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.
This was a good weather
week except for two days, which brought storms on one day and very high winds
on another day, which affected most people, more than the storms. The winds
were so high on that day that guest estimated them to be 4 foot or better. All
but a few gave it up for the day and relaxed or rested in their cabin.
Dennis and Mark Lowney
from Aurora, IL returned to Fireside Lodge. First day on the water they managed
to catch their fair share of Smallmouth Bass & some Northern Pike, but said
they had more follows, including several BIG BOYS and were wondering how to
convert these into hook ups. After discussion of technique, presentation, &
location they were back at it and over the next few days they landed more Pike
than had follows. One day was exceptional catching many Pike, and not bothering
to count but saying the action was very fast. During the middle of the week
they caught over 100!!!! Winks that is, as they had a day of rest. On several
other days they did well catching Smallmouth Bass as Mark discovered the gold
color Blue Fox Spinner. Dennis & Mark have been taking a fishing trip for
over 30 Years making many memories along the way, and this was no exception.
They had such a great time they reserved for 2011 before leaving.
Good friends Steven Jensen
from Springfield, MO and Jon Harrison from Georgtown, TX were back for their 7th
consecutive year to test their excellent fly-fishing skills. First day in one
word was �??FABULOUS�?� FLY-FISHING as these two combined for conservatively 50
Northern Pike and Steve caught a GIANT 19-inch Smallie, all fly-fishing. WOW,
That�??s great fishing in any fishing log. Second day was another great day fly-fishing
catching over 25 Northern Pike. Third and fourth day were comparatively slower
still catching some Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike & having perfect
weather for fly-fishing. Last day they finished strong landing well over 50
Northern Pike and a few Smallmouth Bass. Terrific fly-fishing?? Yes, as the 24
to 32 inch Pike that Steve & John were catching gave a great fight on their
fly rods. So good that they reserved for the same dates in 2011 to continue
another chapter in their Fireside Lodge fly-fishing adventures at Fireside
Lodge.
Mark McDermott from
Chicago, IL was returning for his 4th consecutive year and this year
it was with daughter Caitlin back for her second time. Fist day on the water
this father & daughter duo caught over 50 Northern Pike in about 5.5 hours
of fishing. WOW, what a great start. Second day was super as the caught over 80
Northern Pike, and Mark landed an 18-inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass.
Third day was another 50-plus Pike day ending at 2:00 in the afternoon. Fourth
day was a dedicated Musky fishing day as Mark loves to fish for these
unpredictable toothy critters. After fishing all day and having some Musky
follows they caught a few Pike, but were not able to hook a Muskie. That
evening Mark went fishing with another guest, Ernie, Mark catching a nice
35-inch Pike and Ernie landed a HUGE 38-inch Northern Pike. Last day had Mark
& Cailin landing 51 Pike in a half day, and after dropping Cailin off Mark
fished for a few more hours. Mark hooked a GIANT, estimated at over 42-inches,
Pike and as he was bending over to get the big net he felt he gave the fish
slack, and while shaking it�??s head, threw Marks lure. That�??s Fishing!!! Both
had a great time and Mark already reserved his dates for 2011.
Newcomers to fishing at
Fireside Lodge were the father and son duo of Joe & Jim Gallina from Palos
Hills, Il & Chatfield, MN, and Richard & Robert Benstein from Glen
Ellyn, IL & St Petersburg, FL. joined us at Fireside Lodge for the first
time. During their stay these four were constantly smiling and having fun.
Every day they caught Smallmouth Bass& Northern Pike. A few highlights of their trip were Bob hooking and
landing a BIG 39-inch Muskie saying it had a very stout body. Also, when Joe
and Jim were fishing together catching Smallmouth Bass, as Jim was fighting a
Smallmouth a Musky came up four different times trying to eat his Smallmouth
Bass and on the fourth attempt the Musky grabbed Jim�??s Bass. Well, Jim does not
give in that easy so he fought the Muskie for a while until expert netter Joe
was able to slip the cradle underneath the Musky enabling Jim to catch a
35-inch Muskie without ever even hooking the fish. WOW, what a great story and
memory for this father and son. Many father and son memories were made on this
trip and that is without a doubt the biggest catch of all. Thanks for choosing
Fireside Lodge to spend special time between fathers and sons.
The Dobson Family of Dave,
Terri, and Kaitlin from Milwaukee, WI returned to have family fishing and fun
at Fireside Lodge for the 4th consecutive year. These three had an
absolute blast having family fun and fishing together. First three days were
terrific fishing as they caught 48 Northern pike and a 17.5-inch Smallmouth on
the first day. Second day was crazy, as the caught 100 Northern Pike & at
suppertime they were still amazed at the fast action and fun they had. Kaitlin
had a special experience after catching a Pike. Having her lure dangling about
6 inches above the water a big Smallmouth came out of the water and attacked
her lure. They were all surprised at this happening and will be talking about
it for years to come. Their third day was another amazing day as they caught 85
Pike and 6 BIG Smallmouth Bass, four being Master Anglers Award Trophy Bass.
Dave caught a 19 & 18.5�?�, Terry an 18.5�?� and Kaitlin an 18.25-incher. The
great family fishing feat here was they all caught trophy Smallmouth Bass in
the same day. Their fourth day was very stormy so they took a day of rest
sitting on the cabin deck just talking and enjoying the wonderful atmosphere.
The fifth and final day we had high winds, which made it very difficult to
fish. After going out twice they gave it up, like most did, as we had almost 4
ft waves. Dave, Terri, and Kaitlin had a great family fishing vacation making
many memories and before leaving decided to reserve their dates for 2011 to
continue their log of Fireside Lodge memories.
Father and Son Jack &
Steve Starnes from Wise, and Duffield, VA returned to Fireside Lodge for their
6th consecutive year. These two had terrific fishing the first day catching 49
Northern Pike, 30 Smallmouth, and Steven landed a 41-inch Tiger Muskie. Great
Start!!! Second day had them catching 60 Northern Pike and 40 Smallmouth Bass,
and the third day was 38 Pike and 45 Smallmouth Bass. WOW, these two are
fishing machines. Fourth day they caught about 20-25 Northern Pike & 30
Smallmouth Bass. There last two days they spent chasing Musky and on the first
one ending up catching 6 and one very large 39.75-inch fat Northern Pike. Next
Muskie fishing day, and last day of their trip, the Muskie won as they did not
catch one but had a lot of follows. In all it was another fabulous fishing trip
for this father and son, and they already reserved their same dates for 2011
before leaving.
Fishing at Fireside Lodge
for their first time were Joe and Marilyn Foos from Alpharetta, GA. These two
had an absolute ball while staying with us. The did very well catching fish and
just about every day they caught a good number of Smallmouth Bass and sizable
fish. For the first time ever being on Little Vermilion Lake they adapted
quickly, and each day did better becoming familiar with fish structure and
finding Smallmouth, which was their main target. One day they ended up having a
fabulous day Northern Pike fishing catching somewhere around 100, as the action
was so fast and furious they could not keep an exact count. Marilyn commented
to me at the dinning room table that she almost felt it was unfair, and had the
feeling like she was cheating. Obviously a very memorable day fishing, but the
thing we noticed about Joe and Marilyn is how they appreciated and made every
moment of their trip special, starting with an early breakfast, getting &
right on the water, and coming in every evening and having a wonderful dinning
experience enjoying constant conversation between each other. They truly
enjoyed the total surroundings around them, and commented that after years of
coming to Canada they wish they had found Fireside Lodge sooner. That being
said they did make reservations for the same dates in 2011, and we look forward
to seeing them at that time.
Returning for their second
consecutive year were Steven Wentz from Flowery Branch, GA, Jim Stark from
Mission Viejo, CA, David Powell from Springfield, IL and James Krohn from Sun
Lakes, AZ For the three days these guys were here they had an absolute blast.
It does not matter if this group catches fish, you will always find them
smiling and having fun at suppertime, which is how it should be. First two days
they fished, had fun, and caught a few fish each. Not discouraged Jim Stark
each evening at suppertime said they needed help and were just learning. Well,
they sure caught on by the third day as Jim Stark and David alone caught well
over 70 Northern Pike and had about 14 doubles, while Steven and Jim Krohn
caught about 30. That�??s over 100 fish in one day for the group. WOW!!
Unfortunately they had to cut their trip short by one day because of a personal
situation, however they could not have scripted a better last day, and ending
to their fishing trip. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge and hope to see these
fellows back.
Referred to Fireside Lodge
and visiting us for the first time were Ernie Ursitti and Pete Jamie from
Chicago, IL. Here for a short three days on the DOA they got their lines wet
and in a big way for Ernie as he caught a BIG FAT 38-inch Northern Pike. First
full day of fishing they caught well over 50 Northern Pike. Second day was a
day of rest because of thunderstorms. Third and final day �??(ALREADY)�?� they were
hampered by the high winds but still managed a half day of fishing and caught
over 20 Pike. Both said they had fun and a great stay with us and hope to
return.
At Fireside Lodge for
their first time were Mike & Janet Estes from Livonia, MI. These two
mentioned on arrival that they loved to just be in the wilderness, and that
fishing is as an excellent way to do just that. Being a first trip to Canada
they were very excited and on the DOA they caught Pike and Mike saw a huge
monster commenting it was the one he was after. Second day they had their best
day ever landing 41 Northern Pike up to a fat 33�?� caught by Janet. WOW, that�??s
a great day fishing in anyone�??s book let alone first timers. Second day they
headed for Twin Falls area to lunch at this beautiful spot nature carved away,
got fabulous pictures, and as for fishing they caught a bunch of Smallmouth and
about 10 Pike. Third day was another best, catching well over 40 Northern Pike,
as they stopped counting after 40 and landed many more after. Fourth day was a
great day on the water enjoying the wilderness and wildlife catching 7 Pike
& 1 Smallmouth. That�??s what I loved about these two is that they enjoyed
every day for what it was, and as we know we can�??t always be catching 40 to 50
fish a day. However on the next day they ended up catching over 60 Northern
Pike having 7 doubles, and that makes three of their best ever fishing days
within 5 days of fishing. The sixth and final day was spent searching for some
bigger fish finding them, catching 12 Smallmouth and close to 20 Pike all 30
plus inches, with Mike catching his personal best measuring 36-inches. Well,
these two not only caught lots of fish but took many photos of Eagles, Twin
Falls, their nature creek ride, and Janet had the fabulous opportunity to see a
Lynx at about 5:00 AM just parading around the lodge grounds. No picture was
taken, but a special memory made, along with many others that Janet and Mike
will carry with them throughout life. These two had such a great time they
decided to reserve dates for the 2011 season to make another set of memories
together at Fireside Lodge.
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: Lucky Strike
Pointer Minnow, Heddon Pop-R, Blue Fox Spinner, Mepps Spinner, Tube Jigs,
Catches of The Week:
19-inch Smallmouth Bass, 42-inch Muskie, 38-inch Northern Pike
Flies of the week: EP
Fiber Perch Pattern, Streamers, Smaller Streamer Pattern with a slight amount
of red flash-a-bou on top and silver on the bottom.
Fly Fishing Catches of the
Week: Well over 50 Northern Pike on a Fly rod, 18.5�?� Master Anglers Award
Smallmouth on the Fly, Many 30�?� Plus Pike caught fly-fishing.
Biggest Catch of all are the Memories made between people. In this case made between Father & Daughter Mark and Cailin McDermotte "Priceless".
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
