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Anglers Mike Mackenback and Matt Mackinga caught a 595-pound, more than 13-foot blue marlin about 12 miles off San Pedro on Oct. 25, according to Outdoor Life. They tried to revive the fish for release, but it died; the catch is among the largest blue marlin reported off Southern California.
Fishing buddies Mike Mackenback and Matt Mackinga caught a 595-pound blue marlin measuring more than 13 feet off San Pedro on Oct. 25, according to Outdoor Life. The anglers fought the fish for nearly three hours after it hit tackle they were using for wahoo; they said their attempts to revive it for release were unsuccessful.
The pair left in a 20-foot boat around daybreak, intending to fish for wahoo. About 12 miles from San Pedro, they began trolling in clear water roughly 1,500 feet deep, along a temperature break reported at 73 to 75 degrees. They had three lines out, including one carrying a surface-skipping Black Bart lure.
Mackenback told Outdoor Life that the marlin struck that lure about 30 minutes after they began trolling. The reel was set up for wahoo and smaller striped marlin, with 80-pound braided line, 50-pound monofilament and a 25-foot fluorocarbon leader rated to 200 pounds. The fish reportedly pulled about 400 yards of line in a minute.
Mackenback steered the boat while Mackinga fought the marlin, and the two took turns on the rod. They eventually brought it alongside, but said it was too large to lift aboard. After trying several times to revive it, they lashed it to the boat and returned to Cabrillo Way Marina. A crane was waiting there to lift and weigh the fish, Outdoor Life reported.
A Rarely Seen Southern California Catch
The reported 595-pound weight puts the fish among the largest blue marlin caught off Southern California, according to Outdoor Life. Its size also makes the catch a notable example of how an offshore trip aimed at one species can produce an unexpected encounter with a much larger fish.
The account also underscores the practical limits of fishing from a small boat with gear chosen for a different target. Mackenback said the anglers had no fighting belt or harness and did not think they had even a 10 percent chance of landing the fish. The marlin’s death despite attempts to revive it is part of the reported outcome, not evidence that the anglers intended to keep it.
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El Niño and Earlier Marlin Catches
Outdoor Life reported that giant blue marlin are believed to move into Southern California waters during unusual ocean and weather conditions associated with El Niño. That explanation is presented as a belief about the fish’s presence, not a confirmed cause of this particular catch.
The report cites two earlier large blue marlin catches off the region during El Niño years: a 648-pound fish caught in September 2015 about 40 miles off San Diego, and a 692-pound marlin caught off the Southern California coast. The article does not provide additional details about the second fish or establish a formal ranking for Mackenback and Mackinga’s catch.
“There was no controlling that fish as it tore 400 yards of line off the reel in a minute.”
— Mike Mackenback, speaking to Outdoor Life
The Catch’s Formal Record Status
Outdoor Life describes the marlin as one of the largest ever caught off Southern California, but the source material does not identify a record authority or say whether the catch has been submitted for formal verification. It also does not give details such as the fish’s sex or the precise weighing procedure beyond reporting that it weighed 595 pounds at the marina.
The report links the presence of large marlin in the region to unusual El Niño-related conditions, but it does not establish that those conditions caused this fish to be there. No independent confirmation of that explanation is included in the supplied report.
No Record Review Reported
The supplied account does not report a pending record application, an agency review or any further action by the anglers. Mackenback and Mackinga cleaned and processed the fish, sharing much of the meat with neighbors and friends and grilling some for dinner that night, according to Outdoor Life.
Any formal comparison with regional or state records would depend on verification by the relevant record-keeping body. Until such confirmation is reported, the catch is best described as a 595-pound blue marlin and one of the largest reported off Southern California, rather than as a record.
Key Questions
How large was the blue marlin?
Outdoor Life reported that it measured more than 13 feet and weighed 595 pounds after being brought to Cabrillo Way Marina.
Where and when was it caught?
Mike Mackenback and Matt Mackinga caught it on Oct. 25, 2026, about 12 miles from San Pedro, according to the report.
How long did the fight last?
The anglers fought the marlin for nearly three hours, taking turns on the rod while Mackenback maneuvered the boat.
Was the marlin released?
The anglers tried several times to revive it, but it died. They lashed it alongside the boat and brought it back to the marina.
Is it a Southern California record?
The report calls it one of the largest blue marlin caught off the region, but provides no formal record verification or record-keeping authority’s ruling.
Source: outdoorlife.com
