Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report 8/5 to 8/12 2006

Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report 8/5 to 8/12 2006

This week brought another beautiful week temperature wise being in the 70’s for a high every day except one, and rain was still sparse. We received one brief thunder shower to give us hope of raising our water levels, but it left as fast as it appeared. Good new is Fireside Guests had another week with hardly any rain.

The Kleinwachter crew of Jerry, Jim and son Dave, Herb and son Matt, and Jeff Aiken form Warrenville, and Yorkville, IL were back for their 8th year. First day Herb, Matt, Jim, and Dave all had a fast action day catching many Northern Pike, Herb and Matt alone caught 71, and all four were well over 100, while Jerry and Jeff caught a Bunch of Smallmouth Bass between 13 to 16.5 inches, and two Musky, and Jeff came up with the catch of the day as he landed a BIG 19 inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass. Second day had Herb and Matt fishing for and catching three Musky sizes being 31, 34, 36 inches, and had 20 plus follows. Jim and Dave had fun catching a lot of Northern Pike the second day in a row, and Jerry and Jeff caught 40 plus Smallmouth Bass with Jeff coming up with a HUGE Smallmouth for the second day in a row. Jeff caught another Master Anglers Award Smallmouth measuring 19.5 inches and Jerry caught a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth measuring 18 inches. Third day had Jerry and Jeff catching Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass, and this time Jerry caught a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth measuring 18 inches and also just missed on another being 17.5 inches. Herb and son Matt caught a bunch of Northern Pike 63, and Matt managed to catch 5 Musky in one day. WOW. Jim and Dave were strictly fishing Musky, and Jim landed a beauty 39 inch barred Muskie. Fourth day Herb and Matt did fabulous catching 78 fish, most Northern Pike, and about 30 were over 30 inches, and Matt the Musky Man caught two more, at 35 and 38 inches bringing his four day total on Musky to 9. Jim and Dave caught over 40 Northern Pike, and Jerry and Jeff caught over 20 Smallmouth and some Monsters with Jeff taking top billing again landing a massive 20.5 inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth, and Jerry caught a 18.5 in Master Anglers Smallmouth along with several 17 to just under 18 inches. All of the Smallmouth were just hogs and Jeff caught a 35 inch Musky. Jeff method for catching his 20.5 inch Smallmouth Bass was under question by Jerry as the fish hit his lure as it was just dangling over the side of the boat, as he was netting Jerry’s catch. Jerry claimed Jeff was carrying a horseshoe around with him. Last day had Jerry and Jeff catching 40 plus fish, mostly Northern Pike and some BIG Smallmouth Bass Jerry catching another HUGE Master Anglers Award Smallmouth, Dave, Jim, Herb, and Matt all caught a lot of Northern Pike, and Matt caught his 10 Musky of the week as this group in five days managed to land 24 Musky. Great fishing week and great week catching fish for this group.

First time guests father and son Colin and Zack Lundgren from Independence, MN were full of anticipation and very happy to be at Fireside Lodge. Zack found Fireside Lodge on the internet and has faithfully followed the interactive part of our website reading our fishing reports and looking at our current weekly catches. Day of arrival they got familiar with the lake and caught a few fish. First full day of fishing was fabulous as the landed over 50 nice Northern Pike, most between 26 to 34 inches, lost many more including a very large fish. Second day they landed 35 Northern Pike all between 28 and 34 inches with most over 30 inches, and Colin lost a 40 inch plus after it jumped entirely out of the water about 10 feet from the boat. Third and final day was dedicated to fishing for Muskie and they had a successful day as they caught a nice 34 inch Musky along with a 35 inch Northern Pike, and had about 15 other Musky follows. In all this father and son had a great fishing and catching trip and made some wonderful memories together. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge to spend your valuable time together.


Father and son Michael and Dustin Grant from Pickering, Ontario were fishing at Fireside Lodge for their first time. First evening they caught a few Northern Pike and studied the Lower Arm of Little Vermilion Lake. First day they explored a lot catching a few fish. Second day was very windy which kept them in the lodge most of the day playing chess, pool, and just enjoying the wonderful lodge atmosphere we have to offer. In the morning they did catch a few Northern Pike. Third day they did better having a bunch of Northern Pike on and landed a half dozen. Fourth day they decided to troll for Northern Pike and Musky, and did well catching Northern Pike with the elusive Musky still challenging their fishing skills. Last day was one last try for Musky. After giving a good go, it was not meant to be on this fishing trip. Even though they did not catch a Musky they did have a great time catching Northern Pike in search for their first Musky. They also spent valuable father and son time together, and made memories that will last in their thoughts forever, and this is a bigger catch than any fish that swims anywhere in the world. Thanks for choosing Fireside lodge to make your special memories, and hopefully both will return to accomplish their goal of catching a Musky.

