Friday, August 28, 2009

Fireside Lodge Fishing News/Photo Report 8/15 to 8/22 2009

Fireside Lodge Fishing News/Photo Report 8/15 to 8/22 2009

Hello from Fireside Lodge in Northwest Ontario
This was an on again and off again week weather wise as we had a nice day in the low 70’s, a cool rainy day after some thunderstorms, then a beautiful sunny day in the mid-70’s, followed by another cold front with rain, followed by two very nice sunny days. That’s weather for ya.
Albert(Bert)Zimbrich, Dale Clement both from Knoxville, TN, Jacob (Bud) Zeigler from Washington, DC, and Joe Gabbard from Sterling, VA were fishing at Fireside Lodge for their first time. Bert, Joe, and Dale during a few hours before supper, on their day of arrival, caught 7 Northern Pike and a Smallmouth Bass. First full day fishing this group said they caught plenty of Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike and both Bert and Joe caught a 30-inch plus Muskie. Second day was fabulous fishing as they all caught over 100 Northern Pike, Bert landed two Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass and Dale caught one all being 18.5-inches. The day was so good that at times Pike were charging out of the water after lures being lifted out of the water at the end of a retrieve. Third day was very windy with rain on a off which made for tough conditions, but they still caught some Pike up to 33-inches. Fourth day was a fabulous and fun day as Bert and Dale had what seemed to be endless action landing 60-plus Northern Pike, and Bud and Joe caught 30 Northern Pike and 18 Smallmouth Bass. The Smallmouth were special in that 12 of them were 17-inches or larger, and Bud landed two Master Anglers Award Smallmouth one being a GIANT 19.5-inches and the other was a very girthy 18.5-inches. It was Bud’s last day so he finished in glory and fame. On the fifth day the remaining three were met with a North Eastern cold front and heavy rain which brought them back to the dock well before noon and spent the rest of the day in the warm dry cabin. Fish caught were at a minimum as the lake conditions were severe, and temps reached only a high of 59 degrees. Sixth day had these three having a beautiful last day and Joe started off on his very first cast catching an 18.5-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass. That means all of the group caught a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth on their first fishing trip at Fireside Lodge. They also had some good morning action on Northern Pike wit Joe and Dale catching over 20, however they forgot their lunch back at the cabin and had to come back which broke their momentum. All had a great time fishing with friends and making memories and both Joe and Dale were talking about bringing their sons or grandsons back next time.
Here by referral were Jim Joyce from Fairgrove, MO, David Kroeger from Omaha, NE, and Steve Tegler from Lincoln, NE. Day of arrival these three got right to it and caught over 20 fish, a combination of Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike. First full day of fishing they did fantastic catching about 60 Smallmouth Bass and 10 Northern Pike. That’s a 70 fish day. Dave caught two Master Anglers Award Smallmouth and Steve had one all being 18.5-inches. Pink Senko worms was their magic bait for the day. Second day was also a great fishing day with a different mix as they caught 13 Walleye between 20 to 23-inches, a whole bunch of Pike, and one GIANT 20” Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass by Dave. Third day they had another great day, in search of BIG Muskie, catching Smallmouth Bass. On the Smallmouth side of this equation they caught well over 50 with a lot in the 14 to 16-inch class, and a few 17 to 17.5-inches, and one Master Anglers Award 18-incher by Dave. They also had Muskie follows, landed one nice size Musky, and Steve lost a monster that did not even know it was hooked for the first few moments. Fourth and fifth days were spent searching for Big fish of any kind. They had their opportunity with Muskie, having hooked a few but lost them in the battle. In the Smallmouth category they caught 50 plus each day with lots in the 15 to 16.5-inch range, and a lot 17 to 17.75-inches. Dave was the Master Angler of Master Fishers as he landed five Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass from 18 to 19.5-inches. This made for two great fishing days. Sixth and final day they caught so many Pike they quit fishing for them, and tried to find some bigger Smallmouth Bass, which Steve did it again catching another Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass which made a total of 8 for the week. All went home having a great week fishing and being away from work.Returning to Fireside Lodge for his second time was Tom Strachen with sons Ryan and Ross and son-in-law Tom Stenger from Akron, Oh, Carrboro, NC, Columbus, Oh, and Copley, OH. First day was great as all caught some nice Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass with Tom Stachen landing the largest Smallmouth at 17.5-inches, and Ryan, Ross, and Tom Stenger all caught Pike in the 30-inch plus range. Second day was a gangbusters Pike day as they caught over 60 Northern Pike between them, and had lots of other action with lost fish and follows. Third day had Tom Strachen and Ryan catching mostly Northern Pike and one 15-inch Smallmouth, while Ross and Tom Stenger had a fabulous day as they found a secret bait in orange twister tails. Yes, that’s right I did say orange. They ended up catching over 40 Northern Pike and had such a blast they lost track of time and missed supper in the dinning room. They did not miss supper itself as we packed their meals and had them waiting in their cabin for them. Fourth an final day was another great day fishing and catching as Tom and Tom Teamed up for about 18 Northern Pike, and brothers Ryan and Ross caught well over 30 and landed a lot of larger fish. All had a wonderful family fishing trip making memories together and talk of coming back next year with more family was the topic of discussion before departing.

Returning to Fireside Lodge after 20-years were father Gary Nichols from Naperville, IL and his son Mark from Seattle, Washington. First day they were met with cold front conditions, high winds, and showers. It took a little while but they started catching fish landing some Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike in the 28 to 32-inch range. Second day was great as they caught over 30 Northern Pike. Third day had these two out after the noon hour choosing to wait for the weather to clam down a bit. In four hours they caught both Northern Pike and a few nice Smallmouth despite the severe cold front conditions with high winds and rain. Fourth and final day was a great day as they caught a lot of fish being a combination of Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass, with Mark catching some of his best Smallmouth ever. Both had a terrific time making memories together and wished stay another day.Walt LaCasse from Minnetonka, MN who has been coming to Fireside Lodge every year since 1996, and twice a year for the last seven years was returning for his second trip this year with his daughter Alyssa and his 7-year old grandson Keeghan. On their day of arrival before supper after fishing just a few hours they all caught fish and some BIG fish. On Keeghan’s third cast he hooked and landed an 18-inch bulging Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass. WOW!!!! Pressure was off Grandpa within minutes of leaving the dock. Alyssa caught some nice Northern Pike and was a great assist after Walt hooked into a Monster Northern Pike. During the battle Walt gave some quick verbal instructions to Alyssa on how to use a fish cradle, and Alyssa did a fabulous job cradling Walt’s GIANT 40-inch Master Anglers Award Northern Pike. What a great team effort and unbelievable start to their three day fishing trip, and this all happened before supper. Just think of the fact that 7-year old Keeghan’s first Smallmouth he ever saw was an 18.5-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth, and the first Northern Pike he ever laid eyes on was a HUGE 40-inch Master Anglers Award Pike. Unbelievable start to their three day fishing trip. First full day of fishing brought them a cold front with on and off rain and wind. Even with these conditions Keeghan stayed out all day long with Alyssa and Grandpa. Keeghan caught three Northern Pike and Walt caught a BIG FAT 35-inch Northern Pike. That evening Keegan wanted to go fishing again, so they did for an hour and caught three more Pike. Second day was a super day for these three as the caught 40 plus Northern Pike and Walt caught a 19.5-inch and an 18.5-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Both Alyssa and Keeghan caught a lot of Northern Pike. A funny story is when Walt was reeling in a Pike in the high 20-inch range, as Keeghan saw it he said “Grandpa your fish is a smaller one”. I guest that’s what anyone would think if the first Northern Pike you ever saw in your life was a 40-inch Monster, that would qualify for most fishers Pike of a lifetime. Third day they woke up to a North Eastern cold front with a lot of rain. An attempt go fishing was made mid-morning but they returned as quick as the heavy rain did. Not fishing again until after supper, when all three went out for their last fish for the trip, they caught some nice Northern Pike and enjoyed their last look at the beautiful surroundings we are located in at Fireside Lodge. All departed very happy with wonderful memories made between three generations, and before leaving Walt reserved his second set of dates for 2010. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge to make you memories with family and friends.Father and son Mike and Andy Pritzl from Caledonia and Racine WI. Returned to Fireside Lodge for their fifth trip. They showed up with smiles and ready to go despite the rainy cold front conditions. Before supper these two, in just a few hours caught 10 Northern Pike and after supper they caught 2 Smallmouth Bass, 3 more Pike up to 31-inches and Andy had a Musky on estimated at 35-inches, but the big fish popped its head out of the water and spit Andy’s lure back at him. First full day of fishing was fabulous weather and terrific fishing, Andy catching 40 and Mike 39-Northern Pike for a total of 79 before supper. They also caught 7 Smallmouth two at 15-inches, one 17, one 17.5, and Andy caught a GIANT 19.5-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. In the evening they caught three more Northern Pike and Andy landed a 34-inch Tiger Musky. Second day they did well catching 8 Northern Pike most being 28 to 31-inches and a Smallmouth Bass. In the evening they had fun surface fishing with poppers having some strikes and Mike caught a nice Smallmouth. Third and final day turned into another Pike day as they caught 26 Pike with most being the range of 28 to 37.5-inches with Andy catching the 37.5-incher, his personal best. They also caught 6 Smallmouth Bass. Both had a blast and made another set of father and son memories at Fireside Lodge.
Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2009 Photos

Hot Lures of The Week: Mepps Spinner, Daredevle Spoon, Silver Minnow Spoon, Twister Tails, Soft Plastic Crayfish, Buck-tail, Senko Worms, Chug Bug

Catches of the Week: 40-inch Northern Pike, 20-inch Smallmouth Bass, 16 Smallmouth bass caught between 18 and 19 inches and 4 Smallmouth measured right at 19.5-inches

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

Monday, August 17, 2009

Fireside Lodge Fishing News/Photo Report 8/1 to 8/15 2009

Fireside Lodge Fishing News/Photo Report 8/1 to 8/15 2009

We started off this week with a huge rain system that dumped one inch of rain on Saturday. Sunday was clear for the first half day but the clouds moved in again along with heavy scattered showers with high wind gusts, which continued through Monday. High winds with scattered showers hung around on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday and Friday were very nice with temps around 70 and sunny.
Ronald Vincent from Sherrlls Ford, NC returned to Fireside Lodge for his tenth consecutive year with Larry Hoopaugh and Mike Bishop both from Charlotte, NC and Calvin Kenley from Mooresville, NC. Day of arrival they got right to it despite the pouring rain accumulating to 1-inch throughout the day. They caught some nice 30-inch plus Northern Pike and Calvin caught his first Tiger Muskie, making it a good one measuring 37-inches. First day Larry and Calvin caught 15 nice Smallmouth Bass and had a few BIG Muskie follows, while Ron and Mike had a fabulous day catching over 70 fish most being Northern Pike, Mike caught his first Muskie ever at a nice 35-inches. Ron caught a 33-inch Tiger Musky, and they caught 6 Smallmouth with Ron landing three Master Anglers Award Smallies between 18 to 19-inches. WOW, what a GREAT day. Second day Ron and Mike were in search for the BIG Muskie, so after discussing some locations they were off to Musky Hunt. They ended up catching 15 nice size Pike and Ron had an experience similar to one last year in the same location. While Ron was trying to land a Smallmouth Bass a HUGE Muskie came out of nowhere and attached the Smallmouth. Ron had the Musky on for 20 minutes until it got close to the net when it spit out the Smallmouth and waved goodbye to Ron and Mike with its tail. It sure made a believer out of Mike. Larry and Calvin also had a fabulous day catching 54 Northern Pike, six Smallmouth Bass and Larry caught an 18.25-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Third day came with gusty high winds but on Mikes very first cast he caught a 35-inch Northern Pike, Ron caught a 35-inch Musky and Mike caught a large 18-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Larry and Calvin also caught some Smallmouth and a few Northern Pike. Fourth day Ron and Mike portaged for Musky and Smallmouth catching 5 big Smallmouth right away only to have the Smallmouth action give way to Musky follows. No wonder the Smallmouth disappeared. After having many follows they changed tactics and started catching Northern Pike landing some nice fish between 30 to 35-inches, Ron catching a 37-incher, and Ron also caught a fat 36-inch Musky. Fifth day was a tremendous catching day as Larry and Calvin caught well over 100 Northern Pike, and Ron and Mike also caught over 100 Northern Pike. Ron landed a 35-inch Muskie and caught a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth on the surface using a Chug Bug. Sixth and final day Larry and Calvin focused on Smallmouth catching 20 nice fish, and Larry caught a great size Muskie. Ron and Mike were out on the water until the very end and had another great day catching fish, both hooking monsters. Mike first hooked a huge Muskie that fought so hard it came completely out of the water, tail danced going away from the boat and came down with such force it broke Mikes line. Mike was so close to catching a trophy Musky. Ron in the final minutes of fishing also hooked a huge Northern Pike and landed the Master Anglers Pike measuring 40.5-inches. Great finish to a Great week fishing at Fireside Lodge.

Brad and Sheri Pugh from Pandora, OH returned to Fireside Lodge for their seventh time. Day of arrival Sheri set the pace by catching a big 37-inch Northern Pike within 15 minutes of leaving the dock, despite the fact that Brad taped up the treble hook on her buck tail. First full day was fabulous as they caught 25 Northern Pike and each caught a Muskie, Brads being 33-inches and Sheri landed a 37-inch Muskie. Second day was very windy but Brad and Sheri still caught some Northern Pike. Third day these two caught over 70 Northern Pike for a GREAT day of fishing and catching. Fifth day was another fabulous day as they caught 36 Northern Pike with most being between 28 to 35-inches. Fifth and final day Brad and Sheri enjoyed the wonderful wilderness and had loads of fun catching 34 Northern Pike. Both had a fabulous trip giving them a break from their busy life in Ohio, and before departing said they will definitely be back.Al Sins from Ashville, NC returned to Fireside Lodge, as he has done every year except one since 1998, with good friend Don Funderud also from Ashville. Day of arrival Al and Don got started by catching nice Northern Pike and had two Muskie follows. First day was great as they caught 15 bigger Northern Pike had 4 Muskie follows, one being well over 40-inches, and Al had the catch of the day landing a 40-inch very heavy Master Anglers Award Northern Pike. Second day was all Muskie having 22 follows; Al hooked two fish and Don Landed a nice heavy 33-inch Muskie. Third day had them catching over 30 Northern Pike having many follows, and Al caught a 17.5-inch Smallmouth Bass. Don also had a follow that looked larger that the 40-inch Pike Al caught the first evening. Fourth day was all Muskie, all day long. At days end Al told me to remember the number of 20, 8, 5, and 2. I asked why and he said they had 20 Muskie follows, 8 Muskie swimmers, just swimming by the boat, had 5 Musky hooked, and caught two Northern Pike. Fifth day was all Pike as they landed 14 with Al catching 13, all being 28 to 34 inches. Don also mentioned he caught a 146lb White Sucker. This made some heads turn, but found out that he hooked himself while getting the hooks out of the Northern Pike. Sixth and final day was their final search for Bubba, the BIG Musky. They ended with a great Musky day as they had 8 follows, hooked up with 6 Muskie, and Al landed two measuring 33 and 37-inches. Al was a bit frustrated as he had 3 other Muskie hooked well but they still were able to get off. That’s Musky Fishing!
Father and Son Bob Ramsey from Leavenworth, KS and Ron from Swanee, TN were returning to Fireside Lodge for their fifth time. First day fishing they did great catching plenty of nice size Northern Pike between 28 to 35-inches, and because of netting situation Bob lost a huge Tiger Muskie at boat-side. Second day had these two fishing for Musky only, and along with many follows ended up hooking and landing a 32, 33, and 36-inch Musky. WOW, what a great day Muskie fishing. Third day their plan was to fish for toothy critters on rocky points with deep water and a weedy bay nearby. Well, their plan worked as the caught all kinds of Northern Pike up to 35-inches. Their fourth and fifth days were full of fun as the continued to do well catching a lot of Northern Pike in the 28 to 35 inch range and a Musky. Their biggest catch is another set of fishing memories made between Bob and Ron, that they will take with them to Leavenworth and Swanee, and continue to bring wonderful thoughts to their minds, smiles to their faces, and an occasional laugh out loud, remembering the moments they spent together at Fireside Lodge.Larry Hinshaw from Blue Grass, IA along with good friend Pat Hobson from Elmwood, IN returned to Fireside Lodge for there third time to fish for Smallmouth Bass. After some discussion of top-water fishing for Smallmouth these two left the dock wide eyed full of excitement. I have to admit I was so excited I wanted to go with them. First day fishing they caught Smallmouth, but found the Smallies a little apprehensive to surface fishing techniques. We have struggled all year getting those water temps idle for surface fishing, which is 70 degrees plus. Second day had the fishing action pick right up, but landing them became an issue. The Smallmouth were making spectacular jumps and getting off, but one Smallie hooked and lost on the surface can be so exciting it almost makes you forget you even lost the fish. Third day had them, catching a lot of Smallmouth Bass between Little Vermilion Lake and Cedarbough and Larry caught his first 18-inch Master Anglers Award Smallie. Fourth day was all Northern Pike catching 40-50, and that evening had some fun with Smallmouth Bass surface action. Fifth Day they had great action on Smallmouth Bass landing well over 20, all on surface lures, with Pat catching his first Master Anglers Award Smallmouth at 18-inches. Pat also had a special encounter with a Huge, over 40-inch Muskie exploding on his Bass surface lure. After a big battle the Musky ended up breaking of at boat side. While Pat and Larry were coming down off the excitement of what happened Pat’s lure popped up to the surface. Result of this battle is a draw to be continued at another date and time unknown to both Pat and Mister Musky. Four their final day Larry and Pat finished with a fabulous day, and probably the best they ever had fishing together. Several severe morning thunderstorms had these two on shore for a while and after things cleared they could not catch but one fish until mid afternoon. But then things started to happen and they found a pattern. Using surface lures where weeds were just topping the waters surface they started to get great Smallmouth action. They ended up landing well over 30 big Smallies with 7 being Master Anglers Award Smallmouth, Pat catching one at 19 and one 18-inches and Larry had two at 18, two at 18.5, and another at 19-inches. All the Smallmouth were fat footballs with most being 16 to 17.5-inches. Great finish and lasting memories at Fireside Lodge for these two very close friends.Father and son Tom and Mark Reese from Bartlett, TN and Alexandria, VA were returning to Fireside Lodge for their eighth consecutive year.
First day these two got right into the Pike catching over 30 with lots of action. Second day Tom and Mark intended on searching for Smallmouth with Mark landing a nice 17-incher, however could not resist the fabulous Northern pike action again catching a bunch of Pike, more that the day before. Third day was all Smallmouth Bass as they caught so many they lost count and they were all between 16 to 17.5-inches, with never leaving the lower arm of Little Vermilion Lake. Their fourth and final day was a near repeat as they caught 40 plus Smallmouth Bass in the 16 to 17.5-inch range and about 10 Northern Pike. Fabulous finish to a great father and son fishing trip where again many memories were made. Fishing is only a part of their trip together as the evening conversations in the lodge, and their time spent together is more valuable to Tom and Mark than any fish they catch.
Their departing words were “we will see you in the same place, same time in 2010”.


