Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report 7/1 to 7/8 2006

Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report 7/1 to 7/8 2006


We started this week off at Fireside Lodge with a cold front, followed up with a quick warm up and high winds for 2.5 days, which made thing a little difficult for the fishers. First the cold front had it’s normal affect, then he winds kept people from fishing where and how they wanted to fish. That’s weather and that’s fishing.

For the second consecutive year Lester Freeman, Dennis Kinkaid, and Bernie Jackson from Ponca City, OK were back to Fireside Lodge. This year Bernie’s son from Edmond, OK decided to join them. All enjoy the Wilderness of the North and like being away from the fast pace of city life. Several days while Northern Pike fishing they did well catching a good number of these toothy critters. They also caught a fair share of Smallmouth Bass during some of their other days. One day Bernie and Tony had a great day Smallmouth fishing and catching as they not only landed many Smallmouth but caught some trophy size, and Bernie caught a 19.5 inch HOG Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass and received one of our new and improve Release Award Patches with our embroidered logo. You can see both Tony and Bernie with their great catches on our website at http://www.firesidelodge.com under the page headed Weekly Photos 2006. All had a wonderful time and all of us missed Woody, and hope he will return to Fireside Lodge with his friends one day soon. Thanks for making your special memories with friends and
family at Fireside Lodge. After writing this section I received and email from Bernie and decided to copy and paste it below.
Dennis Kinkaid, Lester Freeman, Tony Jackson, Bernie Jackson......
All caught northern (most days 20 or more each).
Tony caught his first ever smallmouth (16 1/2 inch)the first day. Throughout the week Tony caught several that exceeded 15 inch. He also caught his first muskie (33 inch). Dennis had one northern that was 33 inches. Bernie had a 19 1/2 inch smallmouth caught on a portage lake. His largest northern was 35 inches. Lester was intense on catching a large smallmouth, but this year it just did not happen. We will be back!

Lester and Bernie started making fishing trips an annual event 19 years ago. From 4 to 12 people have made this annual event. We are looking forward to #20 next year. There is no doubt, Fireside Lodge provides the best accomodations and services of anyplace we have been. We look forward to many more trips to Fireside!!!!!!

Thanks Audrey, Allen, and the superb staff at Fireside for hosting us on our fabulous 19th annual fishing trip. We all had a wonderful time.


Father and son Harold and Mike Hood from Chagrin Falls, OH came with friends Tom Jicha and Don Petak from Bedsford, OH for their first trip to Fireside Lodge. These fellows had a very fun time at Fireside Lodge and were very impressed with our facilities, equipment, and service compared to other fishing locations. They also did well in the fishing department having one day catching well over 60 toothy critters, and another catching 40 plus, being a combination of Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, and Musky, with several Smallmouth being in the 17.75 inch area, just missing a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. This group had such a good stay that they forgot their day of departure, and were planning their next days adventure when we broke the news to them. It was not a pretty sight to see these excited faces planning their next days fishing, turn into long faces having to plan for packing and driving home. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge to spend your valued vacation time.

Also at Fireside Lodge for their first time was Mike, Mark and Tom Korte from Florissant and Lake Sherwood, MO and Larry Boyer from St Charles, MO. These fellows came for the Smallmouth, and that is mostly what they caught, along with a few Northern Pike and Musky. They had a fabulous time while fishing in our wonderful wilderness atmosphere and shared some excellent photos they took of a loon, several Moose, including a cow with her calf, and enjoyed one of our tasty shore lunches where we send you out with all the fixings to prepare a great meal over an open fire, which includes whitefish, potatoes, onions, baked beans, and a sweet. The problem after eating this for lunch, it is hard to even sit in the boat, let alone fish. All had loads of fun and hope to return one day.

Father and sons Bill, Kevin, and Tom McNabb from St Charles, MO, Robert and David Kroll from Ofallon, MO, and David Johnson from St Peters, Mo were back to Fireside Lodge for their second time. This group had fun and caught a lot of fish. After the first day and hearing that their day was ok but not what they thought it would be I realized that we must have spoiled them the first year they came. The reason I say this is that one boat of two people Robert and David Kroll caught 30 Northern Pike, David caught a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth measuring 18.5 inches, and Bill and David Johnson caught over 50 Northern Pike. I will take that day of fishing/catching any day. This group several other similar days. Robert and David Kroll caught 31 Northern Pike with other action and misses. Bill and David Johnson also had several other days with catches in the 30’s for toothy critters. As a group they caught their share of Smallmouth, landed a few Musky, and had some Musky torture them with follows ad a few missed strikes.

