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
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
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 cascudo-do-são-francisco
how to recognize it
Elongated, flattened armored catfish with bony plates, a broad head and a suckermouth on the underside. It reaches 32.2 cm and 860 g, less than the cascudo-preto (Rhinelepis aspera), which also lives in the São Francisco and reaches 49 cm and 2.2 kg. It belongs to the same genus as the bodó (Pterygoplichthys pardalis), which lives in the Amazon, and the river where it was caught helps tell them apart.
Also called: cascudo, cascudo-do-São-Francisco
don't confuse with:
We don't have tips on season, bait or technique for this species yet.
where found
open on the large mapWhere to look: Bottom of tropical freshwater rivers, with a pH of 6.2 to 7.8.
Occurs in the São Francisco River basin, in Brazil.
native to the basins
rules for the cascudo-do-são-francisco
Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
piracema and closed seasons
Each bar is the period when fishing is prohibited or restricted. The green line is today. Tap the name to see what is still allowed.
Spawning closure (piracema) in Minas Gerais (state rule)
Allowed: Only exotic or hybrid species, 3 kg + 1 fish per day, with handline, rod, simple pole, or spinning or baitcasting reel. Nets prohibited. Keep the minimum distances from dams and reservoirs.
Source: Portarias IEF nº 154/2011 (São Francisco), 155/2011 (East) and 156/2011 (Grande/Paranaíba)
Closed season in Goiás (state rule)
Allowed: Sport and guided fishing only in reservoirs, catch and release with barbless hooks (no keeping, transporting or eating). Subsistence: up to 5 kg per day, for household consumption only.
Spawning closure (piracema) in the São Francisco River basin (rivers and reservoirs)
Allowed: Recreational fishing from a boat or from shore with handline, rod, spinning or baitcasting reel, up to 5 kg + 1 fish. Prohibited within 1,000 m of dams, waterfalls and rapids, and within 500 m of confluences. Floodplain lakes have a longer closed season (see next item).
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 50/2007
São Francisco: floodplain lakes
Allowed: No fishing in the floodplain lakes during the period.
Source: Portaria IBAMA nº 50/2007
Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
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 = 0.02188, b = 2.95; 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 cascudo-do-são-francisco
The cascudo-do-São-Francisco belongs to the family Loricariidae, the armored catfish: an elongated body covered in bony plates, with a suckermouth on the underside. It reaches 32 cm and 860 g. It lives on the bottom of freshwater rivers of the São Francisco basin, in tropical waters of 22 to 30 degrees and with a pH of 6.2 to 7.8. It breathes air facultatively, which helps when there is little oxygen in the water.
Family: Loricariidae · detritivore
fun facts
- Breathes air facultatively.
similar species
sources and references (3)
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Pterygoplichthys etentaculatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Pterygoplichthys etentaculatusNames by country and language.
- 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)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
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: