Talk about a super moon: CdA angler hooks pending record opah

Better than a full moon, harvest moon or super moon — a pending state-record moonfish was caught on Sunday, Sept. 27, out of Westport.

Jim Watson of Coeur d’Alene was out with All Rivers and Saltwater Charters fishing for albacore tuna with a live anchovie when he landed the 36-pound opah, also known as moonfish, sunfish, kingfish, redfin ocean pan or Jerusalem haddock.

The current record is 28.18 pounds caught in 2013.

Captain Mark Coleman said Watson’s rare catch landed 45 miles west of Westport was the first moonfish that his boat “has caught in six busy seasons and well over 10,000 albacore.”

Opahs are large, colorful, warm-blooded, deep-bodied pelagic lampriform fishes caught most often in a bit of luck by tuna anglers.

The attractive moonfish are prized by trophy anglers for mounting, and they are a featured item in fish markets when available because of their lightly flavored pink-to-orangish meat that turns white when cooked.