fishing forecast

gafftopsail pompano

Trachinotus rhodopus · Carangidae · predator

Sea

Diamond-shaped pompano, with long dorsal and anal lobes and yellowish bars on the flanks. Appears near the surface around islets and rocks; takes natural bait and light jigs.

Also called: pampo-fino, gafftopsail pompano

everything about the gafftopsail pompano where found

Scientific illustration of Gafftopsail pompano

common size: 20–40 cm
maximum: 61 cm
common weight: 0.1–0.7 kg
record/max.: 1.3 kg
depth: 0–30 m
ideal water: 22–29 °C

location

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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

slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hour

see hour-by-hour table

why this index at —?

next 7 days

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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 gafftopsail pompano

overview

who is the gafftopsail pompano

Pompano of the eastern Pacific, from southern California and the Gulf of California to Peru, with the Cocos, Galápagos and Malpelo islands. Lives over sandy bottoms near the coast and in clear water around reefs and rocks; it often appears near the surface around offshore rocky islets. Eats small invertebrates and fish. Reaches about 61 cm total length and 1.3 kg. Sold fresh, salted or dried, and FishBase classifies it as a sport fish. For beach, rocky-shore and boat anglers it is a small-to-medium pompano, caught with natural bait (shrimp, sand crab, shellfish), light jigs and fly.

fun facts

The English name, gafftopsail, refers to the shape of the long lobes of the dorsal and anal fins.
The yellowish bars on the flanks darken after the fish dies.

how to recognize it

identification

Diamond-shaped, very compressed body with a blunt, pointed snout. Silvery, with 4 to 6 yellowish to brown bars on the flanks (which darken after death) and yellowish to reddish fins. The second dorsal and anal fins have long, pointed lobes at the front, which give it its English name, gafftopsail. Six short, sturdy spines free in front of the main dorsal and no scutes on the lateral line. The blackblotch pompano (Trachinotus kennedyi) has short lobes and a black blotch at the base of the pectoral.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Does not occur in Brazil. Eastern Pacific: from southern California and the Gulf of California to Peru, including Cocos, Galápagos and Malpelo.

Habitat: Sandy bottoms near the coast and clear water around reefs, rocks and islets, from 0 to 30 m.

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Apr–Oct

JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Fished all year. Clear, clean water matters more than the month.

best time of day

Daytime. Feeds by day, near the surface and the surf; disappears at night.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the gafftopsail 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 upwelling water drives the fish away from the coast.

atmospheric pressure

Little direct effect.

moon

Small effect.

rain

Heavy rain muddies the water near river mouths and drives the fish away.

water level

Not applicable at sea.

noise

Not very sensitive in the surf; sensitive in calm, clear water.

wind

A light swell helps; a heavy sea makes casting hard.

tide

Tidal movement in channels and around rocks concentrates the fish.

depth

From the surface to about 15 m, near islets and the surf.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Beach fishing Rocky shore Natural bait on the bottom Mid-water casting Fly fishing

rod: 9' to 12' for beach (20 to 40 lb); 6'6" to 7', 10 to 20 lb for boat
spinning / baitcasting reel: 3000 to 5000 spinning reel
line: monofilament 0.28 to 0.35 mm or braid 15 to 25 lb
leader: fluorocarbon 20 to 30 lb, 60 cm to 1 m
hook: circle 1/0 to 2/0, or short hook no. 1 to 2/0

lures

metal jig 15 to 40 g
clear streamer (fly)
jig head with silicone shrimp

natural baits

shrimp
caranguejinho-de-areia
clam or mussel

accessories

rod holder (beach)
sinker 40 to 100 g
alicate

tip from an angler

Small natural bait and a fine hook: the pompano nibbles before it swallows. Once hooked, it runs in short, strong bursts, so adjust the drag carefully.

what the law says

rules for the gafftopsail 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.

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

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 fine pompano 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. Anyone fishing from a boat needs an individual permit; from shore, no.

Source: Amendment to NOM-017-PESC-1994 (recreational sport fishing in federal waters of Mexico), published in the DOF on Nov 25, 2013, items 0.3, 4.3, 4.9.1, 4.9.5, 4.11 and 4.14 (Sagarpa/Conapesca)

Colombia: AUNAP license and catch-and-release in sport fishing

Individual AUNAP license; catch-and-release guidanceconfirm with the agency

AUNAP Resolution 0549 of 2022 sets the guidelines for recreational sport fishing in Colombia. Anglers need a permit: for an individual, Colombian or foreign, it is a personal, non-transferable card. The rule makes "catch and release" the guidance and admits keeping only part of the catch for personal consumption, respecting the minimum sizes it sets. We did not confirm the daily limit or the minimum sizes by species: check with AUNAP before keeping fish.

Source: Resolución AUNAP 0549 of 2022 (fishing management guidelines for sport fishing for recreational purposes), arts. 6 and 8; Official Gazette of Mar 25, 2022

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.

Wet your hands, remove the hook with pliers and release it quickly; avoid leaving the fish on the hot sand.

in the kitchen

Sold fresh, salted or dried. Like the other pompanos, it has white, firm flesh; good fried whole or grilled.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

total length (cm)

Length-weight relationship W = a·L^b (a = 0.01288, b = 2.94; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). 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.

scientific FishBase: Trachinotus rhodopus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Trachinotus rhodopusNames by country and language.
scientific Robertson, D. R. & Allen, G. R. (2024). Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system, versão 3.0. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Trachinotus rhodopusDescription, colors, size, depth and distribution in the eastern Pacific. Page checked Oct 13, 2026. Description, colors, size (at least 61 cm), depth of 0 to 30 m, and a habit of staying near the surface around rocky islets.
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)Reserves species for sport fishing (item 0.3), permits (4.3 and 4.14), rods and hooks (4.6), bait (4.7), daily limits at sea (4.9.1) and in fresh water (4.9.2), catch and release (4.9.5), closed zones and seasons (4.10), and a ban on selling the catch (4.11). Text checked on Oct 13, 2026; the publication date (Nov 25, 2013) comes from Secretaría de Economía rules that cite the amendment.
official AUNAP (Colômbia): Resolução 0549 de 2022, lineamientos de ordenación pesquera para la pesca deportiva con fines recreativosWe reviewed, in a partial transcript of the text, what the rule says about the personal license (art. 6) and the catch-and-release guidance (arts. 8 to 10). We could not read the articles on the daily bag limit and minimum sizes; the draft rule provided for a personal-consumption limit that AUNAP said it would revise, so those figures are left out.

don't confuse

similar species

Carangidae

Blackblotch pompano

Trachinotus kennedyi

Silvery pompano, with a blunt snout and a black blotch at the base of the pectoral, common over shallow bottoms and in estuaries of the eastern Pacific. Takes shrimp, sand crab and light jigs.

EstuarySea

time of yearbest: Apr–Oct