delaware river Fishing Report 2025

Polaris Supreme Trip Report 09-06-2019 The Polaris supreme departed today on Bill Stephens annual eight day trip. We got a nice early start and are hoping to arrive at our final destination in a few days bright and early. We have a great group of guys/and one girl heading south excited about the signs that Alec saw last trip on the simpatico trip. No pictures yet will save that for when we start catching something. The Polaris supreme crew

42 pass. 2 bluefin tuna. We were around fish all day but never found the magic school. Another example of how truly special days like yesterday are.

~~It had been 3 years since my last long range trip. Personal events have kept me away from going fishing. But finally everything worked out and I was able to make this trip on the Polaris Supreme. Having fished with Tommy Rothery and the crew of the Supreme I knew the only worries I would have would be the weather and if the fish were hungry.
The weeks prior I kept track of the fishing. Where each long range boat had fished and what they landed. With two weeks remaining until my trip departed things were looking good but there was still two weeks left. Knowing that it would only take one boat to fish the “Rocks” and my chances for catching wahoo could disappear, I could use a little luck. Then the weather worked in my favor. A hurricane came up from the tropics and kept any boat from fishing the “Rocks”.
Thursday morning I arrived in San Diego and was ready to start my long range trip. It was three years since my last long trip. That was also on the Polaris Supreme and with this same charter. That year I was the new guy”. By the end of that trip I was invited back for the next year’s trip. I told the charter master that this might be my last trip ever. Who knows if I would have caught a few wahoo on that it might have been my last.
I invited Terry Kitahara and his two sons, Byran and Eddie. We were Team ONO. Terry and I really just wanted to catch Wahoo or Ono. Byran had been on several of my trips before and this was Eddie’s first long trip. Terry’s sons are great young men. The four of us fitted in great with the rest of the charter.
 By mid-day we were underway to the bait barge. As we left the bait barge we hadn’t been told where were we would fish first, offshore in US waters or head south. When we cleared Pt. Loma and didn’t turn right I knew the game plan. Skipper Drew had mentioned one of our options was to take our time to get to the Rocks while the winds died down. Well the Rocks are south of the point and we were heading to the south and not west. The rest of the day was spent rigging up tackle, eating the fine cuisine prepare by Chef Mike and catching up on the sleep that I had missed the two previous nights. I did more eating and sleeping than rigging of tackle. The crew and rest of the anglers gave me grief for it. But that’s part of fishing with people you know.
Friday we continued down the coast. Drew gave us an update on the weather at the Rocks, the winds were dying down and his plan was to get there Sunday morning. So its yellowtail fishing today and tomorrow we fished all around Benitos Island on Friday. Most fish were in the 10 to 15 pound size, nice eating size but not much on fight. Toss in a bonito or barracuda here and there and that was our first day. As the sun set we were traveling down the coast.
Saturday we fished the high spots as we continued south more yellowtails and the stray yellowfin tuna. I was at the right place at the right time and hooked one of the yellowfin tuna or YFT for short. Most of fishing is being at the right place at the right time. By the afternoon the winds at the Rocks had dropped down to fishable speeds and Drew pointed the Polaris Supreme to the Rocks. We would be there around 7 or 8 in the morning. Just about the time wahoo are looking for their first meal of the day. As long as no one had fished the Rocks on Saturday the Rocks would be ready for us to enjoy their bounty.

Sunday was here and what I had been waiting for the Rocks and wahoo fishing. I had been there three years earlier but the timing was off. Another vessel had been fishing the Rocks before we arrive. And they hooked just about all the fish that were in the area at that time. But today would be different. The Rocks had not been fished for weeks due to Hurricanes and great tuna fishing in off of San Diego. Drew’s game plan was put into play this morning. We had taken our time to get there, the weather was great, now let’s find out if anyone is home. It didn’t take long to find out. Maybe 10 minutes had passed when one of our four trollers got hooked. I tossed out a chrome candy bar jig and got a slight tap on my first cast. Second cast got a solid hit and just kept grinding on the reel trying to set the hook. The wahoo finally made a short run up the port side of the Supreme and showed itself. It was a small wahoo or skin as some call them. I followed the fish up the portside and then the skin did a head shake and released itself. All I could think was three years and I blew it. Most fall trips you may get one shot at landing a wahoo. Now I just missed mine.
Trollers went back out again. As the crew cleared the deck and put the wahoo in the Raw Sea fish hold, I noticed that all the skins on the first stop were small. They were 20-25 pounds just like the one that I lost. But that is a good sign. Small fish are more aggressive and maybe the larger ones would show up soon. The crew didn’t have much time as a trolling rod was hit again. Again more of the same, a troll fish landed and a couple of fish on casting jigs. No action for me on that stop. I was up on the next troll rotation so I quickly got my trolling outfit and found a corner to fish. I like to troll in close and with a very tight drag. Maybe 5 minutes had passed and my troll rod jumped to attention and the reel was slowing giving line out. I un-hooked the rod from the trolling straps in the stern port corner, followed the fish across the stern and up the starboard side of the boat. Grinding as I walked, the boat slowed and the skin came in with a little muscle on my part. The fish was gaffed and I had ended my drought. It wasn’t a big skin maybe 25 pounds but it was a skin!
Out again went the trollers and again the same thing, one maybe two fish on the troll and a couple of jig fish. I wasn’t getting any more bites on my chrome candy bar jig so I switched to a chrome and red sinker bomb. It’s a little smaller and easier for the small wahoo to hang on to. The change of lures worked to perfection on the next stop not only did I hook another wahoo, but this one had some size to it.
When it was weighed at the landing it went 40 pounds. Nice size for the Rocks. The stops continued until late afternoon. Most stops had 3 to 6 wahoo each and there were a couple of stops where more than 10 fish were landed. As the day progressed I had 3 wahoo in the fish hold, missed two strikes and had three taken by sharks, aka the taxman. This was the first time I experienced sharks eating wahoo at the Rocks. I’ve seen them eat tuna but not wahoo. I was not happy paying the taxman but I did have two fish on the sinker bomb and one on the troll an excellent day by most fall trips. There were a couple of anglers who were “hot”. They fished their butts off but it paid off very well. I wish I could still cast and crank all day long like those guys but I was totally out of wahoo fishing shape.
As the day was ending I was trolling on the starboard stern corner. The angler on the port stern corner had a trolling plug that just would not run straight and second skipper Jed asked me if I would trade places with him. So I reached down to grab the rod and crank in my plug. I had just gotten the safety straps off when a wahoo decided it wanted my plug. All I could do was yell “FRESH ONE”. Jed looked over and said “really”. This wahoo was ripped off line so I knew it was a good one. A few minutes passed and the fish neared the boat. Jed was ready with the gaff and was raking me over the coals for not getting the fish in quickly. I told him this one got some size to it. Jed said “you’re just getting too old”. When we saw the fish at deep color the joking stopped. After a couple of quick dives to try to free itself, the wahoo was gaffed and introduced to the deck of the Polaris Supreme. Finally got a decent wahoo from the Rocks today, it just missed the 50 lb. mark by a few ounces great way to end an amazing day of wahoo fishing.
This was the best day of wahoo fishing I have seen on a fall trip. Everyone on board had many chances of landing wahoo. If you were not good at casting lures you still had plenty of chances getting them trolling or live bait fishing. Everyone was talking about how they missed a few but no one was upset about it. We all had more than enough chances to get some wahoo today. We would stay the night at the Rocks and give it a try in the morning to see if we had missed any wahoo. Second day at the Rocks could be tough. We had hooked most of the “stupid” ones today.
Monday morning at the Rocks was flat calm just a little ripple on the water. You wouldn’t know that you were 160 miles offshore. I knew today was not going to be an amazing as yesterday. You do not get two days back to back of even good wahoo fishing at one spot. This morning the troll stops were farther apart. Yesterday maybe 20 minutes was the longest time between stops. Today 20 minutes was the shortest time. Most anglers were still fishing the trolling plugs they used the day before. By the time my trolling team was up I had switched lures to a chrome jethead with black, clear and purple skirts. I dropped the lure in one of the center positions and placed it far enough back that it was smoking (trailing bubbles) pretty well. I was out numbered 3 to 1 but I knew this lure had proven itself many times when fishing for wahoo was tough. After 20 minutes no strikes but I had to take a “break”. I called over Byran to watch my rod while I disappeared to the head. Well you know what happened. The rod goes off while I’m in the head. When I finally return to the deck there’s my jethead and a 45 lb. wahoo coming over the rail. I joked with Byran that he did a great job landing my wahoo. I took the trolling rod from him and gave him one of my tags for the fish. Byran had a look on his face that was priceless. Eventually we placed his tag on the fish.
Fishing continued to be slow compared by the previous day. I was able to hook one 40 lb. wahoo on a sinker bomb. I think we landed 25 fish by noon. It was time to pull the plug, the Rocks had been good to us and it was time to north.
As we left the Rocks and headed back up the line towards San Diego I knew that I was just part of an amazing wahoo bite. Usually if you get 2 wahoo on a fall trip you’ve have a great catch. Well the last day and a half at the Rocks I landed 5 wahoo and I was near the bottom of wahoo landed on the boat. In years past I’ve caught more than my fair share of the wahoo catch. This year I wanted to enjoy the fishing more and not worry about being the hot stik on the boat.
A couple of other factors have to be mentioned here. First of I don’t like to see fish go to waste. So I only kept what I needed for my personal use and my friends. I gave 2 fish to Terry and the final one was for Tommy and Susan Rothery. I told them if fishing was good I would get them one. I know that those fish were going to “good homes”. Secondly I would have to pay for the fish to be cleaned, filleted and then air shipped to my home. So I really didn’t want to catch a lot of wahoo. When I landed the two 40 lb. plus fish that was all I needed for my needs.
The rest of Monday was a travel day. That gave us plenty of time to re-load our reels with fresh line and repair any reels. I re-loaded by 50 lb. jig reel and then went below for a nap. I woke up our afternoon snack and then took another nap, woke up for dinner, played some cards and then went to sleep for the night a nice and relaxing day.
Tuesday and Wednesday, we were fishing for yellowtails as we traveled up the line. Drew hit various spots and we had some success, but I don’t think many of us had your hearts into it. After catching wahoo, catching yellows was “boring”. LOL… I spent the days trying to hook yellows on lures that I hadn’t used in years. Old school lures that many had heard of but never used. The one that worked the best was a 4 oz. green mackerel painted Crocodile. The best thing about fishing a Crocodile you don’t have to crank it fast. I’d catch one take a break, when we got to the next spot I’d try the Croc again. If it didn’t work there I’d wait for the next spot and try again. By late afternoon I called it a day. Really didn’t need any more yellows and was completely stuffed from the breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks.  By 5 PM I didn't have any room for dinner so off to my bunk I went.
Wednesday we were further up the line and yellowtail fishing again. Most of today for me was a rest day. Eat a little, nap a little, eat a little, play some cards, nap a little. Didn’t fish much as we still had two more days left to hit the US tuna grounds and I wanted to be ready for that. I did mention that I wasn’t in fishing shape. Getting old and not fishing regularly, I was dragging on Wednesday. The crew did give me grief again but that’s to be expected.
For the past week now I had been eating like a king on the Polaris Supreme. Breakfast to order, wonderful hearty lunches, afternoon snacks to die for and dinners that any restaurant would be proud to serve. The Supreme only carries 24 passengers. Yet there food bill is equal to boats that carry 30 passengers, so you get the best on the Supreme. It not often that you have baby lamb chops for afternoon snacks. All I can say is the food was 5 stars.
Thursday, we are now at Cortez Bank making bait at sunrise. First time all trip were are making bait. The small mackerel were biting full speed as the sun came up. Four hook rig four mackerel, eight hook rig eight mackerel every hook had a mackerel in less than an hour we filled the tanks. Now off to the tuna grounds nearby. The hunt for tuna begins but not much action this morning. A jig strike here and there, then were finally hit a school of YFT’s. These are decent size 18 lbs. and up. Better than what they were catching last week. We continue to fish this area and are rewarded with more stops on YFT. Most of the fish are biting the live mackerel but I am using my old standby jig. Salas 6X Jr. in blue and white. For me it’s more fun to catch them on iron. When the bite slows you can always toss live bait and still get bit. I get a couple of fish on the jig, take a break and then get a couple of bait. Then its first call for lunch. Chef Mike is serving monster burgers for lunch. They look more like steaks than burgers. I know once I sit down I’ll be there for a while, but I got YFTs already and I want that “burger”.
Thursday was great for those who wanted to catch tuna.  Even a few Bluefin tuna were landed and we still had another day to go.
Our final day on the tuna grounds was similar to the day before.  Very good Yellowfin tuna strikes on meter marks.  At times there were even biting on 50 lb. mono.  I landed a couple very quickly on 50 lb.; Sashimi grade yellowfin tuna in the RSW.
As Friday ended, I was feeling blessed to have taken this trip.  Anyone who wanted to caught, tuna (Yellowfin or Bluefin), Yellowtail and Wahoo had more than ample chances to catch their fill of these fish.  The only fish that did not want to find the Polaris Supreme this trip was Dorado or Mahi Mahi.  But the amazing wahoo fishing more than made up for the absence of Dorado
Now all the hard work would begin: Tearing down of fishing outfits, stowing fishing tackle, packing up clothes and planning what to do with all those fish when we arrive back in San Diego on Saturday.
My main concern was making it to the airport in time for my Saturday flight.  I really didn’t want to fly out the same day we returned but I knew if I stay around in San Diego too long I wouldn’t want to go home.
Saturday morning the unloading of tackle, gear and fish when smoothly.  I dropped of 2 wahoo and 2 Yellowfin tuna to 5 Star Fish Processing. On my last trip they handled all of my fish and air shipped them to me without any problems.   I highly recommend their services when you return from your long range trip.
I would like to say it was a joy to fish with my fellow anglers on this trip.  We had various skill levels on this trip. From hot stiks to novices, we all fished together without any problems or drama.  That is something that is rare on these trips.
Final words are for the great folks of the Polaris Supreme.  Susan and Tommy always treat me like family.  Drew, Jed and the crew were always ready to lend a hand, a gaff or a verbal jab when needed.  I know I said it before but the food was amazing.  Thanks Chef Mike and Gringo.
If I could find the time every year this would be the trip I would take every year.  And if you are thinking about going on a long range trip give the Polaris Supreme a try.

 

Rolf Johnson  

aka Mr. Ono
 

Many of you know Captain Ray Montera who has been involved in sportfishing most of his life. In March, his 32 year old Chris son was severely injured in a C4 blast in Afghanistan. We are holding a fundraiser on October 8th at the Bali Hai on Shelter Island. He is one of our own and we are rallying to support him.

As an Army soldier, Chris Montera was often taken aback when people would thank him for doing the job he loved. On a fateful day in March, he came to face the sacrifice. He was on a dismounted mission and was hit with explosion of C4, which literally blasted and propelled him into a grape field. He suffered major issues with blast lung and severe burns over much of his body. For 9 days he was on ECMO (lung bypass) until he was stable enough to be transported to BAMC in San Antonio for the treatment of his shrapnel wounds and third degree burns. On April 2 a fungal infection set into the wounds on his lower extremities and Chris underwent bilateral AK amputation of his legs. He was further diagnosed with an incomplete spinal cord injury in the thoracic area of the spine at VA Polytrauma Center in Palo Alto.

Through all of this, Chris remains focused and committed to rehabilitation. It is estimated that he will remain in Palo Alto for 3-6 months while he works to regain his upper body strength, which will be necessary for the next stages of rehab in the C5 program at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego where he will be fitted with prosthetic legs and with determination will learn to walk again. There is no doubt in our minds that Chris will recover to live an independent life. The goal of this fundraiser is to be able to assist Chris with expenses he will no doubt encounter on his journey to independence.

The event will be held at the Bali Hai Restaurant on Shelter Island On October 8th from 6:00-10:00 pm. There will be food stations serving food from many San Diego restaurants along with a no host bar. A raffle, live, and silent auction will take place during the event along with live entertainment by Mango Bay and World Famous Jim Gibson. The outpouring of support of raffle and auction donations from the sportfishing community, tackle, fishing supply manufacturers, and local businesses has been phenomenal. The evening will be great fun for all and will serve to help a young man who put it all on the line.

There are several ways you can help:
First and most important is attend the event.

Tickets are $50 in advance or $450 for a block of 10

Advance ticket purchases will include 3 raffle tickets and assorted swag

Cannot attend but would like to help, make a cash donation in any amount.

Donate an item for the raffle or auction. Anything from fishing items, art, gift certificates, clothing...anything is greatly appreciated.


We look forward to having you at the event. The sport fishing community has come together to take care of a wounded warrior of their own, and it promises to be a fun filled evening for all.

To purchase tickets for Island Nights at the Bali Hai, please visit our website at http://christophermonterasupport.com/island-nights-at-the-bali-hai

To donate items for our raffle/auction please visit our website and complete the donor form http://christophermonterasupport.com/sponsors-anddonors-supporters/donor-form

Today our 29 angler private charter endured a little choppy weather and landed 25 yellowfin and 4 bluefin. Pretty exciting times right now because we don’t know if we will see small bluefin, big bluefin, yellowtail or yellowfin. Come prepared and enjoy the show.

Capt Ryan Bostain from the San Diego 3/4 day trip called in with a trip report from todays trip. They decided to head west from the Coronado Islands in search of some offshore fish, with the report of the tuna racing up the coast. We started they day with a stop on some really nice grade Bonito from 5 to 10 pounds and left them biting after we had 55 on the deck. We some mixed schools of Yellowfin and Bluefin and ended the day with 20 Bluefin and 36 Yellowfin that were all between 10 and 35 pounds. We had mostly beginner anglers on the boat today, very few had ever fished offshore before. We will be heading back out there tomorrow and until they go away. You will need a 20 pound bait rods, today they we biting 20-40-50-60 and even 80 pound line. If you come out with us the perfect setup will be a live bait from 20-40 pound set up, some size 2 and 2/0 hooks for either the Anchovies or Sardines. Come on down and get in on the action.

Sunday, December 12th, 2010 Well, here it is friends. The final report of the Polaris Supreme's 2010 fishing season. Before I get too ahead of myself, here's an update of our big fish weigh-in. John Rabinowitz - 70.0 lb. yellowfin tuna Jack Dreser - 69.6 lb. yellowfin tuna Phillip Bruce - 68.6 lb. yellowfin tuna Congrats to the big fish winners. Here is a rundown of our day yesterday as we wind down our trip. The passengers didn't do much work yesterday, they finished breaking down their tackle and enjoyed a lovely travel day in cold, overcast weather. Once the gear was broken down, the crew sprung into action.

 

 

 

Normally, our "winter cleaning" is done for the three days of travel while taking the boat from Cabo San Lucas back to our home port in San Diego. This year, we had one day to get things done and it was an all day affair. Fillet yellowtail for Schooler's fish taco lunch, scrub the rails with Trisodium Phosphate on the upper deck/main deck, scrub the boat, break down tackle, freshwater tackle, organize the upper deck/tackle storage, head cleaning, and scrub the entire engine room; including walls, ceiling, stringers, floor boards, mains and generators, hoses, pumps, and just about anything located in the engine were detailed out. Four crewmembers spent the entire day from dawn until dusk completing our tasks. Not to mention, the entire galley/salon was buffed out by Chef Schooler and Mark. All in all, a busy day for us but we did have time to eat three meals and chat with passengers during breaks. We once again would like to thank the entire group for being the excellent sports that they were during a tough fishing trip. Every single passenger we had deserved to have epic fishing, but it didn't happen and we apologize for that. With all of our technology, fish savvy, and experience, we can't make the fish bite. Plain and simple. We feel that we were in the best positions to catch quality gamefishes, but this time was not our time for a glory trip. That's why we come back year after year, because next year could be the banner trip and nobody wants to miss that. So thank you to the passengers for being great people and understanding that fishing is guaranteed, but catching isn't. Thank you. December 10th, 2010 Hi friends. After going the entire trip without very much action for a full day of fishing, we finally had a good day of fishing. Yellowtail fishing along the beach was just what we needed to end the trip and although it doesn't quite make up for the lack of tuna action, it does make us feel good that we could put these guys on some fish. They earned it. The yellowtail we caught today were in the 14-20 lb. class and our weather was the icing on the cake. Nice weather throughout the day with sunshine. So that is all. We'll be traveling up the line from now until Sunday morning when we arrive back in San Diego. We'll chat with you tomorrow and have a good Friday night to kick off your weekend. Richie and Crew. P.S. Jed says hello to his mother. Hi, Ma. More Photos from Dec. 1st. 11 day trip December 9th, 2010 Good evening, sports fans. For today's report, I'm going to go back to the report from Tuesday for a minute. Back when I was typing the report for Tuesday night, I couldn't help but have the vision of a college football coach addressing his team at halftime of the big game. The big game that they were losing I might add and if you've ever watched a good sports movie, it seems like the same scenario always plays out. The final game of the season is highly anticipated and once the game begins, they let their emotions get to them and are out-played in the first half. Back to our fishing, for the first half of our trip, it seemed that we were being out-played by the fish we were targeting. We just couldn't win as we watched the fish do whatever they wanted and the outcome was looking like a total loss. Come Tuesday, I felt that a halftime speech was something that I certainly had going through my head. Waking up on Tuesday, walking down the ladder to the deck was the same as the team coming out from the locker room and taking the field with a renewed energy/passion for the second half of the game. Wednesday morning, we hooked three fish before breakfast. I know that that's not anything special, but considering the four days prior, three fish before breakfast was wide open fishing for all we knew. From that point on, we just slowly picked away at the yellowfin tuna in the 25-50 lb. class all the way until around hors d'oeuvre time and then it shut off and that was our day. Kind of like when the team that is down at half time, comes out onto the field and plays smart football. Little screen passes and a solid run game to pick up yards and march down the field to the end zone to make the game a little bit more interesting. So the fourth quarter was about to begin, Thursday morning was upon us and with the game in reaching distance for our comeback victory. Was today to become the epic fourth quarter drive that wins us the game? Was Thursday going to be the banner day that completes our story of an epic comeback in the game of fishing? Without being to much more wordy, we lost the game of tuna fishing, bailed out of our current location around 11 am and are currently on a trek to do some yellowtail fishing to end our trip on hopefully a strong note. The gang did an admirable job and gave it their all and sometimes, that's fishing. We can't make the fish bite, sorry. So that's it, all day Friday we will be on the hunt for some yellows and we'll let you know how we end up. Our weather is a bit rolly but nothing that we can't handle. Wish us luck and have a great evening. Richie and Crew. December 8th, 2010 Good evening, friends. Well, our day was a little better today so that's the good news. The bad news is a little better still isn't very good. First thing this morning, we hooked three fish and it was looking like the story book ending that I wrote about yesterday. But, after that they shut off and our heads were starting to hang a little bit. Then, right around lunch time, the fish decided to bite a bit more steady and for a period of an hour or so, we started to hook some fish until it slowed to a very slow scratch until dark. Not a great day by any means but at this point, it was our best day of fishing and we were thrilled with it. Once again, not much to report today. We're going to give this place until tomorrow to get right and if fishing is poor, we will be taking off at noon to get set up for some yellowtail to round out the trip. If fishing is good, we'll stay. We'll see how things play out tomorrow and go from there. Our weather is OK and the passengers are still doing just fine. Good night and wish us the best. Richie and Team Supreme. December 7th, 2010 Hello friends. A while back, I was given a Thesaurus to help with writing these reports and every night, I riffle through it to try and find a big, fancy word of the day to use. Sometimes I'll look for a word just to pretend that I'm somewhat literate, sometimes I'll look for a word that describes our mindset about a day, and sometimes I'll look for a word that best describes our fishing. The past couple of nights, I've attempted to find a word that truly describes our fishing and I just can't find one that can properly express the depth of how fishing is. Without getting too verbose (Thesaurus word), fishing is tough right now. We see the fish, the conditions are fine, and we're doing everything that we possibly can without the use of firearms or explosives to capture these things and it's just not working. We're not catching fish because our anglers don't know how to fish, don't fish hard, and we're certainly not catching fish because they have bad attitudes and just don't care any more. The guys are constantly at the rail and have the mindset that the next bait they toss in the water will result in a hookup. We can't say enough about how great their attitudes have been even in the toughest of times and we can't show them our appreciation enough. All we can do at this point is chalk it up to the old motto "that's why it's called fishing - not catching" and go to sleep with the hopes that tomorrow is a new day and tomorrow, we're going to clobber them. So far, this trip has been quite the "character builder" and something has to give. Just like anything in life, this trip can now go a couple different ways. The fishing can continue to be dreadful (Thesaurus word) and we'll tell stories of "remember that 11 day trip in December of 2010?". At this point, it would be very easy to think that that might become the case. Or, things could do a complete one-eighty (Please, please, pretty please with a cherry on top) and we could have an epic ending to this trip. THAT is what would make a great story. The story would go something like "remember that 11 day trip in December of 2010? We couldn't catch a cold for five days and then, in the bottom of the ninth with no one on base, 2 strikes, 2 outs, we made a rally and made the comeback of all comebacks as the fishing went off and we completely forgot about the plaintive (Thesaurus word) days before." Now THAT would be a fishing story. Us crew members have heard hundreds of great fishing stories about how the hatches couldn't be shut because of so many fish, they begin to all sound the same after awhile. But to hear a story of a trip constantly being in the dirt and then, the stars aligned just right and the trip was salvaged at the last minute, that story doesn't get old. We're hoping that the fishing up to this point was just a cruel gap-filler in our story, leading up to the dramatic climax that sets our story right. I'm fired up. All we can do is remain positive and give em' hell in the morning. Discovery Channel moment of the day: As I look out the port side window, there are about half a dozen bottle-nose dolphin chasing flying fish about 10 feet from the boat. The poor flying fish have no chance, even with the ability of flight, they are no match for the superior hunting skills of the dolphin. On that note, good night and good riddance, please wish us luck. Richie and the Family. December 6th, 2010 Hi friends. For a while there today, things were looking REAL bleak and it was beginning to look like we were cursed or something, but we managed to get some fish to bite later in the day. The weather kicked up a bit yesterday and the fish showed some sensitivity towards the heightened weather conditions because they did not bite very well for us. The sign certainly is there for us to piece together a nice day on some quality yellowfin tuna, so we're going to camp out for the night and hope for the best tomorrow. Our weather is a little breezy with some swell but it's just fine, just a little bit chilly. Nothing more I can say about today, a slow pick on the tuna fish with a handful of yellowtail to keep things interesting and we're praying for this fish to hit the switch and start to bite for us. Maybe the fish had a long weekend and they were suffering from a case of the "Mondays". Maybe tomorrow they will be back on the program because the potential for a really banner day is certainly there. We'll see. We'll be back at it in the morning and wish us luck. On an ending note, we here at the Polaris Supreme family would like to congratulate Captain Mike Lackey and company for their historic accomplishment. 405.2 lbs??? Simply amazing, still hard to fathom that the first yellowfin tuna over 400 lbs was captured and once again, good going to Mike and the gang. Incredible. Richie and Crew. P.S. I'd like to wish my father a very happy birthday today. Without my father getting me not only sportfishing but fishing in general, who knows where I'd be this day, so thanks Dad, I love you and have a great birthday. December 5th, 2010 Hi everyone. I'm going to get right to the point, we didn't see/hook a large tuna this morning. So we pulled anchor and began looking for some mammals holding large tuna. We quickly found some mammals but we once again were unsuccessful in hooking a cow, so we made the decision to bail out of the area and begin the trek to locate some biting fish of any size in a new location. The conditions down here just don't seem right and you can blame it on what you want (current, water temp, moon phase), bottom line, the fish are in a funk and we're not in the mood to stick around and see if things change, we're ready to put some fish in the wells and that's our plan right now. During our travels today, we constantly had two mast-men scouring the horizon for common dolphin and kelps all day but our efforts went unrewarded. We looked at plenty of good water all while enjoying the nice ride to our next destination. Other than a light wind chop, the seas were calm and the sky was clear, just how we like it. Anyhow, we'll be to the area first thing tomorrow morning and we're hopeful that tomorrow will be our day for some action. We'll see. Now that I have some time to do some typing, I'd like to say a few words about a special someone that most of you might know. On this day thirty-one years ago, a life was brought into this world that changed the landscape of not only the Henderson family but the sportfishing community as well. His appetite for fishing is surpassed by few and his name is certainly synonymous with legendary. A fish-finding machine, a talented