George and Glenda Marshall from Sparta, TN were back for their sixth time with good friends Lynn and Ann Benson, back for their second time and this year brought their son and daughter Jeremy and Tabitha all from Algood, TN. This was a true family and friends fishing trip as I remember from my family fishing trips years ago.. Their past experience on our lake system really paid off as on the first day George and Glena caught 64 Northern Pike, and Lynn, Ann, Jeremy, and Tabitha caught 20 plus, and Tabitha caught he most. The second day was a Musky hunting venture, and Tabitha caught her first and second, measuring 33 and 34 inches. What a great day for fourteen year old Tabitha, never having Musky fished before. Next day the caught a bunch of Smallmouth, and the fourth day Tabitha did it again landing her third Musky. Also Lynn Ann both caught nice Tiger Musky, and Jeremy caught some nice size Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass. Glenda and George were also Musky fishing on this day and Glenda caught a great 34 inch heavy Northern Pike, They both had a lot of Musky follows, and George landed a nice Musky on a figure eight that actually followed Glenda’s lure to the boat. Well as Glenda and George both did figure eights at boat side the Musky preferred George’s lure which was a topic of discussion at supper that evening. The final day was the grand finally with the group catching over 125 Northern Pike, a few more Musky, and Jeremy really did well catching some very nice size Northern Pike, and Tabitha did it again and caught another Musky. Catching fish was very fun for all during the weeks stay, however the family time spent together, the laughs, all the wonderful experiences had, and the priceless memories made was the biggest catch of all. Thanks George, Glenda, Lynn, Ann, Jeremy, and Tabitha, for choosing Fireside Lodge to spend your special family time together. See some of their great family fishing photos on our Weekly Photo 2006 page of our website at http://www.firesidelodge.com

Father and son Jeff and Jason Hungerford from Tipp City, OH were here for their first Canadian Wilderness Fishing Adventure. They had an absolute ball with the discovery
of fishing in the wilderness atmosphere we have at Fireside Lodge. The first night of arrival they caught both Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike. Several other days they caught 20 to 30 Northern Pike and I discovered later that George (above) gave them a few of his special spoons that were working so well for him, and both Jeff and Jason did very well catching toothy critters with this spoon. This always seems to happen at Fireside Lodge where you find people helping each other with fishing information. Another day these two did a portage and enjoyed the adventure of going to a lake all by themselves. Their fishing trip was very fun, and memories made were many. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge for your first Canadian Wilderness Fishing Experience.

Doug Hubbard and good friend Larry Bush from Garland and Heath, TX were back to Fireside Lodge for their second time, and also brought friend Bobby Meals from Rowlett, TX for his first Canadian Fishing Experience. Here for a short three days Doug never wasted a moment as he fished early every morning before breakfest and caught 6 to 8 Smallmouth before Larry or Booby even opened their eyes. First two days they targeted Northern Pike and Musky catching them, as Doug said “Until There Hands were wore out.” The last two days they fished for Smallmouth Bass and did well despite the high winds. Doug also caught two Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. All three had a blast and intend on returning one day soon.

Father and son Troy and Javan Starkey from Creston, OH were back for their second trip to Fireside Lodge in three years, and friend Dave Bowman from Wooster, OH joined them this year. These three had a fabulous, fun trip, and Troy did a great job of showing Dave the great north for the first time, and making another set of wonderful memories with his son Javan. They caught fish every day, and had fabulous days fishing their last two days, as they caught a lot of Northern Pike and some Smallmouth. See their smiling faces on our web page named “Weekly Photos 2006” at http://www.firesidelodge.com. The fishing was a bonus for this group as they enjoyed all we have to offer at Fireside Lodge, weather it be the meals in the dinning room, watching sunsets from their deck, taking photos of the wonderful wilderness and wildlife we have in the area, and having good conversation in the lodge. Dave had a fantastic first experience at Fireside Lodge and intends on returning again with Troy and Javan, who made another set of wonderful father and son memories at Fireside Lodge.

Bob Babcock, Jane Waldron, and Jeff Babcock from Midland, MI, Greensboro, NC and Saginaw, Mi were back to Fireside Lodge for their 7th year. First day out in pursuit of the Monster they had a slower day. The second day they had fabulous action landing 34 Northern Pike and the HUGE one showed up following Jeff’s lure to the boat, but Jeff could not lasso this monster estimated being at least 40 inches. While strictly Musky fishing one day they had a lot of follows, some big and Jane landed a fun 30 incher. Jane and Jeff also each had a HUGE Northern Pike follow estimated at well over 40 inches. After some discussion at the tackle shop about where to fish on their last day they decided to try a few new areas they never fished before. When they returned that evening for supper and I asked them where they fished they said they never made it past the first new area they stopped at, because they caught fish there all day long. They caught a lot of medium to bigger size pike along with a few bigger Smallmouth, and it proves that even after 7 years of experience of fishing the same lake, there are always new places to discover. Before their departure Bob made reservations for 2007 so they can try some of the other new fishing spots they never got to try on their last day.

Frank and Linda Tyrrell, From Canton, GA were hack to Fireside Lodge for their 5th consecutive year to chase those toothy critters. As usual they showed up all smiles, and Franks laugh could be heard throughout the grounds. As normal they did very well fishing and catching five of their six day stay. They always fish for Northern Pike and Musky. To give an example or two of their days, one day they caught over 35 Northern Pike, landed a Musky, and another day they landed a lot of Northern Pike, all being larger sizes, and Frank landed a BIG FAT 37.5 inch Musky. Linda and Frank ways seem to be enjoying themselves and smiling when they are here, and it sure is nice to have them here as I always enjoy their conversation and enthusiasm. Thanks for spending your precious vacation time with us at Fireside Lodge.

Catches of the week; 10 Master Anglers Award Smallmouth the largest being 19.5 inches, many Northern Pike in the 30 to 40 inch range, 14 year old Tabitha Benson caught her first, and a total of four Musky

Hot Lures of the week: Blue Fox Spinner, Mepps of different colors and the Black Fury, Storm Swim Baits, Spoons

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