This week started with an extreme cold front that lasted for 4 days, bringing very heavy rains, strong winds, and daytime highs only at 50 to 54 degrees. On Tuesday it only reached 50 degrees and with the strong winds and rain felt like 40 degrees on the water. By Wednesday the weather settled a bit but still only reached 55 degrees, but the light winds made it feel much warmer. By the end of the week it was in the mid 60’s. So much for summer?
Father and Son Shawn and Shawn Jr Rellinger and father and daughter Joe and Danielle Fitzsimmons all from Chicago, IL were fishing at Fireside Lodge for their first time by a referral from their good friend Mark McDermotte. First night fishing on their day of arrival
they all caught Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass with Joe commenting that he had never caught Smallmouth so large. Unfortunately these four arrived with sunshine and warm temperatures only to have a severe storm and cold front move in and stick around for 4 out of their five days. There first day they caught some nice Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike, with Shawn Jr landing a HUGE 20-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. I presented Shawn with a Master Anglers Award in the dinning room, as everyone applauded Shawn for his great catch and such a youthful age. Daniel also caught a very big Smallmouth that appeared a Master Anglers size, however a measurement was not taken, but the memory will be with her and her dad forever. Another highlight had Shawn and Shawn Jr catching well over 20 large Smallmouth while fishing for Muskie and Shawn Jr landed his first and second Muskie ever in the same day measuring 36 and 35-inches, and his father caught two at 37 and 39-inches. WOW!! What a great father and son memory. The weather did not give up on their last day as it was still rainy and only a high of 50 degrees. At this point I want to pay tribute to Daniel and Shawn Jr as every day, for four cold and rainy days, they fished and enjoyed their time with their fathers without complaints. They finished with Joe and Danielle catching a few nice Smallmouth and Shawn Jr, having the hot hand despite the cold weather, catching a big fat 38-inch Northern Pike.Father and son Jason King and Tristen, from Cincinnati, OH father/grandpa Gary, from Canton, IL and brother/uncle David from Lisle, IL were back fishing at Fireside Lodge for their second time. First day was extreme conditions as a cold front moved in the area, along with, high winds, very heavy rain that was coming down horizontal most of the day. All the boats were in by noon, and not many fish were caught. Second day was very stormy with rain, high winds, along with a severe cold front. Despite these adverse
conditions they did well catching Smallmouth Bass and landed some big ones in the 17 to 17.5-inch range. Third day was another Smallmouth day along with a few Northern Pike. Everyone caught some, and Jason did the best catching a lot when he fished after supper alone. Fourth day was an outstanding day catching many Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass, Gary and Jason catching Smallies in the 17 to 17.5-inch range, and Tristen caught an 18-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. David caught a lot of Smallmouth and missed a good number as the Smallies were feeding on Mayflies, just starting to hatch. David said the Smallmouth would not move to chase a lure and he had to place it right in front of them and let it stay there for a while to get results. Their last day was spent catching some fish, a mix of Smallmouth and Northern Pike, and Tristen, caught his two biggest Pike ever landing a 31 and 33-inch Northern Pike. This family should be a model for all of us what a wilderness fishing vacation is all about, as in addition to the fishing, they thoroughly enjoyed the wilderness and scenery, played cards and board games every evening and night after fishing, and ate their meals together enjoying good conversation. This quality time together will be remembered for years to come.Father Dan Murphy and 10-year old Thomas from Hortonville, WI were fishing a Fireside Lodge for their first time ever. In just a few hours before supper they caught 10 Northern Pike and within minutes of leaving the dock Thomas caught a 35.5-inch Northern Pike. Great Start. After supper they caught a few Smallmouth and a few more Pike. First full day weather cam
e in the form of heavy rain and high winds. They caught some fish early on but came in early because of conditions. That evening after supper they did catch some more nice smallmouth bass to finish off the day. Second day was fabulous as they caught some Northern Pike and they really got into the larger Smallmouth Bass catching a lot between 14 to 17.5-inches. Their third and final day was TERRIFIC despite the cold, rainy, windy weather. Dan and Tom caught a bunch of Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike along with big fish. About 20 Smallmouth with most being over 15-inches and Tom caught three Master Anglers Award Smallmouth measurin
g a HUGE 18, 18.5, and 18-inches and Tom also caught a GIANT Master Anglers Award Northern Pike measuring a very thick 41-inches. WOW, 4 Master Anglers Award fish in one day for 10-year old Tom. You have to see these photos on our 2009 photos page at our website http://www.firesidelodgefishing.com The Picture of Tom struggling to hold up his monster Northern Pike is a must see. Success starts with being positive and that is the real story between this father and son. Even though they had the tough weather conditions of a severe cold front, high winds, and heavy rain during their three days, their positive attitude shined and gave them the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful experiences they had together as father and son, making priceless memories that will last their lifetime. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge to make some of your special memories.Brothers Steven and Lawrence Sandler from Toronto, Ontario returned to Fireside Lodge for their second consecutive year and for Steven it as his fifth trip. First day on the water a severe storm system approached bringing heavy rain and dropping temperatures. The conditions were so severe that most came off the lake by noon, but Steven and Lawrence were the last to dock at 2:00PM and had just a few Pike to show for their efforts. Second day with the
cold front fully moved in and raining most of the day these to had a great day catching over 40 Northern Pike and Lawrence landed the first Muskie of the trip. Third day the cold winds from the north with some drizzle was the perfect combinations for BIG Muskie and Pike as Steven caught a heavy Northern Pike measuring 38-inches, and Lawrence caught a monster Muskie at 41-inches with a big girth. Steven caught his Pike on the first cast after measuring Lawrence’s Muskie. These two fish, along with other Pike throughout the day, made for great fishing and catching. Fourth and final day was a FANTASTIC day as they caught well over 100 Northern Pike, many Pike 30” or better, and one Smallmouth Bass. Both said it was their best fishing day ever and they will remember this day for the rest of their lives. Fabulous finish, to a fabulous fishing trip.Frank and Linda Tyrrell were returning to Fireside Lodge for their eighth consecutive year. Fishing in rainy cold front conditions their day of arrival was very productive as Frank caught 3 Muskie in the 30-inch range and Linda caught a Pike. Second day was about the same with the winds staying strong but lighter than the day before, and they had an excellent day catching a lot of 28 to 32-inch Northern Pike and Linda set the bar by catching a HUGE 40-inch Muskie. She was using a forgotten but productive lure named the Luck Strike Spoon. (That one is for your Jim Lownsay). Third day was another good day catching a lot of Northern Pike and Frank came up with his fourth Muskie for a combined total of 5, Linda still staying in the lead with her 40-incher. Fourth day was another very good day as they caught Northern Pike consistently all day long and Frank kept the streak of catching a Muskie every day going by landing a sizable 35.5-inch, very heavy Muskie. They landed over 30 Northern Pike with 12 being between 30 to 36-inches and 14 others being 27 to 30-inches. Fifth day they caught about 20 nice Pike. The sixth day they caught a lot, too many to count, as Linda had a Northern Pike attack her lure after it was out of the water. Also after unhooking a fish Frank left his line and lure in the water, and when he picked it back up after releasing his fish another fish, the twin of the one he just released, was one the other end. Great Day! Last day was sad as always but they had a beautiful day as they caught some more Northern Pike and had some big follows that would not hit. As Frank said, even though it was over and the time went by too fast, they caught a lot of nice fish and made another set memories at Fireside Lodge.
Returning to Fireside Lodge for the fourth time was Tyler Tennant from League City, TX with Peter Higman from Libertyville, IL. Under severe cold front and rainy conditions Tyler caught a 37-inch Muskie and they both caught eight nice Northern Pike. Second day was cold front conditions continuing as strong winds blew from the North keeping the air temperatures 49 to 50 degrees, and it felt much colder with the rain and wind. Tougher day for these two as they suffered from the cold front conditions but still managed to catch 4 Northern Pike. Third day had these two chasing Muskie, having plenty of follows and catching two in the low 30-inch range. They also got into a bunch of nice Smallmouth Bass twitching an X-Rap. Fourth day had them catching about 12 nice Pike, Tyler lading a BIG 38-incher, and over 20 Smallmouth Bass. Fifth day was another good day catching 12 Pike in the 28 to 34-inch range and Pete caught a heavy 35.5-inch Northern Pike. Also Tyler landed two Muskie, lost one and Peter had a Muskie on until it went into the basement, this is Peter’s way of saying under the boat, and he lost the Muskie. Sixt
h day was another Muskie day as Tyler caught another 36-incher that was HUGE. Some fish can’t be judged by length alone, and Tyler and Pete said this was one of those fish. Tyler lost another Muskie and Pete lost another two to what he calls the basement. We talked a little after supper on how to avoid these basement losses, and they said they learn more every year, and they will just have to come back in 2010 to apply more new techniques and knowledge gained from past experiences.For their second consecutive year Richard and Frieda Klose from Sevierville, TN were fishing at Fireside Lodge. After supper Dick and Frieda braved the cold front, wet rainy conditions to see if they could get their feet wet, (sorry I could not resist), and they did plus Dick caught a good size Northern Pike. Dick and Freida are fishers but admit that they need to learn in order to become better at the sport of fishing, so their goal was not set out to catch20 or 30 fish a day but to just catch some fish every day, and to learn and progress as the week went bye. First day despite severe cold front conditions with rain and strong winds Dick and Frieda caught 4 nice Northern Pike by noon then called it a day. Second day Dick and Frieda again had a great day catching five Northern Pike between 28 to 30-inches. Third day they caught two more, and the fourth day caught two Pike and Dick la
nded a BIG 18-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Dick and Frieda caught their fish on lures a friend, Ed Brommier had sent to them. They met Ed for the first time in 2008 while staying at Fireside Lodge, and continue to maintain a friendship. Fifth day was not gangbusters as they had some follows and caught a Northern Pike. Sixth and final day was their best as they caught 5 Northern Pike and some Smallmouth Bass. As the week went on Dick and Frieda became more familiar with the Lake system and improved their fishing results, which is exactly what their goal to accomplish was at the beginning of the week. They were also enjoying themselves in the spectacular wilderness of the Boreal Forest seeing wildlife, waterfowl, birds and the natural beauty that surrounds you when fishing at Fireside Lodge.
Father and son David and Marc McFarland returned to Fireside Lodge for their ninth consecutive year. Day of arrival we were in the middle of severe cold front conditions with spitting rain but still caught 8 nice Smallmouth Bass 15 to 17-inches after supper. First day with cold front conditions Marc managed to catch 12 Smallmouth Bass and one Northern Pike, and David caught three for a boat total of 15. Second day was much better weather and they caught 32 nice Smallmouth between 15 to 16-inches, Marc caught a nice 30-inch Pike, and had one follow that was a heart stopper. Marc and David said it was huge and extremely wide. Third day they had a super day catching over 40 Northern pike and 31 Smallmouth Bass, and David caught an 18-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Most of the Smallmouth were very good size. Fourth day was more of a Northern Pike day, as the Smallmouth just did not show up, so they took advantage of the Pike action and caught 27 nice fish. They also saw a Moose, a Deer, and were about 20 yards from a Black Bear near shore. How can a fishing day get any better than that? Fifth day was all Smallmouth Bass as they caught 36 Smallies. Sixth and final day was an unusual special day involving several big fish. It started by David casting a tube jig over a reef and getting it snagged. David gave the old heave ho twice the snag started to move. Not giving much of a fight David thought it to be a l
og but not convinced continued to keep tension on his line, and when it got beside the boat it was a GIANT Muskie estimated at 45 to 50-inches. David was right, he was snagged, but his lure was snagged in the backside of a GIANT Muskie. Well, the fight did not last long as one quick move and the lure came out. Just a few more casts and David hooked into a GIANT Northern Pike which he did not land but got a great picture of the beast near the boat, and it was definitely over 40-inches. Then in just a few more casts Marc got into the action as he hooked and landed a very big wide-bodied 38-inch Muskie. This all happened in a matter of 20 minutes, so you could imagine the activity in David and Marc’s boat. They were all smiles when telling their stories in the dinning room and will carry this memory, along with all the others made at Fireside Lodge, with them for many years to come. Upon their departure they reserved their regular week for 2010, which will make it their tenth consecutive year.For the second year in a row Mike Uebelherr from Stow, Oh found himself fishing at Fireside Lodge, and this year his wife Heather came. First day out they caught 9 nice Northern Pike. It was a beautiful day with sunshine and temps in the mid 60’s. After talking with Heather and Mike in the lodge we found out that Heather was on a mission to see a Moose. Second day they took a trip up Muskie Creek to several lakes names Maskinonge and Hooch. Hooch is a great area to see Moose so I think this was one reason to make the trip. The other was to catch many toothy critters, which they did. Moose sighting venture was not accomplished, but they did see a huge deer, several bald eagles, and Black Bear. Two more days for Heather to catch a Moose. Their fourth and final day was very exciting as they had fun catching Northern Pike and Heather came up with a catch of most fishers lifetime. She hooked and landed a 40-inch Monster Northern Pike. This is a Master Anglers Award Pike and Heather enjoyed receiving her Northern Pike Award. The last evening they spent in “Happy Bay” which was a special name they gave a bay, which produced every day. They enjoyed the wonderful sunset and their final moments in touch with the great wilderness that surrounds us at Fireside Lodge.
Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2009 Photos
Hot Lures of The Week: Magnum Torpedo, Mepps Spinner, Blue Fox Spinner, Tube Jig, Storm Wildeye Shad, Luck Strike Spoon, Dardevle Spoon, X-Rap, Husky Jerk, Silver Minnow Spoon
Catches of the Week: 20-inch Smallmouth Bass, 41-inch and 40-inch Northern Pike, 39-inch Muskie and a 45-50-inch Muskie lost at the boat.
Please note that we have a “NEW” email address below.
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
www.firesidelodgefishing.com
www.firesidelodge.com
800-545-0815
Email: fireside@xplornet.com
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