Fireside
Lodge Fishing Report 8/27 to 9/10 2016
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| Near 50-inch Trophy Muskie Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Josh Johnson |
The
weather through the first half of this time period was just about
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| Monster Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge |
perfect being
68-75 degrees having sun mixed with clouds. The second half we had a mixed bag
with a few days giving us some heavy rain and windy conditions. But as we know
weather affects the fishers more than the fish and those who persevered through
the conditions did well.
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| Big Trophy Smallmouth bass Fishing by Rich Jicha at Fireside Lodge | | |
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| Super BIG Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing by Brian Jicha |
Long time
return guests, father & son, Rich & Brian Jicha from Avon, OH &
Middleton, WI were glad to be back and quick to hit the water. DOA they caught
15 Northern Pike. 1st full day they had a fabulous day catching 57
Northern Pike with a lot 28 to 32-inches. 2nd day was all bigger
fish landing a dozen & having many more follows. After supper Brian had a
MONSTER, over 40” Northern Pike, follow his lure up to the boat several times
but would not hit his bait.
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| GREAT Muskie catch by Brian Jicha at Fireside Lodge |
3rd day was searching for big Muskie and
they found them. They had
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| Father & Son Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing |
many follows on BIG Muskie and Rich said that without
exaggerating one of the Muskie was at least 4 feet long. 4th day
they had one of the best days they ever experienced fishing catching 70 fish,
64 Northern Pike and 6 Smallmouth Bass & each caught an 18.5-19-inch
trophy. 5th and final day they fished a portage lake for Muskie
catching two up to 31-inches, Brian saying they had many BIG Muskie follow
their lure to the boat. They also caught a bunch of Big Smallmouth Bass with
Rich landing 3 Trophy qualifiers at 18, 18.5 and 19-inches. Both went home
having a FABULOUS time making fishing GREAT memories between father & son.
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| Zack Adams Loving Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge |
Guest
since 1994 Gerald Adams from Shawnee, OK was back making his traditional father
& son fishing trip with son Zack. 1st full day they caught 15
Smallmouth Bass with Gerald catching an 18” Trophy.
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| Great Blue Heron Captured in Flight by Zack Adams While Fishing at Fireside Lodge |
2nd day was a
very rainy day with Gerald & Zack deciding to opt out and have a relaxing
day in. 3rd and final day they caught some of their favorite fish,
Smallmouth Bass and soaked up as much of the wilderness atmosphere they have
become so attached to. Gerald & Zack come to Fireside Lodge for other
reasons than the Great Smallmouth Bass Fishing they have experienced. The
wonderful Wilderness and Wildlife are a big reason but it is also a lot about
the people.
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| Rare Water Lilly in Bloom Photo by Zack Adams While Fishing at Fireside Lodge |
The numerous people they have met and enjoyed conversation with
over the many years staying with us at Fireside Lodge since 1992 have created a
special connection with Gerald and Zack that I think means more to them than
anything else. Also, the people that have met them have been blessed to do so.
We thank Gerald & Zack for making Fireside Lodge their home away from home
to make wonderful memories between father & son.
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| Great Big Northern Pike Fishing With a Worm at Fireside Lodge by JoAnn |
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| Super Fat Trophy Smallmouth |
Ed and
JoAnn Piotrowski from Hampshire, IL returned for their 3rd
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| Trophy Smallmouth Bass by Ed |
consecutive year. A lot happens in a year and for Ed he finished a personal
goal of writing a book about his life journey with a fishing theme relating to
his experiences since he was a little boy. I have known Ed & JoAnn since
1984 and they are truly wonderful people married for 42 years, a rare commodity
these days, and I am sure Ed’s book will be enlightening and fun to read which
I intend to do as soon as I have the chance. The title is “A Life Well Fished”
and it can be purchased on Amazon.com. As for the fishing during their stay
they enjoyed catching Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike every day with both
JoAnn & Ed each catching two Master Anglers Award Trophy Smallmouth Bass.
Ed caught their only Muskie measuring 31” and JoAnn directed this catch.
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| Muskie Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Ed |
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| Pike Fishing by Ed Piotrowski at Fireside Lodge |
As Ed
was searching for a new lure, JoAnn out of the blue said use
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| Huge Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge |
the Tequila
Sunrise Rattle Trap. Ed followed JoAnn’s direction and about 10 casts later he
caught his Muskie. On the last day with only a few stops from calling it a trip
Ed hooked into what he calls the Chamber of Commerce Fish and the fight was on
with a mid-40” Muskie. As Ed described it was a great battle until the Muskie
completely cleared the water and ungraciously flung the Rat-L-Trap back at the
boat. Guess what color?? Tequila Sunrise! Both left having a wonderful time
fishing, meeting other guests and are already looking forward to their return
in 2017, already having reserved their dates.