Greg Benton was returning to Fireside Lodge for his fifth consecutive year with friends John McDonough, Jerry Sears with son Michael, and Randy Genord with sons Dane for their third in a row and 10 year old Ryan for his first trip. This group always starts their trip with a friendly competition, where each boat keeps track of there total length of fish in inches. The end of the first day had Jerry and Michael catching 33 Smallmouth Bass, each landing two Master Anglers Smallmouth all between 18 and 19.25-inches. They were the leaders with 447-inches of fish. Greg and John did well catching some big Pike and John landed a GIANT 37-inch Tiger Muskie, a must see photo on our website 2009 photo page. Randy, Dane, and Ryan also had a great first day catching many Pike, with Ryan landing a 28-inch Pike, Dane a 34-incher, they caught several others 34 to 35-inches and Randy caught a beast 38-inch Pike. Before breakfast on their second day Greg caught a 19-inch Master Anglers Smallmouth and little Ryan also caught a huge Master Anglers Smallmouth measuring 18-inches. Throughout the day the group caught some nice Northern Pike, with Jerry and Mike landing 18 Smallmouth, Mike caught an 18-inch Master Anglers Smallmouth. Greg and John had some huge follows and the all saw the largest fish ever. While they enjoyed a terrific shore lunch a HUGE Muskie was spotted in the water by Mike, estimated at over 50 inches by Greg and over 55-inches by Randy. They got such a good look at it Mike got a photo that we have on our photo viewer in the lodge. Third day was a mixed bag as Jerry and Mike caught 18 fish, 11 Smallmouth and 7 Pike. Randy, Dane and Ryan did well with toothy critters, Ryan catching his biggest Northern Pike ever at 32-inches and Dane had the fish of the day which was a HUGE disagreeable 41-inch Musky. Greg and John did well catching Muskie and Northern Pike. Fourth day the sky was full of thunderstorms in the morning but Greg and John were out before they appeared and had pre-storm action on MONSTER fish. Greg had a GIANT Muskie follow estimated at 50-inches plus, and John had what was thought to be an over 45-inch, approaching the high 40’s Northern Pike explode on his lure right at the boat. With John being short lined the Pike had full advantage, and as a result shook off the lure before John could get any control. After the storms were over all had some fun catching Northern Pike and few Musky, with Jerry and Mike catching Smallmouth Bass. Fifth and final day the morning fish was delayed again by severe thunderstorms. Jerry and Mike decided to focus on toothy critters catching a 34-inch Musky, 36-inch Pike and several other Pike in the mid 30-inch range. Dane had a big fish day landing two 37-inch and one 34-inch Northern Pike and after supper on the last evening Randy, Dane, and Ryan were the only boat to go out and ended their trip with Ryan catching his biggest Northern Pike ever, which was a heavy 33-incher. All had loads of fun, made great memories, and were already discussing plans for their trip in 2010 as they were checking out. Quoting Randy he said, “It’s all about the memories made with my boys and the fish are just the bonus”. How correct Randy is, and thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge to make those precious memories.Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2009 Photos

Hot Lures of The Week: Blue Fox Spinner, Buck tail, X-Rap, Blue Fox Spinner, Tube Jig, Husky Jerk, Cisco Kid, Trophy Diver, Tube Jigs, Live Leeches, Mepps Spinner, Tommy Gumper, Bert Jerk Bait, Chug Bug, Hula Popper,

Catches of the Week: 40.5 and 40-inch Northern Pike, one 19.5-inch, one 19.25-inch, seven 19-inch, five 18.5-inch, three 18.25-inches, and six 18-inch Smallmouth Bass, 41-inch MuskiePlease 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

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Fireside Lodge Fishing News/Photo Report 7/18 to 8/1 2009

Fireside Lodge Fishing News/Photo Report 7/18 to 8/1 2009

The weather finally turned around getting some sunny days with calm winds, and temperatures in the mid 70’s. We did have some rain in the form of showers by mid week but no dramatic cold front or high winds like the few past weeks.

Chuck Barreras from Douglassville, PA was returning for his fifth time with Tom Crooks from Feasterville, PA along with Chuck’s father Charles, daughter Maria (her third trip), son Steven, and Andrew Klimek, the son of Richard who is a very good friend of Chuck and Tom. First day fishing this group was on fire catching 110-120 Northern Pike and a few Smallmouth Bass. Steven at eleven years old caught his first Northern Pike and his first fish ever on a lure plus 14 more. Everyone caught a lot of fish and all had a very memorable day. Second day was a reality check as they fished for Muskie and Pike with limited success. Both Tom and Chuck each caught a Muskie and Steven had his first Muskie follow. Maria caught a nice Smallmouth and the group caught a few Northern Pike before supper. Third day was another super catching day as the group caught well over 100 Northern Pike and Maria had the biggest fish of the day up to the boat, and as Tom was unhooking it at boat side in the water the fish thrashed and was off in a flash. They did get some photos of the fish in the water and it was a monster. Andrew also did great catching his fair share of Northern Pike and his excitement in the fish photos is obvious. Four days go fast and this was their last. The plan was to fish for Smallmouth Bass and they did with Steven landing the biggest of the day and if his fishing career landing a very big 17.5-inch Smallmouth. They also had some family fun at Twin Falls enjoying the sight and sound of the rushing water, fishing, and just enjoying the great day. Many family memories were made and all left with smiles, however a little disappointed that it was the end of their trip.

