446 Pounds Gilled & Gutted: Capt. Markus Medak’s Personal-Best Bluefin Aboard the Shearwater
Point Loma just put another giant on the scale.
Capt. Markus Medak, owner of the New Lo-An out of Point Loma Sportfishing, is back from a commercial trip on his boat Shearwater with a Pacific bluefin tuna that weighed 446 pounds gilled and gutted. That is already a monster. Because the fish was dressed before it hit the hoist, the animal in the water was heavier still — a true personal-best cow for one of the finest captains and fishermen on the West Coast.
This one lands right on the heels of another Point Loma headline. The Game Changer, with Capt. Ryan Stahl, just brought in a 420-pound bluefin on a 3.5-day trip. Two different boats. Two different programs. Same landing. Same message: the big-grade bluefin are here, and the Point Loma fleet is putting them on the dock.
Markus has been in this game for many, many years. He is not a tourist in the tuna grounds. He owns the New Lo-An, a 65-by-24-foot workhorse built in 1961, and he runs her with Captains Adam Williams and Josh Anguiano out of 1403 Scott Street. On the sport side they are a 1.5- to 3-day machine — bluefin, yellowtail, dorado — the kind of boat regulars book again because the crew puts them on fish. This fish was not caught on the New Lo-An. Markus was fishing commercially on the Shearwater, and he came home with the fish of his life.
Look at the photo. That tuna hangs like a barn door. Silver flanks, yellow finlets, a tail that would cover a dinner plate. Two people standing next to it and the fish still owns the frame. 446 on a gilled-and-gutted fish is the kind of number that makes the whole landing stop walking. Gills and guts are already gone. Add that weight back and you are talking about a fish that was well into the super-cow class while it was still swimming.
There is no certified sport-record claim here, and nobody is making one. California’s official sport-caught Pacific bluefin mark still sits at 395 pounds 6 ounces, set by Floyd Sparks in 2021. This was a commercial trip. Different rules, different purpose. What it is, without any argument, is Markus Medak’s personal best — and a reminder of how good this 2026 bite has been.
If you have fished with Markus, none of this surprises you. He is quiet on the dock and loud where it counts: on the grounds, on the sonar, and when a big fish needs to be handled right. That is why so many of us keep pointing people toward the New Lo-An. He has earned the respect the hard way — years of nights, weather, long runs, and fish that do not come easy.
Point Loma Sportfishing: (619) 223-1627
New Lo-An / Point Loma Sportfishing: https://www.pointlomasportfishing.com
What a catch. Congratulations to Capt. Markus Medak, his crew, and everyone who helped get that fish to the scale in one piece.
For captain’s audios, landing and boat counts, bait availability, Friedman Adventures AI, the kids corner, and a lot more, check http://friedmanadventures.com.
Coming up: End-of-summer Surf Fishing Festival, Saturday, September 12, 2026, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Anderson Street and PCH, Sunset Beach. Noon raffle. Park across PCH. Stop by Big Fish Bait & Tackle in Seal Beach on the way.
Tight lines.
Phil Friedman
Friedman Adventures
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