Fishing Reports at Fireside Lodge: Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 6/30 to 7/7 2012

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 6/30 to 7/7 2012

HUGE 44" Muskie Fishing in Canada at Fireside Lodge

Kids catching 40" Trophy Northern Pike Fishing in Canada

The weather this week was a little on the warm side being in the mid to high 80’s, having one bad Thunderstorm taking our power away for about 8 hours. This forced all to have dinner by candlelight and do things like they were done in years gone by. Not a bad thing to remember how good and easy we have it these days.

18.5-inch Trophy Smallmouth Bass fishing Canada

Catching Tiger Muskie Fishing in Canada

Long time guests Greg Benton, John McDonough, Randy Genord and his two sons Dane & Ryan from Grand Blanc, MI were back again to chase giant toothy critters. 1st day all caught Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass and had some very large follows from Musky. Next day had them chasing BIG Musky & Pike getting a many BIG follows catching just a few medium to Smaller fish. The big fish we tight lipped & lazy. That evening however Dane caught a Trophy 18.5” Smallmouth Bass & Randy had the catch of the day landing a HUGE 44” Musky. WOW! What an impressive picture. The next day was a really active Musky day as the group got a lot of action & landed 4, with Greg’s being the biggest, a 38” Tiger Musky, John caught a 32.5” Musky, but the real story here was Ryan at 12 years old caught his first ever Musky at 37” plus his second Musky a 37”er.

Fabulous Fishing for Northern Pike in Canada at Fireside Lodge

WOW, what a special fishing memory for Ryan, Randy & Dane. 4^th day was again spent chasing the “BIG DOGS”. By now they located many big fish by getting follows so it is now just a matter of timing. The right timing came again for Randy as he ended up catching a Beautiful 42”, very fat Tiger Musky. Great photo was had plus video of the release soon to be seen on our You-Tube channel. In discussing the weeks fishing it came up that Dane had caught a Master Anglers award Smallmouth Bass and Randy the Musky at 44”. In our 23 years at Fireside Lodge I never remember a father and sons combo getting a fishing hat trick, meaning catching trophy class fish in all three categories. As they were departing the dock I pointed to 13-year old Ryan telling him it is his turn & challenge to catch a 40” plus Northern Pike to accomplish this family fishing feat. Well, Ryan was all smiles at suppertime as he was showing me his great photo of the 40” Trophy Northern Pike he caught. He also caught a 36”er. Great going Ryan as another record is set at Fireside Lodge. All left having another terrific fishing trip & hope to return in 2013.

Master Anglers Trophy Smallmouth Bass at Fireside Lodge

My First Muskie at 41" Fishing at Fireside Lodge Canada

First time guests Robert & Ollie Waldeck from Cotter, AR were here to fish for Smallmouth Bass. First day was the best it could be, as they caught Northern Pike & Ollie caught, her 1^st ever Musky, doing it in style, landing a HUIGE 41”Musky. WOW! What a GREAT catch. 2^nd day was super as they caught over 30 Northern Pike & 1 Smallmouth, while enjoying our own version of the “Jungle Cruise Ride” going up long winding creeks to access a few lakes in our lake system. Their goal on the 3^rd day was Smallmouth Bass, and they caught some with Bob catching a beauty 18”er, but said they just did not figure a pattern out yet. 4^th day they were all smiles coming back saying they established pattern for the day to be a slow presentation with a soft plastic bait. They caught 20+ nice Smallmouth Bass with this presentation. 5^th & 6^th days were just as much fun catching Smallmouth Bass & Pike. The unexpected experience these two had was developing some Fireside Lodge friendships. As often happens here at Fireside Lodge the comforts of our atmosphere & dinning room engages people, which cause a casual friendship to develop. In the case of Bob & Ollie they met several other couples and individuals who added to making their 1^st experience at Fireside Lodge a very pleasurable one. In fact so much so that they made reservations for 2013 before departing, and we are very glad we will see Bob & Ollie next year.

Trophy 19" Smallmouth Bass fishing at Fireside Lodge Canada

GREAT Smallmouth Bass Fishing in Canada

Great Muskie catch Fishing at Fireside Lodge in Canada

Couple Stacey & Paul Kimberling and Susan & Gary Blakey from West Plains & Sparta, MO were very excited to be here to experience what they have been planning for the last 6 months. 1^st day ever on the lake they did well catching 14 Pike with 6 Smallmouth Bass, Paul landing a big 36” Pike. 2^nd day brought even better results as each boat caught 24-26 Northern Pike & Susan became a Master Angler landing a trophy 19” Smallmouth Bass. 3^rd day had this group catching from 12-15 Northern Pike per boat along with some Smallies. Since their day of arrival all were thoroughly enjoying the wilderness that surrounds you when fishing at Fireside Lodge. 4^th day they did a split with the Guys leaving the dock before 5AM to hunt down Musky, and the ladies having a total relax in the wilderness day. Both had a fabulous time with the guys getting very excited about the Musky they saw follow lures, & Gary landed a 32-incher. The ladies were found a various areas throughout the day, on their deck, sitting at the end of the dock just enjoying the beautiful wilderness setting we have at Fireside Lodge. At supper both Stacey & Susan were so impressed how quiet or surrounding are during the day and Susan even used the phrase, “ It Was Deafeningly Quiet”. I guest it’s comes down to opinion as to weather the guys or ladies had the biggest catch of the day. 5^th day was fun catching fish & also having a great shore lunch up by Twin Falls, which is always a great experience. 6^th & final day the ladies stayed back to just enjoy the day around the lodge grounds, & Susan also went Kayaking for about an hour. The guys left at the crack of dawn on a hunt for Musky. Well they both accomplished their goal as they each caught a Muskie. They did it in style each catching the same size Musky, both being 36-inches. All left having had a wonderful fishing/wilderness vacation & before leaving there was much talk of their future return.

Long time guests, Jack & Steven Starnes from Wise & Duffield, VA were back to fish with us for their 8^th consecutive year. 1^st day was super for these two as they caught nearly 100 Smallmouth Bass, some nice Pike, & Steven landed a Musky over 40”. Second day was primarily Smallmouth Bass catching 80 & they caught many Big Bass. 3^rd day had these fish magnets catching 52 Smallmouth Bass & 26 Northern Pike, & Steven caught a GIANT Trophy Smallmouth Bass measuring every bit of 20”. Next day was mainly searching for Musky and Steven landed two nice Muskie in the upper 30’s along with them catching some bigger Pike in the mid to high 30-inch range & a few Smallmouth Bass to that were 17 to 19”. 5^th day the winds were blowing which even had an affect on Steven & Jack, although they catch some big Smallmouth and Pike. 6^th& final day they were more on track catching well over 50 fish, a combination of Smallie & Pike, and Jack caught his first Musky of the trip. Steven ended up with 6 Muskie for the week. That’s great for a week of fishing but they got spoiled after catching 9 Musky in one day and 14 for the week last year. I would say that that kind of production would spoil anyone. Both left thoroughly enjoying their week stay, & made reservations for the same dates in 2013.

Fly-Fishing for BIG Smallmouth Bass at Fireside Lodge Canada

Woman Fly-Fishing Northern Pike at Fireside Lodge in Canada

Steven & Nancy Jensen from Springfield, MO returned for their 10^th consecutive year. Fly-Fishing only for these two, & their first day was a terrific day catching 30+ Pike. They also guided 3 other couples though a creek into one of our out lakes which helped them get familiar with the creek ride. Very nice of Steven & Nancy to help some new Fireside Lodge guests get comfortable with our waters. 2^nd day had Steven & Nancy mixing it up, catching both Northern Pike and some Smallmouth Bass & Steve caught a beauty 17” Smallie. Third day had Steven and Nancy catching a bunch of Northern Pike on the fly, and on a fly rod those Pike really give you a fight. 4^th & final day the wind kicked up a little which is at the disadvantage of any fly-fisher. Steven & Nancy fished al day in the windy conditions catching some Smallmouth & Northern Pike despite the winds. Both had a great stay fly-fishing in the wilderness, and making some new Fireside Lodge friends, which seems to happen naturally at Fireside Lodge. Both had such a good time they reserved their dates for 2013.

Giant 44" Tiger Muskie Fishing at Fireside Lodge Canada

Terrific Pike Fishing at Fireside Lodge in Canada

42.5" Northern Pike Fishing in Canada at Fireside Lodge

Ken Benkeser, brother Don, with friends Chris Cusick, Mike Kamp, & Anthony Weber from Clover, SC, Wayne, Bolingbrook, & Chicago, IL & LaFayette, IN, returned for their 4^th visit with us at Fireside Lodge. DOA they got right into the grove catching 30+ Pike per boat. 1st day was great catching many Smallmouth Bass & Chris came up with the Northern Pike of his life landing a Master Anglers Trophy 42er. 2nd day had Tony & Ken doing very well catching over 25 Smallmouth Bass, 10 Northern Pike with some Musky follows, while the others had similar numbers but it was a Big day for Chris again catching another BIG fish, this time a 43.5 inch Tiger Musky. WOW!! What a great catch for Chris. 3rd day was catching a lot of Pike, with a lot of Musky follows. 4^th day the big guns came out as each bought several lures from my tackle shop to try and win today’s daily contest. Every evening this group plans a competitive contest for the following day. No matter what the fishing contest rules of the day are, anyone who catches a Muskie wins out, except if someone catches one of each species. In this case that person wins the pot. Well, on day 4 that’s exactly what Don accomplished, winning that daily contest with a 40” Muskie. 5^th and final day had this group catching a lot of Smallmouth Bass & Northern Pike finishing strong. All left having loads of fun recharging, and Mike said he needed to go back to work so he could rest up.

1st ever Northern Pike caught Fishing in Canada

3 Generations Fishing at Fireside Lodge Canada

Father & Son Roy & Ross Lagerblade from Rock Island, IL & Crestwood, KY returned for their 8^th trip to Fireside Lodge & this was a BIG year for the Lagerblade traditional yearly fishing trip. Ross’s son Reese was joining them for the first time at age 13.This was bout the age Roy took Ross on the family traditional yearly fishing trip. 1^st day was a really large day for Reese as he not only caught his 1^st Northern Pike ever, but also saw a Moose & viewed it for almost 10 minutes. Second day was fabulous catching over 30 Northern Pike, & Reese was impressed with the creek ride to get to an out lake. Second day had these three catching some Pike with Reese landing his biggest, a hefty 33” pike, and Ross caught a 32” Musky. 3^rd day was a dedicated Musky day getting many follows and Roy was the man today catching a 32.5” barred Musky. 4^th day was a banner record day as they caught 80 Northern Pike and the story of the day was Reese, having been his first time ever on a fishing trip, caught 17 Northern Pike in 1 day. WOW, Way to go Reese!! 5^th and final day the totals were great as they landed well over 40 Pike giving them a strong finish to a “FABOLOUS” three generations family trip. When asked if Reese wanted to do this again there was no hesitation, saying yes. Great memories made between Father/Son/Grandfather. And hence a the other chapter added to the Lagerblade family fishing tradition

20" Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge Canada

Many Trophy Smallmouth Bass while Fishing at Fireside Lodge

Jerry & Wanda Miller from Erwin, TN were back for Jerry’s 17^th consecutive year and Wanda’s 12^th. WOW! Time flies when your having fun. DOA it’s like they never left as they found Smallmouth Bass quickly with Jerry’s 1^st Smallie being an 18.75” Master Anglers Award Trophy. 1^st full day of fishing they got right into the Smallies in the morning catch about 20 nice fish but the afternoon shut down. Might have been the heat & still air. 3^rd day was nothing less than FABULOUS catching close to 50 beautiful Smallmouth Bass with 30 being 15 to 17.5-inches. Jerry also caught half of his on the surface with a Torpedo. Wanda pointed out that Jerry had a little trouble losing one Torpedo, however Jerry said that that tree limb just seemed to reach out & grab his lure out of mid air. 4^th day was even better than the third, which Jerry mentioned he thought was not possible. They not only caught more fish than the day before but bigger Smallmouth Bass. Wanda caught her personal best a GIANT 20” trophy. WOW!!!. Jerry said they caught many over 17”, and had numerous doubles. Fifth & last full day was more of the same with Wanda again being the BIG fish specialist catching more big fish than Jerry again. Wanda caught another 2 Master Anglers Trophy Smallmouth Bass, 18.25” & 18.5”. 6th day is always just a half day of fishing as they come in to pack and rest for the travel home. Also, they enjoy just sitting on their deck, reminiscing about their trip and soaking up the final moments of the Canadian Wilderness they have come to love. I’d say Jerry & Wanda are “BUSHED”.

Ladies catching Trophy 19.5" Smallmouth Bass at Fireside Lodge Canada

Proud Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge Canada

The Schopp Family of David, Wilma, & Michael from St Louis, MO along with Caroline Lewis from Bethesda, MD and Chris Ascheri from Fort Dodge, IA were all at Fireside Lodge for their 1^st time. This group came to find Fireside Lodge through a few of Mike’s coaches that fished with us in past years. First day out was spent learning in the morning, and what quick learners they were as they had a fabulous day catching many Northern Pike & a few Smallmouth Bass. Second day was more of the first, catching a lot of Northern Pike but just a few Smallmouth Bass. Wanting to catch more Smallmouth Mike and I discussed locations & different presentations that might be more productive. 3^rd day was very windy and inhibited the ability to fish in locations so it was a slower day simply because the time spent on the water was limited. This group however made up for it on their 4^th & final day as they again got into a bunch of Northern Pike, catching 46 & 1 Smallmouth Bass plus having a ton of action in strikes, misses, & follows. Caroline caught the lone Smallmouth Bass and it was a very large 17.5”er. All had a great stay & with Mike & Caroline working in the US capitol it made for a great venue to re-unite and catch up as a family. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge to make your special family memories.

Fabulous Smallmouth Bass Fishing for Ladies in Canada

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42" Sunset Tiger Muskie Fishing in Canada at Fireside Lodge

Hot Lures: Harvo, Bull Dog, Husky Jerk, Sinking Worm, Tube Jigs, Blue Fox Spinner, X-Rap, Pointer Minnow, Live Leeches, Spoons

Flies of the week: Henrico Puglesi Perch Pattern

Catches of The Week: Musky 44”, 43.5”,42”,41”40”, Tiger Musky 42”, 38” Northern Pike 42”40” Smallmouth Bass 2-20”, 2-19.5” 3-19” 3-18.75”, 2-18.5” 4-18”