Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report 7/31 to 8/7 2004

Fireside Lodge Fishing News Report 7/31 to 8/7 2004

Hello From Fireside Lodge in Northwest Ontario, where we are getting beautiful summer weather, and the fishing is great because we are keeping it that way. I will start this weeks fishing report with 4 time repeat guest Ron Vincent and son Jake from Sherrills Ford, NC and very good friend back for his second consecutive year Michael Heath and son Tyler from New London, NC. Being the first time both were bringing their sons to Canada fishing was very exciting for both fathers and sons. First day fishing they had a fabulous day fishing and catching, as Ron and Jake caught 37 Smallmouth Bass, 14 Northern Pike and Ron caught a Muskie. Mike (Pike Mike) as he was nicknamed last year and son Tyler caught 21 Northern Pike, and Tyler just missed landing a huge Master Angers Award Smallmouth, and caught his first Muskie ever. In fact this trip saw Tyler catch his first Muskie, Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass. Great going Tyler. Second day was a Smallmouth bonanza as Ron and Jake caught over 75 of these bronze backs, and a 36 inch Northern Pike, and Mike and Tyler caught 35 Smallmouth, and Tyler caught a 33 inch Northern Pike. Tyler seems to be like his dad, Pike Tyler. Their third and final day the ended strong by Mike and Tyler catching 28 Northern Pike and 36 Smallmouth Bass, Mike landing a Master Anglers Smallmouth at 18 inches. Also a very valuable lesson was learned by Tyler which was mastering finesse fishing with a plastic tube. This is valuable to learn, and will make anyone a better angler. Ron and Jake also did very well catching 42 Smallmouth Bass and 19 Northern Pike. Ron caught two GIANT Smallmouth, both Master Anglers Smallmouth, one at 18 inches and the other at 19.5 inches. Jake did great during the whole trip and caught many of his first Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass. Great finish to a great fishing adventure for these father and sons, and most importantly many great memories were recorded, and the boys Jake and Tyler liked fishing at Fireside lodge so much they were already hoping they can return someday.

First time guests Charles and Joelle Graham from Oxford, Wi. had a ball fishing on our lake system. This was a couple serious about their fishing, but wanting to enjoy the luxurious cabins, and exceptional service and meals we have to offer at Fireside Lodge. They targeted Smallmouth Bass and caught Smallmouth Bass as the first day ever on Little Vermilion Lake they caught over 20 Smallmouth, and the second day was a carbon copy of the first. Their last day they caught some Pike and Smallmouth, and left wishing they had a few more days left, as three days of fishing really flies by. As the old saying goes time flies by while your having fun. This couple said they will return to Fireside Lodge for a longer stay next time.


Father and son Jeff and Derek Perry, and Grandpa Donald from Rileyville and Virginia Beach, Va. were all fishing at Fireside Lodge for their first time. They came with the Crawley group below, and had a ball for their four days of fishing. Well, there is no better way to start a fishing trip for a Dad and Grandpa than to see your 14 year old son / grandson catch his first Muskie. Derek, even though a youth, has always talked about catching a Muskie and on his evening of arrival he not only had the opportunity to hook up with the toughest of freshwater fish, but he managed to land this 30 inch very heavy Muskie. Way to go Derek, as we all congratulated him that evening. This set the tone for their fishing trip as on their first full day of fishing they caught 25+ Northern Pike and a few Smallmouth Bass. There next three days they caught some Smallmouth and Northern Pike, and the third day was another highlight day catching a lot of Northern Pike. This group had a wonderful time, was sad to go home, said they will be back, and as Don, Jeff, and I discussed the fishing part is great, but it is the lasting memories made which is the real prize. Thanks for being part of the Fireside Lodge 2004 season.

Jim Crawley from Richmond, Va. (good friend of Jeff Perry above) came with sons Michael and Wyatt and Grandpa Tom from Martinsville, Va. This is another great story of dad, grandpa, and sons / grandsons enjoying a memorable fishing trip together. On the evening of their arrival Jim hooked a nice 32" Northern Pike and handed his rod to 10 year old Wyatt and he landed his first ever Northern Pike, and what a great catch at a fat 32 inches. What a great memory made by father and son of Wyatt's first ever Northern Pike. This also set the tone for the rest of their four days as on their first full day of fishing they caught 20 Northern Pike, and Michael at 13 years old, caught a HUGE Master Anglers Smallmouth Bass measuring 18.25 inches. Great catch Michael!!! The second day was full of fun and they caught some Northern Pike and Smallmouth bass, and Wyatt hooked and landed another Big Northern Pike measuring 31 inches. WOW what great fishing and catching by these two young lads. Their third day was full of action as they caught a lot of Northern Pike, and their fourth and final day was BIG Smallmouth day. Both Michael and Wyatt caught Master Anglers Award Smallmouth, Michael catching a 18 inch Smallmouth and Wyatt, after just missing a Master Anglers catching a 17.5 incher, just a few casts later hooked and landed a 19 inch Smallmouth. They also landed some others in the 16 to 17 inch range, and these were all caught on a new method to them, which was fishing with a Wacky Worm. Jim just bought these Wacky Worms from me that morning, and fished this method for the first time ever. All had a special trip, from the boys catching big fish that will be a challenge to beat for the rest of their lives, to the wonderful memories made between a father, his sons, and their grandpa. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge to make those special family memories.

Bll and son Mark Westbrook, from New Philadelphia, Oh were back to Fireside Lodge for their second year in a row. These two warmed up on their first day by catching 24 Smallmouth Bass, and on their second day almost doubled that by catching 42, and all were dandy Smallmouth most being 15, 16, up to 17 inches. Bill also lost a BIG Muskie at boat side as the fish did the characteristic roll at the boat and broke his line. Their third day they both caught the Smallmouth of their lives, with Bill catching a GIGANTIC 20 incher and Mark landing a 19.5 inch Monster. Both were Master Anglers Award Smallmouth. On their fourth day they kept the pace landing 48 Smallmouth, and Bill caught another Master Anglers Award Smallie at 18.25 inches, and caught a number of fish 15 to 16 inches. Last day these two targeted Northern Pike and had a ball catching 34 Northern Pike and Mark landed a 32 inch Muskie. A breakfast on their day of departure Bill told me this was by far their best fishing trip ever. Thanks for coming and making your father and son time and memories at Fireside Lodge.

Jim and Jimmy Regan from Palos Heights, IL were back for their fourth year in a row. Their first year Jimmy was only 9 years old, and what a pleasure it is to see this young person turn into a young adult. Being here for 4 years and knowing the lake system they had their best fishing trip yet. On the first of their four days they caught over 30 Northern Pike, and the second day landed over 25 of these strong fighters. The third and fourth days they concentrated on Smallmouth Bass catching well over 50 on their 3rd day, and they were all big except for a few, and Jim caught a Master Anglers Award Smallmouth right at 18 inches. On their fourth and final day they caught over 30 of these great fighters by noon, and Jimmy made the board by catching a MONSTER Master Anglers Smallmouth Bass landing a 19 incher. Great catch by Jimmy. Their father and son experience at Fireside Lodge was fabulous, as Jim told me numerous times that everything was great. Thanks for choosing Fireside Lodge for being your father and son getaway to make special memories together. They intend on returning in 2005, and we will be looking forward to having them back.


Dave Siers from Mt Prospect, IL was here for his first trip to Fireside Lodge and brought his four sons Bill, Bob, Jim, and Joey. What a wonderful trip for a father and his sons ages 13 to 21 years old. This group had a lot of fun on their first trip to Fireside Lodge. Sons Bill, Bob, and Jim really like to fish for Muskie, and was one of the main reasons they came to Fireside Lodge. Well, at the end of their 4 days they landed 4 Muskie and just missed a fifth at the boat. They also had endless follows and saw some really BIG Muskie. In fact on their very first day ever fishing our lake system Bill caught a 39" Muskie and also a 34 inch Northern Pike. Their second day they had 20+ Muskie follows plus they caught some great Smallmouth, including Jim landing a GIANT 19.5 inch Master Angler Award Smallmouth Bass. Their third day they fished for Northern Pike and Bill, Bob, and Joey went to a different lake than Dave and Jim, and they both did great. The trio of Bill, Bob, and Joey caught over 50 Northern Pike with a good number over 30 inches, and Dave and Jim caught huge numbers, catching 80+ Northern Pike. Their fourth and final day was a Muskie / Smallmouth day, as they caught a good number of Smallies, and Dave had a BIG Muskie on and it bit him off a few feet from the boat, and Jim landed a 40 inch Muskie. We have some of this groups pictures being shown in the lodge with our digital camera viewer. Remember to bring you digital camera so we can show you recent caught fish in the lodge. This group had great fun, great fishing, and intends on making a return trip to Fireside Lodge.

Larry Falli, from Elkhardt, In. returned to Fireside Lodge for his seventh time. Larry always gets to know and become friends with others staying at Fireside Lodge, and he always tries to help people who have not been to Fireside Lodge before. Larry always seems to do well fishing, and this trip was no exception. First night of arrival after just fishing for 2 hours he caught a Master Anglers Award Northern Pike measuring 40 inches. WOW what a start to a fishing trip. As Larry said "how do I top that?" Other days he accounted for 18 Smallmouth and 3 Northern Pike, while bass fishing. Another day while Muskie fishing he had a number of follows and landed a 34 inch Muskie. Several other days he caught 17 Smallmouth by noon and several Northern Pike in the afternoon, and a great day of Northern Pike fishing is when he landed over 25 Pike by himself, and lost some others. That's a busy fishing day for one person. Larry had a great last day concentrating on Smallmouth, and catching a lot of these bronze back fighters. He also lost a good size Muskie while Smallmouth fishing. He stayed out right til dark on his last night just to soak up as much of the Canadian wilderness as possible, so he could hopefully store up enough inside to last him to his next trip.

Mike Packer and Joe Elio from Flagstaff and Mesa, Az were back to Fireside Lodge for their fourth time in 6 years, and were they ever glad to be back away from their every day stress. After missing two years of fishing in Canada because of the growth of their family and careers, these two were very eager to feel the magic of the Canadian Waters again. It did not take these two long to get back in the grove as they had a phenomenal first day catching 67 Northern Pike and 22 Smallmouth Bass. WOW what a great day. Second day out they fished for Smallmouth Bass and caught 80? Yes, 80 Smallmouth Bass, and Mike used a new method of drop shoting two Berkley's power Minnows. He felt by having two minnows it looked more like a school of baitfish swimming along, and he made a believer of Joe as he out fished Joe's plastic tube 2 to 1. Third day was back to Northern Pike fishing and they had a very good day landing 14 nice size Northern Pike, 2 nice Smallmouth Bass and Mike caught a 36 inch Muskie. Fourth day they decided to fish for bigger Smallmouth, and after discussing their plan at the tackle shop after breakfast, they were off. This day was fabulous as they landed 37 BIG Smallmouth Bass anywhere from 15 to 19 inches. It was a calm day and after seeing a school of big Smallies that would not hit their plastics, they switched to top water poppers. Well, all hell broke loose as they started catching them on the surface and never stopped all day long. They said it was their best fishing day yet, as this surface fishing is very exciting and you miss as many as you catch. On the last day these two finished very strong, landing 54 Northern Pike, 24 Smallmouth Bass including a 18.5 inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth and 1 Muskie and they also had 6 double catches. Both Mike and Joe said this was the best fishing trip either ever had, and will be back one day soon.

Father and son Larry and William Hafner, along with friends father and son Marshal and Jacob Isder and son/brother-in-law Trevor Rosenbrook from Slyaton, and Fulda, Mn and Bloomington, In were back to Fireside Lodge for their second year in a row. Here for a short three days they started off with a bang catching a lot of Northern Pike, with Marshall, Jacob, and Trevor catching 30 to 35, and Larry and Will said they just caught a lot of Pike. It was so active this day the fish were actually jumping in the boat. Trevor and Jacob had one actually jump in the boat when trying to land the fish with a net, and Larry while netting a fish had the Pike bite the metal hoop, and would not let go until they pried the jaws open. On their second day Marshall, Jacob, and Trevor portaged and caught loads of Pike, and then fished Little Vermilion for Smallmouth and caught a good number of Smallmouth. Trevor and Jacob also caught some Smallies on fly rods. Larry and Will spent their day fishing Smallmouth and enjoying Twin Falls, a natural wonder on Little Vermilion Lake. They caught a lot of Smallmouth, and said they caught about as many as they had leeches, which they bought 4 dozen leeches. On the third and final day both boats caught a lot of Northern Pike with Marshall, Jacob, and Trevor landing 28 Pike and Jacob also caught two 18.5 inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass, and Larry and Will lost track of the Pike and Smallmouth they caught, but said they caught a lot. All had a great trip, and hope to return in 2005.

Here for their first trip to Fireside Lodge were Peter Sr, Peter, and Frank Lallos, from Syosset, NY, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and Chelmsford, Ma. They were referred by Franks friend Jay Lind who has come to Fireside Lodge for eight consecutive years and counting. They had fun their first day discovering the waters and catching a few fish. The second day they did better catching and Peter Sr out fished his two boys, and he also caught the biggest Northern Pike at 29 inches, and the Pike also got him as it gashed his finger in the tussle. What did he catch all his fish on, a Roster Tail, not big but smaller size. The last day of their trip was a great finish as they caught 24 Northern Pike and about 12 Smallmouth Bass, and the Smallmouth were almost all caught on the surface. Great finish to a great Father and sons fishing trip. When they left Frank said he will be calling about dates for 2005.

Jim Barnes and 9 year old son Billy, from Lawrence, Ks came to Fireside Lodge for their first time fishing at Fireside Lodge, and in Canada together. They came here for the Smallmouth fishing and on their first day did great catching 29 Smallmouth with Billy catching 12, and Jim caught a Master Angler Award Smallmouth at 18.5 inches. This was their first time ever fishing Little Vermilion Lake!!! Second day they even did better catching 31, and all were good size, and this time Billy landed a 18.5 inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth Bass. Way to go Billy!!! The third they took a half day off only fishing a half of day and still caught 23 Smallmouth, and Jim caught another 18.5 inch Master Anglers Award Smallmouth, and Billy caught 14 nice Smallmouth and his first ever Northern Pike. Their last day they enjoyed, caught more nice Smallmouth, and Billy at the age of 10 went home catching 105 fish which is quiet an accomplishment. The biggest catch for these two was the wonderful memories made between father and son, to be remembered for the rest of their lives. Jim said they will be back next year.

Here for his 6th time in seven years was Dave Anater from Lancaster, Pa with friend Bob Cannon, from Canfield, Oh. for his 4th trip to Fireside Lodge. These two arrived, and by the time they set up their rod and reels and ate supper they only had a few hours to fish. That's all they needed as Bob, within hours of arriving at Fireside Lodge, landed the fish of a lifetime catching a huge 41.5 inch Master Anglers Award Northern Pike. WOW what a start to a fishing trip. Their first full day of fishing was fabulous as they caught 25+ Northern Pike and 20 Smallmouth between 15 to 19.5 inches, and Dave caught three Master Anglers Award Smallmouth 19.5", 19", and 18.5", and Bob caught one at 18", and they missed several others they thought were Master Angler size. The exciting thing about their Smallmouth catches is they were all on surface baits. WOW what a rush to catch these size Smallmouth on the surface. Their second day they decided to hunt big fish on Little Vermilion Lake and were successful catching some nice 30 to 34 inch Pike, and Dave came up with a Monster Master Anglers Northern Pike, a hog at 42 inches. This was Dave's personal best, and he was smiles ear to ear, with this fish of a lifetime catch. So in two days and one evening, Dave and Bob caught 2 Master Anglers Northern Pike and 4 Smallmouth Bass. Their third day they caught 61 Northern Pike, a Muskie, and a Smallmouth, and on the 4th and final day they caught a lot of Smallmouth early and then went big fish hunting, and Dave caught another Master Anglers Award Northern Pike landing another huge 41 inch MONSTER. Dave never having caught an over 40 inch fish, and this has been the fish he has dreamed about since he was a kid, ended up catching two of these special fish in a four day fishing trip. This was without a doubt the best fishing trip Bob and Dave ever had and are both looking forward to there next time fishing at Fireside Lodge.

Hot Lures of the week: Swim Bait, Blue Fox Spinner, Pearl Fluke, Plastic Tube, Mepps, Thin Fin, Live Leeches

Master Angler Awards Caught: 24 Smallmouth Bass largest 20 inches, 4 Northern Pike 40, 41,41, and 42 inches.

That's all for this weeks Fireside Lodge fishing news, so until next week, "Keep On Fish'n". Alan