fishing forecast

pacific tripletail

Lobotes pacifica · Lobotidae · predator

EstuarySea

The Pacific tripletail: a tall fish with a rounded tail, and dorsal and anal fins that look like three tails. It lives in bays and estuaries and near floating objects, and takes live natural bait and light artificial lures.

Also called: prejereba-do-pacífico, pacific tripletail, dormilona del Pacífico

everything about the pacific tripletail where found

Scientific illustration of Pacific tripletail

common size: 40–70 cm
maximum: 100 cm
common weight: 1.2–6.7 kg
record/max.: 15.0 kg
depth: 0–50 m
ideal water: 23–29 °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

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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 pacific tripletail

overview

who is the pacific tripletail

Eastern Pacific tripletail, from San Pedro (California) and Revillagigedo to the Gulf of California and to Chimbote, Peru, including the Galápagos and Coco islands (STRI). It lives in bays and brackish estuaries and, sometimes, far from shore beside floating objects; juveniles lie on their side at the surface and mimic a dark leaf adrift. It eats mostly bottom crustaceans and small fish. It reaches about 1 m (STRI says 110 cm and at least 15 kg), and FishBase gives 50 cm as the common length. It has a commercial fishery and is listed as a sport fish. For the angler it is an estuary and floating-object fish, caught with natural bait. STRI notes that the taxonomy of the group needs review: the eastern Pacific population may be the same species as the Atlantic tripletail (Lobotes surinamensis).

fun facts

Juveniles float on their side at the surface and mimic a dark leaf adrift (STRI).
The tall, rounded dorsal and anal fins, together with the tail, look like three tails: hence the name tripletail.
STRI says the eastern Pacific population may be the same species as the Atlantic tripletail.

how to recognize it

identification

Oval to oblong body, tall and moderately compressed, with small eyes and a strongly serrated preopercle. The dorsal fin has no notch between its spiny and soft parts, and the soft parts of the dorsal and anal fins are tall and rounded: with the rounded tail they look like three tails, hence the English name tripletail. Adults are dark brown or greenish-yellow on the back, with dark spots, silvery gray on the flanks, with pale yellow pectoral fins; juveniles are yellowish to dark brown and mottled.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Not found in Brazil, where the tripletail is Lobotes surinamensis. Eastern Pacific: from California to Peru, with the Gulf of California, Revillagigedo and the Galápagos and Coco islands.

Habitat: Brackish bays and estuaries and, farther from shore, floating objects; juveniles drift on their side near floating debris.

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Jun–Oct

JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

No set season. At the northern end of its range (Gulf of California and southern California) it appears more in the warm water of summer and early autumn.

best time of day

Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. It usually stays still beside floating objects and in the shade of bays, eating the small crustaceans and fish that pass. There is no time-of-day study for the species; fishing in the morning and late afternoon is the safest.

weather, water and behavior

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

cold and cold fronts

Cold water drives the fish away from the shallow bays at the northern end of its range.

atmospheric pressure

Little direct effect.

moon

Small effect.

rain

It tolerates murky, brackish estuary water; a storm cuts visibility too much to see the fish.

water level

Not applicable at sea; in an estuary, the level and salinity change with the tide and rain.

noise

A fish resting at the surface spooks if the boat arrives fast; approach slowly.

wind

Choppy water makes it hard to spot the fish floating on its side and to cast accurately.

tide

Tide running through the mouths and channels carries food and triggers the fish.

depth

Surface and midwater beside floating objects, down to about 50 m.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Natural bait with float Mid-water casting Natural bait on the bottom

rod: 6'6" to 7'6", 15 to 30 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel: spinning reel 4000 to 5000
line: braided line 20 to 40 lb
leader: fluorocarbon 30 to 50 lb, 1 m
hook: circle 2/0 to 5/0

lures

jig head with shad or silicone shrimp
heavy fly for fish seen by floating objects

natural baits

live shrimp
small live fish (sardine, anchovy)
small crab

accessories

polarized glasses
landing net
alicate

tip from an angler

Look for the fish lying on its side, beside logs, buoys and floating debris. Approach slowly and cast the bait to the side, close to the fish.

what the law says

rules for the pacific tripletail

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, in an older assessment. The group's taxonomy needs review, and the assessment may change if the eastern Pacific population is merged with Lobotes surinamensis.

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 Pacific tripletail 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.

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, away from the gill cover spines; remove the hook with pliers and release the fish head first. Release any that exceed the quota.

in the kitchen

Sold fresh. White, flavorful flesh; good as fillets grilled, fried or baked.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

total length (cm)

Length-weight relationship W = a·L^b (a = 0.01862, b = 3.01; 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: Lobotes pacifica (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 estimate around FishBase's common length (50 cm). The maximum weight on this page (15 kg) comes from STRI, which says at least 15 kg and 110 cm; the page keeps FishBase's 100 cm.
scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Lobotes pacificaNames 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: Lobotes pacificaDescription, colors, juvenile habits, size (110 cm and at least 15 kg), depth of 0 to 50 m and taxonomic note. Page checked on 13/10/2026.
scientific IUCN Red List: Lobotes pacifica (avaliação global)Least Concern (LC), assessed on 25/05/2007. 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

Lobotidae

Tripletail

Lobotes surinamensis

The fish that pretends to be a leaf. It floats on its side near buoys and debris; sight fishing and a hard fight.

SeaEstuary

time of yearbest: Nov–Mar