Pine Ridge Resort News & Views

Here are a couple of openings I would really like to fill.

There are two cabins open the week of June 2 - 9.  Our three bedroom, The Colonial, had a cancellation and has not been rebooked.  Normal spring rate for six people is $170.00 per night or $850.00 per week.  This Web Site special is $140.00 per night or $700.00 per week.

Our Y Knot cabin is a two bedroom cabin that normally rents for $100.00 per night.  It is available June 2 - 7 at $75.00 per night.

The following week, Y Knot is also available from June 12 - 16.  This week is listed at our summer time rates and the four days, normally go for $515.00.  This special offer is at our spring rate of $100.00 per night or $400.00 for the four nights.  You could also take just three nights if you could only come for a short time.

The last June opening we have is in our Lazy Days cabin from June 26 - 30.  Lazy Days is a two bedroom cabin sitting only about 10′ from the lakeshore.  Normal four night rate is  $535.00.  It is also now available at it’s spring rate of $400.00 for the four nights.

Give a call if you have any questions.  1-800-972-0147.

The sort of official kick-off to the summer season is the Memorial Day weekend.  Our cabins were all full and the weather cooperated for the most part.

We had some great people in for the weekend.  Several guests were new to the resort.  Ten people from the Duewell family from Missouri made their way to our north county.  They fished, kayaked, shopped, hung out, and one of them inadvertantly took a swim in our still chilly waters.  But those chilly waters are producing good fishing yet as spawning is delayed.

Along with the Duewells were their friends from Iowa, the Gales.  The two families have been traveling together for some years.

Also here for the weekend were the Norberg brothers and spouses from the Minneapolis area.  This was their second trip to the resort and they have already made plans for a return trip.  I just have to teach Doug how to walleye fish.

Still here this week are the Carrolls from Indiana.  Tom and Bonnie have been coming to this area for many, many years and to our resort twice a year now for the past four years.  I try to follow them around to find all their spots because they are avid bluegill and perch fishermen.  This year their daughter and son-in-law joined them for their first time at our resort.

The Ferenz brothers and sister first came the resort when they were just kids with their folks.  They are a few years past being kids now and are back with their kids and grandkids.

Finally, this week we have Steve and Lynette Johnson here for their spring trip.  Their names may sound familiar to those who have viewed our web site.  Steve and Lynette produced the video that shows on the Home page of our web site.  We see them twice a year also.
It has not been a perfect weather week with some wind, light, occasional rain and a couple of thunderstorms moving through.  But everyone is catching some fish, even though the walleye fishing has been slow.

All in all, it has been a great start to the season.  There are still some scattered openings throughout the summer so give us a call if you are looking for a great vacation in northern Minnesota.  Check the web site by clicking one of the links at the end of the Blog for lots of information about the resort and our beautiful northwoods home.  See you on the lake.

With the opening of fishing season, we change modes here at the resort. Most of our preparation for the season is over and we’re ready for our guests. It was a relatively quiet fishing weekend for opener but the weather was just perfect. It was actually the best opener weather that I can remember for a lot of years.

Fishing was mixed. My “guest workers” did not have a lot of luck with the walleye but found crappie, bluegill and some jumbo perch biting. Our next door neighbors have had their cabin for almost 30 years now and know the lake pretty well. They had some very good walleye fishing. Walleye were deeper than you would expect this time of the year. They were catching fish in 18′ to 22′ of water on lindy rigs with minnows.

One of the last projects to be completed before guests begin to arrive was to split up some firewood. Over the winter, I stack up downed trees for drying and all that wood needed to be split. Luckily, I had two strong backs here to help. Todd Jacklin and Larry Guyer have been at the resort since Thursday helping me with several projects so I borrowed a log splitter and put them to work.

It was hard to get Todd out of the boat and put him to work but he managed to give up a couple of hours of fishing. To be honest, they were both anxious to help. It was great to have them and all my “guest workers” here this year. We got lots more done than I could have by myself.

So the resort is ready, the fish are biting and the weather is great. Memorial Day weekend is already booked up for us but there are a few June openings for those who can’t wait any longer to get on the water. Hope to hear from you.

Every year, the week before opener, I invite previous guests who are interested to help with projects around the resort. In exchange for a few hours work each day, they get a cabin to stay in and plenty of time to fish or do whatever. Eight guys all together made it up this year to help and we got a tremendous amount done. I’m sure regular guests to the resort will notice the improvements upon their arrival.

Projects vary each year, of course. The only real constant is dock work. As noted earlier in this Blog, the same three guys have been coming for the past twelve years each spring and each fall to help install and then remove the docks. Al, Matt and Greg have been great.

This year there were a couple of repeat “guest workers” and several new people. Rollie Stoehr just left yesterday after spending five days here working. Rollie was here to help last spring and also came with spouse, Sue, last fall to watch the resort while I attended a high school class reunion. Thanks for all the help, Rollie, it was great having you here. Rollie and his family have been coming to the the resort for the past three summers.

New to our Work Week this year were Darrin Larsen and Mike Vogt. Darrin and Mike and their families were here last summer and spent three days here this spring doing some hefty work. They are pictured below. They wanted me to publish this picture to show their wives they were, in fact, working and not fishing all the time. But that’s not to say that they didn’t spend some time in the boat. After all, the crappies are biting.

And right now, two other new “workers” are hard at it (fishing, that is) while I’m catching up on my office work. Todd Jacklin and his father Tom have been coming to the resort bass fishing the first week in June for about five years now but this is Todd’s first time here in our guest worker program. He brought along his good friend Larry whose last name I have forgotten at this point and yesterday I had them planting trees, removing a dead birch tree we cut down and raking lawns. Today we’re going to build a small flower garden for my wife and split up the wood we cut down yesterday. Todd and Larry caught about a dozen decent crappies yesterday moring and they’re at it again now.

The program has been a benefit to all of us. In the very short period of time between ice out and fishing opener, there is a lot to get done. Having extra hands ands backs to help gets things done much faster so there is a lot of benefit to me. And, for a few hours work, guests get a cabin free and plenty of time to enjoy it and the lake. All who come seem to have a great time. Working together makes the work easier and makes it go faster. I truly appreciate the time and work each of them puts in. Thanks again.