songwriter, and a loving uncle, this man sets the standard for everything that you could ask for in a crew member. He's second in command on the Supreme but first in our hearts and today, we wish Captain Drew Edmund Henderson a very, very happy 31st birthday. We didn't really celebrate his birthday very much today but Charlie M. and myself did sing a lovely duet of happy birthday to Drew and I don't know if we could've purchased any gift for Drew that could've made him smile like he smiled during the song. Job well done. We love you, Drew, and we hope to celebrate tomorrow by catching a bunch of fish. That's all, we'll chat with you tomorrow and have a great start to your work week. Richie and Crew. December 4th, 2010 Hi friends. Well, I don't have a report with weights of the fish we caught today, I don't have a titillating story to tell you about an anglers fish we boated, and I don't have much to say about today other than this; the conditions were not right, the fish were not located by anyone today, and we covered a lot of water in hopes of finding the goods. With a trip of this length, we have plenty of leeway with our options and we're going to give this big tuna fishing another full day before we decide to exercise those options. The weather is nice, the folks are in good spirits, and we're going to forget about today and focus on tomorrow. Wish us luck. Good night. Richie and Crew. Friday, December 3rd, 2010 Good evening everyone. The Polaris Supreme is just hours away from "The Promise Land" and we're currently attempting to catch a few Humboldt squid to use for tomorrow's kite baits. So far, no luck, but we'll give it a couple more shots this evening before we put the blinders on and head for the big fish area. In less than 8 hours we will be there and we'll try our hand at fishing for giant yellowfin tuna. We're pumped. As for our activities today, we put the finishing touches on our tackle in flat calm weather as we continued on our southerly trek. It's been smooth sailing all day and after lunch, the gang took the opportunity to read books, get sun tans, and just take it easy before the game of big tuna fishing begins. An emollient day for us onboard the Supreme and like I said before, we're just a wake up away from hopefully being embattled with large tunas. The reports still sound the same from the past couple of days from the boats already fishing the area. Not great numbers but the sign is there and we're hoping that our timing will be just right for the switch to turn on and have a repeat of the fishing we had last trip. We're excited and we'll check back with you tomorrow. Wish us luck, wish us luck, and wish us luck. Bye now. Richie and Crew. December 2nd, 2010 Greetings everyone. Standard travel day for us here on the Supreme. We awoke to gorgeous weather conditions, enjoyed some flapjacks for breakfast, and immediately after, we dove into our tackle seminars. With a strong emphasis on sticking with the right gear, how to conduct yourself during the fight, and going through all almost every situation one could be faced with while doing battle with giant yellowfin, we left the galley and the gang got down to business rigging tackle. The wide range of tackle we employ on a trip of this nature makes today an all day affair of making sure our gear is ready to go and in working order. Thinking about it as I type, I'd like to share with you all of the species that we target on a trip like this. Squid, Mackerel, Calico Bass, Yellowtail, Dorado, Wahoo, Grouper, Pargo, and Yellowfin tuna from 25 - 379.8+ lbs. are just a few to name. From our 25 lb. outfits used to make bait and everything in between, all the way up to out 100-130 lb. rigs for tackling giants, must be properly assembled and ready to go at a moments notice. Harnesses are properly fitted, hooks must be properly crimped, and spectra to mono/fluorocarbon connections are tied with NASA-like precision. Bottom line, I could type out a few paragraphs about what goes into a day like today but the long and short of it, there are a lot of elements that go into getting ready to begin fishing on a trip like this. Tomorrow, the gang will put the finishing touches on their gear, the crew will continue making sixty-plus double sardine leaders for the kite, and maybe, just maybe we will wet a line for a little bit to break up the travel time before we arrive at the big fish grounds on Saturday morning. On an ending note to our travel day, we've had near glass-calm sea conditions all day, sunshine, and a light breeze. With that being said, it was one of the most beautiful days of the year on the water and this evening's sunset was the icing on the cake. The scene reminded me of a painting that Bob Ross would create on the Saturday morning PBS programming from back in the day. So that's all. We're almost there and the reports once again sound OK from the area. Take care now and we'll inform you of our doings tomorrow evening. Bye-bye. Richie and Crew. Wednesday, December 1st, 2010 Good evening folks and a happy December to all of you. Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving, all of us did, but now we're back at it as we departed this morning for an 11 day excursion. Our bait loading went smooth and our arsenal of bait is topped off and ready to go. Quite the hodgepodge of bait too; small, medium, and large sardines mixed with some small to medium mackerel. As of now our bait is happy and we hope the trend continues as we motor to greater points south. The fishing reports sound OK from the area. Not great numbers but the chance to land a 400lb yellowfin tuna is becoming more and more of a reality. Rumor has it that one of our code boats has a fish that is very, VERY close to the magic number. We'll see just how close it is in a few days when they arrive home. Anyhow, that is our story. Our weather is beautiful and tomorrow we will begin tackle seminars, tackle preparations, and some more travel time. It's good to be back and we'll check in tomorrow evening. Richie and Crew.

Polaris Supreme 08-02-2014
     
     Fishing on tuna started off good this morning and stayed that way till 11:00. Most of our catch came from one stop. From then on we where on the move to change our scenery. Weather is great and we can't wait to check out the sun coming up in a different place in the morning.
 
The Polaris Supreme Crew.