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| BIG Old Northern Pike Fishing by Steve Johnson at Fireside Lodge |
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| Debra Fishing Trophy Smallmouth Bass |
Long time
return guests Steve & Debra Johnson from Halltown, MO
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| GIANT Trophy Smallmouth Bass by Debra |
were glad to be back.
1st day was good caching 15 Smallmouth Bass up to 18-inches. 2nd
day Debra stayed back for ½ day and they had good total results catching
quality fish 16-17.5”.
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Absolute Toad Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing by Steve at Fireside Lodge
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| Many Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Steve | | |
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| Endless BIG Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge |
3rd day was very good catching a good number
of bigger
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| Special Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Debra |
Smallmouth Bass and Steve caught a big old pike measuring 38-inches.
4th day was a very good day catching Big Smallmouth Bass and it was Debra’s
turn landing a big 38-inch Northern Pike. 5th and 6th
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| BIG Barred Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing by Steve |
days were spent hunting down Smallmouth Bass and a good side story was during a
lull in catching fish, which we all have from time to time, Debra pointed a
fishing spot out to Steve and Steve reacted like, what are we doing here. Well
no sooner that those words came out of his mouth Debra hooked and landed a
Trophy Smallmouth Bass. 7th day was a good day finding the
Smallmouth more grouped catching some beauties. Next day they did well catching
some big Smallmouth with Steve landing a 19-inch Trophy and losing one the same
or bigger, plus they caught 17-17.5 inch Smallies. 10th & final
day started with heavy rainfall that continued until about noon. As Debra
decided to stay dry Steve fished alone doing very well catching a lot of large
Smallmouth Bass. Both left having a fabulous visit and left hoping they can do
it all over again in 2017.
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BIG 38-inch Northern Pike While Fishing for Smallmouth Bass
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Carl
& Peggy Olofson from Roselle, IL returned for their 2nd year in
a row. 1st day fishing the caught a bunch of Smallmouth Bass and a
few Northern Pike. 2nd day was a blast catching some Northern Pike
and Smallmouth however the big excitement of the day was when Peggy hooked into
a Muskie in the high 30” range.
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| Super Fun Fishing Northern Pike at Fireside Lodge by Peggy |
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| Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Carl |
Well the fight was on a Peggy did everything to
get it at boat side however the fish got off in the netting process. Also, Carl
caught an 18” Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass. 3rd day Peggy
had the hot hand as they had great action on Smallmouth Bass & Pike. After
returning to the dock for supper they were full of excitement but a bit worn
out so that evening was spent enjoying conversation and a beauty of a sunset. 4th
and final day was all about action on both Pike & Smallmouth Bass and
according to Carl; Peggy was on fire catching most of the 18 fish. Both went
home as they came with Big smiles on their faces thoroughly enjoying their stay
and already looking forward to a return visit.
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Nothing Better Than Fishing BIG Smallmouth Bass at Fireside Lodge by Jim Cron
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Jim &
Kathy Cron from Roanoke, IN returned for their 4th
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| Another Trophy Smallmouth Bass by Cathy |
consecutive year. 1st
day on the water was wonderful picking up where they left off last year
catching some beautiful Smallmouth Bass wacky worm style. 2nd day
they had a great time Smallmouth Bass fishing routing up some big bass from
some of their old haunts and Cathy caught a MONSTER Trophy Smallmouth Bass on a
sinking worm I sold to her a year ago. She quickly bought some back up worms.
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Fishing Sinking Worms and Large Smallmouth Bass Go Together
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| Fishing Weeds Near Rocks for Trophy Smallmouth Bass |
Jim that evening pulled out a new 9-weight fly rod and on his 3rd
cast got bit of by a Northern Pike. 3rd day was another great
Smallmouth Bass day and in the evening Cathy went fishing in her personal tube
put in action by divers flippers. She had fun and had a few fish on that she
lost. 4th day Jim said they had a very good day catching their
favorite fish, Smallmouth Bass and Cathy came up with the catch of the day
landing a trophy size Smallmouth. 5th and final day they finished
very strong catching many good size Smallmouth Bass. However with these two it
is never just about the fish as they truly have a great day every day being on
the water enjoying the wilderness and all it has to offer.
