Fishing reports are written weekly throughout the open fishing season based on Fireside Lodge guests reports of their daily fishing experiences while fishing at Fireside Lodge
Hello From Fireside Lodge
in Northwest, Ontario, Canada. At the beginning of this time period we had warm
sticky weather, which is not normal however for our final week we got reminded,
by a severe cold front with high winds that fall is here and preparations for
winter should start soon.
Dan Mosier from Lincoln,
NE who has come to Fireside Lodge every year since 1997 return for his second
fishing trip in 2010 with his daughter Abbi Mota who was with Dan on his very
first trip for her High School Graduation. Abbi is now married and a Mom of two
children. Boy things move along quickly in life. DOA these two went out and
caught some Pike & Smallmouth with Abbi catching a HUGE Trophy 18.5”
Smallie. First full day they had a fabulous day catching 27 Northern Pike by
1:30, taking an afternoon nap, and sitting on their deck just enjoying the
beautiful lake view of the Boreal Forest before enjoying a wonderful supper in
our lodge dinning room. Second day was terrific as they caught 40 Pike, 3
Smallmouth, with Abbi catching another Mater Anglers Trophy Smallie measuring
18”, and Dan landed a nice 34-inch Muskie. They did all this and still had time
to relax on their deck before supper. Third day had them fishing until 1:30 PM.
Besides the amazing fishing feat of catching back to back 34 & 35-inch
Northern Pike, they caught other quality Pike and Smallmouth. Last day was a
good fishing day catching Pike and concluding another fabulous memory making
vacation for this wonderful Father & Daughter team. Thanks for choosing
Fireside Lodge to spend this valuable time together.
Long time return guests
Bryan Neel lll and Tim Stewart from Rochester, MN arrived to fish with us for
their second trip in 2010. First day fishing they caught 13 nice size Northern
Pike between 29 to 36-inches. Second day was a copy of their first as for the
Pike fishing, however they also got into some BIG Smallmouth with Tim landing a
GIANT 19” Trophy Smallie. Third day they caught some nice Pike and saw some
enormous Smallmouth in shallow weeds they could not catch.Tim said one of the largest swam lazily
behind his lure and stayed near the boat for 10 minutes. Fourth day was met
with high winds, which made for tough fishing conditions affecting fishing
technique & locations, which resulted in just catching a few fish. Fifth
day was full of fast action Northern Pike fishing as they landed many Pike in
the 26 to 30-inch range and a few Smallmouth Bass. Sixth and final day was good
catching more Pike and Tim came up with a second 19” trophy Smallmouth Bass.
Both had a great time and said, “see ya next spring” when departing.
Back to fish at Fireside
Lodge for their 8th consecutive year were Susan & Harry Vilsack
from Pittsburgh, PA. First day they had a fun day catching Northern Pike.
Second day was a day by the Natural Wonder of Twin Falls, as they caught some
fish and enjoyed the days weather and the beautiful Boreal Forest that
surrounded them. Third day was fabulous fishing for both, and Susan alone caught
over 15 fish and lost a monster trophy Smallmouth. After she quote "bedazzled
the bass" with her sparkly, styling' lure”, the fish made huge jump
throwing her lure as it hit the water with a huge splash. Slightly
disappointed? Yes! Excited with the happening? Definitely!! Fourth day was very
windy making fishing difficult but the fifth day was gorgeous making for a
wonderful last day on the water. Both caught Northern Pike and Susan with her
magic lure had two larger Pike hooked, one very large fish, and lost both as
they dove under the boat at the last minute. They had a great trip and plan on
returning with Harry’s sister and husband in 2011.
Returning to fish at
Fireside Lodge for their 12th consecutive year were Bob Babcock and
Jane Waldron from Midland, MI. Joining them for his first time was Bob’s
brother-in law Bill Jewell from Houston, TX. DOA they got the kinks out and
caught a few Northern Pike. Fist day was full of action with Bill catching most
of the fish including some nice Pike and several big Smallmouth 17-17.5”. Jane
also caught the largest Pike at 35”, and several nice Smallmouth on her
favorite top water lure the “Tsunami”, while Bob did and expert job guiding.
Second day was met with very high winds challenging their fishing abilities,
however they still managed to catch some Northern Pike. Third day had Jane a
Bill catching most of the fish in the morning, but after lunch Bob went smaller
lures and got the hot hand catching 3 Pike in 5 casts. The key to success in
fishing is adapting your presentation or location. Fourth day was another good
day catching Northern Pike and Bill caught the most including some dandy size
Pike over 30”. Bill had a Big Pike attack his lure at boat-side after bringing
it our of the water, which really got his attention, saying it took a year or
two off his life. Bob and Jane also had Northern Pike over 30” and Bob had a
Giant Musky come after his surface bait, seeing the huge head surface and jaws
open as it chomped down on his lure. The success ended there as the fish spit
out Bob’s lure as it rolled and vanished from sight. Fifth day was a huge
weather change bringing a severe cold front with high winds and rain. All
weathered the storm with limited success. When leaving Bib & Jane reserved
the same dates for 2011, and the talk that evening was centered around how they
were going to convince Bob’s sister to agree on Bill returning with them next
year.
John Vivino from
Fairfield, IA came to fish at Fireside Lodge for his first time. First day he
faced very windy cold front conditions which is tough on anyone new to a lake
system. After getting started at about 1:00PM John learned his way around the
lower arm of Little Vermilion Lake and caught a few fish including a nice fat
30”plus Pike. Second day had him exploring further catching five nice size
Northern Pike and he also took a break and hiked a trail that leads to one of
our portage lakes. He had a ball getting an inside look at the Boreal Forest
seeing a Ruffed Grouse with her chicks, plenty of Moose tracks and droppings,
signs of Beavers along with the many other wonders the forest holds. On John’s
third & final day he was invited by Frank (Below) to fish together. They
had a great day catching 20 nice Pike on Slug-O’s and stick baits. John was very
impressed with Frank’s knowledge of the lake system and fishing techniques.
Before departing John expressed what a wonderful stay he had with us and said
that we were a top notch fishing lodge.
Fran & Colleen Sack
from Lorain, OH were back at Fireside Lodge for their second trip of 2010. DOA
hey caught 5 Northern Pike right off the bat. First day had them landing 15
fish, mostly Pike and a few Smallmouth. Second day was great as they caught 28
fish, almost all Pike, and Fran caught an 18” Master Anglers Award Trophy
Smallmouth Bass. Third day was slower, catching a few Pike, however Fran lost a
very big Musky after it spit out his lure. Fourth & final day by supper
they landed 9 Northern Pike and lost 6 or 7, two being in the 35 to 38-inch
class. After supper they gave it one last whirl to catch a trophy and Colleen
came close having a GIANT musky follow right behind her lure. As I always say,
better to see the fish than to not have the opportunity at all. Both had a
great stay in our wonderful wilderness setting getting a break away from their
every day responsibilities.
Frank Hazzard from Irving,
TX a 20 consecutive year guest, also returned to Fireside Lodge for his second
trip in 2010. First day Frank caught 20+ Pike on Stick Baits & Slug-O’s.
Second day Frank spent half day searching for Smallmouth catching 6 and then
switched to Pike landing 7 nice fish. Third day was all about Smallmouth &
figuring where they were holding. Frank ended up catching 25 and the most
seemed to be where the weeds broke off into deeper water. The technique was
slow jigging plastic tubes. Great Day!!! Fourth day had Frank catching several
Pike and 6 nice Smallmouth Bass. Fifth day Frank caught 14 Northern Pike and 12
Smallmouth with two Smallies being 17.5-inch fat footballs. During the rest of
Franks stay he had a couple of great days Smallmouth fishing with boats catches
of 25, 34, and 37. Frank had another great fishing trip with us and hopes to
return in May of 2011.
Bob Reinhardt from Orland
Park, IL returned to Fireside Lodge for his ninth consecutive year. DOA before
supper Bob caught 6 nice Northern Pike and lost what he thought to be a
38-incher. First day had Bob catching a bunch of Northern Pike. Second day he
landed 8 nice Northern Pike, a Muskie, and had several big follows. Third day
was also a very good day and totals for Bob’s 3-day trip were 35 Northern Pike,
2 Muskie, and 5 Smallmouth Bass, landing lot of nice size fish. He had a great
trip and hopes to return in 2011 with his son Jon and good friend Charlie.
Here for their first time
were Anthony Chelpaty, James Cerra, George Parker, and William Beardslee from
Andover, Branchville, Sparta, NJ and West End, NC. Here for a short three days
they happened to time it right for a severe cold front with high winds and rain.
Not a good combination for first timers on any lake system. These four had a
blast catching some Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass, and terrific time with
us at Fireside Lodge. What I found so refreshing about these four is their
constant interesting conversation among each other. With the electronic world
the art of good conversation has seemed to be set aside, but not with these
four. Fishing together for 25 years traveling to many locations from Alaska to
Central America, before leaving they informed me that Fireside Lodge was now
their new Canadian fishing destination. All said we would see them again in the
near future.
Make sure to go to our website listed below to see the 2010 Photos
For Fabulous Video, Wildlife Events, and Current Happenings go to our
Social Sites Below.
Hot Lures: Rattle Trap,
Rattl’n Rap, Blue Fox Spinner, Daredevle Spoon, Suick, Tube Jig, Hair Jig,
Slug-O, X-Rap
Catches of The Week:
Smallmouth Bass 18, 18.5, two 19”
Northern Pike 39”, several
35 to 38-inchers and many at 30 to 35-inches. Muskie several fish 35 to
37-inches with some follows in the mid 40-inch range.
Final Note: WOW, how time
goes by as I feel I was just writing our final 2009 fishing report. As I write
this final fishing report of 2010 the fall colors are in full form and from
this point forward everything will become quieter at Fireside Lodge. As the
birds and waterfowl depart for their annual fall migration and animals prepare
their winter haunts, it will become progressively quieter until the snow covers
the ground, the ice consumes the water, and a whisper can be hear across the
bay. Most noticeable is the silence around the lodge and grounds absent of all
of the hustle and bustle of morning activities in planning the days fishing
adventure, eating and conversation in the dinning room, and boats leaving the
dock, all in anticipation of what stories and memories the day may bring and be
discussed at the supper tables. No more morning smell of the bacon on the dock
or lights seen in the cabins at night. All very sad but necessary for us to
move on and plan for the upcoming 2011 season, which will come just as fast as
the 2010 one speeded by us. Audrey and I know that is it all of you, our
guests/friends, that give Fireside Lodge energy and make it come alive to give
us all the exciting happenings and make the wonderful memories all of us have
had for the last 21-years. For that Audrey and I thank each and every one of
you from the bottom of our hearts. It is you that have enabled us to live our
life dream. Please stay in touch with us throughout the fall/winter/spring by
visiting our Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter social sites and feel free to post
any of your experiences with us on our Facebook wall. If you have any good
fishing video please send it to us so we can post it on our YouTube site. Also,
during the next several months I will be catching up on posting many more
(100’s) great fish photos on our websites from the 2010 season.
Well,
that's it for this weeks final Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report for 2010.
Please stay tuned on our social sites mentioned above for new happenings and
events leading up to the 2011 season. Until then "Keep On Fish'n"
Alan
Smallmouth, with Abbi catching another Mater Anglers Trophy Smallie measuring
18”, and Dan landed a nice 34-inch Muskie. They did all this and still had time
to relax on their deck before supper. Third day had them fishing until 1:30 PM.
Besides the amazing fishing feat of catching back to back 34 & 35-inch
Northern Pike, they caught other quality Pike and Smallmouth. Last day was a
good fishing day catching Pike and concluding another 
fabulous memory making
vacation for this wonderful Father & Daughter team. Thanks for choosing
Fireside Lodge to spend this valuable time together.
great time and said, “see ya next spring” when departing.
time was Bob’s
brother-in law Bill Jewell from Houston, TX. DOA they got the kinks out and
caught a few Northern Pike. Fist day was full of action with Bill catching most
of the fish including some nice Pike and several big Smallmouth 17-17.5”. Jane
also caught the largest Pike at 35”, and several nice Smallmouth on her
favorite top water lure the “Tsunami”, while Bob did and expert job guiding.
