NEWS RELEASE FOR FISHING LICENSES

All issuers of Fishing Licenses just received a letter from the Ministry Of Natural Resources stating that they have a lot of Fishing and Hunting Outdoors cards on hold pending missing information that was either not supplied or illegible on the Temporary Form filled out by the Issuers. If you have not received your Plastic Outdoors Card in the Mail yet please call
1-800-387-7011 and they will confirm your information they require. If you do not have your Outdoors Card with you next year when you come fishing you will have to purchase another card whether you forgot it at home or if you didn't receive it. You have to have an Outdoors Card to purchase a License.

MAKE SURE YOU CALL THE ABOVE NUMBER IF YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED YOUR OUTDOORS CARD YET.

ANOTHER HOLIDAY SEASON OVER!!!

Our two Pine Portage Lodge Pets

Copper the smaller one has been at the Lodge for 15 years

and Caesar has been there for 2 years

We hope everyone enjoyed a great Christmas with friends and family. We didn't receive anymore snow to speak of since a few weeks ago when we received 57 cm or 2 feet in less than 24 hours.
We are sure everyone is getting ready to bring in the New Year and say good bye and maybe good riddance to the old.
We would like to wish everyone a great New Year and hopefully it will be just that.
Keep in touch and remember to check out our web site at http://www.fishthefinest.com/ to check on our Sport Show Schedules and maybe you can come and visit with us when we are in your 'Neck Of The Woods' we would love to see you.

REMEMBER DON'T DRINK & DRIVE WE WANT YOU TO STAY ALIVE!!!!!!

All The Best From

Watson's Pine Portage Lodge

A few pictures taken on Lake Superior December 5/09

2009 NEWS LETTER

For all of our regular guests, our yearly Newsletter will be mailed next week. We know a lot of you look forward to receiving this every year, it kind of raps up our 2009 season and begins our 2010. Our 2010 looks pretty good right now. We are sure the water levels should be up since they where at a pretty good level to begin the winter and if the last weekend's snow fall is any indication of what the winter is going to bring than we will be looking at high waters for the spring of 2010.

For anyone that is not on our mailing list but would like to receive our Newsletter please give us a call at 1-800-363-4443 or just add your name and address to our mailing list on our web site and we will make sure one is mailed to you. We will also be posting it on our web site in couple of weeks so you can check it out there.

WE WOULD LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE A MERRY CHRISTMAS & A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

LET IT SNOW!! LET IT SNOW!! "AND BOY DID IT"

Friday night December 4th it started to snow later into the night and Saturday morning did we have a Winter Wonderland" to wake up to. We even made the Weather Network on TV and that is something for Wawa because usually we aren't mentioned even on the Sault news. At the end of the day in less than 24 hours we managed to receive 57 cm/2 feet of the White Stuff. All highways were closed in and out of Wawa for Saturday since the Snow Plows couldn't keep up with all the snow. We have posted some pictures for the ski-doers out there that are hoping to see some of this white stuff soon.

There's a vehicle there

somewhere

IT'S NOT TO LATE!!!!!

REMEMBER YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO BOOK YOUR 2010 FISHING/HUNTING VACATIONS AND LOCK IN 2009 RATES. CONTACT OUR OFFICE FOR DETAILS

1-800-363-4443 OR WATSONS@FISHTHEFINEST.COM

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO OUR U.S. FRIENDS!!!!

Since we already celebrated our Thanksgiving back in October, we would like to Wish all of our U.S. friends a Happy Thanksgiving. Hope you all enjoy your Holiday and don't eat to much Turkey!!!!!!!

IS YOUR NAME ON THE WALL OF FAME!!!!!!!!

Here is our "GREAT WALL OF FAME" that we post every year at Pine Portage Lodge. The following is for our 2009 fishing season. Not everyone put their names on the chart that caught a big fish, and most of the ones that are posted where released back into the water. CONGRATULATIONS to all those that made the list and for those who didn't there's always next year!!!!! We hope we didn't miss spell or give the wrong weight or length, we tried to read what was put on the chart and since it is marked with black marker it can be hard to read. Let us know if there is any errors so we can correct them. If you forgot to send in your pictures, it's never to late to email them to us at watsons@fishthefinest.com

WALLEYE/PICKEREL 2009

May 15/09 D. Petty, MI 27" 6.5#

May 17/09 Daniel Reabok, MI 27.5" 5# to 7#

May 23, 2009 Chris Kowal, MI 25"

May 24/09 B. Woodruff, MI 22"

May 24/09 Dennis Bluhm, MI 27" 6#
May 25/09 Jason Charnley, MI 22"

May 26/09 Fred Hatfield, ON 25"

May 2009 Chas Ordind, MI 26"

June 10/09 Chris Silbaugh, IN 27"
June 15/09 Gene Plite, MI 25" 5.5#
June 20/09 Jeremy Ward, MI 22"

June 23/09 Mathew Andersen, IL 27" 5.5#

June 25/09 Mathew Andersen, IL 27" 5#
June 27/09 David Dapsi, MI 23.5"

June 25/09 Joe Dapsi, MI 23"
June 27/09 John McDonald, MI 27"

June 28/09 Gerrit Veltman, MI 25.5" 7#

June 28/09 Warren Veltman, MI 24" 6#
July 2/09 Deb Raider, OH 27.5"
July 6/09 Mike Broton, PA 27"

July 14/09 Walt Zachur, NY 24" 3.5#
July 20/09 Dean Kruse, IN 26.5" 10#

July 25/09 Lore Botham, MI 24.5" 5.5#
July 27/09 Craig Stephens, OH 28" 10#
July 31/09 Victor Beaton, ON 25" 6#
August 6/09 Dan Sivret, ON 25" 5#

September 11/09 David Cooper, GE 25" 5.5#

PERCH/WHITEFISH 2009

May 24/09 Peter Behncke, MI 9" Perch

May 25/09 Peter Behncke, MI 8" Perch

May 25/09 Perter Behncke, MI 20" Whitefish

June 21/09 Jim Paja, MI 11" Perch

June 26/09 Kraig Wilson, MI 12.5" Perch

June 28/09 Grant Veltman, MI 13" Perch

July 7/09 Ian Mathues, OH 13" Perch
July 7/09 Ian Mathues, OH 12.5" Perch

NORTHERN PIKE 2009

May 17/09 Andrew Remus, MI 33"

May 18/09 M. Plummer, IN 38"

May 19/09 Calvin Murdock, MI 44" 13#

May 22/09 Chris Kowal, MI 38"

May 24/09 B. Woodruff, MI 40.5" 9#

May 25/09 Ted Urban, VA 40" 12.5#

May 25/09 Jeff Cicotte,MI 38.5" 11/5#

May 25/09 Jason Charnley, MI 40"

June 8/09 Tom Payne, OH 35"

June 8/09 Howard Smitsch, MI 35"

June 8/09 Craig Riffel, MI 39"

June 8/09 Robby DeRosier, MI 37"

July 26/09 Jacob Moenickheim, TX 36" 8# (from a canoe)

July 27/09 Adam Stephens, OH 30"

July 31/09 Tyler Pellerito, MI 36"

August 9/09 Don Hill, OH 45" 20#

August 12/09 Terry Vollmar, OH 40" 18#

August 17/09 Ron Homrich 34" 9#

August 26/09 Mike Reed, MI 42" 17#

September 1/09 Steve Temple, OH 40"

September 3/09 Steve Temple, OH 44"

October 16/09 Andy Long, MI 35" 11.5#

HERE THEY ARE!!!!!!!

The pictures we promised!! Taken by one of our long time visitors to Pine Portage Lodge the Galen Graham Party. We would like to thank them for all their efforts put forth in taking and sharing these GREAT WILDLIFE PICTURES.

The Odum Party

The Odum Party was with us in July and had a great time. We did hear that they were pretty hard on their Guide though. After he took this picture he fell and hurt his back, but bounced back just fine. Hope you have a lot of good memories of this trip and we will see all of you back in 2010. We would also like to thank them for their kind words and to let them know that it is a pleasure to meet people like them. Thanks for sending the nice picture :)

July 29/09

Thank you for the wonderful week last week. The staff, the facilities, the food and the weather were all aligned into a Perfect Storm of fabulous proportions. Even though I cannot give you credit for the later listed item I can give you credit for the others. It has to be a tough job to maintain the staff and equipment at such a high level at that latitude. Your dedication shows.

