surf, on sandy bottoms, almost always down to about 20 m.
Does not occur in Brazil. Northeastern Pacific, from southern California (USA) to the Gulf of California, including the Pacific coast of the Baja California peninsula. FishBase extends the range to Peru, but STRI records it only as far as the Gulf of California; records farther south need confirmation (Central America and Peru have other betaras, such as M. panamensis).
when to fish
best season
Bites best in warm water, from late spring to early autumn, a period that coincides with spawning (from July). In winter it tends to stay deeper and be less active.
best time of day
Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. It comes into the surf to feed at dawn, at dusk and on the rising tide; at midday, with strong sun and clear water, it is more wary.
what affects the california kingcroaker
cold and cold fronts
Cold upwelling or winter water pushes the fish deeper and drops activity.
atmospheric pressure
Little direct effect; a churned-up sea after a front hinders it more.
moon
Full and new moon tides bring higher water over the sandbars and activate the fish.
rain
Little effect at sea; runoff that muddies the shore scares fish out of the shallows.
water level
Does not apply at sea. What counts is the height of the tide over the sandbars.
noise
Very wary in the shallows: heavy footsteps, shadows and talking near the water scare the fish.
wind
Strong wind raises the surf, muddies the water and hinders beach fishing.
tide
A rising tide near high tide is best; a low, still tide is usually slow.
depth
Shallow (0.5 to 3 m) in the surf; they sit a bit deeper when the sea is rough.
how to fish
lures
- rarely used with artificials; a light jig head with silicone shrimp works now and then
natural baits
- live sand crab (tatuíra, Emerita)
- minhoca-de-mar
- mussel
- small shrimp
tip from an angler
Use live bait and a small hook, and let the bait roll gently with the wave: the betara is wary and rejects heavy line and a heavy sinker.
- rod
- 9' to 10', medium to fast action, 8 to 15 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 3000 to 4000
- line
- monofilament 8 to 12 lb or braid 15 to 20 lb
- leader
- fluorocarbon 10 to 15 lb, 50 cm to 1 m
- hook
- short, thin single hook, sizes 2 to 1/0
accessories
- small sliding sinker, 15 to 40 g
- bucket for bait
- alicate
catch and release
Surf fish: don't drag it over dry sand, wet your hands before picking it up, and release it quickly, facing the wave.
rules for the california kingcroaker
Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Mexico: up to 5 per species and 10 saltwater fish per day
5 specimens of the species per angler per day, within the limit of 10 saltwater fish details
In federal waters of Mexico, recreational sport fishing allows each angler to keep up to 10 marine fish per day, no more than 5 of the same species. The California betara (berrugata californiana) is not among the species reserved for sport fishing (marlins, sailfish, swordfish, tarpon (sábalo), roosterfish and dorado, up to 50 nautical miles from shore, item 0.3 of the standard) and has no quota of its own. Fish over the quota must go back alive, and sport-caught fish may not be sold. From shore you need no permit; from a boat, you do (permits under the Federal Duties Law, item 4.3).
Conservation: Insufficient data: the IUCN has no information to say whether it is threatened.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
estimated weight
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how we calculate
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00933, b = 3.02; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
more about the california kingcroaker
Northeastern Pacific betara, from southern California (USA) to the Gulf of California. Lives on sandy beaches, bays and open-coast surf, almost always at less than 20 m, in small groups; the largest tend to roam alone. Eats sand crabs, other small crustaceans and worms. Grows to 71 cm and almost 4 kg, with a recorded maximum age of 8 years. Like other betaras, it has no swim bladder, so it does not make the drumming sound of corvinas. Spawning starts in July, with eggs released into the water. It is a prized food fish and common in markets, caught in the surf with fine natural bait and light line.
Family: Sciaenidae · predator
fun facts
- It has no swim bladder, so it does not make the drumming sound that gives corvinas their name 'croaker'.
- FishBase records pelagic spawning from July and a maximum age of 8 years.
in the kitchen
White, delicate flesh; very good fried, grilled or baked. FishBase considers it a good food fish.
similar species
sources and references (5)
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: Menticirrhus undulatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight relationship, depth, habitat, distribution, biology and IUCN status. Page checked Oct 13, 2026. The maximum length of 71 cm and the weight of 3.9 kg are FishBase values.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Menticirrhus undulatusNames by country and language.
- scientific Robertson, D. R. & Allen, G. R. (2024). Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Menticirrhus undulatusDescription, colors, depth (1 to 20 m) and distribution (southern California to the Gulf of California). STRI cites up to 83.6 cm, a value we kept out of the entry for lack of an associated weight. Because STRI does not record the species south of the Gulf of California, the entry lists only Mexico among the countries. Page checked Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific Eschmeyer, W. N.; Herald, E. S.; Hammann, H. (1983). A field guide to Pacific coast fishes of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.Main FishBase reference for habitat, feeding and spawning.
- official DOF: Modificação da NOM-017-PESC-1994, para regular a pesca deportivo-recreativa em águas de jurisdição federal do México (publicada em 25/11/2013)Species reserved for sport fishing (item 0.3), permits (4.3 and 4.14), rod and hooks (4.6), bait (4.7), daily quotas at sea (4.9.1) and in fresh water (4.9.2), catch and release (4.9.5), closed areas and seasons (4.10) and the ban on selling the fish (4.11). Text checked Oct 13, 2026. The text carries the signature date of Oct 14, 2013; the DOF publication date (Nov 25, 2013) is the one the catalog already uses.
how we calculatewhere each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: