fishing forecast

striped bonito

Sarda orientalis · Scombridae · predator

Sea

Schooling bonito of coastal waters, with almost horizontal stripes on the back and an all-black second dorsal fin. Found from the Gulf of California to Peru, and caught by corrico (trolling), with jigs and casting lures.

Also called: sarda-oriental, bonito-de-listras-horizontais, striped bonito, oriental bonito

everything about the striped bonito where found

Scientific illustration of Striped bonito

common size: 45–65 cm
maximum: 102 cm
common weight: 1–3.5 kg
record/max.: 10.7 kg
depth: 1–167 m
ideal water: 18–25 °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 striped bonito

overview

who is the striped bonito

Coastal bonito with a wide Indo-Pacific range but irregular occurrence. In the eastern Pacific it ranges from the Gulf of California to Peru and reaches the oceanic islands; in northern Peru it appears mainly in El Niño years, according to FishBase. It forms schools with small tunas, near the coast and islands, and eats sardines and other fish, squid and crustaceans. It reaches about 1 m and 10 kg, but the typical fish is around 55 cm. It takes metal jigs, spoons, poppers and corrico baits, and fights hard for its size. The commercial fishery is small (corrico, purse seines and drift nets) and fresh fish is sold in the markets.

fun facts

The world all-tackle line-class record is 10.65 kg, according to STRI.
FishBase describes the Indo-Pacific distribution as wide, but full of gaps.

how to recognize it

identification

Elongated, rounded body, steel blue on top, with 8 to 11 dark, almost horizontal stripes on the back (the lower ones in broken lines), silvery flanks and belly, and an all-black second dorsal fin. Large, visible conical teeth, two dorsal fins close together (the first with 17 to 19 spines), 6 to 8 finlets and an armor of large scales at the front of the body. The Pacific bonito (Sarda chiliensis) has about 7 slightly oblique stripes, a white tip on the second dorsal fin and 23 to 27 gill rakers (here they are 8 to 13). The black skipjack (Euthynnus lineatus) has few stripes, only on the rear of the back, and dark spots between the pectoral and pelvic fins.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Not found in Brazil. Indo-Pacific, in scattered patches. In the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Peru, including the oceanic islands (except Clipperton), passing through all the Pacific coast countries between Mexico and Peru.

Habitat: Coastal and island waters, near the surface, in mixed schools with small tunas.

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Dec–Mar

JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

No documented season in the eastern Pacific. Fishing follows the sardine patches and water around 18 to 25 °C; check with local guides when the school arrives.

best time of day

Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. Hunts at the surface by day, with peaks at dawn and late afternoon, when the sardine schools rise; diving birds and boiling water mark the school.

weather, water and behavior

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

cold and cold fronts

The school flees very cold water; a sudden temperature change drives the fish away from the coast.

atmospheric pressure

Little direct effect; a front with a turning sea breaks up the bait schools.

moon

Little effect.

rain

Little effect in open sea; muddy runoff water drives the school away from the shore.

water level

Not applicable at sea.

noise

A fast motor over the school makes the fish sink; approach with the motor low.

wind

Strong wind and choppy sea hinder the cast and the trail of birds.

tide

Little effect; a current that gathers sardines at a point or island attracts the school.

depth

Almost always at the surface and in the first 30 m, but there are records down to more than 100 m.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Trolling Surface casting Jigging Natural bait with float

rod: 6'6" to 7'6", fast action, 15 to 30 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel: 4000 to 6000 spinning reel with smooth drag and good line capacity
line: braided line 20 to 40 lb
leader: fluorocarbon 30 to 50 lb, 1 m (the teeth cut thin leader)
hook: treble hook 1/0 to 3/0 on lures; single hook 2/0 to 4/0 on natural bait

lures

metal jig, 30 to 80 g
metal spoon
popper and surface zara
squid or feather jig for corrico

natural baits

live or dead sardine
lula
small anchovy

accessories

long-nose pliers
boga
ice to bleed and cool the fish right away

tip from an angler

When the birds dive, cast the metal past the school and retrieve quickly, with the rod tip low: the bonito chases the lure at speed and strikes at the surface.

what the law says

rules for the striped bonito

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 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 Eastern Pacific bonito (bonito mono) 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. From shore no permit is needed; from a boat, one is (Federal Duties Law permits, item 4.3).

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 and 4.11 (Sagarpa/Conapesca)

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.

Bonito suffers from handling out of the water: if you plan to release it, keep the fish in the water, remove the hook with pliers and let it go quickly. If you plan to keep it, bleed it and put it on ice right away.

in the kitchen

Dark, firm, tasty flesh when handled promptly: bleed and chill right away. Good grilled, as sashimi or ceviche, and canned. FishBase lists it as sold fresh, dry-salted, canned and frozen.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

total length (cm)

Length-weight relationship W = a·L^b (a = 0.01, 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%.

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: Sarda orientalis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology and IUCN status. Page checked on 13/10/2026. FishBase gives a fork length of up to 102 cm; STRI cites up to 117 cm without giving the measurement, and we kept FishBase's value.
scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Sarda orientalisNames by country and language.
scientific Robertson, D. R. & Allen, G. R. (2024). Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Sarda orientalisDescription, colors (8 to 11 stripes on the back, all-black second dorsal fin), size (up to 117 cm and line-class record of 10.65 kg), depth (0 to 30 m) and distribution (Gulf of California to Peru and the oceanic islands, except Clipperton). Page checked on 13/10/2026.
scientific Robertson, D. R. & Allen, G. R. (2024). Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Sarda chiliensis (comparação: 7 listras oblíquas, 23 a 27 rastros branquiais, ponta branca na segunda dorsal)Used only for identification differences. Page checked on 13/10/2026.
scientific Collette, B. B.; Nauen, C. E. (1983). FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 2. Scombrids of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of tunas, mackerels, bonitos and related species known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis 125(2). Roma: FAO.FishBase's main reference for the description, biology and uses.
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 (4.3 and 4.14), rod and hooks (4.6), bait (4.7), daily quotas at sea (4.9.1) and in fresh water (4.9.2), 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 text carries the signature date of Oct 14, 2013; the DOF publication date (Nov 25, 2013) is the one the catalog already uses.

don't confuse

similar species

Scombridae

Chilean bonito

Sarda chiliensis

The skipjack (bonito listrado) of the Humboldt Current: fast schools that burst at the surface after anchoveta. A strong fighter on light tackle, with a minimum size in Peru.

Sea

time of yearbest: Dec–Apr

Scombridae

Black skipjack

Euthynnus lineatus

Small schooling tuna of the eastern Pacific, from California to northern Peru, with black stripes at the back of the dorsal and spots under the pectorals. It fights hard on jigs and surface lures, and travels with the tunas.

Sea

time of yearbest: May–Oct

Scombridae

Pacific sierra

Scomberomorus sierra

The Pacific Spanish mackerel, a cousin of the Atlantic Spanish mackerel (sororoca). It travels in schools close to the coast from Mexico to Peru and strikes spoons and fast lures.

Sea

time of yearbest: Nov–Apr