Freshwater

Sábalo (curimbatá)

Prochilodus lineatus

Freshwater

At a glance

Typical size

2–6 lb.

Depth

3–20 ft.

Best time

Daytime.

Found in

5 areas

Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.

Identification: Deep-bodied silver fish with a small round sucker-like mouth with fleshy lips, fine dark lines along the scale rows and a forked tail.
Typical size: 2–6 lb.
Maximum size: About 2½ ft and over 15 lb.
Diet: Mud and the tiny plants, algae and organic matter in it.
Behavior: Huge schools make long spawning runs upriver; it is the main food of the golden dorado and surubí.

Where, when and how deep to look.

Where to find it: Found from Paraná & Uruguay Rivers, Paraguay, Argentina & Uruguay Lakes, Southern Brazil, Uruguay & Argentina, Brazil Lakes & Rivers and Amazon & Pantanal. Rivers, lagoons and floodplains of the Paraná–Paraguay–Uruguay basin and the Río de la Plata.
Habitat: Rivers, lagoons and floodplains of the Paraná–Paraguay–Uruguay basin and the Río de la Plata.
Depth: 3–20 ft.
Fishing depth: On the bottom in 3–15 ft.
Best season: Spring and summer runs; closed seasons apply in some provinces and states.
Best time: Daytime.
Best tides: No tide — in rivers, falling water after the rainy season is best.
Best weather / conditions: Stable weather.

What to tie on and what to throw.

Best bait: Dough baits (masa) and small balls of bread — it rarely takes meat.
Best artificial lures: None.
Tackle setup: Light to medium rod.
Hook size: Small size 4–1/0 hooks.
Line: 10–20 lb.
Leader: 15–20 lb mono.

The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.

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Step by step, from first cast to landing.

Go where it lives: Rivers, lagoons and floodplains of the Paraná–Paraguay–Uruguay basin and the Río de la Plata.
Rig up: Light to medium rod. 15–20 lb mono.
Pick your bait: Dough baits (masa) and small balls of bread — it rarely takes meat. Lures: None.
Fish it: Chum with dough and fish small dough baits on the bottom; strike at the slightest pull.
Time it: Daytime. No tide — in rivers, falling water after the rainy season is best.

Fishing techniques: Chum with dough and fish small dough baits on the bottom; strike at the slightest pull.
BigJoe's tip: Small live sábalo are the top bait for golden dorado where live bait is allowed.
Catch and release: Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.

Edibility: Edible but not prized — strong or bony; many anglers release it.
Cleaning: Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.
Cooking suggestions: Fatty, tasty meat with many bones; popular grilled (a la parrilla) or in stews.

Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.

Safety warnings: Few hazards; watch for stingrays in shallow water.
Regulations: Argentina and Brazil regulate the sábalo fishery with export limits, closed seasons and minimum sizes. Every country requires a fishing license (in Brazil, the Licença de Pesca Amadora), each Argentine province and Brazilian state adds its own rules, and most rivers close during the spawning season. Indigenous lands and strict reserves are closed to outside anglers without permits.
Conservation: Heavy commercial fishing worries scientists, because the whole river food chain depends on it.

Tap an area to open its fishing map.

Sources & photo credits