sheepshead
Archosargus probatocephalus · Sparidae · omnivore
The bait thief of the rocks and pilings. It has teeth like ours and requires a quick hookset.
Also called: sargo-de-dente, sargo
- common size
- 30–45 cm
- maximum
- 91 cm
- common weight
- 0.8–3 kg
- record/max.
- 9.6 kg
- depth
- 0.5–20 m
- ideal water
- 18–26 °C
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.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
tap or drag on the chart to read each hour · on a keyboard, arrow keyssee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
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 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 sheepshead
who is the sheepshead
The sargo-de-dente (sargo) is a structure-dwelling fish: it lives clinging to rocky shores, rocks, bridge pilings, piers, shipwrecks and shellfish farms, from Espírito Santo to Rio Grande do Sul. Its incisors, similar to human teeth, and its molars at the back of the mouth are for crushing mussels, barnacles, sea urchins and crabs. It is a famous bait thief: it nibbles, tests, and only then swallows. It requires attention, a small strong hook and quick reaction. Fish of 1 to 3 kg are common, and large ones exceed 5 kg. It enters salt-water estuaries and bays. On the table it is excellent, with firm white meat.
fun facts
- The incisors look like human teeth; photos of a "fish with human teeth" are usually of this one.
- The teeth look like a sheep's, hence the English name sheepshead.
identification
Tall, compressed body, silver-grey with 5 to 7 wide black vertical bands, like a prison uniform. Small mouth with broad, flattened incisors resembling human teeth, and molars behind. Strong dorsal spines. Difference from other sargos and salemas: none of them have such wide black bands or such prominent incisors.
where found
From Espírito Santo to Rio Grande do Sul, most sought after in São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina, on rocky shores, estuaries and structures.
Habitat: Rocky shores, jetties, bridge pilings and piers, sunken hulls, shellfish farms and rocky bottoms in bays and estuaries.
coast
states
Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul
when to fish
best season
Fished all year. In the South, the best results usually come at the end of winter and in spring, when it gathers at rocks and pilings to spawn.
best time of day
Daytime. A daytime fish. Feeds at any hour with the tide running; less active at night.
what affects the sheepshead
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
Tolerates cold water better than snook and pompano; a strong front cuts the bite for a day or two.
atmospheric pressure
Stable weather favors fine nibble fishing.
moon
Small effect.
rain
Light rain doesn't matter.
water level
Surge on the rocky shore is dangerous and muddies the water; wait for the sea to calm.
noise
On piers and pilings it is wary of shade and bumps; keep still and use fine line.
wind
Wind makes it hard to feel the nibble; look for the sheltered side of the structure.
tide
Likes moving water along the structure: on the rising tide it moves in to the rocks to eat freshly covered shellfish; on the falling tide it stays on the sheltered side of the piling. At slack it keeps feeding, but more warily.
depth
Hugging the structure, 1 to 10 m.
how to fish
- rod
- 2.1 to 3.0 m, medium action, sensitive tip; 9 to 11 ft on the rocks
- spinning / baitcasting reel
- spinning reel 3000 to 4000
- line
- braid 15 to 20 lb or mono 0.30 mm
- leader
- fluorocarbon 25 to 35 lb, 50 cm (barnacles cut it)
- hook
- strong short-shank hook 1/0 to 2/0
natural baits
- shellfish (mussel)
- craca
- small crab or guaiá
- tatuí (sand crab)
- shrimp
accessories
- light sinker, just enough to sink
- alicate
- gloves for the rocks
tip from an angler
The sargo nibbles before swallowing. Keep the line taut, feel the taps, and set the hook on the second weight: a late hookset is a stolen bait.
rocky shore (sargo, snook and bluefish)
Walk-in fishing on rocky shores, with natural bait on the bottom and artificial lures in the foam, always in calm sea.
guidehow to read the beach and rocky shore
Find troughs, sandbars and rip currents, choose tide and time, and fish the rocky shore without risking your life.
rules for the sheepshead
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: Not on the national list of threatened species.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
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.
Watch the dorsal spines and the teeth. Hold it under the belly with a wet cloth and release it quickly.
in the kitchen
Excellent: white, firm and tasty meat from eating shellfish. Baked, grilled or as fillets.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02089, b = 2.98; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana, comprimento total)). 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 — Archosargus probatocephalus (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship and references. Page checked on October 13, 2026.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026 — Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)Most recent national list. The species is not on it (search by scientific name in the text published in the DOU, checked on October 13, 2026).
- official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Archosargus probatocephalus (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)ICMBio national assessment, published in 2025. DOI checked on Crossref.
- scientific IUCN Red List — Archosargus probatocephalus (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 31/03/2011)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
- scientific Carpenter, K. E. (org.) (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Roma: FAO.Chapter Sparidae (Carpenter, K. E.).
- scientific Menezes, N. A.; Buckup, P. A.; Figueiredo, J. L.; Moura, R. L. (orgs.) (2003). Catálogo das espécies de peixes marinhos do Brasil. São Paulo: Museu de Zoologia da USP. 160 p.List of the marine species recorded in Brazil. Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record in FishBase, which cites the catalogue for the species.
where 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: