La Jolla 8/11 Mola Mola - Ocean Sunfish

[pchen911]

Just thought I'd share this. My first catch of the day.

Never seen an Ocean Sunfish at La Jolla before, let alone snag one!

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/223601_10150260632189639_749894638_7724565_2848364 _n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/184059_10150260632034639_749894638_7724562_5029782 _n.jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/228926_10150260632109639_749894638_7724564_7558713 _n.jpg

[lowprofile]

Good ... job...:hmmmm2:

probably the bigges i've seen on socal. i snagged one on sealbeach pier a few years back, about 18".

[mtnbykr2]

do they fight or just lay there?:reel:

[jorluivil]

.......................or just lay there?:reel:

You talking about my ex?



I used to see a lot of these when I used to fish the 150spot. Are they edible?

[mtnbykr2]

no that would have been "my ex" just before she took me to the cleaners...lol
I was just wonderin if they fought that thing looks pretty big:reel:

[tunaseeker]

Thats a big one! Last year I saw a bunch of small ones. Very courious little guys would come right up to the yak. Are they good eatin?

[pchen911]

You talking about my ex?


LOL.... :luxhello:

No there was no fight. It does try to swim, but it moves so slow there was absolutely no fight to speak of.

Not sure if they are good eating, but I wasn't gonna find out. I heard it's bad luck to bring them onboard. So I just snapped a few pics, took out the hook, and sent him on his way.

[The Kid]

I heard they were really good to eat. Someone needs to find out and speak up lol. That sunfish looked like it was a finicky biter.:p

[pchen911]

Someone needs to find out and speak up lol.

I will, if I run across him again during the Moyer Memorial Tournament. :D

It will be a shoo-in for winning the "others" division.

[Iceman]

I hear their snot is delicious in a bisque! :D

[lterrero]

what about these babies?:)

[WahooUSMA]

You talking about my ex?


I used to see a lot of these when I used to fish the 150spot. Are they edible?

LMFAO X-10 :cheers1:

[fishsouthcounty]

i think the Opah's are the ones to take home, the mola's are best to be left uneaten.

[Lets_Fish]

According to Wikipedia:

The ocean sunfish, Mola mola, or common mola, is the heaviest known bony fish in the world. It has an average adult weight of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). The species is native to tropical and temperate waters around the globe. It resembles a fish head with a tail, and its main body is flattened laterally. Sunfish can be as tall as they are long when their dorsal and ventral fins are extended.

Sunfish live on a diet that consists mainly of jellyfish, but because this diet is nutritionally poor, they consume large amounts in order to develop and maintain their great bulk. Females of the species can produce more eggs than any other known vertebrate.[1] Sunfish fry resemble miniature pufferfish, with large pectoral fins, a tail fin and body spines uncharacteristic of adult sunfish.

Adult sunfish are vulnerable to few natural predators, but sea lions, orcas and sharks will consume them. Among humans, sunfish are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world, including Japan, the Korean peninsula and Taiwan. In the EU, regulations ban the sale of fish[2] and fishery products[3] derived of the Molidae family. Sunfish are frequently, though accidentally, caught in gillnets, and are also vulnerable to harm or death from encounters with floating trash, such as plastic bags.

A member of the order Tetraodontiformes, which also includes pufferfish, porcupinefish and filefish, the sunfish shares many traits common to members of this order. It was originally classified as Tetraodon mola under the pufferfish genus, but it has since been given its own genus, Mola, with two species under it. The ocean sunfish, Mola mola, is the type species of the genus.

There is more on the link below.

Here's the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_sunfish

[The Kid]

READ THIS: http://www.mexfish.com/enad/enad2005/enad051205a/enad051205a.htm

Who knows but someone needs to find out.

[f'nsabiki]

what about these babies?:)
I hooked one of those that size zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz back and forth battle- probably close to 70 lbs..... oh well you guys know the rest of the story:biggrinjester:

[mtnbykr2]

very interesting....I think I will pass on eatin might be a bit on the spicy side from livin on jellyfish:reel:

[Deamon]

I've had too many close encounter with mola's to fillet one. I couldn't imagine bagging up that gooshy white stuff with it's big round eye staring back at me. We did have a 200#er nail a marlin jig as it sank out when we pulled up to a paddie. Didn't see it so we thought it was a bigeye or grande shark. On the big tackle, we thought we were the sheetz fighting the beast. A great straight down, tuna circle fight turned out to be a freaking mola...

[Aaron&Julie]

If you hook a good sized one (hundreds of pounds), he could spool you. Supposedly, they have a portion of flesh in their body that is kind of gooey, but if saved and dropped in boiling water is said to resemble lobster. But, the article I read a few years back (on bloodydecks?), kind of indicated you are wasting most of the fish to get this small good eating portion.
I think it should be unnecessary to kill such a magnificent fish, when there are so many good ones to be had. I view them like dolphins, whales and sea turtles as being some of our "eye candy" out there.
Aaron

[seascrambler]

I agree, in my experience they are better than dolphin but not as good as sea turtle. Best left alone....:iagree:

[bus kid]

I have heard that they taste like a girl that wipes back to front.:biggrinjester:

[habanero]

I actually had sun fish meat once. It did taste like lobster! The bad thing is, I'm guessing only 15% or less is good to eat and it's hard work to cut it out. My brother and I went out years ago on a day trip out of Ensenada when the deck hands gaffed about 200 pound Sun fish. They sawed through its inch thick wall, then pulled out about 20 pounds of soft meat and gave us all about a pound to take home. They then threw the hacked up carcass overboard. Personally, I wouldn't take one myself since I don't think it's worth killing it for such little food. On the other hand, if someone already killed it and offer you some, don't waste it.

[dorado50]

Have you ever noticed that when there is a mola(s) around there are no pelegics around !!;)hmmmm

[The Kid]

Have you ever noticed that when there is a mola(s) around there are no pelegics around !!;)hmmmm

x2

[Dennis]

Nice Paul.. Paddled with one a couple of years back. Congrats on making the news:D.
http://www.cbs8.com/story/15260476/kayaker-has-one-heck-of-a-fish-story

[The Kid]

A delicacy hmmmmm!!!:evil:

Just kidding man i would never eat one of those. I like these to much

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/picture.php?albumid=63&pictureid=718

[pchen911]

Heh.. Thanks Dennis.

Made for a memorable experience for my dad on his visit this year, even though I couldn't get him on a yellowtail this time.

[Dennis]

Made for a memorable experience for my dad on his visit this year

Yeah, another thing you need to cherish in life.. Although you didn't get him a mossy he's stoked about spending the morning with his son. Sure wish my dad was still around. He loved to fish, even on his last days. Keep us posted Paul!

[PapaDave]

Have you ever noticed that when there is a mola(s) around there are no pelegics around !!;)hmmmm

Maybe because there is a lot of jellyfish in the water when they are around...? There was a lot of jellies around DP last weekend.