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| Tube Fishing for Trophy Smallmouth Bass at Fireside Lodge by Jane |
Long time
guests of 18-years, Bob & Jane Babcock from Midland, MI were here to hunt
for trophy Northern Pike & Muskie. 1st day they caught Northern
Pike and Bob had action on his new lure, The Swimming Duck. During days 2-4
they fished relentlessly hunting down large fish getting numerous follows &
strikes but had yet to land one, but in the mean time they were catching
Northern Pike & Jane caught a Trophy Smallmouth Bass.
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Peace and Tranquility Fishing at Fireside Lodge
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On their 4th
evening Jane tried out Cathy’s float tube & flippers and within 3 casts caught
a beautiful BIG Trophy Smallmouth Bass that jumped like it was a made for TV
fishing show. The setting could not have been better with an orange blaze sun
setting in the horizon making a perfect backdrop. 5th and final day they
did very well catching a lot of Northern Pike, Jane having the hot hand landing
the majority of them. They left having tons of fun enjoying the company and
conversations of other guests they have gotten to know over the years.
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| Fishing BIG Northern Pike at Fireside Lodge by Josh Johnson |
Gary
Johnson from Midlothian, IL returned for his 4th time with sons
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| GIANT Near 50-inch Trophy Muskie Fishing by Josh |
Pete
& Josh and joining them 2 days later was John Riemer from Lincoln, NE. Day
of arrival they got on the water at about 3PM and within 15 minutes Josh tied
into a GIANT fish. After a fun fight Josh landed a 49-inch Trophy Muskie. What
even made it more exciting was it hit on a figure 8. All were very excited and
Gary & Pete have some
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| Northern Pike Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Pete Johnson |
catching up to do. 1st day they went out
and caught 30+ Northern Pike up to 30”. That evening John arrived and on day 2
Pete & Josh caught 12 Northern Pike including a 33 and 36-inch fish. Gary
& John did very well Pike fishing up to 1PM but not before John caught a
40-inch Trophy Northern Pike. 3rd day Pete, Josh, & John
portaged to another lake catching a bunch of Northern Pike and 6 walleye, two
being 26-26.5-inches. Meanwhile, as quoted by Gary, he was having the best
fishing day of his life catching 24 Northern Pike up to 38-inches, 4 Muskie
between 35-40-inches, and 6 nice Smallmouth Bass. Gary was so pleased with his day;
he did not go fishing after supper for the 1st time. 4th
and final full day of fishing Gary & Josh caught 17 Northern Pike and a
Tiger Muskie while Pete & John caught over 30 Northern Pike. All departed
having a fabulous time and Gary said he would be returning next year with a
group of 6-8 People.
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| GREAT Fun Northern Pike Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Danielle Antcil |
Jacob
& Danielle Anctil from Martensdale, IA were making their first appearance
at Fireside Lodge after getting married this past Saturday. This is also their
first time experiencing fishing in Canada and seeing everything this great
wilderness has to offer. Day of arrival they caught their first Northern Pike
in just a short time after supper. With the sun setting at 7:57 the after
supper fish is shortened a lot compared to the longest day of the year when it
sets at 9:38. 1st day was enjoyable discovering Little Vermilion
Lake while fishing for Northern Pike.
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| Fishing Canada at Fireside Lodge for Northern Pike by Jake Antcil |
2nd day they ventured to the
West End having a good day catching some Bigger Northern Pike up to 31-inches.
3rd and final day they were very excited about their day catching
about a dozen bigger Northern Pike up to 33-inches plus they felt like they learned
a lot figuring out Little Vermilion Lake. Jacob & Danielle had a lot of fun
during their three days and made wonderful memories which will last throughout
their many years together, and we thank them for selecting us a Fireside Lodge
to take their first vacation as a married couple.
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| HUGE Muskie Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Fran Stack |
Fran & Colleen Stack from Lorain, OH were
back for the 13th
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| Big Smallmouth Bass BIG Smile Fishing by Colleen Stack |
consecutive year. 1st full day they had
an action packed day catching many Northern Pike, losing at least as many as
they caught, and having many strikes without hook ups. As Colleen described the
day pulling up to their dock slip “FABULOUS”!
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GIANT Girth on BIG Northern Pike Fishing by Colleen
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2nd day they caught a
combination of Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass. Day 3 was off to a portage
lake to fish for Muskie & Smallmouth Bass despite the day starting out with
heavy rain not ending until around noon. They did very well having 18 Muskie
follows of all sizes, hooking up on 4, with Colleen getting as close to landing
one by her Muskie hitting the side of the boat. Also, Colleen did land a BIG
FAT 35 inch Northern Pike & Fran caught a few Smallmouth Bass including a17.5-incher.