Returning to Fireside Lodge for their fifth time were Father, son, grandpa combo of Bill, Kamen, and Charles Kossow from Salina, KS, Kenny Kossow from Gypsum, KS and father and son Doug and Kane Comfort also from Salina, KS. First day on the water was a great day and had Kenny and Bill Sr catching a lot of Smallmouth Bass, Bill and his son Kamen did great catching Pike with Kamen landing his largest fish ever on his fourteenth birthday measuring a heavy 33-inches. Father and Son Doug and Kane also had a special day as they both caught their first Muskie. Kane did a great job landing a 36 inch very large Muskie, and Doug’s was a beauty at near 40-inches. WOW, what a great father and son memory. Second day FABULOUS as in Bill Sr’s words “if we caught one we caught two hundred”. After some discussion it was determined that they caught well over 200 fish, most being Northern Pike. Kamen caught two over 18-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass, Bill Sr caught 12 Smallmouth between 17 and 19-inches and a BIG GIANT 20.5-inch Smallmouth. This group had a day of fishing that most will never experience, and will remember for the rest of their lives. Their third a final day they caught 43 Smallmouth Bass, 10 Northern Pike and had a ball at Twin Falls enjoying part of the afternoon relaxing by this natural wonder. Kamen and Kane both had BIG Muskie follows and were very excited telling their fish story of the day. All were packed up and on the road by 4:30 PM for an all night drive home, which Kamen seems to enjoy. Driving out on Fireside Lodge Road they left Fireside Lodge and Little Vermilion Lake system behind, but the memories made between family and friends will stay with them forever.

For their second consecutive year Bruce and Pamela Ross from Mequon, WI were fishing at Fireside Lodge and this year good friends
Craig and Leslie Martin from St Charles, IL Joined Bruce and Pam for their first experience. First day was a cool with light rain and drizzle all day long. They had a great day catching Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike. Smallmouth were up to 17.5-inches. Some of the northern approached the mid-30-inch range and Leslie caught her first Northern Pike ever In-Style landing a very BIG 35-inch Pike. Second day was better as they caught a lot of Smallmouth and Northern Pike. Pam had a big fish day by landing a 17.5-inch Smallmouth and a 35-inch Northern Pike. Bruce was very excited when telling his story of seeing the biggest fish he has ever seen in fresh water. The fish followed his lure and stay by the boat for 20-seconds or more so Pam and Bruce got a great look at the beast estimated at over 50-inches. Not interested it just turned and waved goodbye to Bruce and Pam with its tail. Leslie and Craig had a great day catching some nice Smallmouth and Pike and learning more of Little Vermilion Lake. Third day was terrific as hey caught a bunch of Northern Pike, Pam had the highest total catching 35 herself, and lost one monster. Fourth and final day was fabulous as they caught a lot of Northern Pike with some Smallmouth Bass, and Pam lost a lot of big fish but did land a 38-inch Northern Pike with GIANT girth. Bruce, Craig, and Leslie also did well and Leslie finished the trip like she started by catching the biggest fish a very large 38-inch Northern Pike. All had loads of fun and made lasting memories between good friends.

George Carney and Tom Miller from Madison, WI returned to Fireside Lodge for their seventh consecutive year. On their day of arrival between 1:30 and 5:00PM they did great catching about 20 Northern Pike between 26 and 33 inches. First full day in their own words “was a fabulous day” catching so many Northern Pike they had three or four doubles and caught over 100 Pike before supper. WOW, what a GREAT first day at Fireside Lodge. Second day they targeted Smallmouth Bass catching a half dozen, and about 7 Northern Pike. Third days plan was shooting for some Smallmouth Bass, which they caught some but to their surprise had a GREAT Muskie fishing day. While using a chug bug fishing for Smallmouth on the surface George hooked into three different Muskie, one biting him off, a second jumping and spitting his lure back at him, and the third, HUGE Muskie, after being half way into the net straightened the split ring holding the hook and took off with the hook in its mouth. Tom did land one 30-inch Muskie and had another hooked and lost. In addition they saw Muskie everywhere they were fishing for Smallmouth Bass. Fourth day was a discovery day as they decided to fish areas new to them. They caught some Smallmouth and Northern Pike before supper and had fun finding new structure for future fishing. After supper they tried something different, by going in the shallowest very weedy areas and fishing surface plastic frogs right in the slop. Well, they returned to the dock full of excitement as they caught a lot of small to average size Pike that were jumping through the slop to hit their lures. Fifth day was fabulous starting out with 8 Northern Pike on their first 12 casts. Well, this continued all day and they ended up catching over 100 Pike. Sixth and final day they enjoyed catching fish and soaking up the wilderness around them, reminiscing the week’s happenings, and concluding another fishing trip full of fun and memories made.

Father and sons David, Dave, and Todd Stefanini from Olmsted Twp. And Middleburg Heights, OH were fishing at Fireside Lodge for there first time. After supper these three got off to a great start catching Smallmouth Bass sand Northern Pike and Todd caught an 18.5-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. First day ever fishing Little Vermilion Lake system they caught over 40 Northern pike and lost over 40 Northern Pike. They were using surface lures and the misses were as exciting as the caught fish. They had several doubles, and Dave caught all his while fly-fishing. Great day for these newcomers. Second day was focused on Muskie fishing, and they did great having some follows and catching two Muskie. A two Muskie day is a great day in any Muskie fisher’s log. Third day was off to Cedarbough Lake for Muskie fishing where the Muskie were not cooperating, having a few follows being left with the reality of Muskie fishing. Fourth day was a FANTASTIC day fishing as they caught 70 Northern Pike and two Smallmouth Bass. The action was so fast they had many doubles and one triple catch. The best catch of the day was Dave landing a GIANT 20.5-inch Smallmouth Bass on his fly rod. WOW, what a great catch fly-fishing. Fifth day they portage for Muskie and for 6 hours had no action, then in typical fashion the Muskie suddenly turned on for 1.5 hours having follows and Todd caught two at 32 and 34-inches. Dave had one open its month just about to eat his fly and it saw the boat, turned and waved goodbye with its tail. Very next cast Dave hooked and landed a nice Smallmouth. Patience paid off for these three, having another two Muskie day. Sixth and Final day was a gang busters day as they caught what seemed to be endless Northern Pike catching 75 along with 6 Smallmouth Bass, and David Sr caught a BIG heavy Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass measuring 18.5-inches. Great finish to a great week full of fun, with the biggest catch between these father and sons were the memories made. Thanks for making them at Fireside Lodge.

Returning for their second year in a row was David Jewell with Wendell Davis. And for his first time Bob Nutter from Pineville, Crab Orchard, and Clarksburg, WV. First day Smallmouth fishing they did well catching some Smallies. Second day they portaged and caught a boatload of Northern Pike all day long, and Wendell lost a BIG Walleye that completely destroyed his rig when it took a dive at boat side. Third day they did well catching Smallmouth Bass, using top water lures having to fish many locations and spend all day on the water, resulting in about 50 fish between them. Fourth day was so good that when talking with them at suppertime I guessed that they caught about 100 fish. At that they laughed at me saying that it was more like 200, mostly Northern Pike, plus Wendell landed a HUGE Smallmouth measuring 19.5-inches. Last day for these fellows was a very windy, which caused some problems of boat control and presentation, however they caught some fish and had a bunch of follows by toothy critters, All had a great stay and hope to return next year.

Back for his second time was Martin Duda and for his first good friend Kevin Keech both from Belleville, MI. First day they caught a mix of Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass with Kevin landing a Master Anglers award Smallie and Martin catching a HUGE 38-inch Northern Pike. Second and third days had them catching about 20 fish each day, being a mix of Smallmouth and Northern Pike. Fourth and final day they caught 18 fish before supper mostly Northern Pike and after supper they caught about a half dozen more. They soaked up their last evening in this great wilderness setting of the great boreal forest. Both left with great memories and for Martin it was a special place to remember the past and enjoy the present. Both hope to return in the future.

Returning for his second time this year and tenth consecutive year was Phil Spahr from Fairborn, OH and with him for his second trip to Fireside Lodge was bother-in-law Jerry Westfall from Clarksburg, WV. Day of arrival these two caught almost 20 fish, mostly Northern Pike and a few Smallmouth Bass. First full day was full of excitement as they landed 43 Northern Pike, had several doubles, lost many, and each caught a BIG Smallmouth Bass. Phil’s measured in at 17.5-inches and Jerry caught a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth at 18-inches. Second day had them catching a mix of Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike landing about 20 fish total and enjoying the nice day. Third day was off fishing for Muskie and they did have some excitement in this area. They had follows, a Muskie hooked and lost, and Phil had a big Muskie under control, led it into the cradle perfectly, when the fish went wild thrashing so fast and hard it slapped Jerry’s hand off of he cradle handle and got out. Phil still had it on for a moment only to see his Mepps pop out of the Muskie’s mouth. They also caught a few nice Smallmouth during the day. Fourth day was full of fabulous fast action and fun as they caught 54 Northern Pike by suppertime. Lat day was even better as they caught 52 Northern Pike and 8 Smallmouth Bass, all the Pike being larger than the day before with a lot between 28 to 32-inches and Jerry caught his second Master Anglers Award Smallmouth at 18.5-inches. Both made memories that can’t compare to any fish caught, and Phil will be back in 2010 with his sons to enjoy the wilderness he loves so much.

