About Monchong
Monchong is the sickle pomfret: a dark, deep-bodied fish with long sickle-shaped fins and large hard scales. It lives deep, mostly 900 ft and down, and most weigh 4 to 25 lbs, averaging around 12.
In San Diego it is a rarity. The August 17 to 23, 2025 dock totals listed one monchong out of 4,457 anglers on 192 trips, caught on a 3-day trip. A San Diego Reader writer says the best chance is a 1.5- to 3-day run west toward San Clemente Island or south to the Coronado Islands and high spots. A Bloody Decks poster adds that locals catch pomfret as a swordfish byproduct or an incidental deep-drop fish, and that most local anglers have never seen one.
How Anglers Get One
Nobody targets monchong out of San Diego. In Hawaii, longline boats take most of the catch, and some come from deepwater handlines fished with power reels. If you want to try for one locally, the one concrete suggestion from a Southern California angler is to fish small squid or sardines 300 to 450 ft down in open water, the way you would for an opah. That is not a proven program, so treat it as an experiment.
Eating Profile
Monchong flesh is firm and pinkish-white, with a moderate flavor, large flakes and a high oil content. It grills, broils, bakes and works as sushi. A San Diego writer compares the taste to black cod. Bleed it and ice it right away.
Common Mistakes
- Planning a trip around it. Monchong is a surprise, not a target.
- Calling every pomfret a monchong. Pacific pomfret is a different, cold-water fish. Monchong is the sickle pomfret, or occasionally the lustrous pomfret.
- Skipping the ice. Handle it like any fish you plan to eat raw: bleed it and chill it right away.
When to Look
Hawaii reports no clear season for monchong. The San Diego catch we found was in August.
To get out there, see San Diego charters. Related fish: Opah and Swordfish.