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Big Smallmouth Bass are Fabulous Fishing by Fran
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4th day was another numbers Northern Pike day similar to their first
however they were less concentrated so moving was the key. 5th day
was special in that Fran caught 3 Muskie including a 29” Tiger Muskie, and a 31
and very large 42-inch Muskie plus each caught a nice 31-inch Northern Pike. 6th
day had Fran continuing his Muskie roll catching two more one being a Tiger
Muskie. 7th and final day they catching a lot of Northern Pike and
Fran caught his sixth Muskie of the trip. Both left having a fabulous stay and
hope to be back.
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| Muskie Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Tom Born |
Tom &
Jen Born from Lakeville, MN were visiting with us again for
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| Big Smallmouth Bass Fishing at Fireside Lodge are Common |
their 11th
time. DOA Jen was catching fish immediately landing a SB & and Pike and
having two of her lures bit off, just within and hour time period after supper.
1st full day they caught Pike & Smallmouth Bass each catching a
big Northern Pike Jen a 33”, and Tom a HUGE 39” plus Tom caught the biggest
Smallmouth Bass at 17.5-inches.
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| Selfie or 38-inch Northern Pike Fishing by Tom Born |
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| 39-inch Northern Pike Fishing at Fireside Lodge by Tom Born |
2nd day was met wit heavy rain until
noon and Jen got soaked so Tom dropped her off and continued on to catch some
nice toothy critters including a Tiger Muskie and a 38-inch Northern Pike, and
had no choice but to tale a selfie (see attached) which gave a great perspective
of his catch. 3rd day had them catching some nice Pike and the
Muskie were moving having follows, having a few hooked, Tom caught a 30”er and
after a long battle lost what they said was every bit of 48-inches. After
having it just a few feet from the net the monster surged towards the boat
smashing into the boat side coming unhooked. Tom had everything he could want
catching a fish this size can offer except the picture. 4th day was
challenging because of high winds managing to catch some nice Northern Pike. 5th
& final day they enjoyed every last minute fishing and enjoying the wilderness,
which abounds our area while catching some nice fish.
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| GREAT Northern Pike catch Fishing by Jen Born |
Long time
return guest from 1993 David Young was returning for his second time in 2016 this
time with son BJ for what we think was BJ’s 7th visit. DOA they got
right to it catching some nice Northern Pike before supper plus Dave had a HUGE
strike near the boat just about ripping his rod from his hands. 1st
day they caught a lot of Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass with BJ catching the
majority of his on a fly rod with flies he tied. Both were very excited and
said they had a great day. 2nd day they did well catching Pike again
on the Fly Rod and they got into a bunch of Smallmouth Bass by an island off a
rock ledge at 15-20 feet. Next day was about the same and Dave experienced fast
action Smallmouth Bass after dropping BJ off at 3:30 to run an errand. The soft
plastic crayfish presented slowly was the key. 4th and final day
they had high winds to deal with but still managed to have a good day catching
Northern Pike & Smallmouth Bass. They both left feeling reunited making
father and son memories.
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| BIG Northern Pike are a Reality Fishing at Fireside Lodge in Canada |
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.
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| Beauty of a Tiger Muskie Fishing at Fireside Lodge in Canada |
Hot Lures: Twin Blade Bucktail, Sinking Worm
Wacky Style, Double Bladed Mepps, Mepps Muskie Killer, Top Raider, Soft Plastic
Crayfish, Blue Fox Spinner
Catches of The Week: Smallmouth Bass 7-19”,
8-18.5”, 7-18”, Muskie 1-49”, 1-42”, Northern Pike 1-40”, 1-39”, 2-38”
Special Note To All Fireside Lodge
Guests:
At the
beginning of our 27-year tenure at Fireside Lodge Audrey and I never imagined
the friendships we would develop with our guests, and the limitless memories we
have made, which is truly a gift to us. We want to take a moment to thank all
of our guests for this special gift and for supporting us over all these years
making our lifelong goals become a reality. We thank you from the bottom of our
hearts and hope to continue our relationships while developing new ones in the
years to come at Fireside Lodge
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| Amazing Sunsets at Fireside Lodge in Canada From Boat Dock Area |
Well, that's it for this weeks Fireside Lodge
Fishing News Report, Please stay tuned for the next weeks report in May of 2017.
Until then "Keep On Fish'n" Alan
800-545-0815
