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 hairfin lookdown
how to recognize it
Pentagonal, very flattened body with a tall head and a steep, concave forehead and snout; silvery all over, so the body looks almost scaleless. In adults the lobes of the second dorsal and anal fins are long; in juveniles the first dorsal spines are very long, like threads, and the pelvic fins are long, becoming very short with age. There are no finlets behind the second dorsal and anal fins. Paraselene orstedii has a more oblique forehead and long pelvic fins; the Peruvian lookdown (Selene peruviana) has short dorsal and anal fins and no pelvic fins.
Also called: peixe-galo-mexicano, jorobado mexicano, jorobado, Mexican lookdown, Pacific lookdown, Hairfin lookdown
don't confuse with:
where found
open on the large mapWhere to look: Sand bottoms in shallow coastal waters and estuaries, in small schools near the bottom, from 1 to 50 m.
Not found in Brazil. Eastern Pacific, from southern Baja California and the Gulf of California (Mexico) to Ecuador, according to FishBase; STRI extends it to Chile. FishBase lists Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
when to fish
best season
Occurs all year. The app gives a little more weight to the warmer months, May to October.
best time of day
Dawn and dusk. The Mexican guide reports catches before dawn at Los Cabos, using sabiki baited with squid. Beyond that, studies are lacking; the app's estimate gives more weight to dawn and dusk.
what affects the hairfin lookdown
cold and cold fronts
Cold water keeps the schools away from shallow waters.
atmospheric pressure
Rough sea from a strong front hurts beach and small-boat fishing.
moon
Small effect; the reported catches are from before dawn.
rain
Little effect; a river flowing muddy into the estuary scatters the fish.
water level
Not applicable at sea.
noise
A school near the bottom gets spooked by a boat banging and a motor close by.
wind
Strong wind kicks up sand and makes it hard to control the line on the bottom.
tide
A light current at the mouth of estuaries concentrates the schools.
depth
From 1 to 50 m, near the sandy bottom.
how to fish
lures
- sabiki (string of small hooks) baited with squid
- light jig, 10 to 30 g
natural baits
- squid strips
- shrimp
- pieces of sardine
tip from an angler
As the Mexican guide reports, sabiki baited with squid and fished at dawn, near the sandy bottom, produces the most; use a light sinker so the bait keeps moving.
- rod
- 6'6" to 7', fast action, 8 to 15 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 2500 to 4000
- line
- braided line 15 to 25 lb
- leader
- fluorocarbon 20 to 30 lb
- hook
- single hook no. 2 to 1/0, or 1/0 circle hook
accessories
- alicate
- luvas
- bucket of water for the live bait
catch and release
Tall, slender body with delicate skin: wet your hands, support the whole body and release it quickly; don't hold it by the filaments of the dorsal or anal fin.
rules for the hairfin lookdown
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 recreational sport fishing in Mexican federal waters, each angler may keep up to 10 marine fish per day, no more than 5 of the same species. The Mexican lookdown is not among the species reserved for sport fishing (marlin, sailfish, swordfish, "sábalo o chiro," 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 limit go back alive (item 4.9.5), and sport-caught fish may not be sold. Anglers fishing from a boat need the permits of the Federal Duties Law; anglers fishing from shore do not (item 4.3).
Costa Rica: Incopesca sport fishing license
Personal Incopesca license, for people over 16confirm with the agency details
In the regulation of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Law (Decree 36782, of May 24, 2011), art. 69, sport fishing is authorized only for natural persons over 16, with a license issued by Incopesca; tourists, whether national or foreign, also need the license. Art. 68 limits the landing of large pelagics to 5 per trip, and art. 66 promotes catch and release, but the rule sets no quota for this species. The decree was later amended (Decree 39458), so confirm the current rule with Incopesca.
Panama: new sport fishing decree in force from Dec 10, 2026
Executive Decree No. 9 (Jun 10, 2026), in force from Dec 10, 2026confirm with the agency details
ARAP published Executive Decrees No. 9 and No. 10, of Jun 10, 2026, in the Official Gazette. The first regulates sport fishing throughout the territory; the second protects billfish (sailfish and marlins). Both take effect on Dec 10, 2026, after six months of adaptation. We did not verify the text: the press report gives no catch limits, sizes or license requirements. Before fishing in Panama, check with ARAP.
