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Fish City
Pacific porgy studio illustration with a deep silvery body, steep rounded forehead, small mouth and a faint yellow tint on the fins, against a dark background.
All Species

Pacific Porgy

Calamus brachysomus

Updated · Published

Season: No reliable season is published. Baja California Sur reports describe the fish as fairly abundant at certain times of year.Most fish are 11 to 35 cm (about 4 to 14 inches) – IGFA all-tackle record 2 lb 12 oz (1.25 kg, Cabo San Jose, 2022); FishBase lists a 2.3 kg (about 5 lb) published maximum

Pacific porgy are a tropical eastern Pacific reef fish. FishBase lists the range as southern California to Peru but calls the species rare north of Baja California. Anglers catch them on inshore bottom rigs around Baja California Sur and the Gulf of California.

Illustration: Fish City

Pacific porgy limit in Baja and California

California: no species limit, so 20 finfish a day with no more than 10 of one species. Mexico: sources report 10 fish per person per day and no more than 5 of one species.

Where to catch Pacific porgy

Reef edges and sandy bottom, mostly 10 to 60 ft, around Baja California Sur and the Gulf of California. FishBase calls it rare north of Baja California.

Best bait and rig for Pacific porgy

Cut squid or small pieces of fish on a standard bottom rig, fished near the bottom around reef edges.

About Pacific Porgy

Pacific porgy are a silvery, deep-bodied fish of the tropical eastern Pacific. FishBase lists the range as southern California to Peru and calls the species rare north of Baja California. The center of its range is Baja California Sur, the Gulf of California and down the Mexican coast.

Most fish photographed by anglers are 11 to 35 cm. The IGFA all-tackle record is 2 lb 12 oz, caught off Cabo San Jose in 2022. FishBase lists a published maximum of 2.3 kg.

For San Diego anglers, this is a Baja fish. It is not something to plan a Southern California trip around, and we found no sourced local spot for it.

How to Catch

Anglers fish the bottom near reef edges and sand with a standard bottom rig. Cut squid and small pieces of fish are the reported baits. FishBase says they usually live in 3 to 18 m, and one angler source reports them often in about 100 ft.

Early in the fight they pull hard, and they tend to tire as they near the surface.

Eating Profile

A Mexican fish reference rates the porgy a good food fish but says about 10 percent carry a small granular parasite in the flesh, and it advises discarding those fish. Inspect fillets before cooking and keep the fish iced.

Common Mistakes

  • Expecting them in Southern California. The fish is rare north of Baja California.
  • Ignoring the Mexico limits. Mexican limits and the license requirement apply on a Baja trip, not California rules.
  • Skipping the fillet check. Look over the meat for the parasite cysts before you cook.

When to Go

No dependable season for Pacific porgy has been published. Baja California Sur angler reports describe the fish as fairly abundant at certain times of year, without naming the months. Ask the boat or panga captain what is biting inshore before you book.

Where to Catch Pacific Porgy in California

  • Reef edges and mixed sand and rock bottom around Baja California Sur, including Cabo San Jose, Loreto, Cedros Island and Santo Domingo (angler reports)
  • Inshore waters and docks in the Gulf of California, including Bahia Kino, Sonora, and around Mazatlan
  • Roughly 100 ft of water is where one source reports them often caught
  • Southern California is the very edge of the range. No sourced local spots.

Conditions & Habitat

Typical Depth

Usually 3 to 18 m (10 to 60 ft), recorded to about 80 m (260 ft), over reef edges and sand

Diet

Mostly bottom invertebrates. In a Gulf of California study, stomachs held mainly clams and other bivalves, plus sea urchins and brittle stars, and crustaceans

How to Catch Pacific Porgy

Techniques

  • Fish the bottom with a standard bottom rig and cut squid or small pieces of fish
  • Keep the bait on or just above the bottom near reef edges and rock
  • They pull hard early and tend to tire as they come up (angler report)

Regulations

California has no species-specific limit for Pacific porgy. The general finfish rule in 14 CCR 27.60(a) applies if one is caught in California waters: 20 finfish per day in combination, no more than 10 of any one species. In Mexican waters the recreational limit reported by Baja travel sources is 10 fish per person per day, no more than 5 of one species, and a Mexican fishing license is required for everyone aboard a boat. Mexican limits are set by CONAPESCA and are under review, so confirm with your boat or the current rules before you go. Checked October 8, 2026.

As of — CDFW source

When boats actually landed it

Not enough data yet — too few reported trips to show a reliable catch pattern.

Did You Know?

A published stomach study of 235 Gulf of California porgy found a diet dominated by shelled prey, mostly clams and other bivalves, which matches the strong crushing teeth of the porgy family.

Book a Pacific Porgy Charter

Find charter boats targeting Pacific Porgy at these California landings:

San Diego

Frequently Asked Questions

One Mexican fish reference rates it a good food fish, but says roughly 1 in 10 carries a small granular parasite in the flesh that locals discard. Check the fillets before you cook.

Sources

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