fishing forecast

king mackerel

Scomberomorus cavalla · Scombridae · predator

Sea

The largest cavala on the coast, strong and sharp-toothed. Widely caught by trolling and in the artisanal fishing of the Northeast, and excellent eating.

Also called: cavala, cavala-verdadeira, king mackerel

everything about the king mackerel where found

Scientific illustration of King mackerel

common size: 60–110 cm
maximum: 184 cm
common weight: 3–12 kg
record/max.: 45.0 kg
depth: 2–80 m
ideal water: 23–28 °C

location

Sample location: choose yours to see the forecast for where you fish.

species

period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

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index Score from 0 to 100 for the fishing conditions of each hour. It reads weather, sun, moon, tide and the species' habits. It doesn't promise fish: it tells you when the water is on your side. 0–24 poor · 25–44 fair · 45–64 good · 65–84 very good · 85–100 excellent.

today

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confidence —

confidence How much you can trust the weather forecast for the day. It drops with distance and when the models disagree. It is not the chance of catching fish.

models and trend Up to 16 days, three global weather models (the European ECMWF, the American GFS and a high-resolution blend) read hour by hour; when they disagree, the light band on the chart widens. Beyond that it's a trend: 31 runs of the American GEFS model. Confirm when it's 1 week out.

window Consecutive hours with the index near the day's peak and no danger alert. It is the time to have the bait in the water.

hour by hour

tap or drag on the chart to read each hour · on a keyboard, arrow keys

see hour-by-hour table

why this index at —?

next 7 days

choose the day

chart: bar height = day's index · line = variation between models · striped = trend · fainter = less confidence

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.

the species

everything about the king mackerel

overview

who is the king mackerel

The cavala is the largest of the Brazilian cavalas and an important fish in Northeast artisanal fishing, where it is caught by trolling, handline, and nets. It lives on the shelf, from coastal waters to the slope edge, hunting sardines, agulhinhas, squid, and shrimp. Adults travel in small groups and migrate along the coast following warm water. In sport fishing it strikes plugs and natural baits on slow trolling and makes strong runs, sometimes jumping when hooked. Its teeth cut line, so use fine wire leader. The flesh is highly prized, but large specimens accumulate mercury.

fun facts

Schools migrate along the coast following warm water.
It often jumps out of the water when striking surface baits.

how to recognize it

identification

Elongated, silver body, blue-green back to iron gray, adults without spots. The lateral line drops sharply below the second dorsal fin. Gray first dorsal fin, no black spot. The sororoca is smaller, with yellow-bronze spots on the flanks and a lateral line that slopes gently. The wahoo has a long snout and blue bars. Young cavala can have spots: check the lateral line.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

From Amapá to the Southeast, most abundant in the Northeast. Known spots: the coast of Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte (Natal and Touros), Recife-PE, Alagoas, and Bahia. In Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro it appears in summer.

Habitat: Continental shelf, 2 to 80 m, over gravel bottoms, submerged reefs, reef edges, and channel edges. Large fish stay on the outer shelf.

coast

North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast Coastcoastalshelf

states

Amapá, Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo

famous destinations

São Marcos Bay — São Luís Natal — Rio Grande do Norte coast Recife — wrecks and Pernambuco coast Maceió — Alagoas coast Abrolhos and Caravelas Camamu Bay — Camamu and Maraú Mouth of the Mamanguape River — Rio Tinto and Marcação Salinópolis — Pará coast

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Oct–Mar

JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

In the Northeast it occurs all year, with local seasons tied to clean water and bait schools. In the Southeast it appears only in summer.

best time of day

Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. It feeds best early in the morning and late in the afternoon. A moving tide and clean water help.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the king mackerel
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

Below 21 °C it migrates or sinks. In the Southeast it appears only with warm water.

atmospheric pressure

Stable pressure and calm seas help; a cold front muddies the water and knocks out fishing.

moon

Moderate effect: spring tides stir bait and cavala along the edges.

rain

Heavy rain muddies coastal water and gets in the way.

water level

Not applicable at sea. The equivalent is the color and clarity of the water: look for blue, clean water and current lines.

noise

In shallow, clear water, a loud motor spooks them. Slow down near the submerged reefs.

wind

Light swell helps trolling; strong wind muddies coastal water.

tide

Moving tide concentrates bait at reef edges and channels.

depth

2 to 80 m. Large fish stay on the outer shelf, 20 to 60 m.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Trolling Mid-water casting Jigging Natural bait with float

rod: 6'6" to 7'0", 15 to 30 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel: 4000 to 6000 spinning reel or 20 to 30 lb trolling baitcaster
line: 20 to 40 lb braided or 20 to 30 lb monofilament
leader: fine wire leader 30 to 60 lb, 20 to 40 cm
hook: 3/0 to 6/0 single, or hook pair with stinger on natural bait

lures

12 to 18 cm lipped plugs
trolling spoons
40 to 100 g jigs

natural baits

live or dead agulhinha
sardinha
lula

accessories

long-nose pliers
bicheiro

tip from an angler

On natural bait, put an extra hook (stinger) in the middle of the bait: the cavala bites the back end and cuts without touching the front hook.

guide

fish preservation and cleaning

Quick killing, bleeding, the right amount of ice, a well-used cooler, filleting and transport within the law. Fish handled well on the boat is worth twice as much at the table.

what the law says

rules for the king mackerel

Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. 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.

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.

Use pliers and watch the teeth. Release quickly, with the fish in the water; cavala lose scales and get hurt easily.

in the kitchen

Tasty flesh, excellent in fried steaks, grilled, and in moqueca. Eat large specimens in moderation because of mercury risk.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

total length (cm)

Length-weight relationship W = a·L^b (a = 0.00912, b = 3.02; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana, comprimento total)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

estimated weight

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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.