Saltwater · Year-round in Florida; best late spring through autumn around lights and piers
Lookdown
Selene vomer
The lookdown is a paper-thin, mirror-sided jack with a steeply plunging forehead and a face that seems to look down its nose. It schools around lighted docks and bridges along the Gulf and south Atlantic coasts. Its local nickname 'moonfish' refers only to this fish — not to the deep-water opah that carries the name elsewhere.
Seasons · Peak
Identifying features
- Extremely thin, compressed body with mirror-like silvery sides
- Very steep, blunt forehead dropping almost vertically
- Small mouth angled downward — the 'looking down' face
- Long thread-like extensions on the dorsal and anal fins, longest in juveniles
- Smooth, nearly scaleless look with a deeply forked tail
Habits
- Schools around piers, bridges and docks, especially under lights at night
- Feeds on small baitfish, shrimp and little crabs
- Juveniles grow up in estuaries and along sandy beaches
- Most numerous in warm months; pushes south and deeper in winter
- Nickname note: 'moonfish' here is this lookdown, not the opah
Distribution
Where to find them
- Lighted docks and bridges in Florida at night
- Piers and jetties in inlets and passes
- Atlantic Florida beaches and nearshore hard bottom
Where they live
How to catch them
Night fishing under lights Shore
Rig: Light spinning rod with a small jig, tiny live shrimp or small baitfish, worked slowly around lighted docks and bridge shadow lines at night
Bait/lure: Small shrimp, pilchards, tiny jigs
Key tip: Cast to the edge of the light, not into its centre — lookdowns pick off bait silhouetted at the shadow line.
Pier fishing with small live baits Shore
Rig: Light pier rig with a size 2-4 hook and a small live shrimp or pilchard, free-lined or under a small float beside pier pilings
Bait/lure: Live shrimp and pilchards
Key tip: Keep the bait high in the water — lookdowns feed up and mid-water, not on the bottom.
Best baits & lures
Baseline setup
- Rod: Light 6.5-7 ft spinning rod
- Line: 8-12 lb mono or braid with light leader
- Terminal: Size 2-4 hooks, 1/8 oz jigs, small floats
Recommended gear for this species
Rod · Best value
9' 5-weight fly rod outfit
≈ US$180-260
Covers chironomid lakes and small rivers with one setup.
Flies · Budget
Chironomid assortment (30 patterns)
≈ US$25-40
Chironomids are 60% of a lake rainbow's diet in spring.
Picks come from our rule library — never paid placements. Prices are guides; affiliate links may earn us a commission.
Typical size
Common 8-12 in (20-30 cm); large fish to about 18 in (46 cm)
On the table
Fair to good but very thin — little meat on a big frame; many are released.
Similar species
Regulations vary by area and can change in-season — always check the official rules for your area before you fish. Regulations guide →
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