Newton Lake Insanity

[bkirch]

https://www.ifishillinois.org/profil...waternum=00225


This is the link to the IDNR website for Newton Lake. It shows the list of scheduled tournaments for next year. I counted 73, with 9 of those still pending. Those 73 are all squeezed into 5 months of the year, plus 1 in Feb. 7 times there will be 3 Ts on the same day and 1 day has 4 scheduled. Almost half (38) are in March/April. Granted, many of these Ts will not have a lot of boats, but on a lake as small as Newton, this is WAY too many tournaments. I love the lake and I love fishing Ts there, but this is insane and cannot be good for such a small body of water. I guess the state is blinded by the dollar signs of the new fees and taxes that are proposed, but I really think they are shooting themselves, and we fishermen, in the foot by allowing this amount of tournaments.

[stratosjoe]

I wholeheartedly agree.

[yogib]

I agree as well. I too enjoy a few tournaments a year but it's getting out of hand. Also the boat limits are not enforced. Cedar lake in Jackson Co. supossedly has a 20 boat max for Pamona ramp. They repeatedly have 30 plus boats in weeknight tournaments and no telling what number on the weekends. You can't even park.

[fluke1987]

Yup, part of the reason we didn't schedule one there this year. It's going to turn into Lake Jacksonville...great fishing, but the fish are getting pounded on. I love tournament fishing but there needs to be a limit on the fishery.

[bkirch]

I don't want to be the one picking and choosing who gets to hold their tournament, but somebody needs to limit the number... somehow.

[illinifish]

When other power plant lakes have closed it limits the options. Besides the tournaments think of just the guys who want to fish.

[unknown angler]

I don't want to be the one picking and choosing who gets to hold their tournament, but somebody needs to limit the number... somehow.

Originally that's what we were told the permit system was started for, I think it was the mid 80s when it was started.

[northstar]

I wonder what lake has more tournaments each year. Clinton or Newton?

[bkirch]

I wonder what lake has more tournaments each year. Clinton or Newton?

I just counted 90 Ts on Clinton, but they allow them in June, July, and August, which Newton does not. I guess I never realized how popular bass fishing is here in Illinois.

[fluke1987]

I just counted 90 Ts on Clinton, but they allow them in June, July, and August, which Newton does not. I guess I never realized how popular bass fishing is here in Illinois.

You would think it would be the opposite since Clinton runs hotter in the summer now than Newton. I wish they treated the lake the same as Braidwood...closed for a few months out of the year to give the fish a break.

[illinoisbassfishin]

It's like this every year and has been for years. And yet Newton is still an amazing lake.

[Philly]

You would think it would be the opposite since Clinton runs hotter in the summer now than Newton. I wish they treated the lake the same as Braidwood...closed for a few months out of the year to give the fish a break.

The way that Clinton lays out is completely different than the "Braidwood Loop". The warm (90 deg+) water stays between Dewitt and Rt 48 even in the dead of Summer, while the rest of the lake has water temps that are nearly identical to the surrounding non-power plant lakes. That being said...I completely agree that Clinton has waaaaay too many tournaments, but that is pretty hypocritical for me considering the fact that I probably fish at least a couple dozen tournaments a year on Clinton...lol. I fish everywhere that the BFL's take us and I also fish the Federation tournaments and I can tell you with ZERO hesitation that the fish at Clinton are "better educated" than any of the other tournament lakes in Illinois......BUT, it still takes over 20lbs to win there every Saturday and Sunday ALL year long. There aren't any tournaments on the lake between Thanksgiving and March, so that gives the fish a break, but a bunch of us who live here still fish those months as long as we can keep a ramp clear of ice.

[tbcf]

This is why I stick to the Mississippi River.Hundreds of miles to fish.Pools 18 and 19 are coming on strong.

[Philly]

This is why I stick to the Mississippi River.Hundreds of miles to fish.Pools 18 and 19 are coming on strong.

It's so great to see those Pools starting to get good again. I really hope that they start putting Ft. Madison back on the Illini BFL schedule again.

[unknown angler]

Lets just stop this talk about 18 and 19. The tournaments can just keep going North.

[forrestercb]

I know anglers choice team trail canceled their tournaments on Newton because of the 10% tax on tournament entries.

[stratosjoe]

Anyone know if newton is froze

[Philly]

Anyone know if newton is froze

I’ll make a call tomorrow and find out Joe.

[bkirch]

Anyone know if newton is froze

Last I heard was from Dec. 31. 54 to 72 degrees.

[goaltender8]

Braidwood up north only allows ONE tournament per day not matter the size. First application in gets the date, no matter the history of the event, good or bad.