Oh yeah, I was like,
whatever you guys are in.
Well, I guess let's just start with
the story of how you came to own
this place. To own here?
I mean, that story kind of starts
before that, obviously, of you
coming up here. Yeah.
Yeah, no, not before I was coming up
here. So we came up here we
used to stay at a campground We
started coming up Robin Robin's
aunt owned a resort up here on
Spider Lake in like late 70s
early 80s It's called Pinecrest
Resort.
So he started coming or she came up
like as a kid You know, and then
Robin brought me up in like 95
Like we came snowmobile on weekend
It was funny because Robin's Aunt
goes you got the same look in your
eye that my husband had in his eye
the first Time we came and she goes
we never left
15 years later we
were looking for a place to camp in
Minnesota, like Bemidji,
Minnesota. And one time we were
tired of driving out there and Robin
called the Chamber of Commerce
and just asked for if we
had any campgrounds up here, nice
campground, the one that I told you
about. So we started staying there
like one week, two
weeks, three weeks, you know.
And then we finally wanted to get a
permanent site so we ended up at
this deer run place.
So we
I had a conversation with those guys
goofing around one time about,
you guys should sell this place and
retire. And they said, well, you
should buy it, this is our
retirement. So we said, we would buy
this place.
That kind of fell through.
We ended up, that kind of
put the bug in us. So we kept
looking and looking and people
knew that owned this, knew that we
were looking.
And they actually approached us and
said, hey, we got a resort for sale.
Had you been here before then?
Yeah, a couple of times. We came
here for music and all that stuff.
So, yeah, we became friends when we
knew who they were.
Okay. Yeah, yeah.
And then, like I said, we own that.
We managed another resort.
So, we were up here more off.
I was up here all summer long.
So kind of got to know everybody
more and stuff like that.
So were you in the hospitality
business? No.
You know, drove a truck for 30
years.
So, that's kind of a switch.
Yeah, yeah, big time, yeah.
Robin had never bartended before.
The day we bought this was the first
time she ever bartended. I bartended
when I was a kid, like 20 years,
21 years old or whatever.
But that was it and we just, but
like running the other one gave us
a good idea of which, cause that one
was, there was no bar.
It's just a cabin.
So we had a good with the cabins and
stuff like that, how to manage it.
And then, it wasn't enough for us
both to be up here.
Robin was still working.
I was getting summers off.
My work was real cool.
Robin was working back in Indiana.
So you needed something more in
order for you to pull? For both of
us, yeah. And then we were too far
apart. You know, it's getting
harder. Like, she was always, I was
always up here and she was down
there and stuff. The kids were still
younger.
So what year was it that you bought
this?
We just bought this two years ago,
so this August it'll be...
And how many years before that had
you started managing?
Three years, this will be our fifth
year, this is our fifth years.
So three years before that, doing
that. And then we had that permanent
site for like
two years, two or three years,
before that.
So that's how long we were staying
up here like a lot.
So it's been a gradual process.
Yeah, yeah, little by little.
Yep. It seems like that's what
happens to most people that
that come up here and live up here.
That's how that works.
Is this the up here
just kind of place kind of grabs you
and brings you in?
I always said, like people ask why
we drive all the way from seven
hours to come up here.
And I said, first of all, like the
lake, I'm like, there's nothing as
nice. If someone was like by the
Dells, we're just going out with
these guys.
If it was half as nice, we
would just go there.
But like this lake with the islands
and all that stuff, because I'm not
a huge fisherman.
I go out fishing a lot, but like we
like hanging out on the islands, and
all stuff like that. Bounce around
the different resorts and stuff.
So like it's just that the people,
you come up and I tell them,
we go to a bar at home.
And you talk like the four people
you're with.
You come in a bar up here, it's like
instant, like the whole bar is
talking to each other within five
minutes. So it's just always been
fun, you know?
I mean, do people say, oh, you feel
like a local?
Yeah, oh yeah, for sure, yeah.
And it's usually the first
conversation is like, hey, you
guys out fishing?
Or, you what are you guys up to?
You guys bumming around and then
where are you from? And then then
everybody all chimes in.
That's kind of cool.
So what is it like being on your end
of that? Because that's obviously
what a lot of people feel when they
come up to vacation.
Right, yeah. Yeah.
Who gets to carry that over when
you're the one running them?
Oh yeah, when you're on the other
side, it's almost like the same
thing, it doesn't seem
like you're working, you're just
hanging out with friends, you know,
behind the bar, you just on the
other side.
That's pretty much what it is, and
you still have the same
conversations, like everybody comes
in, that's how you usually start it.
Hey, what are you guys up to?
You know, you fishing, or how's the
fishing out there, and stuff, so
yeah.
So what has been,
our story is looking at fishing,
but also how fishing
in some ways is competing with
everything else to do with.
Right, yeah.
We talked about you know 20 30
40 years ago like it was fish.
Yeah
Yeah, yeah, just all little
nine-horse motors and stuff.
Yeah, so
and a lot of these cabins were built
for fisher.
Most of those places are built,
like that's why there's only a lot
of places, just two bathrooms.
Now you got a ton of people coming
in like when we have music and stuff
like that. So it's like, yeah, most
of them were built for people in the
bar. This bar used to end right
here.
The previous owner built this out
just to have more room, you know?
So just because like, it's coming
more in the summer.
Like fishing is still a big part of
it, but like spring and then
summer months, like June and July,
you get a lot of families doing the
recreation stuff.
And did you,
had that already happened before you
came up here? Was that part of the
way that you were a part of?
Yeah yeah yeah like a lot of
our friends that we met up here do
fish but like i said it's like
weekends like fish for a couple
hours and then spend the rest of the
day on the islands or fish in the
evening you know something like that
So, in terms of how you
advertise the resort, are
you advertising to two different
groups or are they one group that
does two different things?
I don't think we...
Like maybe in the spring and the
fall, you know, you kind of, we
talked about doing like package
deals, like we're spring fishermen,
our ice fishing, like this, like the
best spots right out in front.
So we like kind of focus them,
but the rest of the time, it's just
more like a family recreation
type thing where you got all, that's
like the big, the big thing on the
lake is there's more, you know,
there's so much to do out here.
That's why it's not just directed at
just fishermen or just recreation
people.
So you've almost adopted.
It's almost like some of the clients
came with the place.
Oh yeah, for sure.
Like, we're probably like 70%
repeat customers, you know, so it's
like they've been here way longer
than we have, so yeah, you kind of
got to fit in.
And what have they taught you about
this place and the culture
of this place?
Like, just like family type
oriented. Yeah, like everybody knows
each other. Like, let's go, like the
people here, you gotta like fit
in with the whole crowd, you know?
Like everybody here, a lot of these
people come the same week, so this
guy knows the guy in that cabin
already and stuff like that.
So we're kinda like, let them
figure, we kinda just have to fit in
in their groups is more than what it
is, yeah.
Randy was telling us before about
all the work that the owners
do to try and improve the quality,
to improve the fishing, because that
is part of it, right?
Yeah, oh yeah.
Yeah, like the Resort Association,
like, so they put the fingerlings
in, we stock muskie, we,
you know, every so many years they
just keep doing stuff to keep the
lake, you know, that's a huge part
of it. There was no fish in the
lake. We probably wouldn't have
anywhere near the people coming up
here, so everybody has to pitch
in and do
Yeah, so is that something that
the resort owners do on their
own? Do they work with the DNR or
how does that come together?
They, you know, there's probably
other resorts, but like
Treelands is a huge part of like
Treeland's resorts.
They own a couple different places.
They're like a huge part of the
fishery stuff. They put a lot of the
stuff together and then like the
Musky's Inc groups, they do a lot
stuff. So it's all different,
you know, all different ones that
keep it going. But the Resort Owners
Association does a lot of it and
their partnerships with other,
they're in the DNR.
But like, yeah, they do lot of stuff
just to improve like, because some
places The DNR
will put so many in and then we'll
add like they with the money they
collect or whatnot.
They'll add more to it, you know, so
So you were saying that you had a
presentation, I think they gave you
recently, you talked about walleye
and some of the competing, you know,
the different fish that people go
for.
Yeah, it was very interesting.
DNR came and they did they do a test
every so many years.
I think they switch off from the
right then the east to the west side
of the lake and then they drag a net
and they'll tell you you know they
give us a report on or they just
post a report on you know up
and down numbers versus 10 years
ago, 20 years ago and stuff.
And is that, I mean, you said you
kind of fish or sometimes?
Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of fish.
Yeah, I'm not a huge fisherman.
I'm like, I always consider myself a
catcherman. That's why I like
panfishing and stuff.
I like to go and take the kids out
when the, like right now it's
perfect.
Crappie are spawning, bluegill are
spawing, go out there and catch a
bunch of fish in like a couple hours
and eat.
That's pretty, I like catch and eat
whatever I catch.
So are wall-line not
worth the time or the effort, or
just?
I'm just not that good at it yet, I
don't think. I have a lot of guides
up here, and I keep telling my wife
I want to get out more, because
sometimes when I get out, I don't
have a ton of time, but that's why
all these guys are like, hey, any
time you're ready, I'll teach you
how better to fish walleye and
stuff.
Why is it that Walleye are
considered a cut above?
I don't know. Yeah, I don't know.
A taste of it. I think the taste is
one of the biggest parts.
Plus it's like, you know, it's not
as easy to catch.
And I think there's a little more
sport in it too.
Like people, people come up just,
most people are like just walleye
fishermen. You know, especially this
part of the year.
You know pretty soon there'll be a
lot of muskie.
Like muskie come more summer and
stuff.
But there's just, there's something,
I mean, anyone, almost anyone, a kid
can fish pan fish off the deck.
Right, yeah, yeah. It's usually your
first fish.
Right, yeah.
Yep, yep. And walleye is just, yeah,
it's just harder to, you know,
harder and it's more of a sport and
stuff. So, like, and people, you
know, they're all after the 24,
25, 30-inch walleye.
You're fine, come on in.
Do you want me to talk to him on
this, sir? No, you're fine.
Come on in, guys.
What the heck?
Don't tip over anything.
I didn't know you were a celebrity.
I am yeah
How's it going?
We just come to see how the other
half
Yeah, yeah, these guys are staying
at our place on the other side.
How's it going?
How are ya?
What? What?
I mean, I guess, in
terms of, obviously the DNR
has put a lot of time and money into
research and into trying to
make sure that wall wires still
work.
Mm-hmm.
What would it mean if, like, there
weren't?
I think it would cut down on
fishing. I think there's a good
example in Minnesota that Moll's
Lack, I think that's called, yeah,
they cut out walleye fishing for
like two years to let it replenish
kind of deal, and the resorts, they
really struggle.
Now I guess it's fantastic.
I mean, it worked out in the long
run, but I think a
lot of people, they just come for
walleyes.
They're elusive. Not as elusive as a
mussel, but more
people are looking to get it.
Would you mind just sitting
on that chair over there?
Oh, which chair?
Just on this one.
Does that one be mine?
Yeah, yeah, that's fine.
Thanks, appreciate it.
Great.
We'll be going soon.
No, you guys keep your firecrackers.
We just do it one year.
A classic experience.
Thank you for having me.
What was
that? Thank you.
So, one of
the other groups that exists up
here, and that's obviously forever,
are the tribes.
Do they factor into what people
think of when they think of these
waters and fishing, especially
walleye?
Yeah, I mean, I think the tribes, a
lot of islands are theirs, islands
out here and stuff, you know, so
it's part of the,
you know, this is actually a
reservation, like we're on like
the road and stuff going down, it's
a reservation property here.
So I mean I guess, yeah, they're
always, I mean everyone knows
the native islands are and stuff
like that, and like new posts,
because it's kind of weird,
like I guess you can go back to,
last year was the 100 year
anniversary.
If you ask, it's like
that. Resort owners, it's like, oh,
they're celebrating like a 100 year
anniversary, the natives.
It's not, it like a hundred year,
they have t-shirts, some of them had
t- shirts like a hundred year.
You know, they were sad about it.
It was two different, two
different deals.
Obviously way back in the 80s
there were like the walleye wars
yeah
Yeah, yeah, I never experienced
but I heard stories about all that
like fights at the forums and stuff
like that.
Yeah
doesn't exist you don't hear people
talk
No, you know, I don't
know. I never see a
boat with a needle.
I mean, I don't what the difference
is, but you know.
They can fish earlier
in the year, so I think they get a
better chance.
You know, like with spearing and
stuff like that.
But that doesn't fact I mean, you
know, I guess you sometimes you
hear poor people grow.
Yeah.
Yeah Natives are superior.
Yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You hear?
I have a feeling it died down,
you know, like you hear people.
I think some people disagree that
they can fish when it's,
when an early one, you know, in the
spawn and stuff like that.
But you don't hear, it's not as much
like, I don't think as it used to
be. Like I said, we were nowhere
near being here during that time,
but I heard of like all the stuff
that would happen.
Do you think people know how many
fish the tribes put back in through
like their stocking programs or
things like that?
Or is it just more of that almost
doesn't like that their full
existence is kind of separate?
Yeah, yeah, I don't know.
Yeah, like we we don't get as many
like what I mean when we have those
meetings just a couple weeks So
the tribe comes and talks and stuff
and they talk about you know What
they were talking about like camping
islands and stuff like that But
yeah, that mean ours the DNR
just gave I guess bigger Your
thing on what they got stocked in.
So yeah, so I don't know I guess you
don't really think about it
In terms of like your long-term
plan, is this like a semi-retirement
or is this the like...
Yeah, like eight to 10 years was our
plan. Yeah, I was 52 when we bought
it. I was kind of somewhere around
62 and then retire.
Unless we really love it and, you
know, it gets easier as we go on
after we're done remodeling
everything and stuff.
So and then who knows, or someone
could come in a couple of years.
I mean, I wouldn't want to be
retired, you know.
I mean, is that going to be like,
you're going to be the one trying to
know who's interested in buying?
Yeah, yeah, it could be.
I always tell people now, like you
hear people go, you know,
what made you do this?
And that's really cool.
Me and my wife talk about doing that
and I'm always like, well, come see
me in eight years, you know?
Like, we got another eight years and
that's when you're looking, you now,
so.
So, what's it like for you
when people pull in that you know,
I've been here forever?
It's like, yeah.
If, I mean, there's a family
coming back.
It is like a big family, like our
Sundays for music and now
we're just getting to know these
guys we know from the other place
three or four years now.
After you hear a couple of years it
becomes like family, we
know what week certain groups are
coming and we're like oh hey
so-and-so is coming this week, the
McMahon group is coming this week or
that we call one group the Italians
from Milwaukee, they're coming, it's
like it's fun yeah, it
is like family.
You can almost see their milestones
like just on the brandy like this is
the first year his grandson came
Yeah, yeah, and it's
cool. Yeah, and we try and like,
like, but those guys, they, they
came up and they asked me about a
like basket that their friends made
and they talked about it.
So she went out and dug it out of
there. I'm like, it's still over
there. You can go get it. You know,
so, but you can see how, how like,
it's, that's what I love when they
come and they've been here coming so
long and then, and when they, and
they take care of the place, like
it's their own, you know what I
mean? Like, like the cabins are
better when they leave.