Kent Williams and Bill Black from Atlanta, GA returned to Fireside Lodge for their fifth consecutive year. First day fishing they caught a bunch of Smallmouth Bass, and said the action was very fast until 1:00PM when rain moved in a seemed to shut things down. They caught a lot up to 14.5-inches, along with some Northern Pike up to 30-inches. Second day was slower as they tried some new waters with very limited success. That is what good fishers do, constantly looking for new waters for future fishing opportunities. For the evening fish Kent decided not to fish so Bill went alone and of course the Pike were very active. Bill had lots of action, but had difficulty landing these toothy critters by himself, especially one that was in the 35 to 38-inch range. Bill tried to net the fish four times and finally the fish broke off and swam away. Third day was great as they caught a lot of Smallmouth Bass. Just goes to show the difference one day could mean as the Smallmouth were very agreeable, which was not the case the day before. Fourth and final day was very windy but as Bill says, Kent gets all wide-eyed and excited when this happens after he learned a technique that woks great in the wind. Picking the windy side of weed beds they troll right in the heaviest wind, and did they ever catch Northern Pike. The Pike were all good size, 28 up to 35-inches. They caught so many that Kent said quote “we caught so many Pike I quit because I was tired of handling them”. I told Kent I was going to use this quote in my fishing report and if anyone calls me on it he has to verify his statement, which he agreed to do. I found them on the dock on their last evening after supper enjoying the cool breeze off the water as long as they could before returning to hot steamy Atlanta. Both had a great trip and hope to return in 2010.

Mike and Zack Gerulski from Huntington Woods, MI were fishing at Fireside Lodge for there eighth consecutive year. First day they caught some Smallmouth Bass and a few Northern Pike. Second day was a slower day but for Mike and Zack Smallmouth fishing picked up considerably after supper. Third day shaped up very nice with the Smallmouth Bass action turning on and Zack himself caught 18 nice Smallmouth Bass before supper and Mike mixed it up with 8 Smallmouth and 7 Northern Pike. Fourth day was a portage for Smallmouth Bass and Muskie. It was very high winds on this day, which made boat control difficult, however they did catch some Smallmouth Bass and Zack caught a Muskie, which was his first ever. Congratulations to Zack on his first Muskie catch. They concluded their trip by fishing after supper in the still high winds with one goal and that was to catch a fish. Well, they did just that and caught a Smallmouth. After they returned to the dock they said goodbye to Kent and Bill (above) who have become Fireside friends over the last several years. Nice that people meet at Fireside Lodge from Atlanta and Michigan and form lasting relationships. That’s part of what Audrey and I call the “Magic” of Fireside Lodge. This along with the lasting memories made over the last eight years between Mike and Zack, is the biggest catch of all. We hope to see all of these fellows back at Fireside Lodge for many years to come. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge to make memories and friends.

Returning to Fireside Lodge for their third year in a row were Todd Meyer and sons Dan and John with John Anderson and his son Jake all from Naperville, IL. Day of arrival this group got right to it catching some Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass. First full day of fishing was a slower day for most guests in camp however these guys were the exception. They caught a total of 37 Smallmouth Bass, 9 Northern Pike and the fathers Todd and John each landed a Muskie. John’s was 36-inches and Todd also caught a 36-incher with the girth of a 42-inch Muskie. Great first day. Just goes to show that even during a slower day fishing on the lake, there are still plenty of fish to be caught. Second day was the best fishing days of their lives as they caught over 145 Northern Pike and 12 Smallmouth Bass between both boats. John Meyer and Jake had a BIG day as John caught his first Muskie ever and Jake caught his first Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. John and Dan also caught Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass all being 18 to 18.5-inches. They could hardly believe the fishing day they had when talking about it at suppertime, and all decided to call it a day and rest that evening after supper. Three days go by fast and this last day they met up with very windy conditions with showers on and off all day. This made fishing more difficult, however all caught fish with Todd, Dan, and John catching 8 Northern Pike, 8 Smallmouth Bass, and Dan caught two Muskie in the 34 and 35-inch range. WOW, two Muskie in one day is a great fishing feat. John and Jake did better with numbers, with John alone catching 21 Smallmouth Bass despite the strong winds. All had loads of fun, made many father and son memories, and hope to return in the future. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge to spend your special father and son time together.
Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2009 Photos

Hot Lures of The Week: Dardevle Spoons, Blue Fox Spinner, X-Rap, Mepps Spinner, Beatle Spin, Tiny Torpedo, White Jig

Catches of the Week: Two 20.5-inch Smallmouth Bass, 40-inch Muskie, 38-inch Muskie, three 38-inch Northern Pike

Hot Flies of the Week: Flash Tail Whistler
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