Fishing Reports at Fireside Lodge: Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 7/7 to 7/14 2012

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 7/7 to 7/14 2012

HUGE 45-inch Tiger Musky caught Fishing at Fireside Lodge Canada

Mostly beautiful but a bit too warm at times is what best described the weather for this week. Even though we have been warmer than normal our guests were still able to escape the heat no matter where they traveled from.

Great Smallmouth Bass caught at Fireside Lodge Canada

Jerry & Susan Florea from Martinville, OH were excited to be fishing with us for their first time. Here for 4 days this couple thoroughly

enjoyed there time spent in our wonderful wilderness setting. They had a BLAST the first two days exploring Little Vermilion Lake as they caught some nice Northern Pike & Smallmouth Bass & they really enjoyed having lunch at Twin Falls. Third day brought them on their best Northern Pike fishing ever, landing 16 and one Smallmouth Bass, plus they had a lot of fish hooked that never made it to the boat. Fourth & final day was concentrated on catching Muskie and exploring new waters, Cedarbough Lake. Both ended up hooking a Muskie and Jerry landed a nice 34” Musky. Goal accomplished. This couple also had just as much fun sighting an eagle a day, watching the activity of Beavers, viewing an Otter catching fresh water clams and dinning while floating on its back. Talking about fresh water clams, Jerry while bouncing an X-Rap on the bottom like he does at home for Largemouth, he felt something different, & after bringing the lure back to the boat he found a freshwater Clam clamped onto one of the treble hooks. So it was decided to give Jerry the first ever Mater Anglers Award for hooking & landing a freshwater clam on and artificial lure. Both had a “FABULOUS” stay with us, as we did getting to know Jerry & Susie.

BIG Smallmouth Bass in Canada are a Blast

Swimming & Fishing at Fireside Lodge Canada

Joe & Marilyn Foos from Alpharetta, GA we back for their 4^th consecutive year. DOA they got into fish quickly catching some Smallmouth on the surface & Marilyn caught a nice Northern Pike & had a Smallmouth jump and spit her hook out. Fun action for just a few hours before supper. 1st day was GREAT as they caught lots of Northern Pike, & could have caught them all day long but decided to switch to Smallmouth Bass. They caught a few and enjoyed the search. 3^rd day they found it slower struggling a little, but don’t we all have fishing days like that? 4^th day was gangbusters catching many Northern Pike & Smallmouth Bass & Joe landed a Master Anglers Award Bass. Also, Marilyn has been able to swim at lunch every day so far, that means it’s very warm, or better yet down right hot. 5^th day was another GREAT day fishing as they targeted Smallmouth, and even though they had to fight off the Northern Pike, they did catch a lot of Bass ranging from 14 to 18”. There last three days they did well every day catching countless Northern Pike, with Joe also focusing on bigger Smallmouth Bass. We talked about some specific areas that might be better for this & Joe & Marilyn went out and searched, finding some really great Smallies. One day in particular the caught many larger Smallmouth while fishing through the Pike. This was a banner trip as Joe joined Marilyn swimming at lunch twice, which he never did before. Both had a fabulous stay with us and reserved their dates for the 2013 season.

HUGE Smallmouth Bass Fishing Lakes in Canada

Trophy Smallmouth Bass caught Fishing at Fireside Lodge

First time guests Rob, Tony, Peter, Aaron, Chris Mitchell, Joe Ingallinera, & Billy Doran from Glen Ellyn, Warrenville, & Rolling Meadow, IL, Benton, NH, Grover MO, & Kerrville, TX were ready to hit the water when they arrived. For just a few hours before supper all got a little familiar with he lake and caught fish, a mix of Pike & Smallies. 1^st day Aaron led the pack by catching 17 Smallmouth with the others catching anywhere from 5-10 fish, mostly on sinking worms. 2^nd day Rob had the edge catching 13 Smallmouth before supper and the others had 5-10 each. 3^rd day this group had their best day ever catching about 150 Northern Pike and some terrific Smallmouth Bass, with Rob landing his biggest ever at 19”. 4^th day had them searching for Muskie, but being a hot sunny day this was not working so they changed over to Smallmouth catching some, but in comparison it was a slower day. 5^th & final day Rob & Tony targeted Smallmouth Bass breaking out the fly rods for the first three hours without much catching success. They would follow the fly presentation after which Rob & Tony would throw out a sinking worm, and catch the fish. They started using the sinking worms, and as Tony said they stayed busy for 4 hours catching Smallmouth Bass. That’s a great afternoon. The others went toothy critter hunting catching 25-30 pike per boat, but the top story of the day involved Pete. Pete is of the age he now has a bucket list, and one of the top things on that list was to catch a Musky. Well, nobody could have planned this out if they tried as within the last hour of calling it a day/trip, Pete tied into a BIG fish. After a mishap with the net Chris went down to grab it as Billy held onto Chris to keep him from falling in the lake. Well, Chris came up with the fish in hands, a 45” Tiger Muskie caught by Pete with a 2-point assist by Chris. WOW!!! What a terrific catch with a story to match, which will last in this families memories forever. GREAT going Pete, and second that for Chris & Billy. All left having a FABULOSU stay with us and hope to see them again.

Giant Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge Canada

Great Northern Pike Fishing at Fireside Lodge in Canada

A Group of 20 coordinated by Horace Phillips from Oklahoma City, OK were Son Perry, Tom Green, Tim Turner, Stephen Buchanan, Kenneth Butler, Craig Turner, Kenneth Taylor, Jeremy Whitson, Paul Parker, George Elassal, Robert Murrell, Van Shelton, Gary Bunch, Dan, Dave, & David Stewart, Lacey Butler, and Steven Cupit with 11 year old Ethan from Oklahoma City, Newalla, Blanchard, Okaache, Choctaw, Edmond, Tanliequan, & Enid, OK, Fort Smith & Pea Ridge, AR, Canyon & Denison, TX. Giving this group a lake & equipment orientation seemed more like a seminar as the whole group gathered around several large lakes maps getting familiar with our lakes and what they have to offer. After the orientation all were ready to fish. That they certainly did for 4 days, just about non-stop. Here are some examples of daily catches by this group, & remember that for 16 of them it was their very first time fishing at Fireside Lodge and the other 4 were only here once. These are some highlights from each day.

Day 1: Kenneth Taylor & Jeremy 48 SB, Dan & Dave Stewart 40+Pike 6 SB 35”Musky, Craig & Lacey 36 SB with several Pike, David Stewart & Paul Parker 45-50 Pike, Horace Phillips & Tom Green about 30 SB.

Day 2: Jeremy & Kenneth T. 55 Smallmouth Bass with a lot of Big fish

Trophy Fishing for Smallmouth Bass by kids at Fireside Lodge

Steven & Ethan caught Smallmouth & Ethan landed an 18” Trophy.

Dan & Dave Stewart caught 55 Northern Pike most 28-30”

David Stewart & Paul Parker caught 40+ Pike, & David a 19.5” SB

Kenneth Butler & Stephen Buchanan caught 24 Pike

Craig & Lacey caught 14 Pike with a bunch of Smallmouth

Bob Murrell & Van Shelton caught 26 Northern Pike

Day3: Dan Stewart & Paul Parker caught 58 Pike

Jeremy & Kenneth T caught 52 Bass & Ken caught his 1^st Musky

Dave & David Stewart caught 30+ Northern Pike

Day 4: Craig & Lacey caught 56 Smallmouth Bass

Jeremy & Kenneth caught 52 Smallmouth Bass

Dan & Paul caught 35+ Pike with Dan Losing a GIANT Clear Musky

Dave & David Stewart caught 25+ Pike and a few Bass

All other boats caught between 20-30 fish per boat on this there final day. All went home having a FABULOSU stay with us and were already talking about returning in 2013.

My 1st Trophy Musky Fishing at Fireside Lodge Canada

Cal Hulst, son Patrick with his son/grandson Ryan and Ryan’s friend Bob from Holland, MI were fishing at Fireside Lodge for their first time. First few days they felt their way around the lake system catching some nice Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike, with Patrick coming up with a great big Smallmouth Bass at 17.5”, and Ryan had the catch of his life, & most fishers lifetime, landing a HUGE 42” Musky. The excitement in Ryan’s face when describing his experience at suppertime was priceless. The picture you see here is worth a thousand words. Each day got better as they learned the lake, and their catching results showed, catching more nice Smallmouth Bass, and on their last day had great Northern Pike fishing & catching as they landed at about 20 Northern Pike in each boat. All left having a great family fishing vacation and logging some fabulous family memories. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge.

Terrific Fishing at Fireside Lodge for BIG Smallmouth Bass Canada

First time guests Bob & Carolyn Hicks from Richmond, VA were referred to us by a previous guest Jeff Perry also from VA. 1^st day they caught some nice Smallmouth and a few Pike. 2^nd day was a bit slow fishing but they did catch some Smallmouth and enjoyed visiting Twin Falls area. Third and final day had them doing very well catching a lot of Northern Pike, after experiencing our very own jungle cruise ride. That evening, their last, Jerry went out by himself to enjoy the beautiful evening and fly-fish for Smallmouth Bass. He was very successful having a lot of action on a surface popper and caught several nice Smallmouth Bass. Jerry left not believing how fast their time sped by and wishing they had a few more days.

Youth Fishing for BIG Smallmouth Bass in Canada

Mark McDermotte from Chicago, IL returned for his 5 trip in 6 years, & this year had his son Sean for his 2^nd time. Mark brings each of his three children to Fireside Lodge, one at a time, alternating years. 1^st day they caught about 12 Northern Pike. 2^nd day had them catching over 30 Pike and a few Smallmouth Bass, with Sean landing a beauty 17” Smallie. 3^rd day had them catching a good number of Northern Pike and searching for that BIG toothy critter. In doing so they tried some new locations and located some BIG fish. Now that locations were established it’s all about timing. On their last day and a half they continued their quest for the big fish, catching some nice size Pike along the way, but just could not hook up on a monster Pike or Musky. Mark felt that the weather was just too warm and stable to have the percentages swing in the anglers direction. Mark did have an over 40” Musky blow up on a lure while doing a figure 8 but he set the hook in the wrong direction, pulling the lure right out of the fishes mouth. Both had a great stay with us, made another set of father & son fishing memories, and also Mark made his reservations for 2013. Thanks to Mark for making Fireside Lodge your place to make memories with your children.

