Sun fish

[Chadahooch760]

Been fishing for 20 some years and I seen a sun sunfish in person easily 200lbs 5' x5'. From my research they get up to 1150lbs. Seen it off the coast jus south of San onafri (spelling)

Anyone ever seen or caught on here?

[King Saba]

My cousin caught a little one once, maybe 5lbs, off of the Redondo Special on squid.

[YOYOYaker]

The ocean sunfish, AKA mola-mola are large, have skin like leather, but are plankton eaters. You could snag one, but why? They are pretty cool to see though as they look like the front half of an even larger fish. Slow, harmless sun bathers.

[DanaPT]

Saw a big one over summer in dp. It was really interested in the sabiki. I peddled away and continued with getting skunked.

[octico]

Me and the guys saw one in Newport it breached right in front one of the guys.

[monstahfish]

Don't try and catch or harass one. Very bad juju.

[fresh to salt]

I see them all of the time off shore in the summer months! When youre looking for paddies and you see a giant white thing just under the surface or you see their dorsal fins sticking just out of the water as they turn over and relax enjoying the sun! Those things are pretty awesome and +1 that they are plankton eaters...

[maquinapescado]

Seen tons of them over the years offshore when it starts to warm up. I'm only posting this because it was viral for a while not because I was very entertained by it. It gets pretty annoying. These guys literally set the people of Boston back 100 years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0IQCLQDfKw

[Silbaugh4liberty]

Originally Posted by octico

Me and the guys saw one in Newport it breached right in front one of the guys.

About 10 feet from my kayak, scared the shit out of me. I grabbed my phone to record and it jumped up again about 30-50 yards away (getting it on camera). Between that and about a dozen whales around us that day, it was the most surface activity I've ever seen in Newport.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfew_FIp9ms

[octico]

Originally Posted by Silbaugh4liberty

About 10 feet from my kayak, scared the shit out of me. I grabbed my phone to record and it jumped up again about 30-50 yards away (getting it on camera). Between that and about a dozen whales around us that day, it was the most surface activity I've ever seen in Newport.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bfew_FIp9ms

I thought that was you that saw it, that was a pretty cool day.

[GregAndrew]

Ok, lets correct a few things. They usually feed on jellyfish, but will also feed on Squid. I have them on video trying to eat my Squid, Sardine, my flasher and my camera. So they are not tied to a particular diet. I have caught over a dozen of them, with most being on Squid. I have never targeted them, but like Batrays, they will hang out around Squid spawns. Their skin is more like sand paper than leather and will scratch your kayak. When the Squid are around you will typically see lots more of them. They breach a lot during the spawn, and seem to be able to do so over and over again. They also do some finning as a part of their mating or courting ritual. I have seen them in multiple groups of 10 or 12 at the surface doing it.

[theluckypig]

Originally Posted by GregAndrew

Ok, lets correct a few things. They usually feed on jellyfish, but will also feed on Squid. I have them on video trying to eat my Squid, Sardine, my flasher and my camera. So they are not tied to a particular diet. I have caught over a dozen of them, with most being on Squid. I have never targeted them, but like Batrays, they will hang out around Squid spawns. Their skin is more like sand paper than leather and will scratch your kayak. When the Squid are around you will typically see lots more of them. They breach a lot during the spawn, and seem to be able to do so over and over again. They also do some finning as a part of their mating or courting ritual. I have seen them in multiple groups of 10 or 12 at the surface doing it.

the superman/mad scientist strikes again...

[Silbaugh4liberty]

Originally Posted by octico

I thought that was you that saw it, that was a pretty cool day.

Yeah crazy day out there. Never have that kind of activity in Newport. Jaime got spooled that day on only Lord knows what and broke his line I believe (right after the Mola incident).

[Dirty Curti]

Freakn' Sea turtl Jay!

[YakDout]

Heres one swimming under me a couple years ago. Mile out of oside harbor.




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[FullFlavorPike]

Dove with a few a couple years ago during some sloooooow spearfishing. The weirdest thing is how fast they can move through the water without making any apparent effort whatsoever. They're cool

[Aaron&Julie]

Originally Posted by GregAndrew

Ok, lets correct a few things. They usually feed on jellyfish, but will also feed on Squid. I have them on video trying to eat my Squid, Sardine, my flasher and my camera. So they are not tied to a particular diet. I have caught over a dozen of them, with most being on Squid. I have never targeted them, but like Batrays, they will hang out around Squid spawns. Their skin is more like sand paper than leather and will scratch your kayak. When the Squid are around you will typically see lots more of them. They breach a lot during the spawn, and seem to be able to do so over and over again. They also do some finning as a part of their mating or courting ritual. I have seen them in multiple groups of 10 or 12 at the surface doing it.

What Greg said x3, but one additional note, they can get to be well over 2,000 pounds, and it is the heaviest known bony fish in the world, since sharks have cartilage not bone, eliminating whale sharks, baskings, etc.
Want to see a big one? Go here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SpxY5OLLxc