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 spotted weakfish
how to recognize it
Silvery body, dark grey back with bluish reflections and numerous round black spots on the upper half, extending to the second dorsal fin and the tail: the spots on the fins are the surest sign. Spiny dorsal fin darkened; the other fins are clear to yellowish. Large, oblique mouth, with the lower jaw protruding and a pair of large canine teeth at the tip of the upper jaw. No chin barbels. The soft part of the dorsal fin has no scales. The spots separate the species from most of the genus's weakfishes.
Also called: pescada-pintada, spotted seatrout, spotted weakfish, speckled trout
don't confuse with:
where found
open on the large mapWhere to look: Estuaries, lagoons and shallow bays with seagrass over sand and mud bottoms; salt marshes and high-salinity tide pools.
Western Atlantic: from New York to southern Florida and the entire Gulf of Mexico. In Latin America it appears on the Mexican Gulf coast, especially in coastal lagoons, and in Cuba. There is a recent record in the Guadalquivir estuary (Spain).
when to fish
best season
Present all year in the Gulf of Mexico; spring and fall tend to be the best months, with water between 18 and 28 °C. In strong cold, the school drops into deeper, warmer holes.
best time of day
Dawn and dusk. It does best at dawn and dusk, and at night near pier or marina lights. Scientific sources do not detail the timing; the indication comes from sport-fishing practice.
what affects the spotted weakfish
cold and cold fronts
A cold front knocks down activity and sends the fish to deep, warmer holes for a few days.
atmospheric pressure
Stable pressure helps; the drop before the front usually gives a short spike in activity.
moon
Moderate effect; spring tides increase the current that brings bait and shrimp into the channels.
rain
Light rain does not bother; runoff that drops the lagoon's salinity scatters the fish.
water level
Does not apply at sea; in a lagoon, the tide decides where the fish feeds.
noise
Skittish in shallow water: a boat with its engine running and footsteps in the shallows scare the school off.
wind
Strong wind muddies the water and makes casting hard; light to moderate wind, which ripples the water, helps.
tide
Fish the tidal current at channel mouths, grass edges and sandbars.
depth
From 0.5 to 3 m for most of the day; drops into deeper holes in cold weather and strong sun.
how to fish
lures
- soft rubber artificial shrimp
- paddle tail, 7 to 10 cm
- topwater plug (walk-the-dog)
- suspending plug, 8 to 10 cm
natural baits
- live shrimp
- small mullet
- sardinha
tip from an angler
The mouth is soft: set the hook firmly without overdoing it, and use the net so it does not tear. Work the grass edge and channel mouths with the tidal current.
- rod
- 6'6" to 7'6", medium-fast action, 8 to 15 lb
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 2500 to 3000
- line
- braided line 10 to 20 lb
- leader
- fluorocarbon 15 to 20 lb, 60 to 90 cm
- hook
- jig head 1/8 to 1/4 oz or circle hook 1/0 to 2/0 for live bait
accessories
- popping cork
- rubber-mesh landing net
- polarized glasses
- alicate
catch and release
The mouth is soft and tears easily: use a rubber-mesh net, wet your hands and release it promptly. The largest specimens tend to be spawning females, which are worth releasing.
rules for the spotted weakfish
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 spotted weakfish (trucha de mar) is not among the species with their own limit (billfish, sharks, giant pescada, tarpon, dorado, roosterfish and baya). Fish above the limit must be returned alive to the water, and sport-caught fish may not be sold. Fishing from a boat requires a permit, and sport fishing is banned in closed zones and seasons.
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 = 0.00832, b = 3.05; 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 spotted weakfish
The spotted weakfish, called trucha de mar in Mexico, is one of the most important sport weakfishes of the Gulf of Mexico. It lives in estuaries, lagoons and shallow coastal waters, over sand bottoms and especially in seagrass beds, and also in salt marshes and high-salinity tide pools. It eats crustaceans and fish, matures at about 27 cm, reaches 100 cm and 7.9 kg and can live 18 years. Its range runs from New York to southern Florida and the whole Gulf of Mexico; in Latin America it is found on the Mexican coast and in Cuba. There is a recent record in the Guadalquivir estuary, Spain. FishBase treats it as an important table and sport fish throughout its range.
Family: Sciaenidae · predator
fun facts
- Despite the name trucha de mar, it is not related to trout: it is a croaker of the family Sciaenidae.
- It can live 18 years, according to FishBase, and matures at about 27 cm.
- It has a recent record in the Guadalquivir estuary, Spain, outside the area described for the species.
in the kitchen
FishBase indicates fresh use, steamed, grilled or baked. The flesh is delicate: bleed it, chill it quickly and eat it fresh.
similar species
sources and references (3)
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 field experience from 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 rule and link. The fishing depth range, the common size and the ideal water temperature range, when FishBase does not give a value, are editorial estimates based on the species' biology.
- scientific FishBase: Cynoscion nebulosus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Cynoscion nebulosusNames by country and language. The name pescada-pintada was adopted for this entry from the English (spotted weakfish) and Spanish (trucha de mar).
- official NOM-017-PESC-1994, Para regular las actividades de pesca deportivo-recreativa en las aguas de jurisdicción federal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos (modificação de 2013)Daily limit of 10 marine fish and 5 per species (item 4.9.1), return of the excess (4.9.5), closed seasons (4.10) and sales ban (4.11). Text checked in the DOF on Oct 13, 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: