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fishing forecast

golden trevally

Gnathanodon speciosus · Carangidae · predator

Sea

Thick-lipped jack, silvery with yellow fins, that roots in the sand for crustaceans. Juveniles, striped black, swim alongside sharks. Takes natural bait, jigs and flies.

Also called: xaréu-dourado, golden trevally, golden jack

everything about the golden trevally where found
Scientific illustration of Golden trevally
common size
50–90 cm
maximum
120 cm
common weight
1.5–8 kg
record/max.
15.0 kg
depth
0–80 m
ideal water
25–30 °C
location

Sample location: choose yours to see the forecast for where you fish.

period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the golden trevally

overview

who is the golden trevally

Deep-bodied carangid of the Indo-Pacific, from South Africa to Japan and the Americas. In the eastern Pacific it occurs from southern Baja California and the Gulf of California to Ecuador, with the Cocos, Revillagigedo and Malpelo islands. Adults live in deep lagoons and exposed reefs, where they root in the sand for crustaceans and other invertebrates, and also eat small fish. They form schools and swim alongside sharks and other large fish; the juveniles, with black bars, accompany these animals and even divers for protection. Sold fresh, salted or dried. In sport fishing it is targeted with natural bait on the bottom, jigs and flies, with a strong fight.

fun facts

  • Juveniles live among jellyfish tentacles and later swim alongside sharks and large fish, as "pilots".
  • Adults root in the sand for crustaceans, like bottom fish.
  • Juveniles are sold in the aquarium trade.
how to recognize it

identification

Deep-bodied and moderately compressed, grayish silver with a yellowish belly and sometimes scattered black spots on the flanks; all fins yellow and tail tips black. Thick, fleshy lips and, in adults, no teeth. Juveniles and subadults have 7 to 11 black bars on the body. Lateral line with 17 to 24 scales and then 17 to 26 scutes. The pompanos (Trachinotus) have no scutes on the lateral line and have thin lips.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Not found in Brazil. Indo-Pacific, from South Africa to Japan and the Americas. In the eastern Pacific, from southern Baja California and the Gulf of California to Ecuador, with Cocos, Revillagigedo and Malpelo. It passed through the Panama Canal and has already been recorded in the Atlantic.

Habitat: Deep lagoons, exposed reefs and sand bottoms from 0 to 80 m; juveniles with jellyfish and large fish.

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Mar–Oct
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Fishable all year. Clear, clean water and moderate current matter more than the month.

best time of day

0h6h12h18h sunrise ~6amsunset ~6pm

Daytime. Active by day, when it roots in the sand for crustaceans; at night it retreats.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the golden trevally
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 fish away from the reef.

atmospheric pressure

Little direct effect.

moon

Small effect.

rain

Little effect in open sea; heavy rain muddies river mouths.

water level

Not applicable at sea.

noise

Anchor and motor over the fish spook it; approach slowly.

wind

Strong wind makes anchoring and casting difficult.

tide

Moderate current at the reef edge and on the neighboring sand concentrates the fish.

depth

From 3 to 40 m on the sand bottom beside the reef; schools rise to midwater.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Natural bait on the bottomBottom fishing from a boatJiggingMid-water castingFly fishing
rod
6'6" to 7'6", 20 to 40 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel
spinning reel 5000 to 8000 or medium baitcasting reel, with firm drag
line
braid 30 to 50 lb
leader
fluorocarbon 40 to 60 lb, 1 m
hook
circle 3/0 to 6/0; treble hooks 3/0 to 5/0 on the artificials

lures

  • metal jig 40 to 100 g
  • sinking stickbait
  • large streamer (fly)

natural baits

  • shrimp
  • caranguejo
  • lula
  • sardine pieces

accessories

  • alicate
  • luvas
  • sinker, 40 to 120 g

tip from an angler

As it roots the bottom for crustaceans, keep the natural bait right on the sand, beside the reef. Once hooked, it uses its deep body: keep the rod low and pump short.

what the law says

rules for the golden trevally

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 golden trevally 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: AUNAP license and catch-and-release in sport fishing

Individual AUNAP license; catch-and-release guidanceconfirm with the agency

AUNAP Resolution 0549 of 2022 sets the guidelines for recreational sport fishing in Colombia. Anglers need a permit: for an individual, Colombian or foreign, it is a personal, non-transferable card. The rule makes "catch and release" the guidance and admits keeping only part of the catch for personal consumption, respecting the minimum sizes it sets. We did not confirm the daily limit or the minimum sizes by species: check with AUNAP before keeping fish.

Source: Resolución AUNAP 0549 of 2022 (fishing management guidelines for sport fishing for recreational purposes), arts. 6 and 8; Official Gazette of Mar 25, 2022

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.

Remove the hook with pliers, keeping the fish in the water, and release it head-down. A strong fish that tires you out: don't hold it out of the water longer than it takes to take the photo.

in the kitchen

Sold fresh, salted or dried; good baked or grilled.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01318, b = 2.96; 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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Gnathanodon speciosus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Gnathanodon speciosusNames by country and language.
  3. scientific Robertson, D. R. & Allen, G. R. (2024). Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system, versão 3.0. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Gnathanodon speciosusDescription, colors, size, depth and distribution in the eastern Pacific. Page checked on 13/10/2026. It records the species' passage through the Panama Canal into the Atlantic.
  4. 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), daily limits at sea (4.9.1) and in fresh water (4.9.2), catch and release (4.9.5), closed zones and seasons (4.10), and a ban on selling the catch (4.11). Text checked on Oct 13, 2026; the publication date (Nov 25, 2013) comes from Secretaría de Economía rules that cite the amendment.
  5. official AUNAP (Colômbia): Resolução 0549 de 2022, lineamientos de ordenación pesquera para la pesca deportiva con fines recreativosWe reviewed, in a partial transcript of the text, what the rule says about the personal license (art. 6) and the catch-and-release guidance (arts. 8 to 10). We could not read the articles on the daily bag limit and minimum sizes; the draft rule provided for a personal-consumption limit that AUNAP said it would revise, so those figures are left out.
don't confuse

similar species

Illustration of Bluefin trevally
Carangidae

Bluefin trevally

Caranx melampygus

Jack with a golden body covered in blue spots and electric-blue fins, a reef hunter that strikes poppers, stickbaits and jigs. Large ones can carry ciguatera.

EstuarySea
time of yearbest: Mar–Oct
Illustration of Bigeye trevally
Carangidae

Bigeye trevally

Caranx sexfasciatus

Bigeye trevally with a blue-green back that stays in schools, almost motionless, along reef edges by day and hunts at night. Takes poppers, jigs and live bait, and pulls hard.

EstuarySea
time of yearbest: Mar–Oct
Illustration of Pacific crevalle jack
Carangidae

Pacific crevalle jack

Caranx caninus

The Pacific crevalle jack: strong schooling fish that explode on poppers from Mexico to Peru. Many authors consider it the same species as the Atlantic crevalle jack.

SeaEstuary
time of yearbest: Mar–Oct
Illustration of Florida pompano
Carangidae

Florida pompano

Trachinotus carolinus

The noble fish of the beach. Patrols the surf for tatuí and fights far above its size.

Sea
time of yearbest: Oct–Apr