fishing forecast

brassy chub

Kyphosus vaigiensis · Kyphosidae · omnivore

Sea

Silvery sea chub with golden lines along the body, which swims in schools over rocky reefs and surf-battered shores of the eastern Pacific. A rocky-shore and surf-zone fish, good eating according to FishBase.

Also called: pirajica-listrada, brassy chub, yellow chub, blue-bronze sea chub

everything about the brassy chub where found

common size: 35–55 cm
maximum: 70 cm
common weight: 0.8–3 kg
record/max.: — kg
depth: 0–40 m
ideal water: 21–28 °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…

0—

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

—

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

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 brassy chub

overview

who is the brassy chub

A sea chub with a wide tropical distribution: FishBase treats it as circumtropical, from the eastern Pacific to the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and the Atlantic. In the eastern Pacific it ranges from southern California and the Gulf of California to southern South America, including the oceanic islands. It forms schools over hard bottoms covered in algae, on reefs exposed to the surf, lagoons and outer reefs, down to about 24 to 40 m; adults stay near the coast, and juveniles accompany floating debris and drifting algae, sometimes appearing in open sea near the surface. It also occurs in mangrove areas. Juveniles eat small crustaceans; adults are carnivorous in summer and autumn and eat the alga Endarachne binghamiae in winter, according to FishBase. It reaches 70 cm (STRI cites up to 90 cm). It is a commercial fish, considered good eating, and the rock-shore angler finds it in schools near the rocks.

fun facts

Juveniles up to 5 cm long live among floating algae and eat small crustaceans (FishBase).
Adults change diet with the season: carnivorous in summer and autumn, and eaters of the alga Endarachne binghamiae in winter, according to FishBase.
The 23 to 29 golden lines along the body are the species' best mark.

how to recognize it

identification

Oval, compressed body with a small, pointed head, relatively long snout without a hump, small horizontal mouth with incisor-like teeth. Dorsal and anal fins continuous and low, forked tail, small rough scales. Silvery blue-gray, with about 23 to 29 golden or coppery lines along the body, the ones above the lateral line following its curve, and a golden mark under the eye; fins gray, sometimes a little darker than the body. The golden lines tell it apart from the Cortez sea chub (Kyphosus elegans), which is uniformly gray.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Here the Latin American eastern Pacific is what counts: from southern California and the Gulf of California to southern South America, including the oceanic islands. The species is circumtropical; in Brazilian Atlantic waters the sea chub fished is another one (Kyphosus sectatrix).

Habitat: Schools over hard bottoms covered in algae: outer reefs, lagoons and surf-battered shores, mangroves; juveniles near drifting algae.

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Jun–Sep

JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Fishable all year. FishBase says adults change diet with the season (carnivorous in summer and autumn, algae in winter), which can change the bait: meat and crustaceans in warm water, algae and bread in cold water.

best time of day

Daytime. Grazes and feeds by day, in schools near the rocks and the surf; at night it stays sheltered.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the brassy chub
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 pushes the schools away from the rock and shifts their diet to algae.

atmospheric pressure

Little direct effect.

moon

Small effect.

rain

Little effect; runoff muddies the rocky shore and drives the school off.

water level

Not applicable at sea.

noise

Not very sensitive in rough water; in clear lagoons, shadows and footsteps spook it.

wind

A light swell and foam help hide the angler; very rough sea makes rocky-shore fishing impossible.

tide

A rising tide brings the school to the rocks and the surf.

depth

From the surface down to about 24 m, near algae and the surf.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Rocky shore Natural bait with float Caniço (cane pole)

rod: 7' to 8'6", 15 to 25 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel: spinning reel 3000 to 4000
line: monofilament or braided line 15 to 25 lb
leader: fluorocarbon 30 to 40 lb, 80 cm
hook: forged 1/0 to 3/0

lures

jig head of 7 to 14 g with small silicone tail
metal mini jig of 10 to 20 g

natural baits

fresh algae
bread dough
shrimp
crab pieces

accessories

bread chum
alicate
gloves for rocky shores

tip from an angler

Cast the chum and the bait into the surf beside the rocks and keep the rod high and the line tight: once hooked, the sea chub runs for the holes and the algae.

what the law says

rules for the brassy chub

Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Of least concern globally. We have not checked national assessments in the countries covered on this page.

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 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 striped sea chub is not among the species reserved for sport fishing (marlin, sailfish, swordfish, tarpon, 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, and sport-caught fish may not be sold. Anglers fishing from a boat need an individual permit; anglers fishing from shore do not. In sport fishing tournaments, chumming (throwing bait to draw fish in) is expressly banned (item 4.8).

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: sport fishing has ceased to exist as a category; tourist fishing applies (Law 2501/2025)

Transition period: confirm with AUNAP before fishingconfirm with the agency

In Judgment C-148 of Apr 27, 2022, the Constitutional Court declared unconstitutional the rules that provided for sport fishing, with effects postponed by one year. Law 2501, enacted on Jul 28, 2025, created the tourist fishing category, and the rules (gear, quantities, minimum sizes, methods, zones and seasons) depend on regulations from the Ministry of Agriculture with AUNAP. We have not confirmed whether the decrees have been issued: check with AUNAP and use a licensed tourism operator before fishing or keeping any fish.

Source: Constitutional Court of Colombia, Judgment C-148/2022; Law 2501 of 2025 (Congress of Colombia)

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.

Hold it with a wet hand, remove the hook with pliers and release the fish head first. Shallow-water fish recover quickly; release any that exceed the quota.

in the kitchen

FishBase considers it a good table fish, and it is sold fresh. Clean it right after catching; it is good grilled or fried whole.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

total length (cm)

Length-weight relationship W = a·L^b (a = 0.0182, b = 3.0; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

estimated weight

—

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: Kyphosus vaigiensis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology and IUCN status. Page checked on 13/10/2026. The common size range on this page is an editorial estimate around FishBase's common length (50 cm). STRI cites up to 90 cm; the page keeps FishBase's 70 cm.
scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Kyphosus vaigiensisNames 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: Kyphosus vaigiensisDescription, colors, size (90 cm), depth of 0 to 30 m and pantropical distribution in the eastern Pacific. Page checked on 13/10/2026.
scientific IUCN Red List: Kyphosus vaigiensis (avaliação global)Least Concern (LC), assessed on 07/07/2014. Assessment checked on the FishBase page (Red List, version 2025-2); the species' Red List link was not opened.
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), chumming in tournaments (4.8), daily limits at sea (4.9.1) and in fresh water (4.9.2), catch and release (4.9.5), closed zones, seasons and protected areas (4.10), a ban on selling the catch (4.11) and filleting (4.12). Text checked on Oct 13, 2026; the DOF records publication on Nov 25, 2013 and signature on Oct 14, 2013. We found no specific Conapesca federal closed season for this species.
official Corte Constitucional da Colômbia: Sentença C-148 de 27 de abril de 2022 (pesca deportiva)We checked the date and summary of the judgment, which holds sport fishing unconstitutional. The one-year postponement of effects comes from press reports on the decision; we did not read the full operative part.
press Agenda del Mar: Pesca de turismo, qué se aprobó y qué falta (Lei 2501 de 2025)Reports the enactment of Law 2501 on Jul 28, 2025 and the regulatory deadlines (six months for tourism and one year for zones, species, methods and seasons). We could not open the official text of the law or confirm whether the decrees have been issued.

don't confuse

similar species

Kyphosidae

Cortez sea chub

Kyphosus elegans

Gray, slender sea chub from the rocky reefs, from the Gulf of California to Ecuador and the oceanic islands, which swims in schools grazing on algae. A shore and shallow-rock fish, caught with algae, bread and shrimp as bait.

Sea

time of yearbest: Jun–Sep

Kyphosidae

Yellow sea chub

Kyphosus incisor

A relative of the pirajica, grey with brass-coloured stripes, of rocky shores and shallow reefs. It eats algae and sargassum, is strong and wary, and calls for light line.

Sea

time of yearbest: Dec–Mar