Fishing Reports at Fireside Lodge: 2011

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 8/27 to 9/10 2011

Hello from Fireside Lodge in Northwest Ontario, Canada. During the last open week of the 2011-fishing season we were blessed with wonderful weather and many beautiful orange vibrant sunsets.

Long time guests Paul Letourneau from Northville, MN & Spencer Olson from MN. upon arrival were very excited and Paul stated his goal for this trip was to catch a 40” or better Northern Pike. 1^st day was fabulous as they caught about 20 Pike, 10 over 27” and Paul landed a BIG 37”er with a huge head & body. 2nd day was a great day as they caught 32 Northern Pike & Paul accomplished his goal of catching a Trophy Northern Pike measuring 41”. Congrats to Paul. 3^rd day was very sunny & calm, which they felt affected the fishing, however they did catch some Smallmouth Bass & Paul caught an 18.5” Master Anglers Trophy Smallmouth. This means if Paul catches a Trophy Musky in his last 2 days he would be the first to catch Master Anglers Award fish of all three species. They also had fabulous Pike fishing for a few hours after supper catching 6 Pike between 28 and 39” with Spencer landing two Northern Pike with enormous girth measuring 38 & 39”. 4^th day was a bit slower as they experimented with open water trolling around schools of baitfish. 5^th & final day had them catch more Pike ending up with a nice 36”er and a gorgeous Canadian sunset to boot. See some of their catches posted by Paul on our Face Book Page.

Father & Son Rich & Brian Jicha from Avon Lake, OH & Middleton, WI returned for their 6^th time. DOA the got right to it catching over 15 Pike in just 3.5 hours before supper. Afterwards they landed about 5 more fish including a few Smallmouth Bass. First day was all about Pike catching a bunch, over 40, & Rich landed a Huge 37”er. 2nd & 3^rd days they had a ball catching many Northern Pike & a few Smallmouth Bass. On 1 of these days alone they landed 60+ Pike, and Brian caught a Big Smallmouth he regrets not measuring as it might have been a Master Anglers Award fish. 4^th day was a portage for Musky having loads of follows even on Smallmouth, on a perfect cloud cover day with rain approaching. Rich said it seemed as if they were in a Muskie aquarium. They left at about 2:30 catching about 9 nice Northern Pike before supper with Brian landing a nice 36”er. 5^th day fishing between t-storms & dealing with some high winds managed to catch 24 Northern Pike. Another fabulous highlight was seeing a moose swim across the lake and surge out of the water onto an island while they were fishing. They had another fabulous stay with us and made another set of fishing memories together.

Bob & Jane Babcock from Midland, MI were back fishing with us for their 13^th consecutive year. DOA & first day they caught some nice Pike and Bob had a Huge Musky follow on a surface lure. Day 2&3 they had similar days catching some Northern Pike in search of that large trophy fish using many presentations & lures. Bob seemed to keep getting big follows but could not get a hook up. One time he had a HUGE Musky follow his surface bait, but was handcuffed not being able to figure 8 the fish. That’s typical Musky fishing. On their 4^th day they sized down a bit a caught a bunch of Pike of average size, but Bob again had a huge fish follow on a new suspending lure, not once but twice about three feet back and several feet below the lure. The big story today was the Moose they observed. While fishing they we able to spot a Moose sauntering along a shoreline. Always a GREAT sight to see and one of the many untold benefits of fishing in our wonderful wilderness area. Fifth & final day Bob & Jane again caught some nice fish, & while fishing a new area with a new presentation Bob had a Giant Musky come up on his lure. Both soaked up every last minute of our great wilderness setting. They even broke tradition, which is staying in their last night enjoying the wilderness view from their deck, and enjoyed their last evening doing the same from their boat on the lake. Before departing Bob & Jane made their reservations for the same week in 2012.

The Ruyter family of Anthony, Elizabeth, & Michael from Pembroke, Ontario were visiting us at Fireside Lodgefor their first time. The main purpose of this family’s trip was to catch up with their lives as Michael had spent the summer working in a mining camp in the Yukon, and was on his way to attend University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Michael flew to Thunder Bay from the Yukon while Elizabeth & Tony drove from Pembroke, ON to pick him up from the airport to spend 8 nights & 7 days at Fireside Lodge for a special family visit. First time ever fishing with us had Tony & Mike getting plenty of action hooking up 9-10 fish & landing several. Tony also had a big fish rip his line out and break off. Mike also landed his biggest Northern Pike at 35”. This family had a blast all week enjoying the wonderful fishing & wilderness atmosphere we have to offer. They had endless conversation in the dinning room at breakfast & supper times, enjoyed a terrific shore-lunch on the lake, and also spent some memorable time at Twin Falls.

Tyler Tennant from League City, TX and father-in-law Peter Higman from Libertyville, IL were back for their 6^th consecutive year. 1^st day was “FABULOUS” as they caught many Smallmouth Bass & Peter landed two very BIG fish. The 1^st being a 39”Northern Pike and the 2^nd was a GIANT 43” Muskie. WOW!!! 2^nd day was slower catching some fish while investigation new territory. 3^rd day had them catching mostly Smallmouth Bass while seeing a few very big fish follow their lure right to the boat. 4^th day while fishing for Musky they had some big follows & landed 3 smaller Muskie, & Tyler caught an 18.5” Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass. They spent their final two days catching plenty of Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike with Tyler landing another Master Anglers Award Smallie at 18.5”, and he had two exciting blow ups on a surface lure by Musky. Both had a great trip and hope to return again.

John & Carrie Wasko from Jersey City, NJ returned for their third consecutive year. First day was a very good Northern Pike catching day landing a lot between 25 to 30” and Carrie had the fish of the day with a 32.5”er that gave her a very good fight. 2^nd day was a portage for Musky where they had many follows but no takers. 3^rd day had John catching over 20 Pike himself up to 31” and several Smallmouth Bass up to 17.5”. The rest of their stay was very enjoyable having great weather and making many memories together while thoroughly enjoying their valuable vacation time. They had such a great time the ended up making reservations with us for 2012 before departing.

Returning for their 8^th year were Charlie Geinosky from Burbank, IL with father and son Bob and Jon Reinhardt from Orland Park and Aurora, IL. DOA, in just 3 hours before supper, they caught 19 Northern Pike with Charlie setting the pace landing a 39.25” Northern Pike. 1^st full day they caught 22 fish, 1 Smallmouth & 21 Northern Pike & Jon caught a big 36” Pike. 2^nd day had them catching fish & Jon landed two Muskie while missing another very big Musky estimated in the mid-40” range. You could tell on Jon’s face that this one hurt almost as much as the one he lost 3 years ago estimated at close to 50”. 3^rd day had them catching well over 20 Northern Pike along with some Smallmouth Bass. 4^th day however was Jon’s “BIG” fish day as he landed a GIANT 43.5” Northern Pike along with a 37”er. The last two days they had great fishing catching many Northern Pike, seeing countless big follows from Pike & Musky, Charlie catching a 36’er and Jon caught a 37.5” and another very BIG 39.75” Northern Pike.

Father and son Jim & Bryan O’Toole from IL returned to Fireside Lodge along with brother/sister combo Leah Bezin & Tom Nayder from Berwyn & Orland Park, IL. returning for their second trip in 4 weeks. Here for three days of fishing all took full advantage of their limited time spending most daylight hours on the water. They had a fabulous trip catching a lot of Northern Pike & Smallmouth Bass, having many laughs, and making special memories between family & friends. Fishing highlights were catching a lot of Pike between 30-35”, Jim landing a Tiger Musky, & Bryan catching an 18.5” Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass. A very special bonus for all this week was having Leah & Tom entertain us in the evening with their musical talents playing guitar & banjo to some familiar & not so familiar sing-a-long type tunes. Special thanks to them both. This was a very special trip for Jim & Bryan. Being guests and making father/son memories at Fireside Lodge since Bryan was in high school, he is now in his mid-20’s & recently joined the US Air Force & will be departing for basic training a few days after returning home. A lasting memory for Audrey & I was watching them have their traditional cigar at the end of the dock upon arrival & again just before departing. We wish Bryan the best & pray for his safety in his very noble & honorable serving in the United Sates Air Force.

“See Special Season End Statement Below”

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

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

YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/user/FiresideLodgeFish

Twitter

http://twitter.com/FiresideFish

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

http://www.firesidelodgefishing.com

http://www.firesidelodge.com

800-545-0815

Email at:fireside@xplornet.com

Monday, September 5, 2011

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

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

YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/user/FiresideLodgeFish

Twitter

http://twitter.com/FiresideFish

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

http://www.firesidelodgefishing.com

http://www.firesidelodge.com

800-545-0815

Email at:fireside@xplornet.com

Monday, August 29, 2011

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.