Fishing Reports at Fireside Lodge

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Hot Lures: #7 Shad Rap, 200 & 300 Bandit Crank Bait, Sinking Worm, Blue Fox Spinner, Suick

Catches of The Week: Northern Pike 43.5”, 41”, 39.75”,39.25”, 2-39” many 35 to 38” & countless over 30”. Muskie 43.5”, Smallmouth Bass several 18-18.5” and many 16 -18”

“2011 Season End Note”

This fishing report brings our 22^nd year at Fireside Lodge to a close. It is very hard for Audrey & I to comprehend that 22 years have gone by since we initially started our adventure at Fireside Lodge. The day we first looked at Fireside Lodge it has been & always will be a very special place for us. Throughout the 22 years we hope by introducing Fireside Lodge to others it has become a special place to them, and given them some of the enjoyment & memories that we have experienced. It is the guests that make Fireside Lodge come to life and create a wonderful atmosphere for all to enjoy, and for that we thank you all. We also thank you all for helping Audrey and I continue our adventure and pursue our passion in life. With that said I bring our 2011 fishing season to a close. Throughout the fall, winter, & early spring we will be sending out a few announcements, and also look for regular postings to our Face Book, You Tube, and Twitter sites. Thank you all for your support over the years, Sincerely, Audrey & Alan

Well, that's it for this weeks Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report, Please stay tuned for next weeks report. Until then "Keep On Fish'n" Alan

800-545-0815

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireside-Lodge/304211179043?v=wall

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 8/20 to 8/27 2011

2011-09-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 8/20 to 8/27 2011

Hello from Fireside Lodge in Northwest Ontario, Canada. With signs of fall staring to show up it’s not surprising that we had unpredictable but gorgeous weather with highs in the mid 70’s and lows in the 50’s along with unbeatable orange sunsets, & fabulous nightly star displays that would put anyone in awe.

David Bone, Dean Taylor from Woodland Park & Colorado Springs, CO returning f or their second trip brought Mark Forsyth from Gold Canyon, AZ. 1^st day was slow so the second day they approached the lake differently on day 2 deciding to fish a different depth zone. Well, it worked as they caught a bunch of Smallmouth Bass along with a few Pike. Dean also caught a trophy size Smallmouth Bass weighing in ay 4.5lbs. As we all know making adjustments is the key to fishing success. Day three they decide to portage to a lake & got more than what they bargained for by accidentally taking the wrong trail and going an hour out of their way. All were great sports about it and continued on getting to the lake and having a ball catching a bunch of Northern Pike. After a rain delay on day 4, a great excuse to take a morning nap, they got on the lake about 2:00PM and did well catching Smallmouth, Pike and David caught a nice Musky. See what relaxing can do for your fishing. Days 5 & 6 were both on the windy side but they managed to work around this and did well catching Smallmouth & Northern Pike. Also, David was able to celebrate his birthday with us on Friday. All left saying they hope to see us again in the near future.

Bill & Tim Stayer from New Freedom & Mifflinton, PA returned to experience Fireside Lodge in the summer as apposed to opening week. They had to change their trip this year because of Bill having shoulder surgery & will see if a BIG fish can put his recovered shoulder through its test. First day they were greeted with high winds that kept most from fishing but they managed to catch some Pike. Next day had Tim having the hot hand catching Pike with a new lure purchased from our tackle shop. Tim was attentive on working the lure as we discussed, which paid off. 3^rd& 4th days they had had a cold front storm system with high winds. Doing their best in these conditions they caught some Pike. Throughout the rest of their stay they stayed on the Pike search & Tim continued to do very well with his secret lure. He was using a #6 & #5 all gold Blue Fox Spinner, not so secret but very affective when fished slowly. They also enjoyed a portage lake for their last day expressing how the serenity and the short hike were special. They also enjoyed seeing those BIG Musky that lazily followed their offering. Tim hooked up on a nice fish but lost it as fast as he hooked it after the beast rolled on the surface. Both had a great stay and hope to return.

Steve & Debra Johnson from Haltown, MO were back for Steve’s 5^th & Debra’s 2^nd trip. 1^st day started with T-Storms along with a cold front & high winds & this they still caught about 8-10 Smallmouth Bass. 2^nd day despite cold front conditions, was very good as they got into good Smallmouth activity early on, catching many along with bigger fish. Debra caught two 17-17.5-inches and Steve caught two trophy Master Anglers Award Smallmouth at 18 & 18.5”. 3^rd day was great as they caught 19 Smallmouth Bass, most on the larger side, including three at 17-17.5”. 4^th and final day they stuck with their pattern of fishing wind blown rocky/weedy areas, again getting good results. They caught many good size Smallmouth Bass over 15”, and up to just under 18”. Debra lost one that would have probably topped the 19” mark. Both had a fabulous stay relaxing while fishing in our great wilderness setting.

Mike & Dee Hummel from Urbandale, IA returned to Fireside Lodge for their 10^th time. Even with cold front conditions these two did great on their 1^st day and had a fabulous time catching many Smallmouth Bass 14 to 18”. Dee caught 2 Master Anglers Award Trophy Bass over 18”. 2^nd day was also a very good Smallmouth Bass day with a few Pike mixed in and many of the Smallmouth Bass were 14 to 17”. Dee did very well again using both live leeches and a plastic bait named “Yum Dinger”. On their 3^rd & final day, when I asked how their day was, Mike said he thought the fish were on to them. They did catch some but not like their first two days, but that’s fishing. Both went home having an enjoyable stay and said they hope to return in 2012.

Charlie McDermid from Gardnerville, NV returned for his 2^nd trip to Fireside Lodge with first time guest Chris Stromm from South Lake Tahoe, CA. These two were here primarily to hunt Musky. First day they faced cold front & windy conditions, caught some fish, however the Musky eluded them. 2^nd day was excellent, catching a lot of Northern Pike with some size to them, 30”+, but did not raise a Musky. In talking with Charlie & Chris at supper Charlie indicated that he really wanted to catch a Musky and said he had the fever. So the third day they changed tactics, made some purchases, and after going over the map they were off to catch a Musky. Well, they did just that as they had many follows and Charlie hooked and landed a 36.5” very heavy Musky that gave an exceptionally strong fight. Leaving their fish cradle in the other boat they found themselves without a net so in order to take proper care of the fish they actually got in the water with the fish to unhook & release Charlie’s fish. Great effort by two avid sportsmen!! Fourth & final day these two tried to re-capture that Musky success and did to some extent. Even though there were no hook ups they had close to 30 follows and some of the fish were huge. Both were so excited that the stakes at that evening’s cribbage game was a subscription to Musky Hunter Magazine. Chris & Charlie left having a fabulous stay with us and hope to return one day soon.

John Eakle & Jim Pauley from Summersville & Blue Creek, WV returned to fish with us for their second time. 1^st day had them catching some Pike & Smallmouth Bass. After reviewing the map and deciding they might be fishing two shallow they were off to be more successful on day two landing some nice Pike and Smallies. Day three they decided to go though Musky Creek and into Muskie Lake, which has been a challenge with us having no rain all summer. After some great effort getting through a silt bar & three beaver dams, they made it in and were rewarded catching 42 Northern Pike. 4^th day gave them a rain delay until about 1:30PM afterwards catching several Pike & Smallmouth while dodging a few storms. 5^th day they had a FABULOUS fishing catching close to 50 Northern Pike and Jim caught the biggest Smallmouth Bass of his life measuring 18.5” with a humongous girth. Last day was TERRIFIC also, as they caught over 60 fish, mostly Pike, & a few BIG 17”+Smallies. Both had a FABULOS stay and made some memories to last a lifetime.

Returning for their 11^th consecutive year were father & son Tom & Mark Reese from Bartlett, TN & Alexandria, VA.1^st day had them in a rain delay waiting out heavy rain and high winds, but by 1:00 thing got good enough to give it a go. They did well for a half-day catching 4 Pike & 8 Smallmouth. On their 2^nd day they had a successful morning locating and catching some nice Smallmouth Bass in several new spots they never fished before. Always great to find new fishing locations. That same afternoon they experienced some serious fishing equipment malfunctions, which took a good chunk of their fishing time up. Both were able to tease and laugh about it at supper knowing tomorrow will be a whole new day. 3^rd day was very active on the catching end landing many Smallmouth, Mark catching a Trophy 18.5”er, and Northern Pike. The pike were hitting their Smallmouth baits which resulted in many bite off’s. 4^th & final day was great weather wise and they had a good day fishing catching Smallmouth Bass & Northern Pike. The biggest catch for these two is their father & son time spent together. You never know what the future holds, and if possible you should try and capture special moments with parents, family, & friends. Congratulations to Mark for doing just that with his Mom & Dad, and thanks for choosing Fireside as one of the places to make your special family memories.

John O’Neil from Holland, OH was fishing with us for the first time. 1^st day was a half day of very heavy rain but John did get a few hours of fishing before supper and landed 8 Pike and saw a very big Musky. 2^nd day John said he had a terrific day, catching 8 Northern Pike & 10 Smallmouth Bass including a 18.5” Master Anglers Award Trophy Smallie. At supper he said he was worn out and did not fish that evening. 3^rd day had him catching about 10 fish and he had several very big Musky & Northern Pike follows.

4^th day John said was absolutely fabulous, hooking 40+ Smallmouth Bass & landing another 18.5” Trophy. Also, as he was fishing on a big reef area he had a follow from a big Pike however all of a sudden a HUGE Musky came from the side and chased the Pike off. Then this monster followed John’s lure back to the boat twice, swirling at he lure the 2^nd time. Very exciting as John explained his experience at suppertime. 5^th & final day John caught 12 Smallmouth & a nice 35” Northern Pike. He left having had a great time and said he would love to come with his wife & son next year. By the way John’s son is currently serving for the US Special forces in Afghanistan and we want to thank him very much for his service to his country.

Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2010 Photos

For Fabulous Video, Wildlife Events, and Current Happenings go to our Social Sites Below.

FaceBook

YouTube

Twitter

Hot Lures: Mepps #5 & Musky Killer, Yum Dinger, Live Leeches, Tubes, Blue Fox Spinner, Swim Baits, Sinking Worms, Husk Jerk

Catches of The Week: 19” Smallmouth Bass & Many between 17-18.5”, 36.5” Musky, 36” Northern Pike

Well, that's it for this weeks Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report, Please stay tuned for next weeks report. Until then "Keep On Fish'n" Alan

800-545-0815

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireside-Lodge/304211179043?v=wall

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 8/13 to 8/20 2011

2011-08-29T05:17:00.000-07:00

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 8/13 to 8/20 2011

Hello from Fireside Lodge in Northwest Ontario, Canada. This week our weather showed some change by mid-week having thunderstorms with high winds coming in on Wednesday & again on Friday with a major cool down. This is just a reminder that fall is just around the corner.

Frank & Doug Kerr from Plainfield, IN & Henrico, NC made their first trip to Fireside Lodge. First day they got started and caught some Smallmouth while learning their way around the lake. 2^nd & 3^rd days were very good as they caught many Smallmouth Bass along with some bigger fish up to 17-18-inches. 4th day was slower during the day catching 10 fish before supper & catching a few after. 5^th & final day they finished strong catching many Smallmouth Bass, 40+, with the sinking worm presentation they were using all week. Both had a terrific trip with us at Fireside Lodge not only fishing but catching up with their lives and reminiscing about there past. Before leaving they were asking about availability in 2012, and we sure would be glad to have these two back.

Tom Nayder from Orland Park, IL and sister Leah Bezin from Berwyn, IL returned to Fireside Lodge for their 12^th consecutive trip. 1^st day had them catching a mix of Smallmouth Bass & Northern Pike. Second day was a portage lake day and did very well catching two dozen Smallmouth, mostly bigger girthy fish. Tom said one Smallie was 17” long with a 13” girth. WOW!! Leah also landed an 18” Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Their technique was using wacky worms & their presentation was slow. 3^rd day Had Tom the leader catching both Pike & Smallmouth with Wacky Style Sinking Worms, but Leah’s fly-fishing presentation was not what the fish wanted today. 4^th day was a fun day with most of their action preceding a storm that rolled in & out very quickly, catching 16 Smallmouth Bass & a few Pike

. 5^th& final day they did great catching 18 Smallmouth Bass with no small fish. They each caught a Master Anglers Award Trophy Smallmouth Bass & both tied catching 3 each during their 5 day stay. Side story on the last day a Bass got away from Tom & slipped into the bilge area then under the floor. Tom decided that if he filled the boat with water then bilged water out the Bass would slide to the back where he could nab & release the fish. All worked as planned except Tom had to stick his arm up under the floor to grab the fish so we all decided give this new recreational way of catching a fish it’s very own name. The name “Bilge Noodle’n for Smallmouth Bass”. Both went home making some wonderful brother & sister memories & before leaving Leah was already talking about next year.

Long time Guests Ed Burns & Todd Smith from College Station & McKinney, TX returned. First day was great catching both Smallmouth Bass & Northern Pike. Very first fish was Ed landing a 38” Pike. 2^nd day was slower but they did catch some nice Pike & Smallies. Todd caught 5 big Smallies after supper. 3^rd day had them catching Smallmouth & Northern Pike with Todd landing a BIG Northern Pike just missing the 40” Master Anglers Trophy mark. Fourth day was windy therefore tough fishing conditions, however they still managed to catch some Smallmouth Bass & Northern Pike here & there with no real pattern. Both had a great trip as they have since about 1997, and both hope to return next year.

John & Monica Ziegler from Union Hall, VA returned for their 3^rd time. 1^st day they did great catching 9 Smallmouth Bass, with Monica catching some in the 16-17” range along with 4 Northern Pike. That evening after supper Monica shinned again catching some nice Smallmouth including a GIANT TROPHY 18” Master Angler Award Smallmouth Bass. 2nd day Monica caught 6 Smallmouth up to 16.5” & John did the same along with catching a Pike, which he could not move for several moments, but it turned out it was a feisty 26” Pike that got John tangled in the weeds. 3^rd day John described as unbelievable as they got into a bunch of 15 to 17” Smallmouth where they visually saw them and were dropping tubes in front of the Smallmouth & watching them take their tubes. They got into such a feeding frenzy that Monica & John had multiples of double hook ups. Very exciting story as told by John & Monica at suppertime. 4^th day they caught some nice 14-16.5” Smallmouth Bass & John landed a big 35.5” Northern Pike. 5^th day they faced high winds, caught a few fish and came in early. 6^th day was their first portage lake adventure, which they enjoyed, while catching about a dozen Smallmouth Bass & Monica again came up with the big fish landing a 17.5 & 18.5” trophy. She had a very big smile on her face at suppertime. Their 7^th & 8^th days were windy with some showers & t-storms which had them catching some fish in these tough conditions The highlight was John landing a HUGE 18.75” Master Anglers Award Trophy Smallmouth Bass. Their 9^th a final day they spent catching some very nice size Smallmouth Bass and soaked in as much of the wilderness around them as they could. Before leaving they expressed the wonderful time they had together & made their reservation for the same dates in 2012.

David & Michael LaFever from Burlington & Bettendorf, IA, Kenneth & Emma Plummer also from Burlington & Scott Brown from Normal, IL were all here to experience Fireside Lodge for their first time. First day all went out and caught some fish while enjoying the beautiful wilderness of Little Vermilion Lake. After some lure purchases at my tackle shop all were ready for day two. Days two & three all had a ball catching some Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike. Scott had a story as while he was trying to land a big pike the fish slipped right through the bottom holes of a rubber net. Unfortunately the fish got away but the memory lives on. Day four was extremely windy conditions, which brought all back to the dock before noon. They managed to catch a few fish but it was mostly reading & internet time. For their last 2 days one was forfeited to very high winds & the other all had a great time catching some Northern Pike & Smallmouth on two lures, Mepps #3 & #5 Blue Fox Spinner. Also Ken & Emma took canoe ride / swim if you know what I mean, and they also went on a Moose excursion very early Friday. All had a FABUOUS family trip & David was very proud to have three generations of his family with him for the week. David, Thank you very much for choosing Fireside Lodge to make these special family memories.

Father & sons Jim, James, & Jake Ekdal from Chicago, IL & San Francisco, CA were fishing at Fireside Lodge for their first time. In just a short 1.5 hours after supper on DOA each caught 3-4 Smallmouth Bass with a few in the 16” range. 1^st full day they caught a few Smallmouth Bass and learned the lower half of the lake. 2^nd day they had loads of fun portaging into a lake & catching many Pike & Walleye with James landing an 18 & 20” & Jake caught a very big 22” walleye. 3^rd day was fun as they caught some Northern Pike a Smallmouth. 4^th day was very windy which brought them in before noon. With the winds still strong after supper but calmer they went fishing for a short while & James landed a BIG Smallmouth bass over 17”. 5^th & final day they portaged again for Northern Pike & Walleye. Well, they certainly finished with a BANG catching 55+ fish half being Pike & half being walleye. The walleye were very impressive as just about every fish was 20-26” & Jim said half of the walleye you could hardly put two hands around the fish. All had a fabulous father & son’s trip and made some wonderful memories.

Good friends Larry Hinshaw & Pat Hobson from Blue Grass, IA & Elmwood, IN returned for their 5^th time. 1^st day involved a portage for Musky having many follows but to takers. 2^nd day had them catching 25 nice Smallmouth but none came easy as they just picked up a fish here & there all day long. 3^rd day was very slow going for these two and the 4^th day came with the strongest winds of the season with gusts over 50km per hour, which hampered their fishing. Despite this they did do well for the conditions and caught 12-15 Smallmouth Bass. They also had a little extra time as the winds blew into the evening so they took advantage of this taking a little longer enjoying their daily cigar on the screened in porch at the main lodge. 5^th day they picked away catching 22 Smallmouth Bass. 6^th & final day had them facing t-storms during breakfast and shortly after that the winds kicked up again which brought the back in hopes things would calm down later. It did somewhat, which enabled them to go out & catch 6 more nice Smallmouth bringing their daily total to just over 20. Both knew their trip was just about concluded when their traditional evening cigar was down to barely a stub. They made the most of their trip right to the end and hope to return in 2012.

Steve Jensen from Springfield, MO. returned for his 2^nd trip this year which makes 9 times in the last 8 years, bringing his better half, Nancy for her first ever fishing experience in the Canadian Wilderness. 1^st day was a practice fly-casting day for Nancy with Steve catching a few fish.3rd day was great as they caught 7 Pike & 2 Smallmouth Bass along with losing some while fly-fishing. Steve said he saw an eye opener Smallmouth Bass which was GIANT estimating it to be over 20”. This monster just came in and eyed up Steve’s fly, caused all kinds of commotion, then just slowly swam away. 4th day was fabulous as they caught many Northern Pike & Nancy landed her first two Pike ever. Steve’s main goal was having Nancy catch a Pike on the fly. All were caught fly-fishing of course, as this is the only fishing method Steve & Nancy use. 5^th & final day very high winds were not suitable for any type of fishing let alone fly-fishing, so Steve & Nancy stayed back enjoying their beautiful cabin view and atmosphere around it, while catching up on some reading & looking forward to Audrey’s famous Wednesday night ribs. Both thoroughly enjoyed their stay and we look forward to seeing them next year, as they already have reservations for 2012.

Mike & Zack Gerulski from Huntington Woods, MI returned with us for their 10^th consecutive year. DOA Zach started catching fish right off the bat landing Smallmouth Bass & Northern Pike. 1^st full day Zack was the leader before supper catching most of his fish on “Zack’s Bass Zapper” both Smallmouth Bass & Pike with one being a BIG 34” Northern Pike. Zack’s Bass Zapper was a lure he created about 6 years ago which Is simple but very affective. 2^nd day Zack still had the hot hand catching many Smallmouth and several Pike, but at Supper Mike bought some Slimmers to try and turn things around. That same evening Zack caught several nice Smallmouth including a Trophy 18.5” Smallie & Mike caught some Smallmouth & a 30” Pike. 3^rd day was very fun catching a mixed bag of both Northern Pike & Smallmouth Bass & for Zack I mean this literally. Zack while fighting a Smallmouth Bass had a Northern Pike charge towards the Smallmouth Bass on his line. Then the Pike circled the Bass twice and then attacked the Smallie. After fighting both of the fish Zack got them close enough for Mike to net them both. For Zack he caught two fish on one cast, one lure. Moral of the story is when fishing for Smallmouth Bass & Northern Pike Zack does not fool around. 4^th and final day brought torrent winds blowing over 50km per hour but Mike & Zack made the best of it as still caught 10 fish before supper. They also made a final run after supper catching a few more. Both made fabulous memories and are hoping to return & meet up with a few friends in 2012.

Fran & Colleen Stack from Lorain, OH returned for their 8^th consecutive year. DOA both Fran & Colleen caught Smallmouth & Pike and before breakfast on 1^st day Fran had a BIG Northern Pike shake his lure off at boat-side. The rest of the day Fran kept the hot hand catching 8 Smallmouth & 5 Pike. 2^nd day had these two landing over 20 fish, combination of Smallmouth Bass & Northern Pike. 3^rd day had these two catching both Northern Pike & Smallmouth Bass with a mix of small and larger fish. 4^th day brought extreme winds (50km+) however Fran & Colleen had some excellent fishing catching 25 fish, mostly Smallmouth Bass & Colleen caught 2 Trophy Master Anglers Award Smallmouth & Fran landed one. They also had a double, Fran’s being 14” and Colleen’s measured out at 18”. 5^th & final day was terrific as they got into a bunch of Smallmouth bass using everyone of their 48 leeches and then started catching some on gulp alive leeches & Colleen landed a 31” Pike. After supper they added 7 more Northern Pike & a Bass. Both had a GREAT time enjoying our wonderful wilderness fishing & making memories.

Walt LaCasse from Minnetonka, MN returned for his second trip this year bringing his grandson & fishing buddy Keeghan for 3 days of fishing. They had a ball together catching Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike with Keeghan doing very well catching a few bigger fish. On their second day they adventured to a portage lake having fun walking through the bush, seeing animal tracks, & just enjoying the scenery. They also enjoyed the fishing as they caught a bunch of Pike on this very windy day. Walt would just drive to one end of this long beautiful lake and then drift all the way to the other end casting and catching fish. Both caught a few large Smallmouth Bass & Northern Pike & had a wonderful time making their third set of Fireside Lodge fishing memories together. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge to spend this special time together.

Father & son Jerry & Ben Lester from Waconia & Edina, MN returned to Fireside Lodge for their second trip & this time daughter/sister Jenna joined them. First day they caught a ton, over 80 Smallmouth Bass on leeches, plastics, and top-water lures. Many large fish were caught between 15-17.5-inches. Great fist day for all but especially for Jenna, as it was her first experience fishing with us at Fireside Lodge. 2^nd and final day was spectacular as they caught over 50 Smallmouth Bass, with most being larger 15 to 18.5” Smallies, and it was all on top-water prop baits. The excitement was very evident as they were re-supplying with surface lures at my tackle shop. The reason the 2^nd day was their final day was that the wind kicked up so bad on their 3^rd day it made fishing very difficult and they bailed out by noon. All had FABULOUS father/son/daughter fishing trip, made memories to last a lifetime, and said they will return.

Make sure to go to our

website listed below to see the 2010 Photos

For Fabulous Video, Wildlife Events, and Current Happenings go to our Social Sites Below.

FaceBook

YouTube

Twitter

Hot Lures: Wacky Sinking Worm, Live Leeches, Tube Jigs, Surface Pop Baits, Blue Fox Spinner, Mepps #3 Spinner, Zacks Bass Zapper,

Catches of The Week: 17 Smallmouth Bass 18” or larger, 38.5” Northern Pike

Well, that's it for this weeks Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report, Please stay tuned for next weeks report. Until then "Keep On Fish'n" Alan

800-545-0815

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireside-Lodge/304211179043?v=wall

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 8/6 to 8/13 2011

2011-08-21T04:17:00.000-07:00

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 8/6 to 8/13 2011

Hello from Fireside Lodge in Northwest Ontario, Canada. The temperatures were gorgeous this week having highs in the mid to upper 70’s including a few heavy thunderstorms on Thursday with mega lightning, which drove most looking for cover. The fishing was “TERRIFIC” for all with the catching being the same for most.

Long time return guest for his 9^th consecutive year Bill Westbrook from New Philadelphia, OH for the first time came with his entire family of Wife Jill & Matt, 2^nd year, Mark 8^th year who came with Katie Perica from Cincinnati, OH. First evening fishing all caught Smallmouth Bass with Jill setting the pace as she caught the most & the largest fish up to 17.5”. First full day all caught a lot of Smallmouth Bass with the ladies leading the pack on larger fish as Jill & Katie caught 17-17.5”ers. Katie, having never fished before caught 10. Great day for all. 2^nd day was a fun portage day for Muskie & Smallmouth, getting Muskie follows & catching a lot of Smallmouth. Jill again landed some 17”+ fish and Mark came up with the catch of the day landing a HIGE 19.5” Master Anglers Award Trophy. 3^rd day was super as the whole crew caught over 70 fish with 99% being Smallmouth Bass. A lot of big bass were caught up to 17” and Katie, Mark, Bill, & Matt all caught Master Anglers Award Trophy 18” plus fish. 4^th day was volatile as T-Storms chased them off the lake at the noon hour, but not before Bill & Mark took advantage of the before the storm bite. They caught many big Smallmouth 16 to 17.5”, caught 5 Trophy Smallmouth between 18-19.5” with Bill landing a GIANT measuring 20”, Matt caught the 19.5”er & a side Story is that when Bill caught his 20” Smalllmouth Matt also caught a 17” Smallie. That’s a heck of a double catch on Smallmouth. The last day because of weather only Bill, Mark, & Matt fished for 3 hours and caught about a dozen Pike All left making GREAT family fishing memories at Fireside Lodge.

Newcomers to Fireside Lodge were Brad Carpenter from White Bear Lake, MN Chuck Bach from Mukwonago, WI, Chris Kelly from Cape May, NJ & Rich Hoffman from IL.

First night after supper all caught Smallmouth & Northern Pike. 1^st full day they did great catching close to 25 Northern Pike & some Smallies. 2^nd day was nothing less than terrific. After an adventurous & challenging creek ride these four caught well over 100 Northern Pike with plenty of other follows or lost fish. On there 3^rd & final day they dedicated to Smallmouth Bass. After some discussion on location & presentation they were off. The results were “FABULOUS” as they caught fish all day long and big Smallmouth ranging from 14 to 19”. They said it was non-stop and could not give me number because the excitement was so great from watching 4-6 Smallmouth following right behind the one they were catching. This was a great finish to a fabulous 3-day fishing trip.

Father & son Mark & Matt Donovan from IL. & Albert Marco from Middleton, WI. returned for their 2^nd trip. 1^st day was slow starting having many follows from toothy critters that would not take anything, but it cranked up in the afternoon with the Smallmouth Bass as they caught some nice fish & Al set the bar landing an 18” Master Anglers Award bass. 2^nd day they did very well catching fish all day with Pike, up in the 32” range, Smallmouth of all sizes, & Matt landed his biggest at 17.5” & Al caught another over 18”. They also had a lot of large follows. 3^rd day had these three fishing an out lake catching 6 walleye & over 40 Pike. 4^th & final day they finished strong catching 25 Northern Pike & a dozen Smallmouth all being Big between 15 to 18” & both Al & Mark caught 18” Master Anglers award Trophy Bass. All left making wonderful memories.

Ron & Lisa Vincent from Sherrills Ford, NC returned for their 13^th consecutive year. DOA Ron caught a Tiger Muskie & both did well on Pike & Smallmouth Bass. 2^nd day Ron caught 2 more Musky (that’s 3 in 1.5 days) & both had a FABULOUS day catching many BIG Smallmouth Bass ranging in the 13 to 17.5” area. 2^nd day was a big day for these two as the caught a bunch of Smallmouth bass up to 17.5” and some nice pike. 3^rd day was as good as you can ask for as they caught well over 50 Northern Pike about 15 Smallmouth with Lisa landing a BIG trophy 18”er. The next two days had them seeing about 30 Musky follows but no takers and they caught a bunch of Smallmouth Bass & Northern Pike. Lisa landed another 18”+ along with many 14 to 17.5 inches & Ron had similar success but despite him landing about a half dozen 17-17.75 inches he could not break the 18” mark. He also said Lisa was keeping him very honest. They also caught a lot of pike including some in the 33-35” range. 5^th day was a very good day & Ron did some catching up in the Smallmouth Trophy category coming up with 2 18” Smallmouth Bass tying Lisa. The 6^th & final was a change in weather day being cooler with some rain so Lisa took the day off & Ron went fishing with another guest, Leon, who is also from NC. Both caught fish and Ron enjoyed his last fishing day, while Lisa enjoyed her personal day. Both had a GREAT vacation making some memories in our wonderful wilderness setting.

Dave Warner with sons David, Michael & Grandfather Philip from Foxboro & N Attleboro, MA returned to Fireside Lodge for their 6th time. 1^st day each boat caught close to 20 fish, mostly Pike up to 31”, Dave Jr caught a BIG Smallmouth just under 18” & Dave Sr caught a 37” Musky. 2^nd day had Dave & Phil having success landing some nice Pike up to 32-inches. 3^rd day had Dave Jr & Michael catching over 30 Northern Pike with Dave & Phil landing a bakers dozen, which made pushing over a silt bar for a 55 minute drive & getting over 3 beaver dams all worth the effort. 3^rd day had these three taking a weather day off as we had a typical northeastern storm come through with thunderstorms & cold front conditions. 4^th & final day was finished with a bang as David Jr & Michael had a SUPER DAY FISHING catching over 70 fish, 60+ Northern Pike along with 12 Smallmouth Bass. All left having a wonderful trip & hope to return again in the near future.

Father David Stefanini from Olmsted Twp, OH & his two sons Todd from Upper Arlington & Dave from Hood River, OR returned for their 2ⁿ^d trip. 1^st day had these three having plenty of action landing over 40 Northern Pike, and Dave landed his while fly-fishing. 2^nd day they caught mostly Smallmouth Bass & Todd was the top dog landing a 17.5” Smallie. 3^rd day brought cold front conditions with high winds & the fishing was slower, however they still caught some Pike with Todd landing a MONSTER 37.5” er having a tremendous girth & Dave Sr landed a heavy 31.5” Musky. Not bad for tough weather conditions! 4^th day had these three catching 15+ nice Northern Pike. 5^th day had them fishing for Muskie & Smallmouth Bass with great results. Dave Sr caught a 32” Musky & lost another, Todd landed a 26”er & Dave had a Musky briefly hooked. Also, they had countless Musky follows throughout the day and caught plenty of Smallmouth Bass including both Dave Sr & Todd each landing a trophy 18” Smallie. Last day they were on the hunt for BIG fish & Todd found a beauty 19” Trophy Smallmouth Bass & Dave Sr finished with a 35.5” Pike with a very wide girth. All left having a great visit & making wonderful memories between father & sons.

First time guests David Nero & Woody Kessell from Akron & Uniontown, OH arrived with anticipation. First day ever on our lake they recognized a pattern & started catching Smallmouth, landing over 40 before supper. Second day had them catching 30+ Smallmouth Bass until T-Storms brought them back at noon. They ended up only fishing a few more hours because of weather & ended up the day with 38 Smallies. 3^rd day was very windy with a cold front which made it slower going, but even with these conditions Dave & Woody managed to catch 20+ Smallmouth. 4^th day they stuck to there pattern of fishing 8-15 foot depths away but parallel to rock shore lines & caught another 33 Smallmouth Bass with their wacky rigged 3” Slug-O’s. 5^th day they caught 20 Smallmouth and on the 6^th & final day they finished strong with 34 Smallmouth Bass. Both had a great trip and said they would like to return in the future.

Tom & Jen Born from Burlison, TN returned to Fireside Lodge for their trip. First day out had them catching some fish, both Pike & Smallmouth, & seeing a few monsters just take a look & leave, 2^nd day was Musky day for Jen as she hooked & landed a nice 31”er. 3^rd day they portaged to a Musky / Smallmouth Bass lake in server cold front conditions, & had many Musky follows and caught some nice Smallmouth Bass. Tom landed a monster 19.5” Master Anglers Award Trophy Smallmouth. 4^th day had them catching Pike and Smallmouth with Tom landing another GIANT Smallmouth, this one measuring 19”. Another exciting event was when a Musky the same length as the width of their boat followed Tom’s lure through a figure eight, then sat a few feet below their boat just long enough for Tom & Jen to get a good look, & then it slowly swam away. 5^th & final day had them on the last search for that Monster Pike or Musky. First choice was to try fishing in Cedarbough, but the low water conditions prevented them from getting to this lake, so they decided to fish the lake with the BIGGEST fish which is Little Vermilion Lake. They had a blast soaking up their last day, seeing some follows and catching some Pike, but the MONSTERS eluded them on this trip just teasing them with follows and near strikes. Both left having a wonderful time and adding to their memory log.

Barrett Bunce from Santa Barbara, CA returned for his second visit bringing his sons Brandon from Ventura, Ca & Andrew from Sheridan, CO. 1^st full day on the water had these 3 catching many Pike & some Smallmouth Bass, & Andrew told me he was starting to believe my weekly fishing reports. 2^nd day had them portaging & catching many pike, 30+, in only 3.5 hours, but were driven out because of T-Storms. 3rd day was facing cold front conditions & the fishing was slower, but they still managed to catch 20 Smallmouth Bass. 4^th day was a fun portage day adventuring to another lake having a great time catching a bunch of Pike. 5^th day had these three fishing for Smallmouth Bass catching 15 & they also took some time to enjoy the Twin Falls Area. This is and amazing natural wonder on Little Vermilion Lake that all should see and it is a perfect photo opt. 6^th & final day was a portage for Musky & Smallmouth Bass. Well the Musky did not get the message, but the Smallmouth did as they caught a bunch of Smallies. Many memories were made between father & sons on this trip & for Barrett it was a special trip not only being with his two sons but also in remembrance of a very good friend who was with Barrett on a previous trip with us. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge to make some of your special memories.

Long time guest Leon Robbins from Yadkinville, NC returned with three timer Justine Sebastian from Mont Holly, NC & Leon’s nephew Troy Reed from Winston Salem, NC for his first experience. This was Troy’s first fishing trip & he arrived never having caught a Smallmouth Bass, Musky or Northern Pike. 1^st evening they caught 11 Pike & 8 Smallmouth with Troy catching the most including his first ever Smallie & Pike. 1st day after breaking through three beaver dams & a shallow silt bar they caught over 60 Northern Pike & a dozen Smallmouth Bass. Terrific day for all & in just 24 hours Troy went form never catching a Pike or Smallmouth to becoming very good at it. 2^nd day was a bit slower because of high winds, T-Storms, along with sever cold front conditions. All still caught some fish & had tons of fun. 3^rd day was their Musky day as the saw a lot of follows & landed 4, with Troy catching his 1^st, 2^nd, & 3^rd Musky in the same day, his biggest being 36.5”, & Justine caught a HUGE 39.5” Musky. It was a very exciting day as they also caught plenty of Smallmouth Bass. 4^th day all had a fabulous time catching over 50 Northern Pike along with a half dozen big Smallmouth Bass, & Leon landed a nice 37.5” Musky. 5^th & final day was almost a copy of the 4^th as they caught 48 Pike with 8 Smallmouth Bass. All left tiered & worn out, but feeling great, & before leaving were looking into dates for 2012.

1^st Timers to Fireside Lodge were Gene O’Bara from Manville, NJ, Vito Palombella from Needham, MA, Jerry Klaus from Orlando, FL & James Miller from Fort Lauderdale, FL. First day on the water these three did very well catching many Northern Pike/Smallmouth Bass and both Gene & Vito lost Muskie, & Jerry landed the first Musky of this trip. Great day for it being their first ever on Little Vermilion Lake. Facing cold front conditions & high winds on their 2nd day Vito hooked and landed a 34” Muskie with no leader and 6lb test line and Gene caught a nice Pike & also losing a BIG Muskie. Then they had a three-hour delay because of a hook incident. Afterwards they went right back to catching many Northern Pike. Jerry & Jim had many follows and landed 10 nice Northern Pike. 3rd day was just one of those wonderful weather days & the fishing was “FABULOUS”. Gene & Vito caught over 30 Smallmouth Bass along with several Pike & Vito landed 2 Master Anglers Award Trophy Bass measuring 18”. Jerry & Jim also did great catching over 50 Smallmouth with a lot in the 14 to 17” range. 4^th day had Jerry & Jim portage to a Pike lake while Gene & Vito fished for bigger Toothy Critters. We hesitate to say fishing for Musky because Gene figures that if you don’t fish for this elusive fish that’s when you might catch one. The results were “all had a fabulous day” as Jim & Jerry caught over 30 Northern Pike and a few Smallies, with Gene & Vito catching 7 Pike 6 Smallmouth but the topper was Gene hooking & landing a 40” very heavy Musky on a top-water prop bait. Very exciting as they both saw the fish blow up on Gene’s lure. Both will have that memory engrained in their minds forever. 5th & final day had Vito & Gene portaging for Pike & Walleye catching 7 nice big walleye and about 40 Pike. Jim & Jerry also did very well catching 22 Northern Pike & 8 Smallmouth Bass. All left having a memorable trip & hope to return one day soon.

Long time return guests Steve & Lawrence Sandler from Richmond Hill & Markham, Ontario

were back for their 6^th visit with us at Fireside Lodge. First day they faced a cold front right off the bat b

ut still caught 7 Pike & many nice Smallmouth Bass between 13 to 17”. 2^nd day was a ‘Fabulous’ day as they caught well over 50 Northern Pike and had lots of action in follows & lost fish. 3^rd day was fun catching good size Northern Pike, 26-31” throughout the day, Lawrence landed a nice Tiger Muskie & Steve caught some great size Smallmouth Bass up to 17”, all having a good thick girth. 4^th and final day the

y finished strong catching 50+ Northern Pike along with 5 Big Smallmouth Bass all at or near 17” & as fat as footballs and Lawrence caught a nice Tiger Musky. Both left having made another set of wonderful memories between brothers & the chatter on their departing morning was about making reservations for 2012.

Gordon Mair from Skippack, PA returned for his second visit in as many years. First several days fishing Gordon mixed it up catching Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike and enjoying the other wonders we having in our great wilderness setting. Gordon spent close to 45 minutes just watching Bald Eagles do what they do every day. That’s one of the many benefits of fishing in the Canadian Wilderness. Second day Gordon caught 4 Smallmouth Bass and 3 nice Northern Pike. On Gordon’s final two days he did very well expanding his knowledge of our lake by exploring some new areas and catching some good Northern Pike while doing so. He left having a thoroughly enjoyable stay and he hopes to return in 2012.

Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2011 & 2010 Photos

For Fabulous Video, Wildlife Events, and Current Happenings go to our Social Sites Below.

FaceBook

YouTube

Twitter

Hot Lures: #13 Jointed Rapala, Slug-O rigged Wacky Style, Bomber Long-A Jointed, Mepps Musky Killer, Sinking Worm, Live Leeches,

Top-Prop, Red Blade Mepps #5, Deep Diving Crank Bait, Blue Fox Spinner

Catches of The Week: Smallmouth Bass 13 at 18”, 3 at 18.5”, 4 at 19”, 2 at 19.5”, & 1 at 20”, Countless between 17-18”.

40” Muskie and many Pike between 30 to 38”.

Well, that's it for this weeks Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report, Please stay tuned for next weeks report. Until then "Keep On Fish'n" Alan

800-545-0815

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireside-Lodge/304211179043?v=wall

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 7/30 to 8/6 2011

2011-08-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 7/30 to 8/6 2011

Hello from Fireside Lodge in Northwest Ontario, Can

ada where the weather was beautiful this & the fishing was great this week. Highs were 80 to 85 with lows ranging in the high 50’s.

The Holesinger family of Don & Audrey and their son Matt from Fulton and Roscoe, IL returned for their 5^th consecutive year. Audrey made sure she had her own measuring tape this year as last year there was a doubt the accuracy using Matt’s beat up rusty old tape. After a slow morning they got right into a bunch of 14 to 16.5” Smallmouth Bass during the afternoon. 2^nd day they did great only counting the BIG Smallmouth of which they landed 44, and Matt tied into & caught a BIG 37.5” Northern Pike with HUGE girth. 3^rd day was another fabulous day catching well over 65 Smallmouth plus Matt caught another big 34” Pike, & Don caught an 18” Master Anglers Award Smallie. 4^th & final day was the absolute best ever, as before supper they caught 79 Smallmouth with most being 15 to 18” & Audrey landed the 18” Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. WOW!!! During their cabin time laughter could be hear as they enjoyed having some good old fashion fun playing a few board & card games. All left making another set of wonderful family memories.

Father & son Bob & Ron Ramsey from Leavenwoth, KS & Sewanee, TN returned for their 7^t^h year in a row. DOA these two got right into fish catching Northern Pike & a Muskie before supper. 1^st full day they had some big follows & Ron lost a Huge Muskie after breaking his leader. A few minutes after this event Ron and Bob watched this huge fish jump clear out of the water & throw Ron’s lure. This is when they realized how HUGE this fish was. 2^nd day had them getting a lot of follows from Big toothy critters, but getting a hook up was not easy. They did catch some average size Pike. 3^rd day was a portage for Musky. Well they found Musky having 18-20 follows from different fish, but they were very lazy & at times had them opening there mouth right behind the bait, but then they would turn away & wave goodbye with their tail. Their final two days they caught a good number of sizable Pike in the 28 to 31” range, a few in the mid 30’s & also saw a few more monsters that teased them again. Better to not catch these big fish trying than not trying at all. Both left making another set of wonderful memories at Fireside Lodge, to hold for years to come.

First time Guests, David & Denise Law from East Bethel, MN did great their first day finding bigger Northern Pike, each lading their personal best at 36.5 & 33”. Both commented that all of the Pike caught were very thick, larger than any Pike they catch in Minnesota. 2^nd day was a slower 89-degree day. It did pick up in the evening after supper as it seemed chartreuse grubs were the ticket. Last day was their best as they caught a bunch of big Smallmouth & Pike with Dave landing a 37” & a trophy 40.5” Northern Pike along with fish in the 28 to 33” range. Dave thanked us for their fabulous first experience fishing in Canada & have all intentions on returning in the future.

Back for their 2^nd visit were Denver & Christi West from Lakeview, AR. They got right to it as they caught a lot of Smallmouth Bass on their first day, including big fish, Denver landing two Master Anglers Award Trophy Bass at 18 & 18.25”. 2^nd day was slower overall, but for Christi it was a good day as she caught most of the fish. We’ll blame this one on the near 90-degree heat. Terrific Smallmouth fishing was on the menu for their 3^rd and final day. Denver said that there were times periods in the morning when they caught Smallmouth on every cast. Lot were in the 14 to 15” range, & a dark green gitzit was their meal ticket for Smallmouth today. Their last evening was spent catching more Smallmouth but mostly savoring their time in the Canadian Wilderness enjoying one last beautiful sunset together. Audrey & I were honored to find out on Denver & Christi’s last night that this trip was to celebrate their 35^th Wedding Anniversary. Thanks for spending this special with us at Fireside Lodge.

Frank Poehlmann & Mike Coble from Schwenksville & Phoenixville, PA were fishing at Fireside Lodge for their 1^st time. 1^st full day fishing they caught both Smallmouth Bass & Northern Pike as they were learning their way up the lake. 2^nd day had the heat sending them in early, but they did well catching Northern Pike & Smallmouth Bass, with Frank landing a big 17.5” Smallie. 3^rd day was intended to be a Smallmouth day but after having a double bite off on their 1^st cast, they put leaders on and continued to catch Pike after Pike having their best Northern Pike day ever. Next few days these two caught a lot of fish while getting through a few slow periods & experienced several 1^st’s. Frank caught his first Muskie, Mike landed his first Pike while fly-fishing, and Mike caught his biggest Northern Pike ever measuring 38”. Last day was a great send off as they caught both Smallmouth Bass & Northern Pike, & while Mike was fishing with a Gulp Leech on a plain hook with no leader he hooked a 38” Muskie. Mike battled this fish for 15 minutes and ended up landing it. Great catch & a great end to a fabulous fishing trip.

Long time return guests since 1993 Paul & Susan Frost from N Quincy, MA were here to relax in the wilderness while enjoying the sport fishing & in Susan’s case fly-fishing. First day had them catching a few larger Smallmouth Bass. 2^nd day was great as they not only had some great fishing but Susan caught 5 Smallies while fly-fishing & Paul caught a Master Anglers Award 18.5” Trophy Smallmouth, however the story is just as good as the catch. While using a Pop-R surface lure Paul had a fish explode on the lure. At that point the fight was so strong Paul thought in to be a BIG Muskie, however when they got a closer look he had 2 big Smallmouth Bass hooked on the same lure. After a great battle it turned out that Paul was fighting a 16.5” & an 18.5” Smallmouth at the same time. One fish was hooked on each treble hook. Incredible catch by Paul. 3^rd day had these two searching for big toothy critters, but while on the search ran into Smallmouth Bass & caught a bunch of fish. As for the Pike & Muskie it was back to the map & discussing locations, lures, & presentation. On their last two days both did very well catching sizable Smallmouth Bass & Susan shined as she connected up with many Smallmouth while fly-fishing. Her go to fly was an olive color wooly bugger. In the process we both learned something about line-to-line knots. Right Susan? Paul also caught a BIG 36.5” Northern Pike & in the end most of their goals were accomplished. Both and a fabulous time making some great outdoor memories together & hope to return in the future.

Scott Kimball from Otathe, KS returned with his son Sam (12) for their third trip. Even though Sam is age 12 their main purpose is to hunt large toothy critters. First day they caught Pike & caught a BIG 40.5” Master Anglers Award Trophy Northern Pike. Sam did a great job of netting & photographing his Dad’s catch. 2^nd day had these two catching a lot of Pike. 3^rd day was spent hunting for BIG toothy critters & they did find them getting a lot of follows. Sam had a Musky come up on his lure several times that was approaching 50”. Could you imagine the fight that would have been? They also caught 15-20 Smallmouth Bass. The next several days became a mission hunting that BIG Musky in the 50” range, & Sam got the fever bad. After seeing a number of these big monsters he would come to supper every evening asking about lures & presentations to coax one of these fish to hit. Loved seeing this young boy get so involved in sport of fishing & hunt of the ultimate BIG fish. On their last day after hunting for the monsters again they decided to change tactics. Well, all heck broke loose as they caught over 25 Northern Pike in just a couple of hours. Everyone enjoyed hearing the excitement of the story through Sam’s interpretation. After Sam told his story we discussed some things, we both decided that the biggest catch of all for Sam & his Dad was the memories made while fishing together for the week. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge to make these special memories.

Back for their third visit were Jim & Mike Stalknecht from Ringwood, NJ & Guthrie Center, IA and Mike Crescente & Joe Link from Highland Lakes & Ringwood, NJ. Early bird gets the worm panned out for Jim as being and early riser & fishing by himself before breakfast caught a HUGE 40” Muskie. A challenge landing by yourself but Jim managed and penciled an outline of the fish on the bottom of the boat so all could see. That’s setting the bar!! The rest of the day all caught some Northern Pike & Smallmouth along with seeing many large follows from both Musky & Pike. 2^nd day was fabulous as they caught over 80 Northern Pike, but not without effort. Receiving very little rain our creeks leading to other lakes have become very shallow and the Beavers have been hard at work, so they had to contend with 3 dams and a few shallow silt bars, but it was well worth it. 3rd day had Jim & Joe Musky hunting and they did great having many follows while hooking up on three Muskie, & Joe landed two. Jim lost the biggest fish at the boat when the fish spit out his buck-tail. Mike & Rick did well fishing for Pike catching some in the 28-32” range. 4^th day had the rolls reversed as Mike & Rick were Musky fishing & they also did great hooking up on 5, catching 3 with Rick getting his first ever Muskie landing a very BIG 38.5” Tiger Musky. Mike caught a 28”er but lost the fish of the day believed to be well over 40”. 5^th & final day Mike & Rick did great at an out lake catching 40+ Pike & 13 walleye before supper. That same day at evening time they were very excited to tell us they saw the biggest Musky ever. Mike & Rick said they can’t wait to come back next year to chase this monster.

First timers Michael (Mick) Russo & Ron Suda from E Moriches & Patchogue, NY were here for their first Canadian Wilderness Fishing Adventure. 1^st day these guys did great catching over 20 bigger Smallmouth, 12 Northern Pike & Ron came up with a 38” Muskie. Great for 1^st time ever fishing this Little Vermilion Lake System. 2^nd day these two tore the Northern Pike up catching well over 50 near 60, & several nice BIG Smallmouth Bass mixed in. 3^rd day they were off to an out lake to try their hand at Walleye fishing. “FABUOUS” described their day as they caught close to 40 walleye with all but a couple being 20-26”. They got great photos & said the fish were hitting & fighting extra hard. 4^th day was another “FABULOUS” day for these two as the had about 30 Musky follows, catching 4, along with having great Smallmouth fishing both landing 18”+ trophies. A very exciting happening was watching Mick catch both of his Muskie on surface poppers while fishing for Smallmouth with 6bl test no leader. WOW!!! They captured video of a Muskie attacking & coming completely out of the water on Mick’s popper. Look for this soon on our YouTube site. 5^th & final day these two finished strong catching 15 nice walleye, 30+ Pike and had the opportunity to catch two big Muskie. In fact after Ron did the figure 8 for about 15-20 seconds a BIG Musky finally lunged & actually had it’s mouth around Ron’s lure, but in the excitement Ron set the lure just a second too early and pulled the lure right from the grasp of this monsters mouth. We’ve all done this, & as I always say “That’s Fishing”! Both of these Long Islanders had fabulous time fishing with us for the first time & were talking at supper on their last night about a return trip in 2013.

Long time guest Rob Little with son Aaron from Toronto, ON returned with Rob’s long time friend Michael Winton & his son Tyler from Plano, TX. DOA before supper they got to a great start catching 20 Northern Pike and several Smallmouth Bass in just a few hours. Tyler himself caught 8. 1^st full day they did fabulous catching plenty of Pike & Smallmouth Bass as Tyler & Aaron had a blast hooking & landing these feisty fighters. Michael, being his first time ever in our location was really taken by the fabulous wilderness setting we have to offer, and mentioned how he would love to get a group together from Texas, as he was sure they would be amazed also. 2^nd and final day. Yes, you read this correct, these fathers made the effort to come from very far away making time to fish with their 10 year old sons. Hurrah to these fathers for such a GREAT effort. This great effort will surely pay dividends in future years to come. This last day was full of both Smallmouth Bass & Pike action with Tyler landing a 25” and Aaron a 24” Pike and all caught many pike up to 28”, and a bunch of Smallmouth. From my observation I think the kids definitely wore out their dads. All had loads of fun and made memories to last a lifetime.

Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2011 Photos

For Fabulous Video, Wildlife Events, and Current Happenings go to our Social Sites Below.

FaceBook

YouTube

Twitter

Hot Lures: Surface Popper, Swim Bait, Chartreuse Blue Fox Spinner, Green Mepps Black Fury, Fluke, Tube Jig, Twister Tail, Burt Bait, Live Leeches

Fly of the Week: Olive color Wooly Bugger

Catches of The Week: 40.5” Northern Pike, 19.5” Smallmouth Bass 38.5” Tiger Muskie, 38” Muskie, 20” & 16” Smallmouth caught on a popper at the same time, 26” Walleye

Well, that's it for this weeks Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report, Please stay tuned for next weeks report. Until then "Keep On Fish'n" Alan

800-545-0815

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireside-Lodge/304211179043?v=wall

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 7/16 to 7/30 2011

2011-08-07T05:10:00.000-07:00

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 7/16 to 7/30 2011

Hello from Fireside Lodge in Northwest Ontario, Canada. HOT! HOT! HOT! That goes for the weather & fishing! It was gorgeous weather wise having temperatures in the high 70’s to high 80’s, & the fishing was great as you will read about below.

Guests since 2002, Bergen family of father Tim & two sons Joe & Adam from Orland Park, IL were back bringing friend Eddie Tracy from Monee, IL. First day was a great Northern Pike day as they caught 47. Second day they were in search for big fish targeting Muskie with great results. Joe caught a 36.5”. Adam a 32.5” & Eddie caught his 1^st ever Muskie at 28.5”. They also caught some big pike with both Tim & Adam landing 35.5”ers & Joe, Adam, & Eddie were full of excitement as they described a Huge (45-50”) Musky that followed their lures 4 different times and a 5^th just cruising by there boat for a look. Adam said at one point he was shaking. 3^rd day was a little slow but the fourth day was very special. They set out to catch Muskie & that’s exactly what happened as they landed 7 total. Eddie had the largest at 37.5”, Joe caught a 36”er, and Adam a 35” Musky. Adam & Joe each caught a 33” Pike and to top it off Tim & Adam both caught trophy Smallmouth Bass, Tim’s being huge at 19” and Adam’s was a MONSTER measuring 21”. All went home having a FANTASTIC trip making another set of family fishing memories.

Long time guests, 16 years, returning consecutively since 1995 are Jerry & Wanda Miller from Erwin, TN. 1^st day Jerry guided them to catching over 35 Smallmouth & 10 Pike. The Bass were big with Jerry landing two over 18” & Wanda lost the biggest of the day. 2^nd day was less numbers, but a lot of quality Pike & Smallies. Big excitement was watching a huge bear swimming across the lake for 25 minutes. Jerry really got into Smallmouth between 15 to 17” along with some nice Northern Pike & Jerry lost a Pike 35-37”. 3^rd day Jerry got into some Big Smallmouth 16 to 18” using surface lures. The action was very exciting always anticipating the strike. 4^th day was short on the water because of some severe thunderstorms, however they still caught some beautiful Smallies. 5^th day it was so windy they decided to take a day of rest. On their last day Jerry decided to try some new areas. They caught some very nice Smallmouth in the 14 to 16” range to end of their trip in anticipation of their next visit in 2012.

For their 8^th consecutive year father & son George & Josh Carney with Grandpa Tom Miller all from Madison, WI returned to Fireside Lodge. 1^st day Lots of Pike was on the menu for these three & Josh was the leader in number & size. 2^nd day they caught too many Pike to count & it was Tom having the hot hand. Next was portage day for Muskie & Smallmouth, but since it was over 90 with sun & high humidity they targeted Smallmouth & did very well catching many in the 14 to 17” range & Tom landed a small Muskie. 4^th day was textbook fishing before thunderstorms rolled in, & the action got fast a furious catching many bigger pike in the 30 to 35” range & some nice Smallmouth. Despite high winds their fifth day was very productive catching many Northern Pike & several Smallmouth Bass. 6^th & final day they got into some Bigger Northern Pike with George catching several large 30-33” Pike. All had a special family fishing trip & are hoping to return in 2012.

Returning for their 4^th time were Chris Grimes, Robert Fisher, from Thurmont & Frederick, MD & Dennis Winters with his son Joseph from Ogden, UT. 1^st day they caught fish but didn’t set the world on fire. We discussed fish location & presentation & the 2nd day was much better with Chris & Bob catching Smallies, Chris landed a nice 33” Musky & they had 6 other follows. 3^rd day was their best as they caught countless Northern Pike with Chris & Bob also getting into a bunch of Smallmouth. Chris landed two trophies at 18.5” and a HUGE 19”er. Next day was a 1 day tournament in Terry Lake. Opposing team players fished with each other for a half day to control scores & to create competitiveness. The rules were 1 point for each Northern Pike & 5 points for each walleye caught. This was created by a plea from Dennis & Joseph who were behind in the weekly competition on the largest fish in each category of Smallmouth, Muskie, & Northern Pike. Well, Dennis was the only person who caught walleye. Catching three put him and Joseph in the winning circle for that day. 5^t^h day was very windy but despite the adverse conditions all caught a lot of fish, both Northern Pike & Smallmouth Bass. Chris landed 2-18” Smallmouth & Bob caught 1 18”er. Dennis & Joe caught all Northern Pike, too many to count. 6^th & final day had them all Musky hunting having follows and landing 3 with Chris catching the largest at 32.5”. Chris also caught an 18 & 18.5” along with Bob catching 2-18” Trophy Smallmouth Bass.

David Jewell, Wendell Hill, Robert Nutter, & Michael Plumley from Pineville, Foster, Clarksburg, & Hamlin, WV were back for their 3^rd trip. All caught a bunch of Smallies on DOA, & before breakfast on their 1^st day David a Bob had 25 & Todd & Wendell caught 12, most on surface with a Torpedo before breakfast. The rest of the day they caught lots more on #3 Mepps Spinners. 2nd day was even better catching 40 to 50 Smallmouth/Pike per boat, having a mix of sizes up to 17.5” on Smallies & up to 30” on Pike. Third day was mostly Smallmouth Bass with a

few Pike mixed in, and Smallies ranged up to 17.5”. 4th day was full of action as they caught more Northern Pike than they could keep count of, 40-50 per boat, plus had ex

cellent Smallmouth fishing landing many along with a lot being 15 to 17.5”. 5^th & final day, despite windy conditions, they still caught plenty of Smallmouth Bass, ending their trip on a high note.

David Powell from Springfield, IL & Jim Stark from Mission Viejo, CA returned for their 3^rd trip in as many years. 1^st day they caught a bunch of Northern Pike somewhere around 40+ with lots of other action. Next day was a Muskie & bigger Pike quest. So after discussion of locations, depth, & presentation they went out and caught a number of bigger Pike but the Musky were no shows. Jim did so well he had to replace a lure that got all busted up. That evening they also figured out the Smallmouth catching them up to 17.5” using a small x-rap. 3^rd day Closs Lake portage was their choice & even though they did not land a Muskie Jim lost one. They also had some follows & caught Smallmouth. 4^th day was fabulous as they caught about 40 Northern Pike & the action seemed non-stop with all of the fish lost & follows. Both left having a fabulous time & hope to return in 2012.

Six time guest Tony Kujawa, from Lansing, IL returned with his daughter Lauren for her first experience fishing in Canada. 1^st day was all about Pike as they caught many & had many follows. 2^nd day was a portage for Muskie & Smallmouth Bass being a perfect day for Musky as a weather change was expected. It sure changed as severe thunderstorms appeared in the early afternoon. The Musky were on cue with textbook writings becoming very active just before the storm hit. Lauren had 3 follows, which scared the daylight out of her, & Tony hooked up on three Muskie in a short time period, & along with Lauren’s help landed one. The photo shows the weather conditions, as it was a completely black sky behind Tony in his Musky photo. Their last two days were full of fun catching fish & making memories between father & daughter in the Canadian Wilderness. As a side story Lauren, having never been here before, ended up knowing another guest, Eddie Tracy above, as the attend the same High School. What are the chances of that!

Dave Henry returned to Fireside Lodge with his son Jake, along with Tim Traveny from Palmyra, PA & Bob Mezo from Dixon, IL. 1^st day was slow but they still caught some Pike. 2^nd day had Jake catching his 1^st Musky at 33” & Dave landed a 21” Monster Trophy Smallmouth Bass. They all also had a ball catching Northern Pike & Smallmouth Bass. 3^rd & final day all had their best day catching well over 100 Northern Pike as a group along with catching some BIG Smallmouth Bass. Bobby caught a GIANT 22” Trophy Smallmouth. This ended their short trip with a BANG, & all hope to return to pick up where they left off next time.

Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2010 Photos

For Fabulous Video, Wildlife Events, and Current Happenings go to our Social Sites Below.

FaceBook

YouTube

Twitter

Hot Lures: Polish Pike, X-Rap, Mepps Spinner, Blue Fox Spinner, Torpedo,

Catches of The Week: Smallmouth Bass, 1-22”, 2-21”, 19”, 18.5”

Musky 37.5”, Many Pike 33-37”.

Well, that's it for this weeks Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report, Please stay tuned for next weeks report. Until then "Keep On Fish'n" Alan

800-545-0815

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireside-Lodge/304211179043?v=wall

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 7/9 to 7/16 2011

2011-08-01T04:08:00.000-07:00

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 7/9 to 7/16 2011

Hello from Fireside Lodge in Northwest Ontario, Canada. Weather in one word was gorgeous having 1 short rain even & highs in the mid to upper 70’s most of the week.

Jim & Rosemary Marschke from Tavares, FL returned for their second trip with us at Fireside Lodge. First day we had some rainstorms, so Jim was searching for fish himself & after patience & perseverance he found some fast action Smallmouth Bass in a drop off near weeds. Next day they both did great catching Smallmouth Bass with Rosemary landing a Master Anglers Award 18.5”er. Third day had them fishing for toothy critters & they did fabulous catching somewhere around 35 nice fish. On another day they almost repeated by landing 30+ Pike with Rosemary again catching the biggest fish. Last day was a shorter day on the water enjoying there last moments in our great wilderness setting they have fallen in love with. In this area they call it “Getting Bushed”. Both left saying there stay with us was fabulous & would definitely return.

The Dobson family Dave, Terri, & Kaitlin from Milwaukee, WI returned for their 6^th consecutive year. On the evening of their DOA they got right into fish landing 10 Northern Pike & Dave caught a BIG 37” Pike, his personal best. 1^st full day they did well on Smallmouth Bass catching a bunch & Kaitlin set the bar landing an 18” Trophy Mater Anglers Smallie. 2^nd day was a trip up a creek in anticipation of Pike action. No disappointment here as the caught well over 50 Northern Pike. Next day, with the weather giving us a cool temps, they relaxed & enjoyed the wilderness atmosphere. After supper was their fishing time catching a few Smallmouth on the surface & captured a beautiful sunset. 4^th day was a great family day as they caught Smallmouth & Northern Pike, had a nice break by Twin Falls enjoying this natural wonder, and concluded their day with Terri & Kaitlin taking their traditional Kayak tour. All had a fabulous trip & hope to return again next year. Thanks for making some of you precious family memories with us at Fireside Lodge.

Father & Son Jack & Steven Starnes from Wise & Duffield, VA were back f or their 7^th year in a row

. 1^st day they caught just under 100 fish, about 75 Smallmouth & 18 Pike including several 18-19”ers, and Steven caught a 20.25” MONSTER. Next day was 20 Smallies about 65 Pike. Landing some big ones, catching 3 Muskie with Steven & Jack each catching 1 over 40”. Third day had them catching 40

Pike, 12 Smallmouth and 1 more Musky. 4^th day they caught 30 Pike and 25 Smallmouth Bass, landing an

d losing some BIG Pike. 5^th day had them catching about 25 Pike and just a few Smallmouth, however Jack landed two huge Pike in the 38-40inch range with enormous girth. Next day they had an unbelievable Musky fishing & Muskie catching day as these two landed 9 Muskie, Jack catching the MONSTER, the only Tiger Musky measuring 40.5-inches. In the picture the fish’s head is bigger than Jack’s. They also caught about 20 Smallies with Jack landing a 19”er with a giant girth. These photos are a must see!! La

st day sent them off with about 40 fish, mostly Pike & before leaving they made their reservations for 2012.

Marilyn & Joe Foos from Alpharetta, GA were back for their second trip with us in as many years. First day fishing they had a FABULOUS Northern Pike day, catching over 50. Second day was all about Smallmouth Bass as they had a very good day catching 14 to 17 inch fish. Third day was slower due to the wind & cool front conditions, Fourth day had these two tearing up the Pike again landing over 30, and also caught 12 nice Smallmouth up to 17-inches. Fifth day they caught a bunch of Smallmouth Bass having lots of action. Also, they enjoyed some time by Twin Falls after eating lunch having an all around great day. 6^th day was their best day ever as the caught many Northern Pike (countless) including 10 over 30” and big Smallmouth Bass 16 to 17.5” and Joe got a trophy 18”er. On their remaining 3 days they continued to do well catching both Smallmouth & Northern Pike. Marilynn lost the BIGGEST Smallmouth of her lifetime during the netting process & Joe said it was HUGE. The debate was weather it was lost because of Joe’s netting or Marilyn’s loose drag. I decided it best be left at a team effort & all agreed. Also, Joe lost a GIANT Musky at boat-side as the advantage went to the fish because all Joe was using was a jig, and all be got back was the wire eye from he jig. As they say “That’s Fishing”. Also, Marilynn got her wish of hot weather & she went for a mid-afternoon swim on her last two days. Both had a FABULOSU stay and made reservations for 2012 before leaving.

Fishing at Fireside Lodge for there 1^s^t time were Ken Coleman from Traverse City, MI his son Ken (KC), from Houston, Texas and Brad Jensen from Rogers, MN. DOA they went out and caught about 12 Northern Pike several Smallmouth Bass & a Muskie. GREAT START!!! That same evening the action was great on surface Smallmouth Bass. First full day they had a very active morning catching a lot of Northern Pike with a few Smallmouth Bass mixed in. Second day they caught a lot of a Northern Pike again while exploring a new section of water on Little Vermilion Lake. Ken said it was a quality day with a lot of pike landed in the 30-34” range. Short Story: As Brad was fighting a Pike Ken tried to net his fish before he was able to reel in his lure. As his lure sat idle in the water a big Pike slammed it. Lucky he was able to hold on with the result being a double. All left have a great 3 days of fishing and memories that will last a lifetime.

First timers were fly-fisher brothers Jim & Bill Lewis from Andreson & Gladwater, TX. First day they caught some & lost a number of Smallmouth. Second day was fabulous as they caught to many Pike to count using Enrique Puglisi Sliders & a Dahlberg Diver. Third day brought the action and quality Northern Pike fishing with Jim having the hot hand catching most of the fish as the same flies were producing as the day before. Brother Bill was expecting Jim to brag in the dinning room about how he out fished him on the water, however Jim was very considerate and let Bill’s anticipation tell the story of the day. Last half day they did good catching Smallmouth and a few Pike. Both left enjoying themselves making another set of fishing memories between brothers.

Kent Williams & Bill Black from Atlanta, GA. returned to Fireside Lodge for their 8^th consecutive year. On their DOA before supper, just in a few hours, they caught a dozen Northern Pike. GREAT START!! First full day the caught many Pike including two huge 37/38 inchers that weighed 18-20lbs each having a giant girth. GREAT DAY!!! Second day was suppose to be a Smallmouth day but turned out to be another GREAT pike fishing/catching day as these two landed over 30 BIG Pike, almost all being over 30”, Bills biggest being 35” & Kent’s was 37”. Both had huge girth and Kent also caught a 38” heavy Muskie. As for Smallmouth Bill did catch a trophy 19” Master Anglers Award Bass. 3rd day was one of those tough fishing days, according to Kent, but they still caught over 20 fish. Great marketing when a very challenging day at Fireside Lodge still produces over 20 fish!!! Thanks Kent & Bill. Fourth & final day had these two having fabulous day with Bill catching over 20 fish & Kent had 15, but Kent did it his way, which obviously worked later in the day. Both had a terrific stay & were talking about returning in 2012 during August or September so the trip does not conflict with Bill’s 50^th wedding anniversary. An early congrats to Bill & his wife, and thanks for making your fishing memories with us at Fireside Lodge.

Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2010 Photos

For Fabulous Video, Wildlife Events, and Current Happenings go to our Social Sites Below.

FaceBook

YouTube

Twitter

Hot Lures: Pointer Minnow, X-Rap, Blue Fox Spinner, Black Fury Mepps, Silver Minnow Spoon

Flies of The Week: Enrique Puglisi Sliders, Dahlberg Diver

Catches of The Week: 40.5” Tiger Musky, 38” Musky. 20”, 19” Smallmouth. 2-40” Northern Pike, 3-38”Pike many 32-40”, 2 people caught 9 Musky in one day. WOW!!!!!

Well, that's it for this weeks Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report, Please stay tuned for next weeks report. Until then "Keep On Fish'n" Alan

800-545-0815

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireside-Lodge/304211179043?v=wall

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 7/2 to 7/9 2011

2011-07-19T04:19:00.000-07:00

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 7/2 to 7/9 2011

Hello from Fireside Lodge in Northwest Ontario, Canada. Weather was again beautiful this week having temps in the mid to high 70”s, cool evenings, & no rain. However, rain is what we need with the creeks getting lower every day and many forest fires burning in the region.

Joe Denise from Paletine, IL & Bob Nelson from Elmwood Park, NJ were back to fish Smallmouth Bass. Guests since 1996 these two know Smallmouth on our lakes system & did very well having several days over 50, one day over 70 & the rest were 20 to 50 Smallies per day. Bob’s favorite way to fish is top water and Joe’s is with a variety of plastics, & does he ever have a selection. Bob is simple usually having two rods rigged, 1 with a Pop-R & the other with a Chug Bug. Basically the same. They also caught a lot of BIG Smallmouth both coming away with two Master Anglers Trophies between 18 to 19”, and many 16 to 18-inch fish. They also had plenty of good conversation (never lacking here) and made another set of fishing memories between two very good friends and fishing buddies. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge to do so.

Carl Adams & Jody Fraser from Muskegon, MI returned for the second consecutive year. Their first two days they caught a lot of Northern Pike losing a few big fish at the boat during the netting process, however Jodi did land a HUGE 38.5” Pike. Third day was also good as Jodi said they caught fish all day long. Fourth day was a portage lake for Muskie and Smallmouth Bass fishing. They had a great time enjoying the adventure of a portage and being on a lake all to themselves. Also, they caught some big Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike and Jodi caught her first Muskie ever. When all was said and done they expressed having a GREAT DAY. There last two days the main effort was towards toothy critters having great success landing a lot of Northern Pike, and just before a storm they had a double hook up on Muskie, with Jodi landing hers, and Carl lost his as the fish jumped clear out of the water and spit his lure. That was Jodi’s 2^nd Musky in two days. Jody also cashed in on the Smallmouth landing her first ever trophy Master Anglers Award Smallie measuring 18.25”. Both had a great trip and we hope to see them again.

Darin Roberts from Cape Girardeaui, MO and his father Bob from DeSoto, were at Fireside Lodge for their first time to fish for Smallmouth Bass. Fist day ever on our lake & they caught over 25. Second day they landed over 35 Smallmouth & a half dozen Pike, along with two trophy Smallmouth at 18 & 18.5”. Third day was even better landing 51 Smallmouth and a dozen Pike. Bob had a few odd situations as one of the Pike he foul hooked in the side, and a Smallmouth he foul hooked it the head right between the eyes. Also, as Darin was re-tying a jig on, he drifted off a smallmouth spot into deeper water, 22ft, and just as he was finished about to move back into position Bob hooked a fish that gave him a battle for 10 minutes. Thinking it was a Pike or Musky they were both shocked when a BIG 29” Lake Trout came up. Fourth day they reached 52 with each landing a Trophy Smallmouth, Bob’s at 18” and Darin’s at 18.5”. Fifth day was a portage to catch Smallmouth and they broke their record for the 5^th consecutive day landing 56 saying that a lot of the fish were heavier. At suppertime on the 6^th day their count was 46 Smallmouth with 4 trophy Smallies 18 to 19”. After Supper they caught another 10 Smallmouth tying their previous days record of, 56 however they caught bigger fish qualifying there last day being their best. The biggest catch here was the memories made between father & son.

Greg, Benton, John McDounogh, Randy with two sons Dane & Ryan, and Jerry Sears and his son Mike all from Grand Blanc, MI were back for their 5^th consecutive year. Greg & John are here for BIG toothy critters, Randy and his sons fish for both toothy critters & Smallmouth, and Jerry & Mike are mostly Smallmouth fishers. The have a yearly contest with the winner having the largest # of inches in any of the categories of Smallmouth, Pike, & Musky. First two days Randy and his sons caught a mix of Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, and Randy got a dandy 33” Musky. Dane & Ryan caught some Big Smallmouth. Jerry & Mike got into a bunch of Smallmouth their 1^st day including ea
ch landing a Master Anglers Smallie at 19 & 19.5”. The BIG Fish Guys John & Greg had a lot of follows from big fish & it paid off the second day catching some in the mid-30” range, John lost a big Musky, & Greg caught a Master Anglers 40” Northern Pike.

Through the next three days they caught a lot of fish, saw many BIG follows & landed many BIG Smallmouth Bass. Jerry caught two more 18.5”ers & another at 19, Mike had three at 18.25”, 18.5, & a Monster 20”er. Dane caught an 18.5 & a 19” Smallmouth along with a 36”Pike, and Ryan caught many 14 to 16”. Also John landed a beauty Tiger Muskie at 38”, & missed a very big Musky. Greg landed a 41” Muskie. Well the winners on the total length contest were the Smallmouth guys as Jerry & Mike were run away winners. All had a fabulous time and are already planning their return trip for 2012.

Father and son Dennis & Mark Lowney from Aurora, IL, guests since 1991, returned for their annual fishing trip. First two days these two caught a bunch of Smallmouth and Northern Pike staying within 10 minutes of the lodge. The ticket for Smallmouth were sinking worms rigged wacky style. Throughout there remaining days they fished between relaxation time and did well on both Northern Pike & Smallmouth. A big part of their trip is visiting with other guests, telling stories & jokes. Denny got to know fly-fishers Steve & Jon (below) & when visiting Ireland with family brought each a gift of assorted flies tied in Ireland. That’s and example of how connection between guests are made while staying with us at Fireside Lodge. Both left staying they loved staying with us and we hope to see them again.

Steve Jensen from Springfield, IL & good friend & fishing buddy Jon Harrison from Georgetown, TX were back for their 8^th consecutive year to test their fly-fishing skills on Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, & Muskie. Steve mentioned on arrival his quest for a Musky on a Fly. First day was an “all pike day” catching many. 2^nd day had them portaging for Muskie & Smallmouth and John caught a beauty measuring 17”. Third day they caught three pike in half day. Rain kept them in the other half. Fourth day was very windy not being accommodating to the fly-fishing techniques. They caught a few but struggled most of the day, but that’s why they call it fishing & not catching. Next day they ended their trip with a bang with Steven landing over 30 pike himself & John had about a half dozen. Both had a great stay, made their reservations for 2012 & we will be seeing Steve again with his wife in August.

Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2010 Photos

For Fabulous Video, Wildlife Events, and Current Happenings go to our Social Sites Below.

FaceBook

YouTube

Twitter

Hot Lures: Sinking Worms, Tube Jig, Blue Fox Spinner, Minnow Stick Baits, Live Leeches, Mepps Spinner

Hot Flies: Enrique Puglise Peach Pattern

Catches of The Week: 41” Muskie, 38” Tiger Musky, 40” Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass 1-20”, 4-19”. 7-18.5”, 2-18.25”, 3-18”

Well, that's it for this weeks Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report, Please stay tuned for next weeks report. Until then "Keep On Fish'n" Alan

800-545-0815

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireside-Lodge/304211179043?v=wall

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 6/25 to 7/2 2011

2011-07-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 6/25 to 7/2 2011

Hello from Fireside Lodge in Northwest Ontario, Canada. Weather wise could not get any better than this past week. The only rain, which we need more of, came during the night and our daytime highs were 72- 82 degrees.

Long time guests Al Sins & Don Funderud were back to chase BIG toothy critters. Al wrote me an email after their trip so I will let him take it from here.

“Let me start by saying what a fantastic time we had last

week. As always, Fireside gets an A+. I don't think there

is another operation that can compete with you.

Our totals for the week were 4 musky, 84 pike and 6 SM.

Not bad when we only looking for musky. Don got 3 musky

at 29, 35, and 35 1/2 while I only got 1 at 34 1/2. Pike

was another story. As you know I like to fish Cedarbough.

Don lost 1 musky while I lost 2 in Cedarbough, 1 at the boat between

38 - 40 inches. My fault. I was drifting into the reeds & I tried to horse him to the boat. The pike in Cedarboiugh, Don got one at 30 inches & I got 8 at 32, 32, 32, 33, 33 1/2, 34, 35 and 37 inches. All were hefty fish. We got 6 SM with Don getting an 18 and 18 1/2 & I got 1 at 18 inches. We had over 60 musky follows & as you

know we only count them when we can identify them as musky. Overall

we were happy campers. FYI, The big musky I hooked & lost, 5 of the pike

& the citation SM were caught using your technique with the XR-12. You can be sure

I'll give that a try next year. Looking forward to next year already when Dave

& Pam will be joining us. Thanks again for everything”.

Brothers and first timers to Fireside Lodge were Mike & Jim McDonough from Pinetop, AZ & Rescue, CA. Never fishing for Pike before, these two caught 14 on their 1^st day. Another Pike day brought them fabulous fishing as they caught over 35 Northern Pike along with plenty of other action in follows and lost fish. Lure that work the best, 3/16oz Rooster Tail!! Why? The May Fly hatch was on, and who would have thought a tiny spinner would be so affection on 25 to 30” Pike. Having had success with Pike they tried their hat at Muskie. This day as very exciting having some follows, Mike catching his first Muskie ever, & Jim hooking his first but lost it in the battle. Mike also hooked another and the big fish jumped completely out of the water and as it slapped down on the waters surface it shook Mike’s lure. Not bad being from AZ & CA. They both had a great time and were sad to leave hoping to return in the near future.

Dan Murphy and his 12-year-old son from Hortonville, WI returned to Fireside Lodge for their second time. They got off to a fast start catching 20 Smallmouth Bass on their DOA & 17 More the next day with most being between 14 to 17.5” & Tom landed an 18.5” Master Anglers Award Smallie and caught a big 38.5” Musky. GOOOOO TOM!!!!! Next day was a fabulous Smallmouth Bass action landing over 35 fish between 14 to 17.5 inches along with a few Pike. Their 3^rd day brought their best Pike fishing day ever as they hooked up or had follows on 100+ Pike, & landed somewhere around 40. On their 4^th and final day they portaged to a lake for their first time in hopes of catching another Muskie. Well, they sure did find the Muskie, but hooking one was another story. Musky being as they are were not cooperative, despite getting many follows. They did however catch over 30 Smallmouth Bass with all being 14 to 17.5”. They finished the day and their trip by catching more Smallies after supper and watching the beautiful Canadian sunset. Dan & Tom came to Fireside to catch fish however their biggest catch of all were the memories made between father and son.

Matt Smith from West Friendship, MD returned to Fireside Lodge with his wife Catherine Collins. These two had a wonderful time together as Matt, already being familiar with our lake system was able to plan their events. First day had them searching for Smallmouth Bass and that evening really got into some fast action on the surface using Buzz Baits. How fun is that??? Next day had them portaging to a lake for a fun adventure and they caught many Smallmouth Bass with Catherine landing the biggest measuring 17.5” along with a bunch of perch, and saw 6 big Musky follow their lures right up to the boat. Next day was taking a 45-minute creek ride to Musky Lake and Catherine had a blast going here for her first experience riding through this ecological wonder. They had a great day catching a bunch of Northern Pike. They prepared for their last day the evening before by making a push pole from a long stout tree branch to push their way over the silt at the mouth of Cedarbough creek. The ouch pole worked great and they enjoyed their day catching some fish, include Matt landing an 18” Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass, and had a fabulous shore lunch over an open fire. They had a wonderful stay with us making memories together, which is the biggest catch of all.

The Womble Group of 17 guys from Oklahoma were fishing at Fireside Lodge for their first time. They included Horace Phillips, Tom Green, Bruce Wyckoff, Larry Heidebrecht, Dave & Stevce Womble from Oklahoma City, Perry Phillips & Tim Turner from Okarcke, Dave Hornebeek, Matt Wilson, & Virgil Onan from Edmond, Tom Womble from Park City, Jim West from Moore, Ron Walker from Stillwater, Wayne Farabough from Bixby, Rick Byrd from Norman, & Tyler Kuepper from Tulsa. First day four of these guys did great catching a lot of Smallmouth Bass, & Steve landed a 37” Northern Pike, lost an even bigger Muskie in the netting process, & another broke him off. Next day was even better as they again caught many Smallmouth Bass with one boat catching 60 fish, a combo of Smallies and Pike including 4-5lb Smallmouth Bass, and another boat caught 49 Smallmouth Bass & 2 Pike. That’s great fishing, especially since none of the group was ever at Fireside Lodge before. Third and fourth days were also full of fishing action again with everyone catching a bunch of Smallmouth, Horace landing his first Musky ever while fishing with no leader & 8lb test line. What a battle this was, but Horace ended up winning a getting a great photo with his Muskie. Perry and Tim tore em up on the last day catching well over 100 Pike & 10 Smallmouth, including 6 trophies between 18-20-inches. Tim was looking for a refund on a lure I sold him because it was all broken up, but after catching over 100 fish on this lure I told him he got his monies worth. All left having a wonderful time with us at

Fireside Lodge and all said they will return.

Gusts of Fireside Lodge since 1992 were Kevin Marks Hebron, KY, Jeff Coutant Maysville, KY, Mike Muir Knoxville, TN, Mike Strohl Indian Trail, NC, Mike Colitti Matthews, NC, Andrew Hurdman Chester, NJ & Tom Hurdman Jacksonville, FL. Kevin emailed me his own personal writing describing his groups trip and I will end this fishing report in his words.

“As always we want to thank you for the wonderful time that we had at Fireside Lodge this past week. Our time went so fast, and we are already counting the days until we return.

Some highlights of our trip include Mike Colitti's catching a 38-inch northern pike three days in a row. His best day he boated 35 total fish. Mike Muir had another banner trip. His best day of fishing is when he nabbed 76 fish (3 muskie, 10 smallies & 63 northern). His total for the trip was well north of 200 fish. Mike Strohl hit the jackpot on Monday when he "hit for the cycle". He caught one Tiger Musky, One Musky, 4 Smallies and 23 Northerns - one of each species. Tom Hurdman teamed up with his brother Andrew (Chester, NJ) on Monday and hammered the pike & boated 121 fish. Jeff Coutant and I had the most prolific boat on when he boated 66 northern and bass, while I added 68 fish for a boat total of 134 for the day! We want to shout out to our missing buddy Jay Lind who missed the trip this year in order to help care for his father.

I would also like to share a special story with you. The Hurdman's father was a military veteran and fishing fanatic. He made it a point to take the boys fishing as often as possible when they were little. Unfortunately cancer took him at a young age. Recently Andrew came across his father's "dog tags" that were in storage. After a short discussion, the Hurdmans agreed that it would be a fitting gesture to bury the tags at sea. We brought our boats together in the middle of the lake, the Hurdmans spoke some very appropriate and touching remarks, then committed the "dog tags" to the lake in honor of their father's love of fishing and time with his family!

On behalf of the boys, thanks. We had a wonderful trip to Fireside and we can't wait to come back.

All my best,

Kevin Marks

Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2010 Photos

For Fabulous Video, Wildlife Events, and Current Happenings go to our Social Sites Below.

FaceBook

YouTube

Twitter

Hot Lures: Blue Fox Spinner, X-Rap, Buzz Bait, Sinking Worm, Live Leeches

Catches of The Week: 3-38” Pike, 21- Smallmouth Bass 18”-19”, 38.5” Musky

Well, that's it for this weeks Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report, Please stay tuned for next weeks report. Until then "Keep On Fish'n" Alan

800-545-0815

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireside-Lodge/304211179043?v=wall

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 6/18 to 6/25 2011

2011-07-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 6/18 to 6/25 2011

Hello from Fireside Lodge in Northwest Ontario, Canada. We had a mix of weather this week having some rain, some sunshine and a few very cool nights. We had a few exciting moments where a Lynx was spotted not just walking, but actually in action pursuing a meal. To find out more read about Mike and Linda Lapresi and there up close encounter with this magnificent cat of the North.

For their 8^th consecutive year running Bill Aulenbach, Bill Rasbach, Mike Lewis & Jim Lonsway from Barberton, Hudson, Akron, OH & Burlington, Ontario were fishing at Fireside Lodge. Just for a few hours after supper Bill R & Mike did FABULOUS catching 18 Smalllmouth including 5 over 17” and 1 at 18”. First 2 days these two caught 50 and 53 Smallmouth, 99% Fly –Fishing and most were 16 to 18”. Mike caught 2 18”+ and Bill had 1. Bill Aulenbach hunting those toothy critters landed a 36.5 Musky & 37” Pike. Third day had Bill A And Jim hooking and losing 3 Muskie and Bill’s would not seem to fit in our 48” cradle, & slipped out and left the hook in the net. Bill R & Mike caught 26 Smallmouth. The next day was terrific as the group caught almost 100 Pike and Bill R & Mike caught 85% of their fish fly-fishing. Fifth day has Bill R & Mike catching 30 Smallmouth out of rock crevices, and Bill A caught a nice 35.5” Muskie and 2-37” Pike. Their last day fishing was special as they caught many Northern Pike with Bill R & Mike alone landed over 70 all while fly-fishing.

Ron & Marybeth Huffman from West Dundee, IL were back to continue Ron’s tradition of fishing on Little Vermilion lake for over 25 years. 1^st day they caught over 50 Smallmouth, most being BIG, in the 16 to over 18’ range Ron landing 3 over 18” and Mary Beth had 1 18”er. Second day was fabulous as they caught well over 100 Northern Pike 28-30”. On there last two days they did equally as well on Northern Pike catching 70 and over 100 again. Ron has a lot of history here as he started fishing here with his dad over 30 years ago and made many long lasting beautiful memories with his father. Ron and Mary Beth are continuing the log of memories.

Jerry Amer and Bill Calhoon returned for their 6^th consecutive year with us. DOA they slammed the Smallmouth catching 43, most being 15to17.5” & 99% fly-fishing. First full day they were catching too many to keep count, & caught many Smallmouth Bass 14 to 18” with most being taken fly-fishing. Their next two days were packed with Northern Pike action saying they could have caught as many as they wanted. They also did well catching some Smallmouth landing 6 Trophies between 18 and 19”. The last day was finished with a BANG catching over 50 Smallmouth all over 15” and landing 10 Master Angler Award Trophy Smallmouth between 18-20”. Also Bill caught 3 Muskie and Jerry lost a Big Musky, which was the biggest freshwater fish either had ever seen, and they have been fishing in Canada since their teens. Both had a FABULOUS trip making their reservations for the same dates in 2012 before leaving.

High school buddies, Don Landbo and Dan Szkola from S Elgin & Sugar Grove, IL were back again for their 8^th consecutive year. They portaged on their first day and caught a bunch of Pike and 7 walleye between 19 & 23”on crank-baits, specifically the wally diver & tail dancer. The following four day run down is; 91Pike, 34” Musky, 2-18.5” Smallmouth, 82Pike 7Smallmouth 1-19.5”, 50 Smallmouth 1-18.5” 4Pike, & last day they caught 97 Northern Pike on top-water buzz baits and lost nearly as many as they landed. Great fishing trip for these great friends & they made their reservations for 2012 before departing.

Father son combo of Paul and Tony Capecchi from Inver Grove, MN were back to enjoy some time together fishing in the Canadian Wilderness. DOA and first day these two caught 145 Pike, and Paul landed a HUGE 19” trophy Smallmouth Bass, a 33” Musky, & Tony had 6 Master Anglers size Smallies being 18-19”. Next day had them catching 80+ Pike and 30 Smallmouth, but 9 were Master Anglers Trophies between 18-19”. WOW!! Third day was windy but they still managed 40 Northern Pike and Tony caught another 6 Master Anglers Bass. They also enjoyed a shore lunch with Don & Dan (above) and had a fish story. While Tony attempted to set his hook on a fish the hook few out of the Pike’s mouth went past Tony as he ducked and landed in the water behind him only to have another Pike attack his lure as soon as it hit the water and Tony found himself fighting this fish backwards over his shoulder. Fourth day was a Muskie day as they landed 5 with countless follows. Tony caught the two biggest at 37” & 40.5”, and Paul had a 35&36”er. On their last two days they caught 60 & 80 Northern Pike along with 17 more Smallmouth, 4 being trophy fish, and they ended their last day with their traditional double on Northern Pike. In addition to all the great fishing Paul & Tony had many different wildlife experiences including a record 7 Moose sightings for a total of 10 Moose. Two of these were a cow Moose with a single calf and one with twin calves. They had great fun while making their 9^th consecutive year of memories at Fireside Lodge. Before leaving they confirmed that next year will be their 10^th.

Father/Grandpa Phil Spahr, sons Tim & Brad wit Brads 10 year old son Steven (his 1^st trip to Canada) from Fairborn & Marborough, MA were returning for their 13^th fishing trip to Fireside Lodge. First day had them doing very well as Tim & Phil accounted for 23 Pike & 1 Musky, Phil showing everyone up with his Beetle Spin (as usual). But the BIG story was Steven catching his first Northern Pike ever. Conrats to Steven!!! By the second day Steven caught 20 Pike in one day meeting a goal he set for himself that morning. Tim & Phil also had a great day catching over 60 Pike. Steven’s next goal is a Muskie. The 3^rd day was surly a Muskie day for Tim & Phil while targeting them, landing 6 nice fish at 27,30,34,36,37, &38” Phil catching the biggest which had a HUGE girth. The next two days were focused on accomplishing Steven’s 2^nd goal, a Muskie. They came close as Brad caught a 35.5” Musky with some great help from Steven, & Steven had his hands full landing a BIG 34” Northern Pike. The picture tells the whole story. Last day the group caught over 100 Pike, with Tim catching 47, and Steven landing 17. This family sure made the most of their time fishing, birding, wildlife viewing and having some great conversation, while making wonderful memories together.

Before leaving Steven expressed his wish to return again. I have a feeling his wish will be granted.

Dave Moon, long time guest since 1994, from St Peters, MO was back with his fishing buddies, Bob Hanewinkel, John Setzer, & Tom Wolf from Hillsboro, St Peters & High Ridge, MO. These guys warmed up quick catching over 80 big Smallmouth their 1^st day and landing 21 trophies over 18”, with Dave having 2 19”ers. Next two days were just as productive catching as many each day with most over 15” and recording another 22 trophy Smallies 18-20”. This group continued to catch countless Smallmouth throughout the week proving to be a Smallmouth Bass fishing machine. It was not just about catching numbers, as most of the fish were quality Smallmouth between 15 to 18”. They also broke a record for the most Master Anglers Trophy Smallmouth caught between 4 people, landing 70 Smallmouth between 18 to 20.25”. WOW!!!!! That’s a great trophy-fishing week for Smallmouth Bass. I think these guys should quit their day job and become Fireside Lodge trophy Smallmouth Bass guides. All left with another set of Fireside Lodge fishing memories and hope to return in 2013.

Brothers Jeff & Michael Kengor from Apollo, PA were first timers fishing at Fireside Lodge. First day ever fishing on our lake system they caught over 70 Northern Pike. WOW!!! Amazing for their first day on the lake. Second day had them catching a bunch of Smllmouth & as Mike was in the process of hand landing a bass a huge flash of a GIANT Muskie came from nowhere and T-Boned, then ate his bass. Mike almost had a heart attack, but his youth saved him. He also just missed a 40+ Muskie when it charged after his lure as he was lifting it out of the water. Next day they had a blast & portaged catching 25 pike 26-33 inches from a canoe. Fourth and final day they caught a bunch of pike, and then decided to call it quits after Jeff had a 50” Muskie only 10 ft from the boat in clear sight before it turned bolted off and broke Jeff’s line in an instant. They both decided to call it quits after this and what a GREAT memory to finish with.

Return guests, Father & Son Roy & Ross Lagerblade from Rock Island, IL & Crestwood, KY, Uncle Bob from Port Byron, IL, Jay Gardner from Buffalo, IA, Jeff Chaney & Bob Jaynes from Tulsa, OK & Anthem, AZ were here to reunite while fishing in our great wilderness setting. First day fishing they had lots of fast action catching over 70 Pike. Next day was not as productive catching fish, but had just as much fun landing 30-35 Northern Pike. Third day was a slower day, and all fishers know we get these days but never talk about them so we won’t either. Fourth day was a day of rest for three in the group, and the other three went Muskie fishing. Well the Musky showed up but were not very agreeable as they had many follows but could not hook up on one fish. That’s Muskie fishing! Last day this group finished with a bang catching well over 60 fish mostly being Northern Pike. All went home having loads of fun & made great memories among family and friends.

Fishing buddies Rob Delamatre from Sandusky, OH and Al Fishhaber from Northwood, OH were back for their 8^th trip to Fireside Lodge. First day three Muskie were caught with Al landing a 34”er and a big Pike. These guys mixed it up a bit fishing for BIG Toothy Critters and then going for numbers of average fish in the 26 to 33 inch range. The word must have gotten out amongst the fish community as unlike 2010 the BIG fish evaded them this year. Not completely as they did see a lot of Monsters but could not get a hook up. They did catch some in the mid 30-inch range, and as far as the average fish catch they did great. They had several days catching 25 to 30 fish and two days coming near and toping 100 Northern Pike. Al & Rob, as many of our long time guests, are like family, always staying in the lodge, listening to their pre-selected play-list, and having great conversation. We are looking forward to seeing them again, hopefully in 2012.

Mark Thurow, Peter Lazzara, Curt Danekas from Naperville, Chicago, & Palatine, IL were back for their second time bringing first timers, father & son Allen & Alex Katona also from Plainfield, and Zack Peters from Wheaton, IL. During their first day and a half they caught lots of Smallmouth and Northern Pike, with Pete & Zack landing trophy Smallmouth measuring 18.5” & 18” respectively. Each would equal that before the end of their four-day stay, and Pete would also catch a MONSTER Smallmouth Bass measuring 19” with a GIANT girth. Second day, Each boat caught between 25 to 40 fish, and Alex caught a nice 34” Pike with his dad Allen catching a HUGE 39.5” monster girth Northern Pike. Alex & Allen sure learned how to use the cradle quickly. A few of our creek accessible lakes posed some challenges for this group, but they stopped at nothing to seek a new adventure. Mark & Pete were momentarily halted as they attempted to travel up Cloudlet Creek. Soon they found out why we do not send anyone there, as it is impossible to navigate this creek. The last two days, of their 4 days of fishing, they had continuous action on both Northern Pike and Smallmouth, having some slow periods of time but during others the action was fast and furious. They all ended up having wonderful time fishing in the Canadian Wilderness, and made some great memories.

First time Fireside Lodge guests Raleigh Jones, son-in law Tim Nolan, & Brian Kendrick from Auburn, & LaFayettte, AL were here to fish for Smallmouth Bass & Muskie. First time ever on our lake system and these three went out and caught fish. Mostly Smallmouth and a half dozen Pike. Second day they found fishing slower, so after some discussion at the tackle shop about technique, presentation, and location they purchased sinking worms they ready to catch Smallmouth on their third and final day. Well, it was before noon and Raleigh was back hunting me down at the lodge to purchase more of those sinking worms. They ended up having a GREAT day catching many Smallmouth Bass between 15 to 18-inches. Before leaving all said they had a great time and all would return for a longer stay.

Mike & Linda Lapresi from Tucker, GA have been fishing with is consistently since 1995. First night & full day 31 Smallmouth were caught, and Mike wasted no time landing an 18.5” trophy. Well that set the pace for a fantastic week Smallmouth Fishing as they caught between 25 to 20 Smallies daily, with Mike landing 2 more 18-18.5” Smallies, and many 15 to 17.5”ers. They also caught them their way with Linda using primarily a Torpedo surface lure and Mike Fly-Fishing with poppers. Mike & Linda also had a National Geographic moment in real time. Mike saw a Lynx one morning while walking to his boat. That evening they took a walk on our lodge road and witnessed a Lynx pounce on a snowshoe rabbit watching from only 60 feet away it as it sauntered away with the rabbit hanging out of both side of its mouth. Before disappearing into the bush it looked back at them as if bowing to the applause of a performance. A memory they will both have to share for many years to come.

Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2010 Photos

For Fabulous Video, Wildlife Events, and Current Happenings go to our Social Sites Below.

FaceBook

YouTube

Twitter

Hot Lures: Sinking Worm, Grubs, Shaky Head Worm, Tubes, X-Rap, Mepps Spinner, Mepps Maribou, Topedo, Pop-R, Beetle Spin, Worms

Hot Flies of the week: Deceivers, Medium Streamers, Poppers, wooly bugger

Catches of The Week: 40.5” & 38” Muskie, 2 People catching 6 Musky in one day and 5 musky in one day. Many days having 2 people catch 100 pike or more, 126 Master Anglers Smallmouth caught between 18-20.25-inches

Well, that's it for this weeks Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report, Please stay tuned for next weeks report. Until then "Keep On Fish'n" Alan

800-545-0815

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fireside-Lodge/304211179043?v=wall

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 6/4 to 6/18 2011

2011-06-27T04:28:00.000-07:00

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 6/4 to 6/18 2011

Hello from Fireside Lodge in Northwest Ontario, Canada. We had an exciting couple of weeks here with not only fishing feats but also with wildlife sightings near the lodge. We had Steve Polep see a Moose come down to the water in our bay while standing on the dock, our whole staff and Audrey saw a Lynx walk up or road and behind the lodge kitchen and pause for all to see, many rabbits are all around camp, and we have had several painted turtles making nests and laying eggs by the cabins and boat launch area. What a Great side show to the fishing. See the Lynx and Turtles on our Facebook Page.

Father & Son Steve/Steve Polep from Cary & Crystal Lake, IL returned for their 2^nd time. These two had GREAT father and son time while doing very well fishing for toothy critters. The caught a lot of Northern Pike and with incidental catches of Muskie & Lake Trout. Both caught big fish up to 38.5” including Muskie, several big Lake Trout and each caught big Tiger Muskie. In fact while catching Pike they caught six Muskie in one day. That’s FABULOUS Fishing in any log. Best catch of all was the Father & Son time together & memories made.

Bob Martinovich & Lorrie Navarro from Babcock, WI were at Fireside Lodge for their first time and Lorrie’s first time fishing in Canada. They both had a great experience catching Smallmouth Bass, Pike & Musky Lorrie catching her first Northern Pike ever and many more, Bob caught his first ever Muskie, and an 18-inch Master anglers Award Smallmouth Bass. They also experienced many different wildlife sightings including having a Lynx walk up our road and behind our lodge while eating in our dinning room. It cause quiet a buzz in camp and Lorrie was excited but then she realized the Lynx might be after “HER” snowshoe hare by their cabin.

Vince Danko from Wirtz, VA and friend since kindergarten Bob Ballard from Palm Coast, FL were here to fish and reminisce the years gone by. Their main goal was BIG toothy critters. Well they found them early on, but the fish were in the following mood and difficult to catch. After patience & persistence they caught some beauties of both Pike & Musky with Bob catching a BIG Very Fat 39.5” Tiger Muskie. Look for this one on our photo page. They also caught some Pike and Muskie in the 30-34” range. Bob also caught a huge Smallmouth. Both had a fabulous time and hope to return.

Long time return guests Father and son Larry & LJ Psyk from Onalaska & Lacrosse, WI. Ken Beta and Jim Nelson from Fox Lake & Oak Brook, IL were back to enjoy fishing in the wilderness. 1^st day was a great start as they caught 40 Smallmouth and Larry & LJ each caught 18”+ trophies. 2^nd day had Ken & Jim catching 17 up to17.5” while Larry & LJ caught 11 with a few Pike. Next day had them catching 49 as a group with a few Pike and one Musky. Larry and LJ really turning it up on their 5^th day landing 43 Smallmouth themselves. These two also caught 4 Master Anglers Smallies 18-18.5”, and Ken landed two Muskie the last day. This group had been fishing together for over 40 years and for them being together to make another set of fishing memories is the biggest catch of all.

The Kauffman family John, Jan, Katie, & Allison from Monroeville, IN returned for their second experience fishing at Fireside Lodge. DOA they caught 8 pike and lost 8 with many follows. Great Start. First full day had them portaging for a half day experiencing very fast action landing 38 Northern Pike in 4.5 hours. That evening they replenished some damaged tackle with Jan selecting a Pink color lure. Next day had them lunching at Twin Falls and got into a bunch of Pike lading some over 30” and making contact with a few 35” and larger. Guess what caught the larger Pike. Yes, the pink lure. Third and final day started like the other 2 with Dad and his girls leaving the dock at 5:45AM for a morning fish and Allison was using the pink lure and caught more that Katie, & John. On their third and final day they were off to Twin Falls area and after some morning equipment situations cleared up they had a lot of action on Pike with the Pike Blue Fox again catching bigger fish over 30”. On their final night after supper they had a ball having fast action catching Northern Pike and finished with a bang. Greta family fishing trip and wonderful memories made.

Good friends Robert McCann & Steve Johnson from Springfield & Haltown MO both retuned for their fifth time. Here for 3 days they made the best of it tearing up the Smallmouth bass catching countless Smallies in the 15 to 17.5” range. It was non-stop to the end when Robert fishing for the last evening after supper caught 23 in a few hours on his favorite bait; the sinking worm fished wacky style. Both had a terrific time being away from work and breaking away from their everyday routine fishing and having good conversation.

Paul Weaver & Don Mayer from Princeton & Mt Vernon, IN returned with some friends & 1^st timers to Fireside Lodge Bruce Piper, Bob Streicher, Jerry Abney, & Keith Schaefer from Mt Carmel, Barnhart, Harrisburg, & Bruceville, IN. First evening and early morning Paul, Don, Bruce & Bob set the pace by have good Smallmouth Bass action on surface & suspending twitch baits. GREAT start and now it’s Keith & Jerry’s turn. Fabulous first full day as 2 of 3 boats caught over 80 Smallmouth each, with a lot 16 to 17.5”. Second day all three boats caught a Bunch of Smallmouth again and Paul came up with a 19” & Don an 18.5”. Third day was a repeat with each boat catching 50+- Smallmouth & the fourth was even better as they got into catching lots of Pike (30-50 per boat) with the Smallies, landing 5 trophies between 18 an 20.25”, and Paul lost a HUGE Muskie in the netting process. All went home having great stay already planning a return trip.

Walt LaCasse, John Hietala, Jim Jones, & Ron Ditillio from Minnetonka, & Northfield, MN, McKinney, TX & Pittsburgh, PA returned for their annual fishing trip to Fireside Lodge. First day out they caught some nice Smallmouth Bass and Pike with Jim getting the BIG fish of the day landing a 37” Muskie. Next day was great as they caught some HUGE fish with John catching an 18.5” Smallmouth Bass, Jim landing another Musky at 36”, and Ronnie hit it out of the park catching his biggest ever, a 41” Monster Muskie. Last day had them catching many more Pike as the action was fast on small to medium size Northern Pike. Before leaving the made reservations for 2011.

Dan Mosier from Lincoln, NE kept his annual tradition since 1998 of fishing at Fireside Lodge with one of his kids & this year it again was Nathan. Within 4 hours of their arrival they caught 11 Smallmouth & 9 Pike. Another day they got into some nice 30”+ Pike landing a pair of 34-inchers as Dan was having a blast with a new Rapala near surface lure watching the Pike come up behind and attack it. Another day had them having a FABULOUS day catching 162 Pike and Dan landed a trophy Monster 42” Northern Pike we estimated at 24-25lbs because of its enormous girth. Nathan (spoon guy) not only encouraged Dan to use a spoon that caught this fish, but also netted it and took great photos. On their last day with a big smile Dan said they had a slower day landing 80 Pike Nathan’s biggest was 34” & Dan’s was 36”. It/s pretty special when a slower day means catching 80+fish!!! Both added some great memories to their Fireside Lodge fishing log concluding Dan’s 15th trip, each with 1 of his children.

Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2010 Photos

For Fabulous Video, Wildlife Events, and Current Happenings go to our Social Sites Below.

FaceBook

YouTube

Twitter

Hot Lures: Tube, Sink Worm, Torpedo, Blue Fox Spinner, Suspend Stick Bait, Spoons, Mepps Spinner, Sebile Slow Sinker

Catches of The Week: 41,2-38.5,37,36.5” Musky, 39.5,38” Tiger Musky, 20.25,20,3-19, 3-18.5, & 7-18” Smallmouth Bass, 42” 25lb Northern Pike

Well, that's it for this weeks Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report, Please stay tuned for next weeks report. Until then "Keep On Fish'n" Alan

800-545-0815