Second day was met with very high winds challenging their fishing abilities,
however they still managed to catch some Northern Pike. Third day had Jane a
Bill catching most of the fish in the morning, but after lunch Bob went smaller
lures and got the hot hand catching 3 Pike in 5 
casts. The key to success in
fishing is adapting your presentation or location. Fourth day was another good
day catching Northern Pike and Bill caught the most including some dandy size
Pike over 30”. Bill had a Big Pike attack his lure at boat-side after bringing
it our of the water, which really got his attention, saying it took a year or
two off his life. Bob and Jane also had Northern Pike over 30” and Bob had a
Giant Musky come after his surface bait, seeing the huge head surface and jaws
open as it chomped down on his lure. The success ended there as the fish spit
out 
Bob’s lure as it rolled and vanished from sight. Fifth day was a huge
weather change bringing a severe cold front with high winds and rain. All
weathered the storm with limited success. When leaving Bib & Jane reserved
the same dates for 2011, and the talk that evening was centered around how they
were going to convince Bob’s sister to agree on Bill returning with them next
year.
including a nice fat
30”plus Pike. Second day had him exploring further catching five nice size
Northern Pike and he also took a break and hiked a trail that leads to one of
our portage lakes. He had a ball getting an inside look at the Boreal Forest
seeing a Ruffed Grouse with her chicks, plenty of Moose tracks and droppings,
signs of Beavers along with the many other wonders the forest holds. On John’s
third & final day he was invited by Frank (Below) to fish together. They
had a great day catching 20 nice Pike on Slug-O’s and stick baits. John was very
impressed with Frank’s knowledge of the lake system and fishing techniques.
Before departing John expressed what a wonderful stay he had with us and said
that we were a top notch fishing lodge.
caught an 18” Master Anglers Award Trophy
Smallmouth Bass. Third day was slower, catching a few Pike, however Fran lost a
very big Musky after it spit out his lure. Fourth & final day by supper
they landed 9 Northern Pike and lost 6 or 7, two being in the 35 to 38-inch
class. After supper they gave it one last whirl to catch a trophy and Colleen
came close having a GIANT musky follow right behind her lure. As I always say,
better to see the fish than to not have the opportunity at all. Both had a
great stay in our wonderful wilderness setting getting a break away from their
every day responsibilities. 
Frank Hazzard from Irving,
TX a 20 consecutive year guest, also returned to Fireside Lodge for his second
trip in 2010. First day Frank caught 20+ Pike on Stick Baits & Slug-O’s.
Second day Frank spent half day searching for Smallmouth catching 6 and then
switched to Pike landing 7 nice fish. Third 
day was all about Smallmouth &
figuring where they were holding. Frank ended up catching 25 and the most
seemed to be where the weeds broke off into deeper water. The technique was
slow jigging plastic tubes. Great Day!!! Fourth day had Frank catching several
Pike and 6 nice Smallmouth Bass. Fifth day Frank caught 14 Northern Pike and 12
Smallmouth with two Smallies being 17.5-inch fat footballs. During the rest of
Franks stay he had a couple of great days Smallmouth fishing with boats catches
of 25, 34, and 37. Frank had another great fishing trip with us and hopes to
return in May of 2011.
and 5 Smallmouth Bass, landing lot of nice size fish. He had a great
trip and hopes to return in 2011 with his son Jon and good friend Charlie.
timers on any lake system. These four had a
blast catching some Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass, and terrific time with
us at Fireside Lodge. What I found so refreshing about these four is their
constant interesting conversation among each other. With the electronic world
the art of good conversation has seemed to be set aside, but not with these
four. Fishing together for 25 years traveling to many locations from Alaska to
Central America, before leaving they informed me that Fireside Lodge was now
their new Canadian fishing destination. All said we would see them again in the
near future.
