newton lake il Fishing Report 2025

Aug. 27-28

Here's a 2 dayer for you all. I forgot to write yesterday's report due to my enthusiasm not being crazy high about it. So we fished in these bluefin grounds all day yesterday and for a few hours in the morning today for not much. Yesterday we were seeing sign of fish around. We didn't see any schools driving around but we'd get a meter mark and stop the boat and after a while we'd see a handful or two sometimes more come under the boat and sometimes we would get a few and other times we wouldn't but at that rate the final tally wasn't anything to write home about so that's probably why I didn't. Today wasn't better. I can't say we ever saw a fish even on the machines. We looked through the traditional area early for nothing then went that way for a while then we turned that way for a while and then we turned that way for a while and then we called it a trip. It means nothing for future trips the way this bluefin is. Tomorrow can be wide open. A hell of a trip anyways if you've been reading you'd know it. The boats clean and everyone on board is stuffed and rested. We'll be getting in at 6:00 in the am tomorrow and then we're departing on the 9 day! I'm really looking forward to it. Getting out of this cool August offshore weather and into the warm wahooey weather. As Joe Beck would say, "yeah baby". Thanks to everyone on board and shame on those who were thinking about making it but didn't. You missed the best bluefin bite you've probably ever seen. Drew

Sept. 30

Jodyyyyy! We did it! We got all fixed up on dorado today. You got all fixed up on dorado today. Everyone reading this got all fixed up on dorado today. It all went down after lunch. We drove by something floating, stopped the boat, and we saw colors everywhere, they were in the air, they were all around us. It was my first wide open dorado bite while listening to Poisons "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" playing in the back ground. So scratch that off the list. A tremendous amount of pressure has been lifted off of everyone on board. And yes, we celebrated with a cigar. Mmm. Other then that we watched a couple movies while we rigged tackle, Charlie did a bunch of laps around the boat, the Jer Bear slept all day and the rest of everyone just relaxed and enjoyed the outstanding weather once again. One more full day of traveling. After we go to bed tomorrow, we will be waking up at our destination. See you all tomorrow.

The Polaris Supreme Crew

4 yellowtail 129 calico bass 29 barracuda 4 sheepshead 26 whitefish. Another action packed day at the Coronado Islands.

Oct.12

Today was a good day out here. We started our morning off with a few yellowfin strikes and at 8:30 we hit a good school of stock 25-30 pound bluefin, a few bigger and a few smaller with some yellowfin and dorado mixed in. We drifted with them for two and a half hours. For most the rest of the day we didn't drive for more then an hour before seeing something. We found a dab of 40-60 pound bluefin and landed one, we found another dab of 25-30 pounders and landed 10, we found a kelp for a handfull of yellowfin along with the occasional yf jig strike. An action packed day, just what we needed. Good weather for us today but the guys down below are complaining about rough weather. We're heading in now and Tommy Rothery is coming back out after a long land stretch and is taking the boat out for 8 days. I'm sure he's looking forward to getting out of the office and back on the water.

Tuesday, September 4th, 2012

Hi friends. Tough day for us here on the high seas. No sugar-coating anything today, it was a slow day. We saw multiple good schools of yellowfin but Tropical Storm John really has things screwed up down here. We only managed a few handfuls of yellowfin in the 12-35 lb. category along with a couple of nice bluefin and a few various bottom dwellers for our final tally. Like I said, no shortage of fish running around but they are just not cooperating all that well.

We're hoping for a banner day tomorrow as the weather is supposed to straighten out and be flat calm and sick hot. I was a hot little potato today even though it was rather windy and choppy. We can only hope tomorrow that it snows or something because it is going to be a scorcher. Bronzing isn't even an appropriate word for what we did today, we got down-rite ethnic with our tans today. My goodness it was hot. Speaking of hot, our team in the galley is hot. Schooler and Shawn, aka "The Dream Team" are just magnificent. Along with the world's greatest deckhand, they really are the heart and soul of this operation and I feel that it is a pleasure to not only be worthy enough to eat their creations but to also know them as people. Thank you, Schooler and Shawn, thank you for making my life so wonderful and all of the passengers too. You're so dandy and thanks for getting us fat.

Anyhow, our fingers are crossed for tomorrow and yours should be too. Pray for snow and lots of tuna. See ya.

P.S. Dennis McNeely says "LYT" to Judy, Jennifer, and Mikey.

Wednesday, August 29th, 2012

Hi friends. We made it back up to the tuna grounds at first light and found absolutely beautiful weather and the "football" yellowfin tuna were hungry today. Steady jig strikes all morning all the way up until we found a kelp that accounted for most of our score on this day. It was a really fun kelp too. You could look in the water and see brown for most of the stop and these fish were on the squid real nice and the skip jig as well. Kub Ito even got in on some hand-line action which was pretty entertaining. Speaking of Kub, Kub had ten minutes of hardhat time for two minor offenses. Good job, Kubby bear. Anyhow, fun morning of fishing and flat calm, sunny weather to boot. A fine way to end a fine trip and Joe Beck and the boys are pumped.

Anyhow, we're traveling up the line in a very calm ocean and we're looking to arrive to the docks at 0600 where we will be getting the boat turned around and heading out on our annual Gary Roberts 9-day trip. We'll chat with you tomorrow evening sometime. Take care.

P.S. Absolutely no hardhat time for Mark this trip. Shocking, I know. Granted he was in the galley this trip but nonetheless, he was on the boat. Good job, Mark. You now have nine days to reclaim that beautiful yellow dome of yours. Stay tuned.

Captain Mike Pritchard called in this afternoon with an audio update from the Tribute out of Seaforth Sportfishing in San Diego, CA.  

We have a light load on a 2 day trip with 21 anglers. So far we have 30 Yellowtail & 54 Yellowfin Tuna (good grade 20 + pounds) on the boat.

We have some open party trips coming up.  Call Seaforth at (619 224-3383 to get in on the action!