Another father and son Larry and Joe Lewandowski from Countryside, IL, were fishing at Fireside Lodge for their first ever Canadian Wilderness Fishing experience .Joe broke the ice before supper by catching a nice size Northern Pike, as they learned their way around the Lower Arm of Little Vermilion Lake. The first full day they had a ball catching Northern Pike, and Joe had the hot hand and the hot lure, an old stand by Johnson Silver Minnow spoon. Larry also caught a nice Smallmouth while fishing for Northern Pike and Musky. Second day they had fun catching some Pike, and Joe was connecting with some nice 28 to 30 inch Northern Pike. These to are a great inspiration as they are always smiling and having fun, which is what fishing is all about. Third and final day these two finished very strong, catching 25 Northern Pike, and Joe caught his very first Musky, plus they had tons of action. Both left as they came, with HUGE smiles on their faces enjoying every last minute. Many father and son memories were made here by Larry and Joe, which is the biggest catch of all.

Father and son Stan and Chris Kowalik from Boynton Beach, FL and Dunstaule, MA were fishing at Fireside Lodge for their first time. First day had them learning the lake and catching a few fish. Second day they had great fishing and catching for Northern Pike. They landed 25 plus Pike, and lost many others. Third day Chris and Stan caught some nice fish, and Chris hooked and just missed landing a HUGE Smallmouth on a fly rod. Very exciting for Chris, as was the wildlife they viewed on this day seeing, Osprey, Bald Eagles, Otter, and many other creatures of the north. Their fourth and final day had them busy getting a lot of toothy critter action, and landing 18 Northern Pike, with many follows and lost fish. Both had a fabulous fishing first fishing experinece at Fireside Lodge, and intend on returning in 2007.

Ron Vincent from Sherrils Ford, NC and Michael Heath from New London, NC were back for their sixth year, and the second time with sons Jake and Tyler. Day of arrival had Ron and Jake catching about a dozen Smallmouth Bass and several Northern Pike with Ron catching a HUGE 18.5 inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Mike and Tyler are toothy critter guys, and they did catch a good number of Northern Pike including 5 over 30 inches. Great start to their fishing trip. First full day they had to deal with volatile weather as the winds blew very strong all day. They caught fish, Smallmouth and Northern Pike. The Smallmouth Bassers Ron and Jake did well on Smallies, not being their best day, but considering the wind conditions did well. The Northern Pike Masters, Mike and Tyler, caught Northern Pike including three over 30 inches, but not without a cost, as Mike lost three Doctor Spoons. The second day was just full of action, as I found Tyler and Blake in the lodge very anxious to give me their digital camera cards so I could copy some of their pictures of the day and put them on our big screen viewer. They caught well over 100 fish between the four of them, and some very big Smallmouth and Northern Pike, with Tyler cracking a milestone landing his first ever Muskie, a Tiger Musky measuring 34 inches. Great catch for such a young man. Third day had Ron and Jake catching a bunch of nice Smallmouth Bass in Closs Lake, and Jake beat his dad 18 to 4, catching two Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. Way to go Jake. Mike and Tyler fished for Northern Pike again, and caught 25 solid Northern Pike measuring between 29 and 36 inches, Great day!! Fourth day was slower for this group as a whole, but all are looking forward to their fifth and final day fishing at Fireside Lodge. The fifth and final day was very good for Ron and Blake, as they caught a lot of Smallmouth Bass. Mike and Tyler “Tore em Up” as they not only caught 45 Smallmouth, but caught a lot of BIG Smallmouth. Both Tyler and his Dad Mike caught Master Anglers Award Smallmouth, but he real memory maker her was they landed them as a double at the same time. What a great picture of them both holding these two Big Bronze Backs. See this photo at my “Weekly Photo 2006 Page” at http://www.firesidelodge.com All had a wonderful trip, made loads of father and son memories, and are already talking about returning in 2007.

Bernie Duchinsky and Bill Bartley from Springfield, MO were back for their fifth consecutive year. Day of arrival they caught 17 Smallmouth within 2 hours of fishing. Great start for these two, and experience is the best teacher. First full day of fishing these two did well as usual catching over 40 Smallmouth Bass. Second day was spent fishing for and catching 35 nice Northern Pike. Fourth day had them fishing for walleye at another lake, and they did great catching 25 walleye between 20 and 25 inches and then after supper caught a bunch of Smallmouth Bass. Fabulous day fishing. Fourth day they used up over 60 leeches, which they said caught just about as many Smallmouth Bass, but the BIG Smallies were still eluding them. Fifth and final day they accomplished their fishing feat they were trying to accomplish for a couple of days, which was finding the really large Smallmouth Bass. They caught over 35 Smallmouth, with all being over 15 inches, 5 over 17 inches, and 3 Master Anglers Award Smallmouth at 18 to 18.5 inches. Great day, and a great finish to another great trip at Fireside Lodge

Long time guests father and son Bill and Jesse Baumann from Verona, WI returned to Fireside Lodge for their 13th time. First day was a reality day knowing that when you fish, sometimes the fish win the battle, and after today’s battle the score was one for the fish. Second day was a great day for Bill and Jessie catching many Northern Pike and Smallmouth, having plenty of other action, and Jessie had a HUGE Muskie on and lost it at the boat. The evening shut off as we had a minor cold front come thru, which probably explains some of the high fish activity during the day. The next day, after cold front conditions, they surprisingly did well, having a lot of Musky action, landing a small one, and Bill caught a second which was a good solid 37 inch Muskie. The great bonus was Jessie catching a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth measuring 18.5 inches. GREAT DAY fishing and catching. The fourth and final day also brought them a lot of action, catching Northern Pike and having Musky follows. One happening on this day was remarkable. Bill had a 40 inch plus Musky hot after his lure. As he was doing a figure eight, Jessie was reeling his lure in as fast as he could to help Bill land his Musky if it attacked his lure. All of a sudden another 40” plus Musky attacked Jessie;s lure, so they both had a 40 inch plus Musky going at the same time. Bill never did get his Musky to hit, and unfortunately Jessie appeared to have his drag too loose, and after a short fight his Musky threw his hook. Disappointing yes, Exciting, of course, Priceless moment between father and son, Absolutely. Both had another fabulous fishing trip together and made another set of father and son memories at Fireside Lodge.

First time group from Indiana were Carl and Gary Henschen from Rossville and Indianapolis, IN, John Ulmer from Zionsville, and Pete Geckler from Avon, IN. First day was a good day fishing as they learned the lake and caught some fish. Second day they caught a lot of Smallmouth Bass, and John caught his first Muskie ever. All had a Great Day. Third day had them in search of the bigger fish, and had a fabulous day catching a lot of Smallmouth with most being larger in the 14 to 16.5 inch range. Every day these fellows looked like they were having loads of fun, always smiling and enjoying each others company, and taking the catching of fish as a bonus. That’s one of the reasons they did so well catching. Fourth and final day was a little slower, but they still caught a good number of Smallmouth, and Pete caught his first Musky ever, a beautiful barred Musky. All had a wonderful first stay at Fireside Lodge, and highly complimented our accommodations, staff, service, equipment, dock operations, lake maps, and well supplied tackle shop. On departure they said we will see them again at Fireside Lodge.

Another group at Fireside Lodge for their first fishing trip were Douglas Gregory, Gary Dykes, and Brent Mayo all from Arlington Heights, IL. This group did great for their first day as they caught over 20 Smallmouth Bass up to 17.5 inches. Second day had them having another productive day catching fish, mostly a lot of Smallmouth. Third day was slower, but as expected because we had a cold front come through the evening before. All left saying they had a great stay at Fireside Lodge, enjoyed our accommodations and atmosphere we provide.

Father and son Steve and Travis Slattery from Rudolph, WI were fishing at Fireside Lodge for their second time. First time they were here was 13 years ago, and they came to a different looking Fireside Lodge. Since they were here last we have all new cabins laid out differently, new docks, new boats and equipment, however the Main Lodge remains the same and continues to be the heart of Fireside Lodge. First day found them catching some nice Northern Pike, and having fun just being in the great wilderness we have to offer. Travis before leaving for the days fishing, just looked out at the water and horizon and said, “gosh is it beautiful here”. Second day had them portaging and fishing for Northern Pike. Travis expressed that he really enjoyed the walk through the bush and both caught Northern Pike and enjoyed the day. Third and final day they caught Smallmouth and a few Northern Pike, and had loads of fun on their return trip to Fireside Lodge. Before leaving both Steve and Travis told Audrey they had a blast fishing and enjoying the wilderness atmosphere.

SPECIAL NOTE
Special Note to guests Steven Jensen from Springfield, MO and Jon Harrison from TX
After both of these fine fellow Fly Fishers helped teach Tom, one of my dock operations staff, how to fly fish he became so excited about fly fishing he ordered a fly rod and reel. Just this week he had his first great experience fly fishing, as one evening he caught a bunch of Smallmouth Bass off the Dog Island reefs, while he watched the sunset over the horizon. I wish I could have captured the excited expression and explanation of Tom’s first successful fly fishing venture on video and sent it to both Steven and Jon. This was not possible, so I wanted to thank Steven and Jon for introducing a young person to another wonderful way to enjoy the sport of fishing. If more of us would take the time and effort to lead young people into the sport of fishing, I feel the world would be a better place. Thanks to people like Steven and Jon, it already is a better place


Catches of the week: 20.25 inch Smallmouth Bass, 41 inch Northern Pike, one group caught 24 Musky in 5 days, two people landed 78 Northern Pike in one day, 17 Master Angler Award Smallmouth Caught

Hot Lures of the week: Doctor Spoon, Little Doctor Spoon, Mepps Spinner, Blue Fox Spinner, Hair Jig, Tubes, live leeches

Well, That’s all for this weeks Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report. Until Next Week “Keep On Fish’n.” Alan
http://www.firesidelodge.com
800-545-0815
fireside@xplornet.com