Fireside Lodge Fishing News/Photo Report 6/27 to 7/4 2009

Fireside Lodge Fishing News/Photo Report 6/27 to 7/4 2009

This week started with an extreme cold front that lasted for 4 days, bringing very heavy rains, strong winds, and daytime highs only at 50 to 54 degrees. On Tuesday it only reached 50 degrees and with the strong winds and rain felt like 40 degrees on the water. By Wednesday the weather settled a bit but still only reached 55 degrees, but the light winds made it feel much warmer. By the end of the week it was in the mid 60’s. So much for summer?

Father and Son Shawn and Shawn Jr Rellinger and father and daughter Joe and Danielle Fitzsimmons all from Chicago, IL were fishing at Fireside Lodge for their first time by a referral from their good friend Mark McDermotte. First night fishing on their day of arrival they all caught Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass with Joe commenting that he had never caught Smallmouth so large. Unfortunately these four arrived with sunshine and warm temperatures only to have a severe storm and cold front move in and stick around for 4 out of their five days. There first day they caught some nice Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike, with Shawn Jr landing a HUGE 20-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. I presented Shawn with a Master Anglers Award in the dinning room, as everyone applauded Shawn for his great catch and such a youthful age. Daniel also caught a very big Smallmouth that appeared a Master Anglers size, however a measurement was not taken, but the memory will be with her and her dad forever. Another highlight had Shawn and Shawn Jr catching well over 20 large Smallmouth while fishing for Muskie and Shawn Jr landed his first and second Muskie ever in the same day measuring 36 and 35-inches, and his father caught two at 37 and 39-inches. WOW!! What a great father and son memory. The weather did not give up on their last day as it was still rainy and only a high of 50 degrees. At this point I want to pay tribute to Daniel and Shawn Jr as every day, for four cold and rainy days, they fished and enjoyed their time with their fathers without complaints. They finished with Joe and Danielle catching a few nice Smallmouth and Shawn Jr, having the hot hand despite the cold weather, catching a big fat 38-inch Northern Pike.

Father and son Jason King and Tristen, from Cincinnati, OH father/grandpa Gary, from Canton, IL and brother/uncle David from Lisle, IL were back fishing at Fireside Lodge for their second time. First day was extreme conditions as a cold front moved in the area, along with, high winds, very heavy rain that was coming down horizontal most of the day. All the boats were in by noon, and not many fish were caught. Second day was very stormy with rain, high winds, along with a severe cold front. Despite these adverse conditions they did well catching Smallmouth Bass and landed some big ones in the 17 to 17.5-inch range. Third day was another Smallmouth day along with a few Northern Pike. Everyone caught some, and Jason did the best catching a lot when he fished after supper alone. Fourth day was an outstanding day catching many Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass, Gary and Jason catching Smallies in the 17 to 17.5-inch range, and Tristen caught an 18-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. David caught a lot of Smallmouth and missed a good number as the Smallies were feeding on Mayflies, just starting to hatch. David said the Smallmouth would not move to chase a lure and he had to place it right in front of them and let it stay there for a while to get results. Their last day was spent catching some fish, a mix of Smallmouth and Northern Pike, and Tristen, caught his two biggest Pike ever landing a 31 and 33-inch Northern Pike. This family should be a model for all of us what a wilderness fishing vacation is all about, as in addition to the fishing, they thoroughly enjoyed the wilderness and scenery, played cards and board games every evening and night after fishing, and ate their meals together enjoying good conversation. This quality time together will be remembered for years to come.

Father Dan Murphy and 10-year old Thomas from Hortonville, WI were fishing a Fireside Lodge for their first time ever. In just a few hours before supper they caught 10 Northern Pike and within minutes of leaving the dock Thomas caught a 35.5-inch Northern Pike. Great Start. After supper they caught a few Smallmouth and a few more Pike. First full day weather came in the form of heavy rain and high winds. They caught some fish early on but came in early because of conditions. That evening after supper they did catch some more nice smallmouth bass to finish off the day. Second day was fabulous as they caught some Northern Pike and they really got into the larger Smallmouth Bass catching a lot between 14 to 17.5-inches. Their third and final day was TERRIFIC despite the cold, rainy, windy weather. Dan and Tom caught a bunch of Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike along with big fish. About 20 Smallmouth with most being over 15-inches and Tom caught three Master Anglers Award Smallmouth measuring a HUGE 18, 18.5, and 18-inches and Tom also caught a GIANT Master Anglers Award Northern Pike measuring a very thick 41-inches. WOW, 4 Master Anglers Award fish in one day for 10-year old Tom. You have to see these photos on our 2009 photos page at our website http://www.firesidelodgefishing.com The Picture of Tom struggling to hold up his monster Northern Pike is a must see. Success starts with being positive and that is the real story between this father and son. Even though they had the tough weather conditions of a severe cold front, high winds, and heavy rain during their three days, their positive attitude shined and gave them the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful experiences they had together as father and son, making priceless memories that will last their lifetime. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge to make some of your special memories.

Brothers Steven and Lawrence Sandler from Toronto, Ontario returned to Fireside Lodge for their second consecutive year and for Steven it as his fifth trip. First day on the water a severe storm system approached bringing heavy rain and dropping temperatures. The conditions were so severe that most came off the lake by noon, but Steven and Lawrence were the last to dock at 2:00PM and had just a few Pike to show for their efforts. Second day with the cold front fully moved in and raining most of the day these to had a great day catching over 40 Northern Pike and Lawrence landed the first Muskie of the trip. Third day the cold winds from the north with some drizzle was the perfect combinations for BIG Muskie and Pike as Steven caught a heavy Northern Pike measuring 38-inches, and Lawrence caught a monster Muskie at 41-inches with a big girth. Steven caught his Pike on the first cast after measuring Lawrence’s Muskie. These two fish, along with other Pike throughout the day, made for great fishing and catching. Fourth and final day was a FANTASTIC day as they caught well over 100 Northern Pike, many Pike 30” or better, and one Smallmouth Bass. Both said it was their best fishing day ever and they will remember this day for the rest of their lives. Fabulous finish, to a fabulous fishing trip.

Frank and Linda Tyrrell were returning to Fireside Lodge for their eighth consecutive year. Fishing in rainy cold front conditions their day of arrival was very productive as Frank caught 3 Muskie in the 30-inch range and Linda caught a Pike. Second day was about the same with the winds staying strong but lighter than the day before, and they had an excellent day catching a lot of 28 to 32-inch Northern Pike and Linda set the bar by catching a HUGE 40-inch Muskie. She was using a forgotten but productive lure named the Luck Strike Spoon. (That one is for your Jim Lownsay). Third day was another good day catching a lot of Northern Pike and Frank came up with his fourth Muskie for a combined total of 5, Linda still staying in the lead with her 40-incher. Fourth day was another very good day as they caught Northern Pike consistently all day long and Frank kept the streak of catching a Muskie every day going by landing a sizable 35.5-inch, very heavy Muskie. They landed over 30 Northern Pike with 12 being between 30 to 36-inches and 14 others being 27 to 30-inches. Fifth day they caught about 20 nice Pike. The sixth day they caught a lot, too many to count, as Linda had a Northern Pike attack her lure after it was out of the water. Also after unhooking a fish Frank left his line and lure in the water, and when he picked it back up after releasing his fish another fish, the twin of the one he just released, was one the other end. Great Day! Last day was sad as always but they had a beautiful day as they caught some more Northern Pike and had some big follows that would not hit. As Frank said, even though it was over and the time went by too fast, they caught a lot of nice fish and made another set memories at Fireside Lodge.

Returning to Fireside Lodge for the fourth time was Tyler Tennant from League City, TX with Peter Higman from Libertyville, IL. Under severe cold front and rainy conditions Tyler caught a 37-inch Muskie and they both caught eight nice Northern Pike. Second day was cold front conditions continuing as strong winds blew from the North keeping the air temperatures 49 to 50 degrees, and it felt much colder with the rain and wind. Tougher day for these two as they suffered from the cold front conditions but still managed to catch 4 Northern Pike. Third day had these two chasing Muskie, having plenty of follows and catching two in the low 30-inch range. They also got into a bunch of nice Smallmouth Bass twitching an X-Rap. Fourth day had them catching about 12 nice Pike, Tyler lading a BIG 38-incher, and over 20 Smallmouth Bass. Fifth day was another good day catching 12 Pike in the 28 to 34-inch range and Pete caught a heavy 35.5-inch Northern Pike. Also Tyler landed two Muskie, lost one and Peter had a Muskie on until it went into the basement, this is Peter’s way of saying under the boat, and he lost the Muskie. Sixth day was another Muskie day as Tyler caught another 36-incher that was HUGE. Some fish can’t be judged by length alone, and Tyler and Pete said this was one of those fish. Tyler lost another Muskie and Pete lost another two to what he calls the basement. We talked a little after supper on how to avoid these basement losses, and they said they learn more every year, and they will just have to come back in 2010 to apply more new techniques and knowledge gained from past experiences.

For their second consecutive year Richard and Frieda Klose from Sevierville, TN were fishing at Fireside Lodge. After supper Dick and Frieda braved the cold front, wet rainy conditions to see if they could get their feet wet, (sorry I could not resist), and they did plus Dick caught a good size Northern Pike. Dick and Freida are fishers but admit that they need to learn in order to become better at the sport of fishing, so their goal was not set out to catch20 or 30 fish a day but to just catch some fish every day, and to learn and progress as the week went bye. First day despite severe cold front conditions with rain and strong winds Dick and Frieda caught 4 nice Northern Pike by noon then called it a day. Second day Dick and Frieda again had a great day catching five Northern Pike between 28 to 30-inches. Third day they caught two more, and the fourth day caught two Pike and Dick landed a BIG 18-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Dick and Frieda caught their fish on lures a friend, Ed Brommier had sent to them. They met Ed for the first time in 2008 while staying at Fireside Lodge, and continue to maintain a friendship. Fifth day was not gangbusters as they had some follows and caught a Northern Pike. Sixth and final day was their best as they caught 5 Northern Pike and some Smallmouth Bass. As the week went on Dick and Frieda became more familiar with the Lake system and improved their fishing results, which is exactly what their goal to accomplish was at the beginning of the week. They were also enjoying themselves in the spectacular wilderness of the Boreal Forest seeing wildlife, waterfowl, birds and the natural beauty that surrounds you when fishing at Fireside Lodge.



Father and son David and Marc McFarland returned to Fireside Lodge for their ninth consecutive year. Day of arrival we were in the middle of severe cold front conditions with spitting rain but still caught 8 nice Smallmouth Bass 15 to 17-inches after supper. First day with cold front conditions Marc managed to catch 12 Smallmouth Bass and one Northern Pike, and David caught three for a boat total of 15. Second day was much better weather and they caught 32 nice Smallmouth between 15 to 16-inches, Marc caught a nice 30-inch Pike, and had one follow that was a heart stopper. Marc and David said it was huge and extremely wide. Third day they had a super day catching over 40 Northern pike and 31 Smallmouth Bass, and David caught an 18-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Most of the Smallmouth were very good size. Fourth day was more of a Northern Pike day, as the Smallmouth just did not show up, so they took advantage of the Pike action and caught 27 nice fish. They also saw a Moose, a Deer, and were about 20 yards from a Black Bear near shore. How can a fishing day get any better than that? Fifth day was all Smallmouth Bass as they caught 36 Smallies. Sixth and final day was an unusual special day involving several big fish. It started by David casting a tube jig over a reef and getting it snagged. David gave the old heave ho twice the snag started to move. Not giving much of a fight David thought it to be a log but not convinced continued to keep tension on his line, and when it got beside the boat it was a GIANT Muskie estimated at 45 to 50-inches. David was right, he was snagged, but his lure was snagged in the backside of a GIANT Muskie. Well, the fight did not last long as one quick move and the lure came out. Just a few more casts and David hooked into a GIANT Northern Pike which he did not land but got a great picture of the beast near the boat, and it was definitely over 40-inches. Then in just a few more casts Marc got into the action as he hooked and landed a very big wide-bodied 38-inch Muskie. This all happened in a matter of 20 minutes, so you could imagine the activity in David and Marc’s boat. They were all smiles when telling their stories in the dinning room and will carry this memory, along with all the others made at Fireside Lodge, with them for many years to come. Upon their departure they reserved their regular week for 2010, which will make it their tenth consecutive year.

For the second year in a row Mike Uebelherr from Stow, Oh found himself fishing at Fireside Lodge, and this year his wife Heather came. First day out they caught 9 nice Northern Pike. It was a beautiful day with sunshine and temps in the mid 60’s. After talking with Heather and Mike in the lodge we found out that Heather was on a mission to see a Moose. Second day they took a trip up Muskie Creek to several lakes names Maskinonge and Hooch. Hooch is a great area to see Moose so I think this was one reason to make the trip. The other was to catch many toothy critters, which they did. Moose sighting venture was not accomplished, but they did see a huge deer, several bald eagles, and Black Bear. Two more days for Heather to catch a Moose. Their fourth and final day was very exciting as they had fun catching Northern Pike and Heather came up with a catch of most fishers lifetime. She hooked and landed a 40-inch Monster Northern Pike. This is a Master Anglers Award Pike and Heather enjoyed receiving her Northern Pike Award. The last evening they spent in “Happy Bay” which was a special name they gave a bay, which produced every day. They enjoyed the wonderful sunset and their final moments in touch with the great wilderness that surrounds us at Fireside Lodge.


Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2009 Photos

Hot Lures of The Week: Magnum Torpedo, Mepps Spinner, Blue Fox Spinner, Tube Jig, Storm Wildeye Shad, Luck Strike Spoon, Dardevle Spoon, X-Rap, Husky Jerk, Silver Minnow Spoon

Catches of the Week: 20-inch Smallmouth Bass, 41-inch and 40-inch Northern Pike, 39-inch Muskie and a 45-50-inch Muskie lost at the boat.
Please note that we have a “NEW” email address below.

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
www.firesidelodgefishing.com
www.firesidelodge.com
800-545-0815
Email: fireside@xplornet.com

Fireside Lodge Fishing News/Photo Report 6/20 to 6/27 2009

Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report 6/20 to 6/27 2009

This week was a repeat of last weeks weather, as we had temperatures from 77 to 85 degrees for highs and only had a few quick thunderstorms roll through. It was just what the beginning of summer should bring, and all guests at Fireside Lodge seemed to be enjoying their time on the water.

Best friends and fishing partners Dan Szkola and Don Landbo from Sugar Grove and South Elgin, IL were back for their eighth trip to Fireside Lodge These two started off right by catching 29 Smallmouth on the day of arrival. First day fishing they caught 72 Smallmouth Bass and Don landed the first Master Anglers Award Smallmouth at 18-inches. Second day was phenomenal as they caught 74 Northern Pike, 24 Smallmouth Bass with Don catching two Master Anglers Award Smallies over 18-inches and Dan also landed one. A lot of their action for Pike was on the surface using buzz baits, and they had countless misses when the fish would strike. Third day was tremendous catching over 80 Northern Pike along with 12 Smallmouth, leaving them a total of 102 fish. Five of the twelve Smallmouth were over 18-inches. WOW! What a great day. Fourth day they caught 44 Smallmouth Bass and 22 Northern Pike with a lot in the 30 to 34-inch range, and Dan caught the largest at 35.5-inches. The fifth and final day was just crazy as they caught 128 Northern Pike and 7 Smallmouth, each landing a Master Anglers Award Smallie over 18-inches. Both had another great stay at Fireside Lodge and reserved their dates for 2010, when they will both celebrate their 40 birthdays.

Dan Moiser from Lincoln, NE with son Nathan was returning to Fireside Lodge for their eleventh fishing season. Day of arrival they caught 26 Smallmouth, each landing a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth over 18-inches within 20 minutes of being on the water. Dan Also lost a HUGE Tiger Muskie, and Nathan lost what looked to be an over 40-inch Northern Pike. Very nice way for the lake to welcome back Dan and Nathan. First full day had them catching some nice Pike in the 30-33-inch range, and Smallmouth Bass. Second day was dedicated to exploring new areas where they caught a lot of Smallmouth Bass and Dan saw a Giant Muskie. Third day Nathan made his traditional lure purchase from me buying a spoon and Blue Fox spinner. At supper Nathan told me that the lure I sold him was defective, and it did not even hold up to a day of fishing at Fireside Lodge. That’s because Nathan caught 80 Northern Pike on the lure and it was mangled beyond use. They caught 133 Northern Pike total and Nathan retired his lure and purchased a new one from my tackle shop. Fourth day they again did well catching many Smallmouth Bass and Dan had a BIG Muskie following his lure, but just could not get the monster to hit anything. Fifth and final day these two finished with a bang catching 122 Northern Pike and a few Smallmouth Bass. Both had a fabulous fishing trip making lasting memories once again.

Father Phil Spahr from Fairborn, OH and sons Brad also from Fairborn, and Tim from Marlborough, MA and good friend Todd McGehee from Helotes, TX returned to Fireside Lodge for their ninth consecutive year. First night out a few Pike were caught and Brad lost a Muskie in the 40-inch range. First full day was fabulous as they caught 157 Northern Pike and several Smallmouth, Todd landing a 17.5-incher. WOW!!! Great first day. Second day was a planned Muskie hunting day and they got results by landing 5, loosing 1, and having many follows. Both Tim and Brad caught two and Phil landed a nice Tiger Muskie, all were 30 to 36-inches. They also caught 12 Northern Pike and 8 Smallmouth. Third day was a crazy Pike catching day as they landed 113. Their last three days they caught 54 Northern Pike with a lot over 30-inches, up to 34”, 15 Smallmouth with Tim catching a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth at 18”, and two more Muskie were caught. Todd caught his first and Tim landed his third of the week. Besides the great fishing this group had, the most important catch they had was just being together as family and friends, enjoying the time and experiences making memories in our wonderful wilderness setting. Before leaving they made reservations for the same dates in 2010.

Al Fishhaber and Robert Delamatre from Northwood and Sandusky, OH returned to Fireside Lodge for their sixth time. First day was a warm still day which is less than ideal when fishing for tooth critters but they managed to catch a few nice Northern Pike, and had a lot of follows from both Muskie and Pike. Second day was a Muskie hunting day and they found a few, having some follows and Rob caught the first Muskie of the trip. Third day these two had a fabulous day fishing and catching Northern Pike. They estimated between 60 to 70 Northern Pike caught possibly more, but said it was honestly too fast a furious to count. Al also caught his first Muskie of the trip. Fourth day had them catching fish all day long at a nice consistent pace, and Al came up wit another Muskie. Fifth day was another unbelievable Pike day as they again caught too many to count accurately so they did not even try to give me a number. What matters is they had a memorable fishing day between two friends. Sixth and final day had them searching for Muskie in the morning with no luck. It was one of those calm sunny days, so they changed there approach and caught a lot of Northern Pike all afternoon. Rob and Al went out for one last shot to catch a BIG toothy critter to no avail, however not without effort right to the end. Both had a great time and intend on returning with a larger group.

Father and son Paul and Tony Capecchi from Inver Grove Heights, MN returned to Fireside Lodge for their seventh consecutive year. First day was great as they caught well over 100 Northern Pike and 25-30 quality Smallmouth Bass, landing 8 Master Anglers Award Smallmouth over 18-inches. WOW!! What a GREAT start. Second day had them catching over 50 Northern Pike and 30 Smallmouth Bass, each catching Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Third day they did not keep track of numbers but told me they caught tons of Northern Pike. On their fourth day they fished for Muskie and Smallmouth catching about 20 nice Smallies and landed 4 Muskie, Tony catching three, his first being a GIANT 41.5-inches. The last two days were spent catching countless Northern Pike, a few Muskie, and many Smallmouth. At the end of the week it was determined they caught so many Pike they number was impossible to calculate. They caught many Smallmouth including 14 Master Anglers Award Smallmouth between the sizes of 18 and 19.5-inches, and 8 or 9 Muskie with Tony catching 7 or 8. These numbers are great but the real catch is the wonderful time spent between father and son in a wonderful wilderness setting. Before departing Paul made his reservations for the same dates in 2010.

Long time return guests of Fireside Lodge were Father and Son Dave and Matt Moon, John Setzer, Bob Hanewinkel, Tom Wolf, and Jeff Stoyanov from St Peters, Hillsboro, High Ridge, and O’Fallon, MO. First day including the evening of arrival Dave and Matt caught 69 Smallmouth Bass, Bob and Tom caught over 70 and John and Jeff caught 33. A lot of the bass wee quality fish with Tom leading the BIG fish board catching 9 Master Anglers Award Smallies, Bob with 6, John 4, Jeff 2, and Dave and Matt both had 1 over 18-inches. Tom also described a Smallmouth seen by him and Bob by saying it was the largest they had ever seen and could ever imagine seeing. This was just the beginning of what would turn out to be an unbelievable week Smallmouth Bass fishing. That’s what this group targets and if anyone gets off track while fishing with Jeff, he has methods of making sure nobody thinks of bringing a toothy critter in the boat. This group caught so many Smallmouth it was impossible to keep exact tracking of numbers so a conservative estimate of 650 to 700 was agreed upon. Most of these Smallmouth were in the 14 to 17-inch range and they caught a record amount of Master Anglers Award Smallmouth, 18-inches or over, beating their old record. The groups old record set two year sago with 8 people in the group was 43 Master Anglers Award Smallmouth caught in 6 days. This year with 6 people they managed to land a total of 71 Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass between 18 to 20-inches. John caught the largest at 20-inches and Matt came in a close second with a 19.75-incher. Fabulous fun was had by all and before leaving were already discussing plans for their return trip to
Fireside Lodge.

The Meyer family of three bothers/fathers each bringing two sons were back for their second trip to Fireside Lodge. Bob with sons with Jake 17 and Mitch 9, Martin with Jordan and Nick both 16, and John with Jack 16 and Mick 13, showed up with smiles from ear to ear ready to enjoy fishing in the wilderness once again. Here for three days of fishing they certainly made the most of it with the first day having fabulous fishing. All caught a lot of Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass, averaging 75 fishing per boat, and Marty’s boat in the lead with 100 fish. Jack Caught a 19-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth along with Jordan’s 19.5-incher, and Jordan just missed a Master Anglers Award Northern Pike by one inch as he landed a very big 39-inch Pike. Second day was a planned shore lunch day so they fished their way to Twin Falls where the water in Little Vermilion Lake is flowing out into Vermilion Lake at 10’s of thousands of gallons per minute. They caught Smallmouth Bass on they way there and back and had an extended lunch cooking over a fire and having the youngsters expend some energy. They had fun in the water, starting the fire, and running through the bush. They also fished at the falls catching some fish, and Marty while reeling in a Smallmouth had a Muskie try to eat the Smallmouth he was fighting. After swimming around with the Smallmouth for a while the Muskie spit it out, then came back and attacked it again. An attempt was made by John to net the monster Muskie, but one look at this 6-footer and the Muskie let go of the bass and swam away. After getting caught in a brief but heavy rain they built their fire larger to dry off. Third and final day was another great day catching lots of Northern Pike and Smallmouth. Also, many more BIG Master Anglers Award Smallmouth were caught with Jack catching another at 18.5”, Jake caught a 19”and 18”, Marty had 6 between 19 and 20-inches, and Mitch at 10 years old came up with the prize landing a GIANT 20-inch Smallmouth Bass. Great fun was had bay all and many memories made between father, sons, uncles, and nephews.

Long time guests of Fireside Lodge, Mike and Linda Lapresi from Tucker, GA. Returned to Fireside Lodge for some relaxing time together while fishing in our wonderful wilderness surroundings. Here for the Smallmouth Bass Mike and Linda did great the first day catching close to 40 Smallmouth, with Mike catching all of his fly fishing, and landing an 18-inch Master Anglers Smallmouth. Second day was almost a carbon copy of the first as they caught 34 Smallmouth. Both days all their fish were caught while fishing with surface presentations, Linda using a Tiny Torpedo and Mike fly-fishing with poppers. Also, many of the Smallmouth were very large, with many between 16 to 17.5-inches. They also had a lot of missed fish as the Smallmouth would either miss the lure, or come off after exploding on the surface. This is common when catching Smallmouth with top-water techniques, but the great thing is that even the missed fish account for great excitement. The third day Linda and Mike decided to catch Northern Pike, and did they ever. Lind caught over 40 Pike herself, and had many missed fish on Buzz Baits, and Mike sticking to fly-fishing caught over 10 Northern Pike and a HUGE 18.5-inch wide bodied Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Fourth day brought some weather and rain, having very windy conditions by noon with wind gusts to over 30mph, and the heavy rain was coming down sideways. I found them sitting on the lodge porch watching the storm, which drove them off the lake, but not before Linda caught a GIANT 19.5-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Weather cut their fishing short but both had a wonderful stay, and made another set of memories at Fireside Lodge.

Fireside Lodge guests since 1994, here for their thirteenth trip were Kevin Marks from Hebron, KY, Michael, Muir from Knoxville, TN, Mike Colitti from Matthews, NC, and brothers Andrew and Thomas Hurdman from Chester NJ and Jacksonville, FL, and Jay Lind from Matthews, NC. They had another FANTASTIC fishing and catching trip. This group averaged 55 fish per day per person, which for four days comes out to the unbelievable number of over 1300 fish caught. The majority of the fish caught were Northern Pike, but they did catch a good number of Smallmouth Bass and a few Muskie. Some highlights were, Jay catching two Master Anglers Award Smallmouth at 18 and 18.5-inches, and a HUGE 41.5-inch Muskie, Kevin landed an 18-inch Smallmouth, Mike Colitti caught a 19-inch beauty of a Smallmouth and a BIG 38-inch Muskie, and Mike Muir took top billing in the Smallmouth Bass category catching a GIANT 19.5-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Brother Andrew and Tom caught some big Pike and had some terrific days on Northern Pike over 30-inches. All had loads of fun, which is a given for this group as they are good friends dating back to their school days. All intend on returning to Fireside Lodge in the near future.

Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2009 Photos

Hot Lures of The Week: White Twister Tail Jig, Blue Fox Spinner, Tiny Torpedo, Senko Worm, Mepps Spinner, Buzz Bait
Fly Fishing surface poppers

Catches of the Week: 41-inch Muskie, 39-inch Northern Pike, six 20-inch Smallmouth Bass, and 121 Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass between 18 to 20 inches were caught.

Please note that we have a “NEW” email address below.

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
www.firesidelodgefishing.com
www.firesidelodge.com
800-545-0815
Email: fireside@xplornet.com

Fireside Lodge Fishing News/Photo Report 6/13 to 6/20 2009

Fireside Lodge Fishing News/Photo Report 6/13 to 6/20 2009

Hello from Fireside Lodge in Northwest Ontario. Our weather finally turned, having a few spring like days, and then we had summer temperatures move in with daytime highs reaching the mid-80’s. People were talking about the heat but I reminded them that just 7 days ago Fireside Lodge guests looked like they were fishing in late fall gear. This weather sure helped the Smallmouth to start their yearly spawning ritual.

Tom Nayder from Orland Park, IL, son Joel from Chicago, IL and Tom’s sister Leah Bezin from Berwyn, IL were back fishing at Fireside Lodge for their 10th consecutive year maybe 11th as none of us were sure of the exact year. On their day of arrival they caught fish with Leah landing 3 Northern Pike and a Smallmouth, Joel caught a 17.5-inch Smallmouth and Tom caught a Pike and Smallie. First full day of fishing they had a great day catching a mix of Smallmouth and Northern Pike and some were while fly-fishing. Second day these three caught many Smallmouth Bass, Joel landing the largest at 17-inches, some Northern Pike up to 33-inches, and they had a lot of Muskie follows Tom catching a nice 3-footer. They had lunch at Twin Falls and while fishing in rushing water at the poolside they caught 12 nice Lake Trout. Fun day was had by all. Third day was fabulous as they caught many Smallmouth Bass testing some new areas. The tendency of all fishers is to go to the same areas they have been successful in the past. Makes sense, but after a while we tend to make a 5500 acre lake only 100 acres of fishing water which does not make sense. So after some discussion and planning in the morning Tom, Joel, and Leah caught Smallmouth Bass in every new spot, along with a few Northern Pike. They also caught a few Lake Trout at Twin Falls while having lunch. That evening after supper Tom and Leah had fantastic fly fishing for Smallmouth Bass and landed four Master Anglers Award Smallmouth, Leah with three and Tom catching one. Leah’s measured 18,18.5, and a HUGE 20.5-inches, and Tom’s was 18.5-inches. The action was so hot Tom and Leah doubled up while fly-fishing. The photos are great and can be seen on our website at http://www.firesidelodgefishing.com
Fourth and fifth day were full of fun catching many Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike and Tom landed two Muskie. They also had some great wildlife experiences as they got very close to a nesting Loon and also watched a very large Moose walk along a shoreline in the distance for what seemed to be 30 minutes. They got memorable photos of both and again banked another set of wonderful memories fishing together.

Good fishing buddies Charles Row from Maitland, FL and Jim Deck from Easley, SC were fishing at Fireside Lodge for there first time. First day on new waters they spent a half-day getting acquainted and then they found fish. They caught 12 very nice Smallmouth Bass up to 17.5-inches and lost at least as many, having to adjust their methods to accommodate the fighting ability of Smallmouth Bass. Second day was great as they caught 28 Smallmouth Bass with 60% being over 14-inches, each caught a 17-incher and Charles came up with the Smallmouth of the day landing a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth measuring 18-inches. Third day was fantastic Smallmouth Bass fishing as they caught 34 Smallmouth Bass and they were all on top-water techniques. This was a perfect calm day for surface fishing and in addition to the 34 Charles and Jim caught they each had as many blow-ups, or fish that got off after being hooked. Over half of the Smallmouth were 14-inches or better, only 5 under 13-inches and Jim caught two 17-inchers. Charles also caught a 28-inch Northern Pike. Things just get better every day for Charles and Jim as on their fourth day they caught 40 Smallmouth and each missed a dozen and again it was all on top-water fishing with Tiny Torpedo’s. Charlie caught another Master Anglers Award Smallmouth while Jim caught two more 17 to 17.5-inchers. Another great day for these two which had them talking about and planning their second trip to Fireside Lodge. Fifth day they did even better catching 42 Smallmouth Bass all being quality fish. They had 27 Smallmouth over 15-inches with 11 being 16-inches plus, 6 were 17 to 17.5-inches, and 4 were Master Anglers Award Smallmouth measuring 18 to 18.5-inches. WOW what FANTASTIC day Smallmouth Bass fishing. Their sixth and final day was even better as they caught 57 Smallmouth, Jim catching two over 18-inches, 4 at 17.5-inches, 4 over 16-inches and 3 at 15-inches, and Charlie caught a HUGE 19-incher, 7 between 17 to 17.5-inches, four over 16-inches and 6 over 15-inches. Great finish to a fantastic fishing trip at Fireside Lodge.

For the sixth consecutive year Bill Goodwin returned to Fireside Lodge with his wife Rosanna, and Grandson Jack for his first trip ever to Canada. For the third straight year good friends Mike and Darlene Dittoe from Rockwall, TX joined the Goodwin’s. Grandpa Bill and Grandson Jack wasted no time as they headed out to some of Bill’s familiar spots. Bill and Jack within a few hours before supper caught about 10 Smallmouth Bass with Jack getting 4 and a perch. Great start. First day fishing Bill, Rosanna, and Jack caught 15 nice Smallmouth 14 to 17.5-inches. Mike and Darlene had the same number of Smallmouth and each caught big 17.5-inchers. Second day Bill, Rosanna, and Jack caught 22 Smallmouth and had to use very slow retrieves to do so, as they saw many Smallmouth, Northern Pike and Muskie that seemed to be just sunning themselves and not responsive to any presentations. Mike and Darlene only fishing a half-day catching a few fish. Third day Mike and Darleen caught 21 Smallmouth by 1:00 PM, had lots of fun spending the rest of the afternoon enjoying a beautiful day on their cabin deck. Bill, Rosanna, and Jack had a fabulous day catching a lot of Smallmouth Bass and both Jack and Bill caught Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. That’s a Grandpa / Grandson double Masters Award. GREAT day for Jack. Also Jack replicated his Grandpa’s act as he cast his lure over a low tree limb, only to have a Smallmouth come out of the water and attack his lure. With the fish dangling over the limb, Grandpa motored the boat close enough to net the fish. That’s’ team work and a memory Jack and his Grand Parents will not forget. Fourth day had Mike and Darlene catching 16 quality Smallmouth Bass and ten called it a day at noon to enjoy the beautiful view from their cabin deck. Bill, Rosanna, and Jack caught a lot of Smallmouth in the 15 to 17-inch range. Fifth and final day was the best of all as Bill, Rosanna, and Jack caught quality Smallmouth Bass up to 17.5-inches and they ended up with 47 before super time. Great finish to another memorable trip fishing at Fireside Lodge, and having grandson Jack on this trip made the memories very special for Bill and Rosanna.

Long time guests of Fireside Lodge Larry Psyk and Larry Jr. (LJ) from Onalaska and LaCrosse, WI. Jim and James Nelson, from Oak Brook, IL and Livonia, MI, and Ken Beta from Fox Lake, IL. This year was a very special year in this groups 31 years of fishing together as Jim’s Grandson Bobby was being introduced to Canadian fishing for his first time. Great to see that the tradition of fishing with family and friends being passed to a new generation. Another special event was the celebration of Larry’s 70-th birthday on their day of arrival June 13th. We were fortunate to have a musician Leah and brother Tom at the lodge who offered up their services playing their guitars and singing a few birthdays tunes. The whole dinning room joined them and after a few kind words from family and friends, which triggered some of Larry’s emotions, everyone clapped and cheered for Larry reaching a special milestone in life. First day on the water these guys did well catching some Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike, seeing fish everywhere they went. It was a great day with calm winds, warm temperatures in the 75-degree range, blue bird skies making it a very visual day. Last day you expect to catch a big Muskie according to all the experts, Right? WRONG!!!! LJ caught he fish of his life as he landed a huge, 30lb 46-inch Muskie while fishing for Smallmouth Bass with a number three Blue Fox Spinner on a light fishing rod using 6-pound test line. WOW!!!! What a terrific catch which can be seen on our website at http://www.firesidelodgefishing.com Congratulations to LJ for a great catch. Next day Jim Sr and Ken hooked up for 27 nice Smallmouth Bass, had many follows from BIG Pike and Muskie and Jim landed a good 35-incher. Larry and LJ had more follows from BIG toothy critters, and at times had up to three fish following one lure on the same cast. Larry Sr. said in all his years fishing Canada he never saw anything like what he saw today. Larry Sr. did land a 37-inch Muskie and they caught eight Smallmouth Bass. James and nephew Bobby had a spectacular day as they caught Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike but the real story is Bobby catching his first fish as he caught 3 Smallmouth Bass and 3 Northern Pike. He also learned about how fast a Northern Pike could attack a cut your line. Bobby had a smile ear to ear at suppertime thrilled to tell his fish stories. Third day had Ken and Jim Jr. catching 19 Smallmouth Bass, some Pike and plenty of BIG follows from toothy critters. Larry and LJ did good catching Smallmouth and a few Northern Pike, and Larry caught an 18.25-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Jim Sr and Bobby caught some early morning Smallmouth, Bobby catching three more, and then came in to relax and take a long nap. Sounds GREAT. Fourth day 67 Smallmouth were caught along with some Pike, and Bobby caught more Smallmouth and several good size Pike. Fifth day over 75 Smallmouth were caught, and Bobby was really picking up the pace as he caught about a dozen Smallmouth, some being 16.5 up to 17.5 inches, and he caught some Northern Pike 28 to 32-inches. Last day is always a sad day for this group as they hate to leave, but they left on a high note as they caught 134 total fish, most being Smallmouth, however Ken and Bobby while fishing before a storm had fast action on Northern Pike having three doubles, and Bobby ended up the day with 25 Smallmouth Bas and a dozen Northern Pike. Excellent for his first fishing trip ever. Family and friends once again made many memories, and the tradition of over 30 years fishing together initiated a new member, Bobby, to hopefully carry on their tradition for many years to come.

Charlie Walton returned to Fireside Lodge for his second consecutive year this time with his son Ben both from Hudson, OH, Mike Lewis from Akron, Oh and Juerg Schmid from Bath, OH. Charlie, Mike, and Juerd are all avid fly fishers. First night out in just s few hours of fishing all caught some Smallmouth and a few Pike were landed. Great Start. First day on the water it was only a threesome as Juerg was do to arrive at suppertime. Charlie, Ben, and Mike had a great day fly-fishing catching 22 Smallmouth Bass and five good size Northern Pike on the fly. Charlie came in early to pick up Juerg from the Sioux Lookout airport and after supper Ben and Juerg caught some nice Smallmouth Bass. Mike and Charlie caught 10 more Smallmouth and Charlie also caught a 19.5-inch HOG Master Anglers Smallmouth. WOW!!!!! That’s fabulous fly-fishing. Second day was another picture perfect fly-fishing day, and this group caught a lot of Smallmouth Bass between 14 to 18-inches. Ben and Juerg went out in the evening to enjoy more of the fun fly fishing they had earlier in the day. Well, it turned out to be quite an evening as they caught 30 fish, two Pike and 28 BIG Smallmouth with Juerg catching 4 Master Anglers Award Smallmouth all while fly fishing. WOW!! Third day was even better as they caught plenty of Smallmouth between 13 to 18-inches and some nice Pike. Juerg again had the hottest hand as he caught another HUGE Smallmouth measuring 19.5-inches and several Northern Pike between 28 to 30-inches. Fourth and final day was the best as Mike and Juerg alone caught 67 Smallmouth and no dinks. Many were 14 to 17.5-inches and Mike came up with an 18.5-inch Master Anglers Award Smallie. Juerg, Mike, and Charlie discussed with me how fabulous the fly-fishing was and took a few extra brochures to present to the friends and fly fishing club in hopes of making their group grow in on future trips. Juerg's wife is also an avid fly fisher and hopes to return with her to share the wonderful experience he encountered.

Allen Wortz returned to Fireside Lodge with his wife Patricia from Bluffton, SC to meet up with long time friends Bill Goodwin and Mike Dittoe (above). Patricia had not fished for a while and was a little unsure if it would come back easily. First day Al reacquainted himself with Little Vermilion Lake and Patricia with fishing as they had a fun day catching some nice Smallmouth Bass. It did not take more than a day and both were in top form as Al’s previous knowledge and Patricia’s fishing form coming back teamed up for a great day catching Smallmouth, and Patricia ended up with the two top fish of the day landing two BIG Smallies 17 and 17.5-inches. The photos are fabulous, as Patricia looks like and professional Smallmouth fisher holding her catch. Al, did what all good guides (husbands) do is drive the boat, catch some fish, but have his wife in front catch more and bigger fish. These two had a fabulous time eating in the dinning room with their friends, and the vivid conversation and laughter was very present at every meal. Third day of fishing was another great day as they did well catching Smallmouth Bass, and Al had a Muskie up to the boat for a long time, but after a few mishaps with the landing cradle the fish left Al’s lure in the net and waved goodbye to him and Patricia with its tail. Landing the fish certainly seems like a better ending to this story, but the story is sure to get more mileage with the mishap. Last day they fished a half-day having a wonderful time catching Smallmouth and enjoying the wilderness for what it is in the great Canadian Boreal Forest. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and reading in our huge historical lodge. As stated by Al and Patricia in their own words “this was the best vacation they had in a long time and would love to return god willing.” We would certainly love to see Al and Patricia again.

For the tenth consecutive year Walt LaCasse from Minnetonka, MN headed a group of friends John Hietala from Northfield, MN, Ron Ditillo from Pittsburgh, PA, Jim Jones from McKinney, TX and Dick Oksanen from Dallas, TX. First day Walt, Dick, and Jim fishing together caught over 40 Northern Pike and 5 Smallmouth Bass and most of the Pike were over 30-inches, up to 38-inches landed by Walt. All of these pike were caught between 2 PM and before suppertime. John and Ron after having a bunch of follows gave up on the Pike and started catching Smallmouth Bass landing a bunch. Next day the same threesome caught over 35 fish with Jim leading the way landing twenty. In fact Jim had such a good day going he even caught a fish while napping in the boat. Jim and Ron had another good day catching Smallmouth Bass and a few Northern Pike. After supper Jim still had the hot hand and caught a GIANT Muskie that got out of the cradle. The Muskie was qualified by all boat members to be at least 46-inches, but believed to be more like 48 to 50-inches, but and accurate measurement was not gotten before the huge fish exploded out of the net so 46 was the number by consensus. Wow!!! What a day for Jim. Third day was Walt’s day as he had a four species day catching Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, a Tiger Muskie, and believe it or not a HUGE Lake Trout fishing a rocky shore. This fish was so fat it looked like it was about to explode. Take a look on our website. All the others caught fish and Ron came up with an 18-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Their fourth and final day Dick and John decided to fish for big Muskie and Pike by throwing nothing but BIG lures. The original trio, Walt, Ron, and Jim decided to just fish, and did they ever catch. They each had the fishing day of their lives as they caught over 200 Northern Pike. The action was so fast and furious they often had double and triple catches. Ron also caught an absolute GIANT Smallmouth measuring 19-inchs and shaped like a football. All went home with many more fishing stories and great memories. So great that Walt reserved these groups’ dates for the same time in 2010.

For their fifth consecutive year father and son Bill and Mike Aulenbach from Barberton, OH and Ft Meyers, FL, Bill Rasbach from Hudson, OH and Jim Lowsway from Burlington, Ontario were back fishing together at Fireside Lodge. First day Bill A and Jim had fun catching Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike, Jim catching nice 31 to 33–inch Pike with his special Luck Strike spoon, and Bill caught the biggest Smallmouth at 17.5-inches. Bill R and Mike caught a lot of Smallmouth and Bill R caught 20 on a fly rod using surface poppers. Second day was almost a repeat with even more and bigger fish. Bill A and Jim caught some great size Pike in the 30 to 34-inch range, some Smallmouth, with Jims Lucky Strike spoon producing again. Mike and Bill R caught 32 Smallmouth Bass, Mike with an old fashion surface bait, the Jitterbug, and Bill R with surface poopers while fly-fishing. Bill R caught a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth measuring over 18-inches on his fly rod. They all had a fabulous day as the smiles on their faces told the whole story. The other four days were also full of fabulous fishing and loads of fun among family and good friends. A few other highlights were the four of them catching 103 Northern Pike in one days effort, Bill R landing another Master Anglers Award Smallmouth at a GIANT 19-inches, Bill A catching his second Muskie of his lifetime, first was last year at Fireside Lodge, and Jim catching so many Pike on his Lucky Strike Spoons that he made us believers in using spoons for Northern Pike again. All had a Great Trip and hope to return in 2009.

Father and Son Bill and Mark Westbrook from New Philadelphia, OH returned to Fireside Lodge for their seventh consecutive year. First day on the water Bill and Mark had well over 30 follows on BIG Northern Pike and Muskie landing one Muskie and six Pike between 30 to 35-inches. Second day they struggled finding the Smallmouth Bass as they were trying all the spots they usually fish in August. Being the first time here in June we made some adjustments on their locations and on their third day they were back to catching a lot, and quality Smallmouth. They caught 33 and 10 were over 18-inches all being Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. WOW! What a great day Smallmouth fishing. On their fourth day it was all about Muskie fishing as Mark landed 4 of these ferocious fighters between 30 to 39-inches, and missed a fifth estimated in the high 30’s to 40-inches. Bill caught one Muskie and a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth measuring 18.5-inches. Great Day and Great Photos as all the Muskie were wide-bodied beasts. See these photos on our website at http://www.firesidelodgefishing.com
They are truly worth seeing. Their fifth and final half day of fishing ended up with about 15 Smallmouth Bass and a few more Master Anglers Award Smallies, and Mark caught another Muskie. In all they ending up catching 15 Master Anglers Award Smallmouth ranging from 18 to 19-inches, and 7 Muskie 30 to 39-inches, one lost at the boat and countless follows. Both had a Fabulous time and Bill’s parting words were “see you next year”. Special note: Congratulations to Mark on his graduation from university and best of luck to his future.

Jerry Amer, Dan Zeller, father and sons Bill and Adam Calhoon, and Glenn and Phil Babka from Columbus, OH. were returning for their fifth trip to Fireside Lodge. Day of Arrival from 4PM to 9PM these guys caught over 60 fish, both Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass, and almost all while fly-fishing. Great Start! First full day of fishing was targeting Smallmouth Bass and they caught a lot, anywhere from 40 to 50 per boat with a few nice Northern Pike in the mix. Second day was complete gangbusters catching over 100 Smallmouth Bass including 10 Master Anglers Award Smallies, and well over 200 Northern Pike. Over fifty percent of the Smallmouth Bass were on a fly rod and 75 percent of the Northern Pike were caught while fly-fishing. Unbelievable fly-fishing but true. With all those fish caught in the first two days it did not matter what happened for day three and four but all continued to have great fishing catching many Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike and finding BIG fish was not a problem. In the Smallmouth Bass Master Anglers Award category Jerry led by catching one at 19-inches, two 18.5-inches, and five measuring 18-inches, Father and son Bill and Adam had five each from 18 to 19-inches, both having two 19-inchers each, Glenn had 3 at 18-inches and one 19-inches, Phil caught a 18 and 19-incher, and Dan caught one at 18-inches. Fabulous fishing for this group and memories to last a lifetime were made. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge.

Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2009 Photos

Hot Lures of The Week: Black Twister Tail, Floating Rapala, Tiny Torpedo, Blue Fox Spinner, Ring Worm, Senko,

Hot Flies of the Week: White Deer Hair Pooper, and Frog Spun Deer Hair Pooper, Lefty’s Popper

Catches of the Week: 46-inch 30 pound Muskie, 20.5-inch Smallmouth Bass

Please note that we have a “NEW” email address below.

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
www.firesidelodgefishing.com
www.firesidelodge.com
800-545-0815
Email: fireside@xplornet.com

Fireside Lodge Fishing News/Photo Report 6/6 to 6/13 2009

Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report 6/6 to 6/13 2009

This week started off cool, not new news, reaching only the very low 50’s on Saturday but the forecast had us warming up to the mid 60’s with sunshine by Monday and slowly creeping up to the high 60’s by the end of the week. As usual the weather service was not exactly correct as we struggled to get into the 60”s and we did have more rain during the week.
The F-Troop, named after the 1960’s slapstick comedy TV series was back for their ninth consecutive year. This year was a smaller group consisting of Fred and Matt Shadrick from Troy, MI and Hingham, MA, Rob Gall from Danville, CA and Clark Benton from Grand Rapids, MI.
As usual they arrived with bells on and presented Audrey and I with a huge banner congratulating us on our 20-year anniversary as owners of Fireside Lodge. We hung it in our dinning room near the F-Troops table for all to see. Despite the cold rainy weather they caught fish every day, and Robert in his four days left in the lead for the group fishing award having landed two Muskie measuring 34-and 38-inches. He also is in the lead for their famous foul up award as when picking up his tackle box after catching a Muskie, excitement took over and he for got it was open and spilled all his tackle into the lid of his tackle box. Being the good friend Clark is he took a picture to show us all. Fourth day was very good fishing for Rob and Matt as they caught a lot of Smallmouth and Northern Pike, Matt catching a fat 35-incher, finishing Rob’s last day with an bang. Fred and Clark also had a great day as they figured out the Smallmouth and caught a lot of nice Smallies. Fifth day the trio of Fred, Matt and Clark figured out the Smallmouth and caught a lot of Smallmouth bass while enjoying good conversation and plenty of laughs. Before departing the F-Troop made their reservations for 2010 which will be their 27-th year fishing together.

Jack and Dorie Hires from Valparaiso, IN returned to Fireside Lodge so Jack could apply his fly fishing skills once again. Jack and Dories are long time Fireside Lodge guests since 1995. When Jack and Dorie are here there is no lack of conversation and Audrey and I spend at least an hour or two having interesting discussions. With Jack and I it is usually, on second thought almost always, about fishing, and Dorie and Audrey talk about???? Like I said Jack and I are busy talking about fishing. The first day was very cold and rainy so Jack and Dorie stayed back in the cabin to relax read and watch the Hummingbirds by the feeders we have at each cabin. Second a third day were cold, rainy and windy which does not make for good fly fishing conditions, however they did catch a few Smallmouth Bass. Fourth day was a very good day as Jack caught big Smallmouth Bass and in the process hooked and landed a 35-inch Muskie. Earlier this week Jack and I were discussing the value of the color pink in lures, so after a time period of low fish activity Dorie told Jack that she did not blame the fish for not being attracted to his lures and he should use something more colorful. Jack thought back to our conversation earlier in the week and pulled out a PINK spinner. The very next cast Jack had the 35” Muskie on and landed. Dorie is Jack’s secret to his success in fishing. At the supper table that evening Jack’s reply to me when I asked how the day went was “Think Pink”. Jack and Dorie had a fabulous stay at Fireside Lodge as we did having them.Long time Fireside Lodge guests Ken and son Kenny Heflin from Elmhurst IL and Anthony Miceli from Villa Park, IL were back to hunt their favorite species, Smallmouth Bass. On their day of arrival they had great fishing catching 21 nice size Smallmouth Bass, 14 to 17.5-inches before supper. After supper they caught 10 more big Smallmouth and Anthony set the pace by catching a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth measuring 18-inches. Kenny also caught several 17 to 17.5 inch Smallies. First day of fishing they caught many Smallmouth Bass and again some in the 17 to 18-inch size range and Kenny landed a hog 19.25-inch trophy Smallmouth. Ken said the young guys were beating him up as they were catching most of the Smallmouth Bass, which is their preferred species, and Ken seemed to be catching Northern Pike using similar lures. Second fishing day they did great catching about 20 Smallmouth Bass and 15 Northern Pike, while fishing for Smallies. The majority of the Smallmouth were big, from 15 to 17.5-inches. Third day had them making contact with some toothy critters that mostly teased them with follows, but Anthony managed to hook and land his first Muskie. Later that afternoon they caught some Smallmouth Bass and in the evening both Ken and Kenny caught Master Anglers Award Smallmouth, with Ken’s being a monster weighing 19.25-inches with a very wide girth. Fourth day was great as they caught a lot of Smallmouth Bass and Kenny hooked a 37-inch Muskie on light line with no leader and played it just right by giving the fish all the line it wanted while back reeling. Kenny caught the Muskie after a 20-minute battle. The fifth and final day was full of action catching Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike, Two more Master Anglers Award Smallmouth were caught and Kenny landed a Monster over 19-inches. On their last evening after supper it was decided that top-water would be the lure/presentation of choice. When returning that evening they were full of smiles and stories as they had about 30 blow ups on their surface lures, and landed 6 big Smallmouth Bass. Kenny made it interesting as after hanging his lure over a tree limb near the water a Smallmouth hit it as the lure was dangling and ticking the water. To get the fishing they had to go in and get it as it was flopping just above the water. With that said these three went home full of fishing stories and wonderful memories. That’s what fishing is all about!Father and sons Greg Hunter, Cole 14, and Chase 8, from Appleton, WI were fishing at Fireside Lodge for their first time. First day out Cole and Chase both caught some Smallmouth as they each landed Smallmouth in the 15 to 16-inch range. They also had a great day on the water as it was a beautiful day and enjoyed the other benefits of fishing in a wilderness area. Chase was able to take some great photos of a Great Blue Heron and a Loon sitting on her nest. Their evening time enjoyment involved time spent in the main lodge playing board games in our new area dedicated for board games and quiet activities.
Second day was slower as a cold front with wind and rain took its toll on the fishing and the fishers. Third day was much improved weather being warmer, overcast with light rain on and off, and very calm. And the fishing action was great as the two boys caught Smallmouth Bass and had a lot of Northern Pike action. Great fishing story was as Greg was teaching Cole to work the lure I had sold them, Greg left his in the water and it sunk a few feet down. After Coles instructions were over Greg’ went to lick up his rod and noticed a Muskie had it’s nose an inch away from his X-Rap. Every time Greg would twitch the lure the Muskie would dart at it and stare it down. After about a minute of this the fish swam away and left Greg and his sons with a wonderful fishing memory. These three had a fabulous time fishing together making priceless memories to last a lifetime.

By referral, Steve Tarrence from Hallsville, MO and Dyarl Lewis from Columbia, MO found themselves fishing at Fireside Lodge for their first time. While fishing only for a few hours on their day pf arrival they caught several Smallmouth Bass, a nice Northern Pike, and Dyarl lost a GIANT Smallmouth Bass. When it hit and took off Dyarl said it felt like a Pike so he told Steve to get the fish cradle. Well, as he got it near the boat, realizing it was the Smallmouth of his life, Steve tried to get the net but he fish shook it’s head at the boat and got off. Great Start. First full day was cold and very windy with some rain, and despite this they caught some nice Smallmouth Bass, Steve’s largest being a 15-inch Smallie with some girth, and Dyarl caught a 17-inch and a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth measuring 18-inches. Dyarl also caught a nice size Pike. Second day these two had a lot of action catching both Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike. Also, while fishing after supper, Steve landed a big Lake Trout estimated from the photo to about 30-inches. Steve was so happy and excited he forgot to measure the fish after Dyarl took the photo. Third day these two did great catching 30 Northern Pike and 6 Walleye between 20 to 23-inches. They had such a good day I found them sprawled out on the two lazy boys in the lodge just admiring the fabulous view of Little Vermilion Lake. Fourth and final day was terrific as they caught a lot of Smallmouth Bass, enjoyed having lunch by Twin Falls, and Steve caught his very first Muskie. It was a nice 34-inch Muskie that gave him a fight, and Steve’s big smile in the picture tells the whole story. These fellows said that their experience at Fireside Lodge was far above their expectations and hope to return in the near future.
Kevin Reilly from Huntley, IL with nephew Danny Tomazin from Warrenville, IL were at Fireside Lodge for their first time based on a referral received from a previous guest of Fireside Lodge. First night on day of arrival after supper they caught several Smallmouth Bass and Danny came up with a very nice Northern Pike measuring 33-inches. First full day of fishing was met by cold front conditions with wind and intermittent rain. They still caught some fish and Danny came up with another nice Northern Pike at very heavy 29-icnhes. Second day they did great catching Smallmouth Bass and enjoyed an extended lunch at Twin Falls, which is one of many natural wonders you will see while fishing at Fireside Lodge. They also had some great views of a Bald Eagle and Loons. Last day Kevin and Danny had loads of fun and Kevin came up with the catch of the day by landing a HUGE 18.5-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass. The story of how he caught this big Smallie is worth telling. As Kevin and Danny were having lunch on shore Kevin decided to make a few casts. On his very first cast he thought he was hung up on a rock, and gave is rod a hard pull, and his lure felt stuck. As he gave another hard pull his line started to move and the big Smallmouth started to fight. These two had a fabulous trip, made wonderful family memories together and Kevin gets the Uncle of he year award.


Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2009 Photos

Hot Lures of The Week: X-Rap, Shad Rap, Blue Fox Spinner, Husky Jerk, plastic worms, twister tails and tubes.

Catches of the Week: 19.25 and 19-inch Smallmouth Bass, 38-inch Northern Pike, 30-inch Lake Trout, 38-inch Muskie
Please note that we have a “NEW” email address below.

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
www.firesidelodgefishing.com
www.firesidelodge.com
800-545-0815
Email: fireside@xplornet.com

Fireside Lodge Fishing News/Photo Report 5/30 to 6/6 2009

Fireside Lodge Fishing News/Photo Report 5/30 to 6/6 2009



Global Warming??? Surely not at Fireside Lodge as this week started with waking up on Saturday morning to 30 degrees Fahrenheit, cold winds from the north and a predicted high of 45 degrees, despite being a sunny day. Normal temps for this time of year are 68 for a high and 45 for a low.

For the second consecutive year Dan Garry from Willoughby, OH headed a mostly Ohio based group including brother Tim from Mt Guild, Neil Newman from Mentor, Roland Reed from Madison, David Caldwell from Cuyahoga Falls, Rodney Dennison from Kirtland, John Molnar from Willoughby, Willard Raymond from Geneva, and Dan Smierciak from Gainsville, FL. Most of this group fly fishes and some use fly-fishing techniques only. On their day of arrival, just 1.5 hours before supper, most of the group caught Northern Pike and a few Smallmouth Bass. After supper fish were caught with Dan Garry setting the pace landing a HUGE 39-inch Northern Pike on a fly rod fishing with a red and white streamer fly. First day was tough for any fishing technique and extremely tough for the avid fly fishers of this group. It was cold and very windy, and despite these conditions they found plenty of fish, and many big Northern Pike. Getting them to strike was another story. Roland seemed to land the most being a 9 fish combination of Smallmouth and Northern Pike. Second day the winds calmed but the cold rain came, temperatures staying about 39 degrees Fahrenheit all day, and we also got periods of wet snow. The whole group caught fish with Tim and John having a great day fly-fishing, catching over 50 Northern Pike. Their third and final day was “FABULOUS” with Tim and John catching 30+ Northern Pike fly fishing, Roland and Neil caught 60 to 70 Northern Pike, Roland only fly fishing. The fish were so feisty that a Pike actually broke Roland’s fly rod. Neil’s parents owned a fishing lodge in Canada, and he had the wonderful opportunity of growing up at a fishing lodge. With this said, Neil told me that this was the best day of fishing he ever had, and was very excited with all of the Northern Pike action him and Roland experienced. Dave and Rodney had a great day catching 33 northern Pike and Dan G with Dan S had less numbers, but caught a dozen bigger pike. Willard spent the day back at the lodge reading and hiking near the lodge. One trail he was on brought him to a back swampy lake that holds a lot of wildlife. Willard saw Moose tracks on the trail and he was in awe seeing the biggest beaver dam of his life. Terrific fun was had by all on their traditional three-day annual fishing trip. Hope to see this crew back in 2010.

Long time return Fireside Lodge guests Aaron and Michele Hayes from North Aurora, IL were back fishing at Fireside Lodge for their tenth consecutive year. Despite a very cold and windy arrival day Aaron and Michele caught 11 Smallmouth Bass and 5 Northern Pike in 3.5 hours before supper. Their first day was a high of 39 degrees Fahrenheit with rain and occasional wet snow showers. They still managed to have a great fishing day catching 17 nice Smallmouth Bass including two Master Anglers Award Smallmouth at 18 and 18.5-inches and Aaron caught the prize fish of the day being a. HUGE very fat and heavy, 42-inch Master Anglers Award Northern Pike. You have to take a look at this catch on our websites 2009 photo page at www.firesidelodgefishing.com.
Second day they caught 35 Smallmouth Bass, 14 Northern Pike, and a lot of the Smallmouth were big. Aaron also landed a big 28-inch Lake Trout. Third day had them catching 26 Smallmouth Bass, 5 Northern Pike, and Aaron did it again catching another BIG Master Anglers Award Northern Pike measuring 41.5 inches. The forth day of fishing was fabulous, catching 48 big Smallmouth Bass, 8- Northern Pike, and a Muskie. Aaron managed to catch four Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass on this day and Michele caught a few in the 17.5-inch range. WOW! That’s great fishing and catching. The fifth day was very windy, but by using the wind to their advantage, and fishing wind blown points they had very good action catching 20 Northern Pike 30 to 35-inches, 8 Smallmouth Bass, and Michele caught a very large 34-inch Lake Trout. They also mentioned that they lost as many Pike as they caught because of the extremely windy conditions. On their sixth and final day Aaron and Michele finished strong, even though they came in for a four hour nap in the middle of the day, catching 24 BIG Smallies, 9 Northern Pike, 1 Muskie and 1 Lake Trout. Each caught a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth, Michele’s at 18.25-inches and Aaron’s was a huge 19.25-inches. They ended up with 11 Master Anglers Award Smallmouth, and two Masters Northern Pike with many of the other Smallmouth just missing the mark, and many of the Pike being in the over 30-35-inch range. The good news for Aaron and Michele about this fishing trip ending is that they are returning for a second fishing trip to Fireside Lodge in September.

