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. Weather this week was great even though it
was on the warm side with high humidity having a few showers and t-storms. We
should enjoy, as we all know that in the far north we only have a few more
weeks of summer, which could end tomorrow.
Al Sins and Don Funderud
with Dave and Pam Hamilton from Asheville and Raleigh, NC returned to Fireside
Lodge to hunt Musky and BIG Northern Pike. First day out Al & Don had a
fabulous day Muskie fishing as the hooked 9 Musky and landed 5 up to 34-inches.
WOW, that’s a dream day for most Musky fishers. Al & Pam also had a great
day catching nine Pike and 4 Smallmouth. Second day was a slower cold front
blue bird day, but Al had an opportunity at a 40+ Northern Pike. Third day was
a gangbusters day for this group as they caught 49 Northern Pike. Fourth day
Dave and Pam had a ball catching some fish and soaking up the wilderness, with
Dave coming up with a nice 32-inch Musky. Al and Don did very well Musky
fishing having 12 follows, Don catching a 31.5-incher, and Al came up with the
groups best fish of the day landing a 41” Tiger Musky having a very wide girth.
Fifth day had Dave and Pam having 29 BIG Musky follows but no takers, but
caught some nice Smallmouth Bass. The day was very calm and with the water
being very clear the Smallies were so visible Dave mentioned it was like
shopping for bass. Al & Don caught some Pike and had some follows. Sixth
and final day for Al & Don was a final push to catch a few big fish. Well,
they saw them and even had a few huge Muskie follows at the same time, but
could not get a hook up. Dave and Pam however did get the big ones to hit as
Dave landed a 37.5-inch Northern Pike and a GIGANTIC, 44.5” Tiger Muskie with a
huge girth. Words out of Dave’s mouth were, “This was a Chamber of Commerce
Fish”, the one that makes people like him coming back and how fitting was it
was for him to catch this monster on his last day within hours of their last
day ending. Pam also gets a ton of credit for this catch as she cradled the
fish for Dave, which is a bigger challenge than most might think. All had a
great time and left as they came, with big smiles on their faces.
Bill Westbrook from New Philadelphia, OH retuned for his 8th
consecutive year and for the first time his wife Jill joined him. First day
fishing was a complete success as they caught 29 Smallmouth Bass including
three 17.5-inchers, and Jill caught most of the fish. Second day had them portaging
to another lake which was a very new experience for Jill. The day was a great
as Jill enjoyed the adventure catching over 30 Smallmouth Bass and Jill again
landed the larger Smallies at 17- 17.5 inches. Bill also landed a nice 31-inch
Muskie. The fourth day was a very LARGE day as they first caught 28 Smallmouth
Bass with Jill doing well again, and then the wind shifted and Bill had a hunch
to fish in a bay that the wind was blowing into. First cast he hooked a nice
Musky but lost it in the battle. On the next cast he hooked another Muskie and
what a fish it turned out to be. After Jill did a great job of netting this
Monster Musky it measured out to 46-inches with a very wide girth. Jill also
did a great job of taking a series of photos including three release pictures
and one of the fish swimming away. The excitement ran so deep that they decided
to call it a day at about 3:30 PM. Fifth and final day the caught over 30
Smallmouth Bass and enjoyed their last day in our wonderful wilderness
surroundings.
Returning for his second
time was Steve Johnson from Halltown, MO and with him was his wife Debra. First
day on the water they found plenty of average size Smallmouth on the rocky
points and at supper we discussed the value of the weeds and how they hold
larger Smallmouth at this time of year. Second day they caught 16 Smallmouth
Bass and three nice Pike. Third and final day was their best as Steve and Debra
did great catching many Smallmouth Bass and enjoyed their surroundings. At
supper both mentioned that they would love to stay another day however figured
best to end on a high note. Both made wonderful memories and were discussing
the possibility of returning in September.
Tom & Jennifer Born
from Burlison, Tn returned to Fireside Lodge for their fifth time. First day
was a little slower still catching a few fish however Tom while trolling hooked
into a Monster that completely cleared the water in a jump the broke his leader
in half. Second day was off to a portage lake for Walleye & Northern Pike.
They caught bunches of Pike and six big Walleye ranging between 22 to
26-inches. GREAT DAY!!! Third day was not a record setter but they caught some
nice fish and enjoyed the day. Fourth day they caught both Smallmouth &
Pike and Jen caught two Pike both measuring 32-inches. Fifth day was a very
good catching day as they caught many Northern Pike having great action all day
long and enjoyed a fabulous shore lunch over an open fire. Sixth and final day
was a fun last day as they caught fish and enjoyed the wonderful peaceful
atmosphere we have on our lake system. As you can see they caught several nice
Muskie and Pike and are already looking forward to planning their dates the
same time as the Reese’s (below) in 2011.
Bill & Pam Hochstetter
from Rockford, IL returned to Fireside Lodge for their fourth time. On DOA
these two did great as Pam caught a great 35” Tiger Muskie, Bill lost one that
equaled Pam’s and caught a nice 33-incher. Great Start. First day was a short
fishing day catching a few fish but catching up on some much needed rest.
Second day was a great Smallmouth catching day having fun enjoying the fight of
these feisty bronze backs. Third day was cut short and fished only until 11:30
AM as Thunderstorms with a lot of lighting moved in the area. Fourth and final
day was a very good day Smallmouth fishing as they caught a lot of great size
fish and concluded their trip on a high note. Both did just what they wanted to
do which was spend quiet undisturbed time in the wilderness together and get
relief from the fast pace they live.
Tom Strachen from Akron,
OH returned with his group for a third time consisting of son Ross from
Columbus, OH son-in-law Tom Stenger from Copley, Oh and Henry (Buzz) Stenger
from Highland Hgts, OH. The their very first evening all caught fish but it was
Ross that had a special experience landing the fish of his, and most fishers
life, a 44-inch Monster Trophy Northern Pike. WOW, what a start as Ross set the
bar quite high for this group. If fact after discussion we figured the group
needed to hit the reset button. First day had Tom Strachen and son Ross
catching about 11 nice pike and Buzz and Tom Stenger caught over 20 pike.
Second day was fabulous fast action catching 45-50 Northern Pike and having a
lot of other action. Third day had Buzz and Tom Strachen catching about a dozen
Pike up to 30-inches and losing about half that, while Tom Stenger and Ross
caught over 30 Northern Pike. Fourth and final day they finished with some good
action on both Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass. All left saying they had tons
of fun and look forward to their return.
Father & son Tom &
Mark Reese from Bartlett, TN & Alexandria, VA returned to Fireside Lodge
for their tenth consecutive year. First day on the water they got right to it
catching some bigger Smallmouth. Tom caught his first ever Trophy Master
Anglers Award Smallmouth measuring a whopping 18.5-inches. Way to go Tom. Tom
when describing how the Smallies were hitting said that most of the strikes you
could hardly feel and sometimes you would just see your line move off to he
side, which at that point you would set the hook. Obviously Tom had the
technique down. Second day after resting for a half day they hit the water to
enjoy catching more Smallmouth, the best fighter that swims in freshwater. Mark
also landed a few Pike. Their third day was spent mostly dodging T-Storms
getting in some fishing and catching a few Smallmouth Bass. Fourth day was very
productive spending a good part of their day catching Northern Pike. But for
Mark and Tom this is more than fishing and catching fish. It is a getaway to
connect every year as father and son and make memories together like none
other. We value and appreciate their friendship and are glad they choose
Fireside Lodge as their personal getaway.
Ron Ramsey from Swanee, TN
was returning to Fireside Lodge for his 6th year in a row and this
trip his wife Vivian joined him. First day they caught fish and Vivian was in
awe or the wilderness area she was seeing. Second day was a great fishing day as
they caught a bunch of Pike, Vivian landing her first ever Northern Pike and
many more after. Also, Ron hooked and landed a HUGE Trophy 18.5-inch Master
Anglers Award Smallmouth. This was Ron's first award fish. Third day was a
portage day for Muskie and Smallmouth Bass. The Muskie were active but not
cooperative as they had many follows but could not hook up. As they were
waiting out a thunderstorm on shore under a tarp, (Ron always being prepared),
as waiting for the lighting subside they created a new plan for the day, Wacky
Worming for Smallmouth. Well the results were great as they caught a good
number of Smallmouth along with some big ones, and Vivian caught an 18.5-inch
Master Anglers Award Trophy Smallmouth Bass. Great going Vivian. Ron explained
that it was a new method for them and that it was really neat to finesse the
worm in a slow sink technique, and then feel the slightest bump or in some
cases just movement in the line while have a nice Smallie at the other end.
Fourth day when I asked Ron and Vivian how their day was the answer was simple,
GREAT!!! They caught fish and enjoyed the wilderness we have at Fireside Lodge.
Fifth & final day Ron & Vivian came to the dinning room full of
excitement about there day. They caught Smallmouth Bass on wacky worms and then
got into a bunch of big Pike 30-plus inches and Ron caught a 37-inch Musky and
a 38-inch Tiger Muskie. This was done fishing a new spot, which made it even
more exciting. During their trip these two also did a wilderness hike seeing lots
of Moose tracks, the scat of Black Bear & Moose, and observed the construction
abilities of beaver as they found a huge beaver dam. In all Ron & Vivian
had a tremendous stay with us at Fireside Lodge. We missed seeing Ron’s dad
this year and we all wish Bob a full and complete recovery.
Father son combo of Mike
& Zack Gerulski from Huntington Woods, MI who having been coming to
Fireside Lodge for nine consecutive years came with Mike’s brother-in-law Stan
Nunn and very good friend Ted Ricci from Northville and Hancock, MI. DOA Mike
& Zack to took Stan & Ted to their favorite place and traditionally the
first place they always fish, Dog Island. They caught some Smallmouth and a few
Pike to get started. First full day they were forced back before noon by bad
T-Storms, however not before having some action with Mike and Zack catching
Smallmouth Bass, and Zack losing a couple of Pike. Stan and Ted did very well
catching Smallmouth, Ted having the technique of slowly fishing tube Jigs and
landing nine nice Smallies between 14 to 16-inches. Second day all caught fish
but Ted seemed to do better than the rest again. Third day all had a good day
with Zack having the hot hand on Smallmouth Bass with his World Famous lure the
“Zack’s Bass Zapper”. Mike had a great Northern Pike day, while Stan & Ted
caught mostly Smallmouth Bass up to 17.5-inches and a few Pike. After supper
the fish turned on and Ted really had the hot hand catching one fish after
another including the million dollar fish. Just kidding as the wager was not
that high. Ted had a lot of surface action and landed an 18-inch Master Anglers
Award Smallmouth. Fourth and final day was a great fishing day for all, and
Zack especially did well on his almost patented lure “Zack’s Bass Zapper”. The
only disappointment he had a suppertime was his losing of a Giant Trophy
Smallmouth. Not to stay discouraged Zack and Dad Mike went out after supper,
caught Smallmouth, and on consecutive casts each landed a Trophy Master Anglers
Award Smallmouth Zack’s being 18” and Mike’s measuring 19-inches. Now that’s a
great father and son fishing memory!!! All had a fabulous stay and all hope to
return together again in the near future.
Brothers Steven &
Lawrence Sandler from Richmond Hill and Markham, Ontario were back fishing at
Fireside Lodge for their fourth trip together. DOA they got right to it
catching about 12 fish, a combo of Smallmouth and Northern Pike in a short time
period. First day was fabulous as they caught 30 fish, about half Smallmouth
and half Pike with Lawrence catching a very large 36.5” Northern Pike and
Steven catching a very heavy 35” Tiger Musky. Great first day!! Second day they
caught a ton of Northern Pike up to 29-inches, and Steven caught a few large
Smallmouth Bass just under 18-inches. Pike totals for the day were estimated at
between 50-60 fish. Third day the tooth critters out witted Steven and
Lawrence, however they did catch a lot of Smallmouth Bass 15 to 17.5-inches.
Fourth and final day was all about Pike and it happened to be a very windy day
with tough boat control conditions but they did manage to catch about 15 of
these great fighters.
This is what fishing is really all about. Family and friends making life long memories together.
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being very clear the Smallies were so visible Dave mentioned it was like
shopping for bass. Al & Don caught some Pike and had some follows. Sixth
and final day for Al & Don was a final push to catch a few big fish. Well,
they saw them and even had a few huge Muskie follows at the same time, but
could not get a hook up. Dave and Pam however did get the big ones to hit as
Dave landed a 37.5-inch Northern Pike and a GIGANTIC, 44.5” Tiger Muskie with a
huge girth. Words out of Dave’s mouth were, “This was a Chamber of Commerce
Fish”, the one that makes people like him coming back and how fitting was it
was for him to catch this monster on his last day within hours of their last
day ending. Pam also gets a ton of credit for this catch as she cradled the
fish for Dave, which is a bigger challenge than most might think. All had a
great time and left as they came, with big smiles on their faces.
Smallmouth Bass and Jill again
landed the larger Smallies at 17- 17.5 inches. Bill also landed a nice 31-inch
Muskie. The fourth day was a very LARGE day as they first caught 28 Smallmouth
Bass with Jill doing well again, and then the wind shifted and Bill had a hunch
to fish in a bay that the wind was blowing into. First cast he hooked a nice
Musky but lost it in the battle. On the next cast he hooked another Muskie and
what a fish it turned out to be. After Jill did a great job of netting this
Monster Musky it measured out to 46-inches with a very wide girth. Jill also
did a great job of taking a series of photos including three release pictures
and one of the fish swimming away. The excitement ran so deep that they decided
to call it a day at about 3:30 PM. Fifth and final day the caught over 30
Smallmouth Bass and enjoyed their last day in our wonderful wilderness
surroundings. 
and six big Walleye ranging between 22 to
26-inches. GREAT DAY!!! Third day was not a record setter but they caught some
nice fish and enjoyed the day. Fourth day they caught both Smallmouth &
Pike and Jen caught two Pike both measuring 32-inches. Fifth day was a very
good catching day as they caught many Northern Pike having great action all day
long and enjoyed a fabulous shore lunch over an open fire. Sixth and final day
was a fun last day as they caught fish and enjoyed the wonderful peaceful
atmosphere we have on our lake system. As you can see they caught several nice
Muskie and Pike and are already looking forward to planning their dates the
same time as the Reese’s (below) in 2011.
down. Second day after resting for a half day they hit the water to
enjoy catching more Smallmouth, the best fighter that swims in freshwater. Mark
also landed a few Pike. Their third day was spent mostly dodging T-Storms
getting in some fishing and catching a few Smallmouth Bass. Fourth day was very
productive spending a good part of their day catching Northern Pike. But for
Mark and Tom this is more than fishing and catching fish. It is a getaway to
connect every year as father and son and make memories together like none
other. We value and appreciate their friendship and are glad they choose
Fireside Lodge as their personal getaway. 
Master Anglers Award Trophy Smallmouth Bass. Great going Vivian. Ron explained
that it was a new method for them and that it was really neat to finesse the
worm in a slow sink technique, and then feel the slightest bump or in some
cases just movement in the line while have a nice Smallie at the other end.
Fourth day when I asked Ron and Vivian how their day was the answer was simple,
GREAT!!! They caught fish and enjoyed the wilderness we have at Fireside Lodge.
Fifth & final day Ron & Vivian came to the dinning room full of
excitement about there day. They caught Smallmouth Bass on wacky worms and then
got into a bunch of big Pike 30-plus inches and Ron caught a 37-inch Musky and
a 38-inch Tiger Muskie. This was done fishing a new spot, which made it even
more exciting. During their trip these two also did a wilderness hike seeing lots
of Moose tracks, the scat of Black Bear & Moose, and observed the construction
abilities of beaver as they found a huge beaver dam. In all Ron & Vivian
had a tremendous stay with us at Fireside Lodge. We missed seeing Ron’s dad
this year and we all wish Bob a full and complete recovery. 
came with Mike’s brother-in-law Stan
Nunn and very good friend Ted Ricci from Northville and Hancock, MI. DOA Mike
& Zack to took Stan & Ted to their favorite place and traditionally the
first place they always fish, Dog Island. They caught some Smallmouth and a few
Pike to get started. First full day they were forced back before noon by bad
T-Storms, however not before having some action with Mike and Zack catching
Smallmouth Bass, and Zack losing a couple of Pike. Stan and Ted did very well
catching Smallmouth, Ted having the technique of slowly fishing tube Jigs and
landing nine nice Smallies between 14 to 16-inches. Second day all caught fish
but Ted seemed to do better than the rest again. Third day all had a good day
with Zack having the hot hand on Smallmouth Bass with his World Famous lure the
“Zack’s Bass Zapper”. Mike had a great Northern Pike day, while Stan & Ted
caught mostly Smallmouth Bass up to 17.5-inches and a few Pike. After supper
the fish turned on and Ted really had the hot hand catching one fish after
another including the million dollar fish. Just kidding as the wager was not
that high. Ted had a lot of surface action and landed an 18-inch Master Anglers
Award Smallmouth. Fourth and final day was a great fishing day for all, and
Zack especially did well on his almost patented lure “Zack’s Bass Zapper”. The
only disappointment he had a suppertime was his losing of a Giant Trophy
Smallmouth. Not to stay discouraged Zack and Dad Mike went out after supper,
caught Smallmouth, and on consecutive casts each landed a Trophy Master Anglers
Award Smallmouth Zack’s being 18” and Mike’s measuring 19-inches. Now that’s a
great father and son fishing memory!!! All had a fabulous stay and all hope to
return together again in the near future.
DOA they got right to it
catching about 12 fish, a combo of Smallmouth and Northern Pike in a short time
period. First day was fabulous as they caught 30 fish, about half Smallmouth
and half Pike with Lawrence catching a very large 36.5” Northern Pike and
Steven catching a very heavy 35” Tiger Musky. Great first day!! Second day they
caught a ton of Northern Pike up to 29-inches, and Steven caught a few 
large
Smallmouth Bass just under 18-inches. Pike totals for the day were estimated at
between 50-60 fish. Third day the tooth critters out witted Steven and
Lawrence, however they did catch a lot of Smallmouth Bass 15 to 17.5-inches.
Fourth and final day was all about Pike and it happened to be a very windy day
with tough boat control conditions but they did manage to catch about 15 of
these great fighters. 