BIG Smallmouth Bass Fishing in Canada BIG Smile

Jeffery & Kathryn Bernel from LaPorte, IN were at Fireside Lodge for their first fishing trip. First day on the lake was an adventure for these two, as they have never tried doing anything like this before, and were true beginners. So after some instruction on the lake system I helped Jeff & Kathryn get set up with some fishing equipment, locations, & presentations to use while fishing. They had a wonderful time just being out on the lake and enjoying the pristine atmosphere newly discovering all there is to see. They caught only 1 fish but had a fabulous day on the water. Second day they tripled their catch landing three. For beginners the progress was going forward in the right direction. 3^rd day they caught a dozen great size Smallmouth from 12-16-inches. They not only fished but also found a natural beach area and went swimming for an hour or so to enjoy the beautiful water temperatures. 4^th and final day had them catching even more than day three, and the fish were all BIG with Kathryn landing a “HUGE” 19-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass. Way to go Kathryn, going from complete novice fisher to a Master Angler Fisher in 3 days. They also spent part of there last day enjoying lunch and swimming at Twin Falls. Both had a fabulous stay and were talking of their possible return for next year. Thanks for choosing us for your first fishing adventure.

Show Me Big Smallmouth Bass at Fireside Lodge Canada

Bill Kassow, son Kamen and Dad / Grandpa Bill SR with John Sheltar & son Jake and Kane Comfort all from Salina, KS & were back for their 6^th stay with us at Fireside Lodge. First day they went to a few creek accessible lakes & caught a lot of Northern Pike in each boat. Jack caught his first ever Northern Pike and was amazed at the creek ride. Great day on the water for all. 2^nd day was mostly about Smallmouth fishing catching their fair share up to 17”, and Bill caught a nice 32” Musky. On their 3rd & final day, WOW, time flies by when you having fun, they split their time up between portaging to Terry Lake and fishing Little Vermilion Lake. They did well catching Northern Pike on Terry Lake and Smallmouth Bass on Little Vermilion. This was a FABULOUS trip for this family, and a milestone for Jack as everything he did was a first. This was his 1^st trip to Canada and it was great to see him enjoy everything for the first time. Thanks for choosing us at Fireside Lodge for your family fishing vacation.

Common Northern Pike fishing at Fireside Lodge Canada

Father & son Bob & Ron Ramsey from Leavenworth, KS & Sewanee, TN returned for their 8^th consecutive year. First day on the water was spent chasing Muskie down on Closs Lake having some success locating a few nice fish, but having no takers. Ron & Bob spent all their time hunting down the toothy critters concentrating on the BIG DOGS.

Second day they caught some great Pike Ron having the biggest of the day measuring 35”. Third day was spent having fun catching Northern Pike landing some nice size fish in the 28-32” range. 4^th day had them chasing Musky again. They planned this on a day when storms would be in the area with the hopes of increased Musky activity, but the storms also had lighting which drove them off the lake, but not before landing one and getting a number of follows. 5^th & final day was spent enjoying the wilderness together, catching some substantial size Pike and planning for next years strategy. Both had another wonderful father & son fishing trip making many more memories together, and before departing made reservations for their traditional fishing trip with us in 2013.

Father & Son Fishing in Canada for Northern Pike

James McCollam with sons James & Ryan from Orland Hills, IL returned to Fireside Lodge for their 4^th time with father & son Bob & Sean Potempa from Tinley Park, IL. First day on the water was all about Muskie as they fished Cedarbough & Little Vermilion Lake. No actual catches, but follows were had and Sean had his first ever encounter with a Musky fighting a near 40”er for about 10 minutes. The fish ended up winning this battle after getting Sean’s line & lure tangled in the pencil reeds. One battle lost by Sean, but the war with Musky just began. Second day was spent Northern Pike fishing doing very well catching 35-40 as a group. WOW!!! What a fabulous day. On their last two days most effort was directed towards fishing for larger Muskie & Northern Pike. They did catch some bigger Pike and a few Muskie 26-30”. The bigger fish showed up but evaded them. Jim, at one point during supper showed his frustration with seeing all these BIG fish & not being able to get them to commit, but even as he was finishing his sentence a smile came across his face showing satisfaction just that he saw these magnificent fish. All had a terrific fathers and sons fishing vacation making many wonderful memories together. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge to do so.

Trophy Smallmouth Bass in Canada at Fireside Lodge are Common

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Hot Lures: Blue Fox Spinner, White Hair Jig, Mepps Spinner, Sinking Worm, Crayfish Crankbait, Drop Shot Worm, Spoons, Bucktails, Floating Rapala,

Catches of The Week: 38” Northern Pike, 45” Tiger Musky, 19.5” Smallmouth Bass plus 16-18” to 19” Smallies