Father and son Dick and Rick Kile from Schnecksville, PA and Arlington Hgts, IL were returning to Fireside Lodge for their second time. First day of their three-day trip they had fabulous fishing, catching 27 Smallmouth Bass, with most being larger, and Kile landed two huge 17.5-inch Smallies. Second day was a tougher weather day with cold high winds, but they still managed to catch 14 nice Smallmouth Bass, several Northern Pike and Dick lost the fish of his life. After hooking the monster he got it near the boat, where both him and Rick got a good look at it, then the fish took off running and fighting so hard that Dick’s rod was jerking back and forth. As Dick was holding on just trying to keep the fish under control, the pressure on his line was too much and it did break off. Dick told the story in the dinning room with passion and excitement, all the time smiling ear to ear. Soon after he lost the big fish, Dick hooked another Northern Pike whose sudden burst put his reel into a birds nest, but between Dick’s persistence and Ricks hand lining they managed to land the pike. These two stories will be in Dick and Rick’s memory bank for a long time to come. That same evening after supper these hardy souls went out to brave the still cold wet weather, and were rewarded with Rick catching a few very large Smallmouth, one being 17.5-inches and another tipping the ruler qualifying as a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth measuring 18.25-inches. Third and final day was a portage day as they walked through a bush trail to fish for Northern Pike, and that’s exactly what they caught. The Northern Pike fishing was fast action and fun as Dick and Rick combined for 32 Northern Pike, and Rick came up with a nice size Walleye. Great finish to a wonderful father and son trip where many memories were logged. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge to make those priceless memories.

Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2009 Photos

Hot Lures of The Week: Red and White Streamer Fly, X-Rap, Dardevle Spoon, Husky Jerk, Live Bait

Catches of the Week: 42-inch Northern Pike, 41.5-inch Northern Pike, 39-inch Northern Pike on a Fly Rod, 19.25-inch Smallmouth Bass, Six 18.5-inch Smallmouth Bass, Seven 18-inch Smallmouth Bass,
Please note that we have a “NEW” email address below.

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
www.firesidelodgefishing.com
www.firesidelodge.com
800-545-0815
Email: fireside@xplornet.com

Fireside Lodge Fishing News/Photo Report 5/23 to 5/30 2009

Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report 5/23 to 5/30 2009

Hello from Fireside Lodge in Northwest, Ontario, Canada. This week air and water temperatures stayed colder than normal with most days having highs in the low to mid 50’s and a few barley reaching 50 degrees, with one day reaching 60. Water temperatures in most of the lake were still in the mid to high 40’s with very select shallow areas getting up to 50 for brief time periods on a few of the warmer days, only to be cooled down during our frosty nights. Water levels are remaining high, and I anticipate it to be a while until we reach normal water levels.

Bill Stayer from New Freedom, PA was making his seventh consecutive trip to Fireside Lodge. His first four days were spent fishing with another Fireside Lodge guest, Frank Hazzard, and the first day they caught 16 nice size Pike with several being 36 to 37-inches and 23 Smallmouth Bass. The second day they caught 22 Smallmouth and 9 Pike and Frank caught a 34-inch Muskie, but lost a BIGGIE Pike estimated at 42-inches or better. Third day these two beat up on Smallmouth landing 62 nice fat fish and Frank caught an 18-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Fourth day while fishing with Frank Hazzard they caught 46 Smallmouth Bass and 10 Northern Pike. On the sixth day Bill fished by himself catching 5 Northern Pike but also had a lot of other action with strikes and pike lost, landed two Muskie 34 to 35 inches, and caught 5 Smallmouth including an 18.5-inch Master Anglers Award Smallie while tube fishing. I guess Bill is getting the hang of finesse fishing with plastic tubes. On Bills sixth day while fishing with Frank Hazzard they caught 27 Smallmouth Bass, many 14 to 16 inches with several in the 17 to 18-inch class, and they had a blast catching 26 Northern Pike up to 33-inches on Slug-O and Senko worms. On Bills seventh day fishing with Frank they caught 20 nice Smallmouth Bass, 6 Northern Pike, Bill coming up with the catch of the day, which was a HUGE 40-inch Muskie. WOW, what a great finish fishing with his good friend Frank.

Long Time guests, 10 years, of Fireside Lodge Doug Shelly and son Andrew from Mount Joy, PA were back fishing at Fireside Lodge to catch Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike. First day fishing was active as they saw 25 to 30 Northern Pike chasing their lures, landing a few and seeing some MONSTERS. Second day was cold, rainy, and wet, a Pike fishers dream, and they caught a bunch of Northern Pike turning yesterday’s follows into today’s catches. Most Northern Pike caught were larger up to 36-inches, and fat. Third and final day was a fabulous day as they caught a lot of BIG Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike. Both Andrew and Doug caught 18-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth and Doug landed a hog measuring 19.5-inches. They caught a lot of 30-inch plus Pike and Andrew caught several in the mid to upper 30-inche range and lost two near and over 40-inches. Great finish to a father and son three-day fishing trip.

Third time return guests, Max and Jeb Terrien from Littleton, NC got started quickly catching some nice Smallmouth Bass within a few hours before supper and Max recorded an 18-inch Master Anglers Award Smallie. First day had these two catching toothy critters, but were mostly chasing some big fish that would not cooperate. Second day was cold, rainy, wet and the fishing moods wee similar to the fishers, negative. Third day started cold, rainy, and wet, but improved by early afternoon giving way to sunshine and warmer temperatures. With this fish activity increased as Northern Pike became much more cooperative and Max lost a HUGE Pike as the fish just kept taking line, which finally snapped. Well, it’s always better to have the opportunity and loose a big fish than never to have the opportunity. On their fourth day they decided to go to a portage lake and they had a fabulous day wearing themselves out catching over 100 Northern Pike. Their last two days were spent chasing Northern Pike and they did catch some nice Pike. While fishing for Northern Pike and Smallmouth they also caught about 6 nice Lake Trout most over 30-inches. Catching Lake trout in shallow water tells you how cold our water is, as Lake Trout can only survive in cold water and go deep as the water warms. The Lake trout fishery is currently closed, however in the spring when the water is cold they will be shallow, spread out over the entire lake, so running into then when fishing for Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass is unavoidable. Max left telling me he had a great trip, enjoying spending time and having wonderful conversation with his son, which happens seldom in their busy lives. Good for them they took special time together.

Brothers Sandy and Ted Holdahl from Clarksburg, MD and Lake Quivira, KS were fishing at Fireside Lodge for their first time. First day they did great catching 9 nice Smallmouth Bass, 5 Northern Pike and Ted caught his first ever Lake Trout, a big 28-incher. Second day was a slower day catching 5 Smallmouth bass and one Northern Pike. Third day was very good catching 10 sizable Smallmouth Bass several Northern Pike and another 28-inch Lake Trout. Their fourth and final day had them catching 13 Smallmouth Bass, Sandy catching an 18.75-inch Master Anglers award Smallie and Sandy caught his first Lake Trout ever. Sandy and Ted had fun just spending time together as brothers making the four days of fishing go by quick. Both left very satisfied but wishing they had one more day. Don’t we all at the end of a fishing trip.


Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2009 Photos

Hot Lures of The Week: Tube Jig, Original Floating Rapala, X-Rap, Slug-O, Senko, Smithwick Rogue, Gold Blue Fox Spinner,

Catches of the Week: 40-Inch Muskie, 39-inch Northern Pike, 19.5-inch Smallmouth Bass, 32-inch lake Trout

Please note that we have a “NEW” email address below.

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
www.firesidelodgefishing.com
www.firesidelodge.com
800-545-0815
Email: fireside@xplornet.com