Colombia: AUNAP license and catch-and-release in sport fishing
Individual AUNAP license; catch-and-release guidanceconfirm with the agency details
AUNAP Resolution 0549 of 2022 sets the guidelines for sport fishing for recreational purposes in Colombia. Anyone fishing needs a permit: for a natural person, Colombian or foreign, it is a personal, non-transferable license (art. 6). The rule uses "capture and release" as guidance. We did not verify the daily limit or the minimum sizes by species: check with AUNAP before keeping any fish.
Conservation: Of little concern globally. Not listed in Mexico's NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010.
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 = 0.01738, b = 2.81; 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 hairfin lookdown
A relative of the Atlantic lookdowns, the Mexican jorobado lives in the eastern Pacific, from southern Baja California and the Gulf of California to Ecuador and Peru; STRI extends the range to Chile. It swims in small schools near the bottom, in shallow coastal waters and estuaries, from 1 to 50 m, over sand. It eats small squid, shrimp, polychaetes and small fish. It reaches about 38 to 42 cm and has little commercial importance; FishBase reports it is sold fresh or salted. In Los Cabos, Mexico, it is caught now and then before dawn with sabiki baited with squid, or taken in large cast nets and sold alive as bait for dorado, striped marlin and tuna. Local anglers rate it as excellent table fare.
Family: Carangidae · predator
fun facts
- In Los Cabos, Mexico, the guide consulted says it is called pompano or tortilla.
- Juveniles have huge filaments in front of the dorsal fin and on the pelvic fins, which disappear with age.
in the kitchen
White flesh, considered excellent by Los Cabos fishermen; sold fresh or salted, according to FishBase.
similar species
sources and references (9)
The season weights (months), time of day and 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 field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data or measurements made for this species, and may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the standard and a link. The common size starts from FishBase's common length (25 cm), and the common weight is calculated from the length-weight relationship.
- scientific FishBase: Selene brevoortii (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Selene brevoortiiNames by country and language.
- scientific Robertson, D. R. & Allen, G. R. Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Selene brevoortiiDescription, colors, size (up to 42 cm; we kept FishBase's 38 cm), depth and distribution (to Chile) in the eastern Pacific. Page checked on 13/10/2026.
- technical Mexican Fish (mexican-fish.com): ficha do Mexican Lookdown (Selene brevoortii)Independent guide to Mexican Pacific fishes, with photos of catches and the author's observations; not an official source. Page checked on 13/10/2026. It gives the local names in Los Cabos, the catch with sabiki baited with squid, the use as live bait, and how to tell it apart from Paraselene orstedii and Selene peruviana.
- 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 by mode (4.3), daily quotas at sea (4.9.1), 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 DOF text carries only the signature date of Oct 14, 2013; the publication date (Nov 25, 2013) comes from Secretaría de Economía rules that cite the amendment.
- official NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010 (DOF 30/12/2010) e modificação do Anexo Normativo III (DOF 14/11/2019): lista de espécies em risco do MéxicoSearch by scientific name in the two texts published in the DOF (the 2019 amendment is at https://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5578808&fecha=14/11/2019): the species is not on the list. Checked Oct 13, 2026.
- official Decreto Executivo nº 36782-MINAET-MAG-MOPT-TUR-SP-S-MTSS, de 24/05/2011: Regulamento da Lei de Pesca e Aquicultura da Costa RicaChapter XVIII (sport fishing), arts. 66 to 69, and the requirements for the sport fishing card. Text checked Oct 13, 2026; the decree was amended later (Decree 39458) and the amendments were not read.
- press La Estrella de Panamá: Panamá implementa nuevas reglas para la pesca deportiva en diciembre (15/06/2026)Reports Executive Decrees No. 9 and No. 10 of ARAP, dated 10/06/2026, and their entry into force on 10/12/2026. The matter contains no catch limits, sizes or licenses; the text of the decrees was not read.
- official AUNAP (Colômbia): Resolução 0549 de 2022, lineamientos de ordenación pesquera para la pesca deportiva con fines recreativosWe confirmed the existence of the rule, the dates and the requirement for a personal card (art. 6, cited in an AUNAP notice). We did not read the articles on the daily quota and minimum sizes, so those figures are left out.
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: