Fishing Reports at Fireside Lodge: July 2016

Sunday, July 31, 2016

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 7/9 to 7/16 2016

Trophy 48-inch Muskie Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Dan Lex

This week ranged from very cool weather to pleasant temperatures along with a day of very heavy rain and high winds. At least that lasted only 1 day and the rest of the week was good weather along with good fishing.

HUGE Northern Pike Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Al Wortz

Long time return guest Al Wortz was back with his son David from

Trophy Smallmouth BAss Fishing by David Wortz

Howards Grove & Milwaukee, WI and with them were Al’s friends Karl Tremmel, Prior Lake, MN & father & son Mike & Dan Lax from Dublin, OH. DOA Karl set the bar for Northern Pike catching a nice fat 36”, & David had a 33”.


1st ever Muskie Fishing at Fireside Lodge

BIG Northern Pike Fishing by Karl Tremmel

First ever Muskie Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Mike Lex

Terrific Trophy Smallmouth Fishing by Al Wortz

1^st day Al & David did great catching 20 Pike 6 Smallmouth Bass & David caught his 1^st ever Muskie & his 2^nd Muskie plus Dan also caught his 1^st Muskie. 2^nd day was a super GREAT day catching over 50 Northern Pike, with at least half 30”-36” plus Dan caught his 2^nd Muskie ever and It was an absolute MONSTER measuring every bit of 48” and had a massive girth. 3^rd day brought very fast action and had them catching over 75 Northern Pike. That evening Al & Dave tore up Smallmouth Bass on surface baits including 3 Trophy fish 18-19-inches. 4^th & final day they had good fishing but it was very hard to top their 1^st three days. All left having had fabulous fishing & loads of fun among family & friends with their last words being, ”We Will Be Back”.

Big Muskie are GREAT Fishing at Fireside Lodge

Richard Santos, Pasco, WA returning for his 3^rd consecutive year

Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Ron Santos

with Dennis Collins for his 2^nd from Kennewick, WA and with them were 1^st timers Dennis Kreid & Ted Poston both from Richland, WA. 1^st day they had a fabulous day catching more Northern Pike than they could keep track of along with a few Smallmouth Bass.

Fly Fishing for BIG Smallmouth Bass at Fireside Lodge by Dennis Collins

2^nd day they caught Smallmouth Bass however the bigger fish somehow evaded them. 3^rd day was a repeat of the 1^st. 4^th day, changing tactics, they did very well catching Smallmouth Bass finding the larger ones in the weeds or on weed lines. The summer transition has happened. 5^th day was great catching many Northern Pike & Dennis got into some Big Smallmouth Bass Fly-Fishing a popper. All left thoroughly enjoying their stay.

Beauty Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Bill Radez

Returning Guest David Montovani, Indianapolis, IN brought 1^st time Guests Bill & Walker Radez, & Joey Droter, from Carmel, IN, Bloomfield, CO & Chicago, IL for their 1^st experience Fishing at Fireside Lodge. 1^st day they tore it up catching 80 Northern Pike plus Bill caught a 17.5 and a Trophy 19” Smallmouth Bass. 2^nd day was slower catching some fish but they were spoiled from their 1^st days results. 3^rd day was good with Bill having the best day on both Northern Pike & Smallmouth Bass. 4^th & final half day was good weather & good fishing. All left expressing what a great time was had by all.

Beauty Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Bill Radez

Catching BIG Muskie Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Todd Busdiecker

Long time guests father & Son Wayne & Todd Busdiecker from Centerville & Waynesville, OH returned for their 9^th time ready to fish. DOA they got right to it catching 16 Northern Pike & a Smallmouth Bass. 1^st day was terrific Northern Pike fishing as they caught 50-60 Northern Pike. 2^nd day was also a very good day catching a bunch of Pike 28-35” plus Todd landed a beauty 38” Muskie. 3^rd & final day the Northern Pike just kept coming catching another 40-45 fish making it a great finish and they hope to see us again next year.


Muskie Fishing at with Family at Fireside Lodge by Phil Spahr

Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing by Stephen Spahr

The Spahr family Father / Grandfather Phil, Sons Tim & Brad & Grandsons Stephen & Christopher from Fairborn, OH & Marborogh, MA returned for their 18th consecutive year. Fish were caught right on the DOA & 1^st day started with Stephen catching a BIG 33” Pike & Phil landing a 35” Muskie.

Muskie Fishing Holding Dad's Muskie by Tim Spahr

Big Smallmouth are a Blast by Christopher Spahr

Tim also had a Muskie on until it jumped & threw his lure & they caught 28 Northern Pike 10 SB plus had 6 Muskie hooked landing 3 nice fish, Phil catching his 2nd. 2^nd day Phil did it again landing 2 more Muskie on a Mepps & his favorite Beatle Spin. 3^rd day was unreal as they caught 81 Northern Pike & 6 Smallmouth Bass before suppertime.


Bigger Northern Pike Are Great Fishing by Brad Spahr

BIG Northern Pike Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Stephen Spahr

4^th day was a complete wash having heavy rain all day with strong winds but they worked on an old fashion puzzle keeping them busy all day. Brad did manage to get out with Tim losing a big tiger Muskie & catching a 34 incher. 5^th & 6^th days were more focused on Muskie with both Stephen & Christopher catching one plus Brad had a big 36-inch Northern Pike. All left having a wonderful family fishing vacation making priceless memories together.

First Tiger Muskie Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Lisa Vincent

Spotted Muskie Fishing at Fireside Lodge fishing by Ron Vincent

Consecutive year guests for 17 years, Ron & Lisa Vincent from Sherrills Ford, NC were thrilled to be back. DOA & 1^st day these two caught over 60 Northern Pike, 3 Smallmouth 17.75-18.5-inches plus Ron lost a 40-inch plus Northern Pike. 2^nd day they caught LOTS of Pike & Smallmouth & both caught a Muskie; Lisa with a Tiger & Ron caught a 36-inch Spotted Muskie. 3^rd day they caught 27 Pike 6 Smallmouth Bass 17-18-inches plus each caught a Tiger Muskie 30–35-inches. 4^th day despite being a stormy rainy day they caught 15 Northern Pike & had a Moose sighting on the lake. 5^th day they were on fire catching over 75 Northern Pike plus caught 3 Trophy Smallmouth between 18-18.5-inches. 6^th day was a day off for Lisa & Ron alone caught 26 Pike a 19.5-inch Trophy Smallmouth & had 2 huge Muskie follows.

Super Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Ron

7^th & final day they caught 25 Pike, 15 SB plus Ron, while fighting a Smallmouth Bass, a BIG Muskie came up ate his Bass and got hooked. The fight was on but with Ron only having 6lb test & no leader the odds were with the Muskie, which ended up breaking off during a netting attempt. Both left having another wonderful trip & hope to return in 2017.

Great BIG Northern Pike Fishing at Fireside Lodge

Brothers Johnny & Leo Cauzo plus Leo’s son Gianluca from Pointe Claire & Montreal, Quebec returned for their 2^nd time. 1^st day they had fun catching 20 Northern Pike. 2^nd day was another good day Pike fishing catching 32 total. 3^rd & final day was fabulous catching a mix of Northern Pike & Smallmouth Bass, and had shore lunch by Twin Falls. All had great family fishing making memories to last a lifetime.

Tiger Muskie are HUGE Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Ted

Ted Payseur & Jan Anderson from West Des Moines, IA were here for

Father & Son Fishing Memories Trophy Smallmouth by John Sr and John

there 2^nd year in a row bringing with them 1^st year fishers, John Sr and John Nelson, & Allen Scheef from Racine, WI. 1^st day this group had great

Tiger Muskie Fishing at Fireside Lodge by John

Northern Pike fishing with Ted & Jan catching 45-50 & John Sr, John & Al saying they caught about the same. 2^nd day was slower still catching some fish. 3^rd was a rainy windy day but all had good success, mostly on Pike, & at suppertime Jan & Ted were searching out my tackle shop to find the lure that was working. John Sr, John, Al had a very good day also catching a lot of Northern Pike 28 to 35”. 4^th was another good day Pike fishing. 5^th they finished strong catching many toothy critters Ted catching a very heavy 38-inch Tiger Muskie, John with a 37-inch Northern Pike & Al had a 39-inch just missing the Mater Anglers Award for the Northern Pike category. All left having w wonderful stay & before departing Jan & Ted discussed dates for 2017.

Trophy Northern Pike Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Allen

The Gillam Family Bill, Claudia, Blair, & Charlotte from Elwood, IN &

Having Fun Fishing for Northern Pike by Blair

Chantilly, VA. Returned for their 3^rd time. 1^st day all caught some fish and enjoyed the wilderness fishing we have at Fireside Lodge. 2^nd day was almost a complete wash out with heavy rain & wind but they really caught up on their sleep. 3^rd day the skies cleared & sunshine was welcome bringing a change in the fishing as they had some good action with Blair

Barred Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge

catching his biggest Northern Pike. Charlotte also had an accomplishment finishing the book she was reading. Audrey always says fishing means different things to different people. After Blair & Charlotte departed Bill & Claudia stayed one more day enjoying some great weather while catching Northern Pike. They also experienced a very large, over 40 inch, fish follow their boat for over 20 minutes staying very near the boat and at times was so close to the surface it’s fins would come above the waters surface. This made a great finish to a wonderful family trip.

Tiger Muskie Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Dave Hamilton

Returning were 16 year guests Al Sins, Asheville, NC Dave & Pam

Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing by Pam Hamilton at Fireside Lodge

Hamilton, Raleigh, NC & Charlie Dotson also form Ashville for his 1^st experience. 1^st day all caught fish and had some Muskie follows. 2^nd day the weather prevented them from fishing much

Trophy Smallmouth Bass are Common Fishing at Fireside Lodge

as we had 1.13 inches of rain with high winds. 3^rd day was great fishing with each person catching over 20 Northern Pike plus Dave caught a Trophy Smallmouth Bass. 4^th day Al & Charlie caught some 30” Northern pike & had 10 Muskie follows but no takers. The biggest catching was had by Mr Eagle as all saw a Bald Eagle swoop down to grab a fish, but the fish was too big to go air born with it so the eagle swam with the fish in it’s talons & dragged it up on shore. What an amazing sight to see. 5^th day Al & Charlie caught some nice Pike had Muskie follows and Al caught 2 Muskie while Dave & Pam also caught some nice Pike but saw as quoted by Dave “The Chamber of Commerce Fish” which was a HUGE Muskie. Pam also caught a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass.

Trophy Northern Pike Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Dave Echert

Lots of BIG Northern Pike Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Lois Echert

Dave Echert from Haubstadt, IN returned for his 2^nd year in a row

Steve Weber Fishing Trophy Smallmouth Bass at Fireside Lodge

with his wife Lois & brother-in-law Steve Weber. 1^st day was great as they caught over 25 Northern Pike up to 31-inches. 2nd day the action was great hooking 50+ Northern Pike landing close to 30. 3^rd day was windy with heavy rain & a little tougher catching 15+ Northern Pike Steve landing a few in the mid 30” range. 4^th day they had good Northern Pike fishing. Deciding to stay an extra day paid off as they caught a lot of bigger Northern Pike & Smallmouth Bass with Dave landing a 19.5-inch Smallmouth & a 39” Northern Pike. After catching 2 fish on 2 casts Steve was about to throw Dave in the water had he caught a 3^rd consecutive fish. All left have a great time & hope to return.

Fireside Lodge Trophy Smallmouth Bass are HUGE Fishing by Dave

Make sure to go to our website below to see some GREAT Fish Photos. For Fabulous Fishing Video, Wildlife Events, and Current Happenings go to our Social Sites Below.

Hot Lures: Yo-Zuri Stick Bait, Mepps Musky Killer, Pop-R, X-Rap

Father & Son Trophy Muskie Fishing at Fireside Lodge

Catches of The Week: Muskie 48”, 38” Tiger Muskie, 2-39” Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass 1-19.5”, 2-19.5”, 6-18.5”, 5-18”

The Al Wortz Fishing Gang of 5 at Fireside Lodge

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

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Fireside Lodge Fishing Report 7/2 to 7/9 2016

Massive Trophy Northern Pike Fishing by Steve Baron

As we know the fishing at times reflects some of the weather conditions we get. This week we continued to get average (74F) temps or below which is very pleasant however we did get several severe thunderstorms with some guests getting caught in golf ball size hail. Hence we should all respect forecasts before taking to the water. These storms seemed to have a positive fishing affect as we had over 30 Muskie caught during the week.

Great Big Tiger Muskie Fishing by Todd Cambron

Reed Thacker & Todd Cambron from Indianola, IA returned for their 3^rd consecutive year. 1^st day was tremendous & by 1:00PM stopped counting the Northern Pike they caught at 40, plus Reed caught 3-19” Trophy Smallmouth.

HUGE 19.5-inch Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing by Todd

2^nd day was a great BIG fish day as they caught a number of large Pike & Todd was hot again catching a Trophy 19” Smallmouth, a 38 & 41” Tiger Muskie. Their voices were full of excitement when telling the days fish stories in the lodge. 3^rd & final day they focused on Muskie but severe T-Storms took them off the water early & were not able to return. Both had a great stay & said they would see us next year.

GREAT Fishing for Large Northern Pike by Mike Ramsey

Long time guest from Grand Blanc, MI Greg Benton was back introducing friend Steve Barron from Lennon, MI to Canada fishing for his 1^st time. It is all about Muskie with Greg and on the 1^st day Steve found a pattern where he fish were near areas where hard bottom meets soft, had a bunch of Muskie follows catching a few Muskie & some nice Pike. 2^nd day was very good catching a lot of nice Pike having some big Muskie follows plus they found a new underwater hump that was holding some good size toothy critters. 3^rd day they discovered another underwater structure holding a lot of fish. 4^th day they caught a few fish but T-Storms kept them from fishing most of the day. 5^th & final day was a terrific day fishing & Steve caught the Northern Pike of his life landing a GIANT Trophy Northern Pike with using fishing techniques Greg has developed over his long tenure fishing at Fireside Lodge. Both left all smiles & as Greg was walking out of the lodge door he turned and said, the countdown has already begun until next years return.

Family Fishing for Northern Pike by Will Ramsey

John Bahls with his 3 sons Dave, Rob, & Don from Hastings & St

BIG Muskie Fishing by Dave held by Rob

Paul, MN were fishing with us for their 1^st time. Muskie seemed to be their prime target on the 1^st day getting a number of follows. 2^nd day Rob & Dave were back at the Muskie getting plenty of follows, Dave landing 2 and they caught some Pike. John & Don caught a few Smallmouth Bass then got into a bunch of nice Northern Pike. 3^rd day was great as Dave & Rob Muskie fishing had the most follows ever & Dave landed a beauty Muskie measuring 38”. John & Don went for quantity catching 40+ Northern Pike. 4^th & final day John & Don were onto the Pike again while Rob & Dave were Muskie Hunting with Rob cashing in on 2 nice Tiger Muskie measuring 32 & 34-inches. All had a great time and said they will be coming back in August next year when the BIG Fish hit larger lures near the surface.

Trophy Muskie Fishing by Mike Ramsey Assist by Butch

The Ramsey Family was returning for their 5^th time including Father / Daughter Mike & Cathy from Penn Valley & Sacramento, CA Butch & Will from Hillsboro, OH & Dan from Germantown, OH. 1^st day on the water this crew tore it up catching over 151 Northern Pike, 10 Smallmouth Bass with Will landing 2-trophy size at 19 & 18”.

1 of 13 Muskie in 5 Days Fishing by Dan

2^nd day was tougher trying to battle severe T-Storms, which they got caught in withstanding golf ball size hail, but still caught some great fish. 3^rd day was terrific getting countless follows on Muskie & landing 10 Muskie in one day, Cathy catching her 1^st ever & 2^nd Muskie. They also caught 30+ Smallmouth Bass including 7 trophies between 18-20”.

Trophy Size Northern Pike Fishing By Mike

4^th day was about BIG Numbers as a group catching over 140 Northern Pike & Will landed a nice 34” Tiger Muskie. 5^th & final day was searching for Muskie. They had a terrific day landing 4 between 28-33” but Mike caught the prize fish of the week landing a 42” Muskie with a huge girth on a lure everyone was making fun of, The Swimming Rat.

Terrific Tiger Muskie Fishing by Will Ramsey

They also caught some nice Smallmouth Bass & Northern Pike. All left having a fantastic family fishing vacation and made reservation for an expanded group of 10 in 2017.

Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing by Janet

Mike & Janet Estes from Livonia, MI returned for their 4^th time. DOA

My 1st Muskie Fishing by Mike Estes

they caught 8 Pike and while Janet was fighting a Pike a HUGE Muskie took a swipe at her fish nearly cutting the tail off. 1^st day they started in their favorite spot with success and caught some nice Northern Pike & Mike finished the 1^st day with a nice 34” Pike. Also, they found a BIG Muskie that followed Janet’s lure twice for two days. Next day they caught more Pike Janet having that BIG Muskie visit her again plus she caught a Trophy 18.5” Smallmouth Bass. 3^rd day was a

1st Ever Muskie Fishing by Janet Estes

great Smallmouth Bass day catching over 30, plus several Pike. 4^th day was another great day catching 31 Northern Pike with lots of expression “PIKE”. 5^th day Janet had an experience like never before catching her first ever Muskie. It fought so hard for so long all the way to the boat but she still managed to land it and get a great picture. 6^th & final day it was Mike’s turn as he caught his 1^st ever Muskie being the same size as Janet’s the day before. Both really enjoyed their stay fishing and visiting with others & made their 2017 reservation before leaving.

Huge Walleye Fishing by Bill Westbook

The Gillfilan family, Marvin, Deb, & Kristi from Cincinnati, OH returned for their 2^nd time. 1^st day they went out and had some good Northern Pike fishing enjoying a beautiful day. 2^nd day was spent targeting Smallmouth Bass which were scattered, but they caught fish and had fun. 3^rd day was full of T-Storms keeping them of the water for a major part if the day but did manage to catch some Pike & Smallmouth Bass. 4^th & final day they had a great Family Fishing time together catching fish, having laughs, & making memories, which is the biggest catch of all.

Fun Northern Pike Fishing at Fireside Lodge

The Wilson family Father Bill, sons Craig, & Jeff with Paul Manley were fishing with us for their 1^st time. DOA they did well catching Pike & Smallmouth. 1^st day was an exercise in learning the waters, which came natural, and they caught fish, mostly Pike & Paul caught a 3.8lb Smallmouth. 2^nd day they found fish, catching some along

Many BIG Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge

with having many follows, however they were hampered by a day of T-Storms. 3^rd & 4^th days they caught some nice size Northern Pike up to the mid 30” range. 5^th day was great fishing finding a honey hole catching many BIG Smallmouth Bass, Bill & Jeff catching trophies at 18 & 19-inches, plus they caught a lot of Northern Pike, with 11 being 30” or better. 6^th & final day was similar to day 5 catching many quality fish, both Smallmouth Bass & Northern Pike. All left having a wonderful traditional family fishing adventure and parting words were, we will see you next year.

Fishing For Smallmouth Bass Catching Northern Pike

Father & son Russ & Rusty Rapp from Bourbon, MO were happy to be fishing with us for their 1^st time. 1^st day ever on our water was fabulous Northern Pike fishing as they caught over 40 fish. 2^nd day they caught a mix of Smallmouth & Northern Pike & Rusty caught a Trophy 18” Smallmouth Bass. 3^rd day they again had a good day catching a mix of Smallmouth Bass & Northern Pike. 4^th & final day they finished strong catching near 50 Northern Pike. Both left enjoying their stay & meeting some new Fireside Friends.

Fly-Fishing GIANT Trophy Smallmouth Bass by Steve

Pure Fly-Fishers Steve Jensen from Springfield, MO returning for his 14^th consecutive year came with Ralph Eichholz from Ozark, MO for his 2^nd time. 1^st day was tough fighting winds & several T-Storms,

Fly Fishing Northern Pike at Fireside Lodge by Ralph

but they managed to catch some Pike & Smallies. 2^nd day they again did well catching Pike & Smallmouth. 3^rd day was super catching many Pike, 40-50, & Steve caught a MONSTER Trophy Smallmouth Bass at 19”. 4^th day was a near repeat of the 3^rd. 5^th day came with lite rain all day, catching Smallmouth & Northern Pike. Both had a great stay & made 2017 reservation for a group of 4 before departing.

Super Fishing for Large Smallmouth Bass by Bill

Long time guests Bill & Rosanna Goodwin from Wilmington, DE were

Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing by Rosanna

glad to be back to target Smallmouth Bass. 1^st day they caught 25 Smallmouth Bass up to 16”. 2^nd day they caught about the same as the 1^st but some bigger Smallmouth in the 16” range. 3^rd day was very good catching 29 Smallmouth Bass up to 17” plus several nice Pike. 4^th day was a relaxing day spent exploring new sections of the lake they rarely or

Many BIG Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge

never fished before and picked up some nice Northern Pike. 5^th day was spent catching Smallmouth Bass with an interruption when Rosanna seemingly was stuck. Bill took her rod to help only to discover she had a huge fish on. After a long fight this very large fish ended up throwing the hook. 6^th & final day was a 20 Smallmouth bass day including a Pike & 33” Muskie plus they lost another BIG Muskie at the boat. Next year they are planning to bring more of their family as they have done in the past.

GREAT Tiger Muskie Fishing By Bill Westbrook

Scott & Zach Zimmerman from Kingsport, TN were visiting us for their 1^st time. 1^st & 2^nd day they caught some Smallmouth Bass & Northern Pike while learning the lake. 3^rd day was GREAT catching 31 Northern Pike & having many more on and lost. 4^th & final day was another very good Northern Pike day catching over 25 fish ending on a high note. Before departing Scott said he would contact us soon about 2017 reservations.

Monster Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing by Jill

Fantastic Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing by Bill

Bill & Jill Westbrook from New Philadelphia, OH returned for their 14^th consecutive year. 1^st day the did great catching over 30 Smallmouth Bass each landing a Trophy Smallmouth Bass 18 & 18.5”. 2^nd day they caught 25 Smallmouth Bass each landing another 18” Trophy, plus Bill caught a 38” Tiger Muskie. 3^rd day was another good day catching Smallmouth Bass with Jill catching a 19” Trophy & Bill had 2 more at 18”. 4^th day was another excellent

Catching Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing by Jill

Smallmouth Bass day catching over 25 including 3 more trophies at 18”, Jill with 1 and Bill with 2. 5^th & final day the caught 30+ Smallmouth Bass up to 17.5”. They also had a great time having Lodge conversation & lots of laughs with other guests and have all intentions on returning in 2017.

BIG Northern Pike Fishing By Mike

GREAT Tiger Muskie Fishing Alone by Mike

Mike Skowronski from NJ returned for the 2^nd time this year. 1^st day he had a good day catching Pike from 27 to 34” and a nice Muskie. 2^nd day he caught 2 nice Tiger Muskie and a Bunch of Northern Pike many over 30” up to 34”. Some of these fish were caught in traditional areas casting, however some were caught 8-12 feet down over open water amongst schools of baitfish. Mike also managed to land an 18.5” Smallmouth Bass. 3^rd & final day Mike

Muskie Fishing is Best at Fireside Lodge by Mike

was another good day Northern Pike fishing topping off his second trip with us in 4 within 3 weeks and he hopes to return in 2017.

Make sure to go to our website below to see some GREAT Fish Photos. For Fabulous Fishing Video, Wildlife Events, and Current Happenings go to our Social Sites Below.