Heading up fri

[fasterthanyou]

Have a group of 4 ice castles going up on fri to url.. I am trying to find a mom and pop place to go out and try to get a way from the crowds.... Any Ideas thanks in advance.. Also one of my buddies is nervous how much ice is up there now that it got warm for a bit. thanks

[fishing tech]

Would suggest Hillmans or Beacon's. I usually fish in between those 2 places and never have a problem with crowds or catching fish. We go out of a private cabin but buy our bait from Hillmans. Good luck to you!

[fasterthanyou]

thank you for the info

[SwivelDigger]

Red Lake Adventures is a quiet place where you can get away from the crowds. I'll be heading out of there Friday with the wife and kids. Did pretty well there last weekend.

[fasterthanyou]

were is that

[SwivelDigger]

Just south of waskish on Kansas City road. About the time you see the gas station you take a left towards the lake.

[Boreas]

Red Lake Adventures will treat you right, small one or two man operation but they do a very good job and are very nice.

[Sea Hage]

Unless you have a season pass you won't be getting on at Beacon, Friday starts season pass only.

[redrider]

How much $ is a season pass at beacons ??

[kelly-p]

How much $ is a season pass at beacons ??

I believe that the season pass for wheel houses is $250. I think they were limiting the season passes at 50 total and a week ago John said that there were only 4 or 5 unsold passes. You will have to check with Beacon's to make sure.

[MWard4400]

Kelly,

Just a quick question, Is the pass for "Wheel Houses" only, or is Beacon Harbor restricting the number of people they let on the lake.

I know I should be calling them but this was easy at the moment.

Mark

[Boar]

I went out of RLA last year had a great time and caught alot of fish, now they raised they access to 20 bucks and wont let me store my house on shore. so rates went up and services went down.

[redrider]

So they're not going to let people go out there road with portables ?

I guess I can understand the limiting of customers on their road to

keep fishing better for regular customers .

[kelly-p]

Quote:

Kelly,

Just a quick question, Is the pass for "Wheel Houses" only, or is Beacon Harbor restricting the number of people they let on the lake.

I know I should be calling them but this was easy at the moment.

Mark

I don't really know. I just know that they are trying to avoid having any crowding on the lake so that their motel and fish house rental guests have a little more quite and peaceful fishing trip.

[MWard4400]

I guess I better call them.

Thanks

[Whisker Warrior]

Roger's!

[cookie129]

There's plenty of room out of hillmens,I beleave a road pass is 10 dollars a day. There number is 218 647 8504 if you have any ? They also allow wheel house storage. The ice is in great shape and Buddy hillmen has his road staked out 6 miles. There are 3 bridges crossing the pressure ridge so you neeed to stop in the store to get a heads up

[kelly-p]

Quote:

Kelly,

Just a quick question, Is the pass for "Wheel Houses" only, or is Beacon Harbor restricting the number of people they let on the lake.

I talked to Beacon's about it today and the season pass is for both wheelhouses and people with portables. The pass includes on shore storage for wheelhouses. There were a couple season passes left. They will be passing up a tremendous amount of money in road passes, bait sales and tackle sales but I think it will pay off in the end with more fish house rentals and more people staying in the motel. Everybody wants to catch a lot of fish but a lot of fishermen also want to have a quite relaxing trip without fishing in a crowd. It means that the people in the rental houses will not end up surrounded by other fishermen or be in a place where there were a few hundred fishermen pounding the area the week before.

What was interesting to me was that the season pass comes with a "code of conduct". If someone goes out on the lake and misbehaves, leaves a bunch of litter behind, crowds other fishermen or is rude to other fishermen their season pass can be revoked immediately.

When I was up there today they were putting the finishing touches on the new bridge that will be put across the pressure ridge as soon as the weather cools down.

[Frank D]

Hillman's they have their new bridge over pressure ridge a lot unfished water to the west

[cookie129]

There are three bridges.. Please go over them slow.. Talking to Buddy Hillmen he was headed to bemidji to pick up 5 sheets of steel. 1800.00 bucks ouch that puts a dent on road passes.

[SwivelDigger]

I went out of RLA last year had a great time and caught alot of fish, now they raised they access to 20 bucks and wont let me store my house on shore. so rates went up and services went down.

I think that rates went up at most places.... Not sure but ones I've checked all raised the season pass and daily. As far as RLA I think they quit storing houses by shore because people would store them there and then get a little impatient when they wanted to pick them up to go on the ice. I know if it was me running a place that rented houses the people that were storing them there would also come in 2nd place because I'm pretty sure I would be getting paid a lot more to rent a house than average joe with his house sitting there. The places are constantly moving the houses so rental people are on good fishing. When I go with my wheel house sometimes I don't want to move my own let alone move anywhere from 2- 10 houses for other guys.

[Powder]

I'm disappointed in the course Beacon's Harbor appears to be taking. Every time I've gone out on Red since Beacon's was purchased I've gone out of that resort. Even in the summer when I could have used the public access I paid the fee to launch out of his resort. I don't have a wheelhouse and don't stay at the resort but I do utilize his services to the extent I can.

The part that makes me most upset about this 'switch' is the timing. Up until now, he was more than willing to take my money when all anyone could do was walk out or use fourwheelers. Now that the ice is thick enough to drive out he changes the rules? Yes it's his choice but I think it could have been done in a different way.

I have no intent on using him summer or winter anymore. Because of this I wouldn't rent a house from him either. I hope others do the same.

[ice pirate]

well lets put it this way people...it takes 50 wheel houses for the same price as 1 rental sleeper... the people going thru outfitters pay good hard earned money for a great weekend of fishing only to b ruined by 'squatters as I call them' the lake is big people spread out. give the rental people space. their is nothing more frustrating then bringing clients out and they have close company. I am sure Kelly-p can b heard on this one... don't get me wrong hear your business is greatly appreciated...just saying.. respect for your access goes along ways..

[FHFO]

Can you get minnows at Adventures?

[Radway]

Just returned from Red. I was also disappointed I could no longer drive out from Beacon Harbor. I decided to try Hillmans and couldn't have been happier. They had their road across the pressure ridge and nobody was crowding anyone else. Lots of room for everyone. Fishing was great on Friday but slowed for us as the weather turned colder on the weekend.

Every business decides who they will cater to. I have no problem with what Beacon is doing but it might be nice of them to change their HSOforum and let people know about their closed access before they get up to Red. From my vantage point out of Hillmans the houses over at Beacon looked crowded. Maybe not but it sure looked that was from where I was fishing.

[Hoyt4]

I think its a good move by Beacon I have a house on Mille lacs and have people ruining my own fishing. Trash , fishing on top of each other, speeding. I was on Red 3 years ago and we wathced a guy going 60 to 70 on the ice we said he will blow up the ice. We went to get off that night and sure enough he blew out the road and took us hours to get off the lake. Code of conduct should be done by all resorts hold people responsible for the mess they cause.

I know it's public lake and you need to still fish with and by people but should not have to pick up after ones or worry they will do something dumb when you on a trip to get away from the grind also. We will always have to deal with a few putz but if someone like beacon want to help their clients and fishing and keeping the lake with less trash hold you responsible I in on that.

[arcticm1000]

Can you get minnows at Adventures?

I don't think they have minows but the gas station a half mile up the road does.

[Boar]

Get your minows at Black duck shell station. I totaly understand why they dont anymore, I talked to brent personaly and its just a hassle for them, they are constantly moving their houses, then getting flaged down to have a spot plowed for people then running back to shore to dig out a house, it can be a huge undertaking for scott and brent, just two guys running the show, brent gets a little help from a freind at times. Im heading up thurs and heading to cookies, runs on hillmans road. Radway, how deep were you???

[Radway]

Boar- We were in 11 feet both on Friday the 26th and Sunday the 28th. We didn't fish on Saturday the 27th. Pretty much everything we saw on electronics came in hard and bit on Friday. By Sunday we marked less fish and those we did see needed some coaxing. Not much either day on the stationary rods. Jigging with various small spoons was getting the most action by far. Both days we were able to get off by ourselves which was nice. Smooth ice- 17.5 inches where we were at. We were able to set up on a small patch of snow each day but most of the lake is snow free.

Good luck

[BigDogRob]

Like someone said today...you can go out of Hillmans right now and drove over to Beacon Harbor's road right now...if that is where you like to fish!