October 18, 2026

650-Pound Bluefin Weighed at Catalina — Rail Time & Capt. Gary Adams Deliver an El Niño 2026 Monster

When that scale locked in at 650 pounds yesterday afternoon at Avalon Seafood, the whole dock knew something special had just happened.

The crew of the Rail Time with Captain Gary Adams brought in a bluefin tuna that is one of the biggest — if not the biggest — Pacific bluefin we’ve seen weighed in Southern California this year. This fish was officially ticketed at the IGFA weigh station in Avalon on Catalina Island on October 17 at 2:00 pm. The anglers on the sign include Tyler H., Tommy M., Quin B., Kyle A., Kimbrey, Ken T., and Captain Gary Adams himself, with “The Boys” listed as gaffers.

Earlier this season Markus Medak and the Shearwater put up a massive fish that dressed out at 446 pounds (pushing toward the 500-pound class whole). That was already a serious statement. This 650-pounder from the Rail Time takes the conversation to another level. These are the kind of catches that remind us what El Niño 2026 is delivering right now — big bluefin, quality yellowfin, night bites, wahoo, and local yellowtail all happening at the same time.

Catalina has a long history of legendary tuna, and seeing a fish this size hanging at Avalon in mid-October is a clear sign the warm-water pattern is still pushing quality fish into our range. Captain Gary Adams and the Rail Time crew have been fishing these waters for years, and they just put a true trophy on the board.

This is exactly why we stay dialed into the morning briefings. The fish are here, the opportunities are real, and stories like this one are happening.

Check http://friedmanadventures.com for Captain’s audios, landing and boat counts, bait availability, Friedman Adventures AI, kids corner, and lots more.

Don’t forget the next Friedman Adventures Surf Fishing Festival — Saturday, October 24 at Anderson St / PCH in Sunset Beach. Free family fun, raffles, and good fishing. Come join the Friedman Adventures family.

#FriedmanAdventures #BluefinTuna #650PoundBluefin #RailTime #CaptainGaryAdams #CatalinaIsland #Avalon #ElNino2026 #SoCalFishing #Sportfishing #Tuna #BigBluefin #MorningBriefing #http://friedmanadventures.com #SurfFishingFestival #October24 #FishingReport #CatchOfTheYear #PacificBluefin #ChannelIslands #GetOutThere #TouchGrass #FishingLife