The Odum Brothers

New Post!!!!

Hi Everyone!!!! We are in the process of doing a slide show of some awesome wild life pics. The Galen Graham party that has been with us for many, many years, sent us a link to their web album and some of the photo's of Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Loon's they took this year at Pine Portage are unbelievable.

We will be posting this in a couple of days as soon as we get the pictures together. Mean while if there are any pictures you forgot to send us and you would like them posted on our web site, just forward them to us at watsons@fishthefinest.com and we will gladly do post them.

We look forward to hearing your fishing stories, comments or just receiving your pictures. So don't forget about us,we are sure there are a few out there that didn't send us anything yet.

Keep in touch we will post the wild life slide show asap.

Our Friends from Germany

At the end of September 2009 we received a call from a Gentleman from Germany that wanted to bring his father to Canada for a Bear Hunt. We where more than happy to Accommodate Walter and Jochem Krieger of Germany at Pine Portage Lodge.

They where arriving in Sault Ste. Marie by Commercial Airlines on September 17th, we picked them up and transported them to Wawa. Once in Wawa they boarded our Cessna Caravan and flew into Pine Portage Lodge. Walter Krieger had a very successful Bear hunt and fishing trip. He was able to get some fishing in with his son Jochem since he had already gotten his bear. They departed on September 22nd to go back home to Germany.
Everyone had a great time both fishing and hunting and I am sure it will be a trip they will remember.

We would like to thank both Walter and Jochem for allowing us to show them what "Northern Hospitality" is all about.

Hope to see you both in the future!!!!

2009/10 YEARLY NEWSLETTER

WELL THE TIME HAS COME TO GET OUR 2009 NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED AND READY TO MAIL OUT TO ALL OF OUR FRIENDS.

WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF ANYONE HAS HAD A CHANGE OF ADDRESS OR WILL HAVE A CHANGE OF ADDRESS BEFORE JANUARY 2010, TO PLEASE EMAIL US AT watsons@fishthefinest.com OR CALL US SO WE CAN CHANGE IT IN OUR DATA BASE TO MAKE SURE YOU DON'T MISS OUT ON RECEIVING OUR NEWSLETTER.

WE HOPE TO SEE ALL OF YOU AGAIN NEXT YEAR. IF YOU HAVEN'T MADE YOUR 2010 RESERVATIONS GIVE US A CALL OR EMAIL US TO BOOK NOW.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU!!!!!!

Some more great 2009 Memories!!!!

WE STILL HAVE SOME GREAT FISHING PICS COMING IN FROM THIS PAST 2009 SUMMER. KEEP THEM COMING WE ENJOY RECEIVING AND PUBLISHING THEM.

2009 FISHING SEASON WRAPPED UP

WE HAD ANOTHER GREAT FISHING SEASON THIS YEAR. WE HOPE ALL OF YOU THAT WHERE ABLE TO COME AND ENJOY ANOTHER FISHING SEASON WITH US ENJOYED YOURSELVES AND WE WILL BE SEEING YOU ALL NEXT YEAR. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WHERE UNABLE TO MAKE A TRIP THIS YEAR, WE DO HOPE WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP YOU UPDATED ON MOST OF THE GREAT FISHING STORIES AT PINE PORTAGE. WE ALSO HOPE YOU ENJOYED VIEWING OUR BLOG AS MUCH AS WE ENJOYED POSTING IT. WE HAVE POSTED ANOTHER VIDEO OF SOME OF THE GREAT FISHING THIS YEAR SO SIT BACK AND ENJOY.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!!!!!

MOOSE HUNT 2009

We have now wrapped up our 2009 Moose Hunt. We started our Traditional Moose Hunt with our Thanksgiving Dinner, this is when our Management, Staff and Guests enjoy a Full Course Dinner with all the fixings. Since Mr. Watson started this Tradition back in 1946 it still carries on today. Unfortunately Mr. Watson was unable to be with us at the Lodge this year due to health issues, his daughter Betty took his seat at the head of the table and started our Dinner by doing the honours of saying "Grace".
Because our Non-Resident hunt starts on Thanksgiving Day we have our dinner on the Sunday before the hunt. Imagine, sixty three years of tradition, now that is something to be proud of. Even though Mr. Watson was unable to be at Pine Portage with us this year, he was definitely there in thought.

With five hunters this year they where successful in seeing 11 moose and taking two bulls with a third bull being missed.

Over all the weather was great for fall hunting other than a few days we had of wind and snow.

For those of you who would like to few some of our hunting pictures please log onto our web site at www.fishthefinest.com and go to Fall Hunting.

We would like to thank all of our Hunters for making this another successful hunt.

We would also like to thank Phil Hall(aka Roger and Dr. Phil), Greg Bell(aka Roy) for taking all the harassment in stride. We had a great time. Although it's a good thing you didn't have to sew the horns back on.

2009 Bear Hunt was a great success!!!!

We had another successful Bear Hunt for 2009. We had four hunters and all were successful. As our previous guests know we strive to give our Hunters a "Quality Hunt" and limit the number of hunters each year.

For the purpose of possibly offending some of our viewers to this Blog, we will not be posting any hunting pictures here, however if you wish to view our "Successful hunters for 2009" please visit our web site at www.fishthefinest.com under the Hunting Section.

Don't forget while you are there check out our Fishing Packages and make your reservations for 2010 fishing/hunting season.

WILBUR-ELLIS COMPANY

The Kucharski Party (Wilbur-Ellis Company) lucked out on their fall fishing again this year. Even though we didn't have much of a summer, this fall has been pretty decent. I think they ended up experiencing a little of wind/rain/and sunshine. But it was all worth it since the fishing was great.

Fox checking out the food situation!!!

Looks like Dan has another one on!!!! Al's nice Northern!!!!!

Dan's nice catch!!! John has one!!!

........And then there was Dan, what can we say about the "Blueberry Man" If you are wondering why he is holding a blueberry pie and a tub of ice cream, well lets just say it did silence him for a whole 'FIVE MINUTES'. It was all in fun and I think I had most of it. You guys are always a great bunch and we will see you all next year. As you can see Stacey was back, she was a "ROOKIE" last year but watch out now!!!!!

Oh, we almost forgot, next year Dan make sure you bring your own blueberry bucket so you can pick and have as many blueberries as you want. :} :}

HELENA PARTY HAS ANOTHER GREAT TRIP!!!

The Helena Chemical Company from Saginaw, Michigan enjoyed another great trip to Pine Portage Lodge, this September. They did enjoy some nice weather without to much rain which made the fishing great. We are waiting for one of these guys to send me some of those fishing pictures so we can post them. So come on guys, we need some of those pics.

After all these years working at Pine Portage Lodge, I have had to send guides out looking for a lost boater, but this is the first time I have every had to ALMOST send someone looking for a 'LOST GOLF CART' right Rich.

ANOTHER COUPLE OF "MOOSE ON THE LOOSE"

Here is another Cow and Calf that was spotted near Pine Portage Lodge while fishing on Kabinakagami Lake.

DEANE & JAMES CAMARATA 2009

Deane Camarata caught this huge Walleye while fishing with her "purple" lure that her husband James was making fun of. We wonder who had the last laugh!!!!!

Because they were in such a hurry to get this beauty back in the water they didn't have a chance to measure it. We figure it weighed at least 10# or more and the length, we are guessing at at least 30". She did release it for another day.

We would like to thank all of our Conservationists like the Camarata's that release these fish to get bigger and not sure about wiser to reproduce, which will guarantee the fishing on Kabinakagami Lake stays as great as it is for a very long time.

After getting rid of their unwelcome guests that had taken over the fire pit. James fixed one heck of a lunch.

THERE'S A MOOSE ON THE LOOSE........

"WOW ANOTHER 20 POUNDER".......Dunham Party 2009

Dave Dunham from Burlington, ON. caught this great fish weighing in at 20# 41" what a nice catch.

Of course Dunham Sr. couldn't be out done by his son so he had to catch one too. Now there was quite the debate going on about who had the biggest fish. Sr. said his was 40" but their scale had broken so they couldn't weigh it. So we will let you decide!!!!!

.......And so pure Matthew had to endure the debate, we sure all day long. As we recall a couple of years ago you where the one with the big Northern..........and there was no debating that one.
Matt 2007

It is always a pleasure when you visit our lodge we have such great fun joking with each other........And of course"I'M ALWAYS THE ONE WITH THE LAST LAUGH" right John..........