It's just cleaner, cleaner when they
got here. You also makes it, they're
just, they know they're coming back
next year, so.
I'll be part of it.
Anything else that you want to add
along what we've been talking about?
Yeah, what can I think of?
That was good.
Thank you for setting the table.
Yeah, yeah, no problem.
So I think what we'd like to do
is if you, I mean you said to those
of your friends, if they're okay
with us sitting...
Yeah, yeah, I was gonna go over
there later in the day and come see
you guys.
I still come in a couple times.
Yeah, yeah
Make sure I say hi to everybody.
Oh, you do?
Alex doing a pretty good job over
there for you? Yeah.
Yeah, he's a nice kid.
Yeah. He's actually from like our
old neighborhood.
Yeah yeah so we met him up here
and then so it worked out
good. Works out good because it's
going to be a lot.
I have like people that clean and
I have people that cut the grass and
then you know Dave has been taking
garbage out and then he was looking
for something to do and him and his
girlfriend I'm like hey can I want
to do it all? He's Sure.
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah.
What?
Oh no!
Now they know where we're
at.
I know when you're gonna play that
this will be air for another year,
so yeah
Is there a PBS that we
see?
Oh, well, hopefully.
You guys are good.
These guys are from Beaver Dam,
and this is
my cousin Ethan.
Well, actually, I live in Wanakee.
Okay, I'm in middle ten.
Are you really?
Oh, for God's sake, so you just
drive up here and,
yeah, we're, we stay at a
place that they own over on,
um, off of what, what name is that,
you guys? Puppa B.
Pupp-a-B.
And this is our four,
four years.
Four, no five,
no more no five.
No, we used to hit Johnson's the
first time.
Oh, that's right.
Yeah, you can come and they're doing
the stir and you can be
like, hey, can we come up?
Yeah!
I'll be curious
because of the weather.
Well, they went out,
even when it was raining, they put
the...
What end is this on here now?
Just cheaply down here now.
No, Chief Lake's farther that way.
We're like Milwaukee. This is Blueberry
Flats.
Oh, you're in Milwaukee Bay.
Yeah, Milwaukee Bay's right over
here. Blueberry flats.
This is blueberry flats.
Okay. Okay.
Yep, yep.
James Slough is right across the
way.
So where do they eat like? James
Slugh.
Okay blueberry yeah this is
blueberry yeah right in front of us
yeah we're blueberry resort then
here's the lake oh yeah on
the other side
The leg is the other side.
Okay, yeah
You can't, you can't get through.
The campground is still there, but
the resort is cool.
So this is
what they have?
Blueberry Flats.
Where Chicago, Minnesota is.
That's farther that way.
Yeah. Yeah, this is like the ice
fishing hotspot.
Like on the winter, we'll have 80
people out there on the weekend on
the ice. Like there's a big hole,
you know, just like in front of
Johnson's, there's that deep hole
that people go through.
Like everybody comes here for ice
fishing.
That's nice.
We let people park here and then
just say, as long as you come in and
get a drink or whatever.
So you don't have your cabins
open while you hear them?
These are
open. There's like six of them that
are four season camp.
On air!
Yeah, and then our duplex by you is
four seasons.
Yep.
Actually, a friend of ours rented
half of it for the week.
Yeah, we were wondering if you want
to...
Or just like
he turned into one of us
yeah yeah it's cheap what
we got
Everything's crazy.
Oh my gosh, yeah.
We're going to
get it again next year.
Yeah, we love it there.
I mean it's perfect for
the kids. We have one now that's
13, so he has his own boat.
Oh, that's cool! We have four boats!
That's great.
So...
It works out because you guys get
the whole thing yet.
Yeah.
It's right there.
It's not there, it's funny, because some
people complain that the bar is not
open, but then, like,
it is nice and it's quiet.
Well, that's what we were saying.
Yeah, because we wanted it.
Yeah, because we wanted to buy them,
please.
Like in hindsight, I'm so glad that
this is good.
Or something, I would place them
with the grats, just so they can
turn it easily into kind of
a little sort of...
And then two winters like we had,
with like no snowmobile, it would
have been tough. It would have tough
because like this, we still have
cabins.
Yeah, that's just the book.
It would've been all that money just
to have the bar, basically, is what
we were doing.
There's a picture right away, so
that helps.
Yeah oh yeah like that helped us
like two years ago when we had no
snow the ice fishing out here
helped us get through the winter
because like everyone was still out
there was enough ice yeah yeah
so yeah that's a lot of people
I mean, just...
So you guys do group here too?
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Homemade Chicago style
pizza, pizza, burgers, burgers.
Everybody loves our pizzas.
What to think about.
Yeah!
There's practical bad ones.
Someone was like, what do we bring
up for eats?
But we did have,
they put all the fish that they
caught in the freezer, so.
We might, we may have a
fish fry with that, what, Friday
night?
I'm gonna try to go out this evening
or something, I know that we look
great all in the bed.
I'm missing from weeks ago,
the females were up close, and the
males were still.
Otherwise that's kind of hard to
bite down there, and hard to find
them. Oh yeah, yeah.
Crop is too, glad it's on the top of
the tree.
Yeah, crap is biting most of them.
The guys that were in earlier today
said some of the feed they caught,
some bluegills and females
that very, most
like they're running a spa.
So very uncomfortable
bluegill they said.
I think in my, one of the guys, he's
like, kind of a guy.
He's in, he went
out yesterday in an old cooler full
of walleyes.
He's just, airplanes have been
harder, but if you know where
they're at, they're like, yeah.
I think that's what they're gonna
try tonight.
Yeah, I keep saying that I
get a lot of guys.
I don't all have a fish in my fish
tank, because I usually only get a
little bit of time to go out to
fish, but like all the guys and
stuff are out there. Can you tell
me? Yeah, she has a busky shirt.
Oh, okay.
But she comes up here quite a
bit, and fishes.
Yeah, they do.
They have a whole women's thing on
their foot.
Oh, that's where they go, yes.
Yeah, the deer foot.
Amanda is the owner of deer foot,
she is a big fisherman.
She fishes the musky
tournament, so she crawled by us.
Yeah, it's pretty, I mean,
it seems to try to get you a piece
of it. But raise is not the same
thing, yeah.
I mean it's, it gets you.
It's already getting to you.
Which, breaking is right on the
corner. Good work by you guys.
That's close, huh?
Yeah.
Yeah, I, they're, I
probably, they probably were there
seven times.
I'm excited.
Yeah.
Thank you very much.
Yeah, like you try to hold it
with your arm, but you can't do it.
Yeah, so now we can pick out to the
diner and then only, like, us,
or a couple of you.
We've been in there too, and it was
hard to, they only had like
one weight class.
Basically him and his wife.
I think it was too, I think he was
too aware that it was such a
But yeah, it seems like the summer
clothes are getting value.
They are.
We were supposed to
build a high-end summer club over
here.
I've heard that.
They're interested, but this isn't
ready yet. Oh, the kid.
Oh, yeah.
That's the kid?
No, no, a friend of ours.
His family has a restart and
they need his help right now.
Yeah, we were surprised.
I mean, there's still people that
are obviously taking care of it.
Yeah, yeah.
Thank you!
Serial in my window,
I'm trying to be nice to this kid.
I didn't even actually get in the
window.
Well, I'm going to get coverage and
shoot it a bunch of different ways.
Thank you.
Oh you did? Yeah.
The reason it's quiet is because
it's sort of in a grand setting.
It's been six hours on
the road.
So he's just by himself?
I think he and I will be selling
down there.
Oh, okay.
We're one of them.
We're that? We're the one I think.
No, he actually is.
Go ahead and open that up once.
Wait.
Stop. Don't worry.
There you go. Perfect.