Walleye Retreat Resort

[TerryAnd11]

I have only fished LOW in the Winter. This year for our annual fishing trip we headed out there. We will be staying at the Walleye Retreat Resort from May 30th through June 6th. I was wondering if anyone has stayed here before and if they have could they please give me some info. about whta the cabins/resort is like. Also if anyone also has some pointers of where to fish near here or about tackle and is ok with letting me know please do. Thanks ahead of time and Good luck everyone.

[the olde man]

hi terryand11 , I`ll be up there the week b/4 you I`ll post when I get back look for " walleye retreat report" I can`t wait ,I can`t wait...............

[BUSHWAC]

This dude came out to move us and he didn't even bring an auger. we said no bigm deal we have our own. he ended up bending the shaft being a dink and then looked at us and said " thats the breaks " we were like you owe us a new shaft, like a $100.00 bucks off our $1200.00 dollar bill and he was like f you. i will never go back there if it was the only place left!!!

[Ragnar]

I just returned from the Walleye Retreat last Thursday. I thought that they ran a pretty good program. Pete came around and check on us early, around 11:00AM. We weren't getting much action so they moved us out to a new location. Bingo we were catching fish on the initial drop in. The cabins are clean. The water is hot in the showers, so what else do you want? Oh ya, bring your own towels thats about all the extra stuff you'll need. The price was fair I thought as well. I'd go back. They don't take plastic though, so bring cash or your checkbook. Remember, this is just a married couple trying to make it against the giant resorts. In my opinion, they've got it going on.

[Guest]

I've stayed at the Walleye Retreat with Peter and Terry for close to 10 years.<P>I've never seen a guide who can put you on fish like Peter can--he's taken me to the far reaches of LOW for some incredible fishing on open water and if you ask him to relocate a shack he'll do it.<P>If you're going in winter or summmer, you'll have a great time. <P>------------------<BR>Chells

[metro 1]

How do you bend a auger shaft in ice? I have known Pete and Terry for 33 years and Pete taught me to ice fish with his dad on Mille Lacs in the early 70s .He grew up on a farm and I also worked on that farm growing up. Think about the work ethic it takes to farm and Terry and Pete will do everything to make sure you have a great time at their resort.I think something must have happened that's being left out of the whole picture. The Walleye Retreat is a great place to stay with and you can bet that Pete & Terry will do their best to put you on fish year round.Metro

[Raven]

Been going to Walleye Retreat several times each winter for 3 or 4 years now. They have always treated me right. Just good people. If you don't catch fish, it isn't their fault! I sure wouldn't recommend them if they weren't a good place to go. Hope to be back up there again in a week or so

[Wavey Davey]

Hey Metro,<BR>We might know each other if you were bust'n<BR>potatoes in Osseo back in the 70's.<BR>I went to school with Pete, been to a lot of different resorts up at LOTW, but never to theirs. Have to try it sometime. There's always going to be someone who has a bad time and complains no matter which resort.<BR>I'm kind of spoiled on the Sportman's cause of the great food and they clean your fish fer ya, but ya pay for it too...

[the olde man]

well I don`t know about you terryand 11,but anyone with this many positive reply`s how can one not have a very good time.I know I gonna!

[TerryAnd11]

Thanks for all the information guys. I can't wait to be up there.

[bobby617]

we are going up to walleye retreat end of march .,(hope the ice is ok) and this will be the first for me to this place ., and the way it sounds to me from all of you is that these people are doing one heck of a job and it really is getting me more pumped up for this weekend then i have been in a long time ., as far as catching fish? hey they do there best to put you there., it is our job to catch them .,and i dont care how much it cost we still have to catch the fish ., good luck fishing everybody.,be safe!!

[sakman]

Lot's of replies, but it doesn't look like your questions have been answered so here goes.....<P>First, there is no cable TV so you won't be able to catch a ball game on the tube when you finish supper and are enjoying after dinner beverages. Cabins are clean, roomy and well equipped, and the grounds are well maintained. There is plenty of room to toss a baseball around or practice your short game. There is a restaurant at Cyrus if you don't feel like cooking. My family stayed at Cyrus last summer (they are neighbors)while my brother stayed at Walleye Retreat. The water in Bostic Bay was very low, so you may need to be careful if the water levels don't come up. Water in the bay from Cyrus to Walleye Retreat was around 2.5'; it gets deeper past Cyrus.<P>Second, the first place to start fishing is Pine Island. That time of year start in 5' of water and work all the way out to 25'. You likely will pick up fish all along in those depths, but you should be able to locate a depth that more fish are habituating. If that doesn't produce, there is a rock pile outside of Zippel Bay that can be very good. It is marked by a buoy that, I think, is green. If you are not sure where to fish, find out where the launches are gathered and you'll likely find fish.<P>For tackle, you will want spinner rigs with a wide variety of snell lengths and jigs. The launches on LOW all fish spinner rigs with heavy line, short snells and heavy sinkers. The water is dirty and clarity is poor so the heavy line probably doesn't matter. I think they use the heavy line because they are more durable and survive northern attacks better. They probably use heavy sinkers to help prevent tangles. I use lighter snells (no heavier than 8#) in lengths from 3'-7' and seldom need a sinker heavier than 1/2 oz. Spinner colors to use are gold, silver, hammered gold, hammered silver, hammered copper, chartreuse, orange, green and blue. Jigs should be from 1/8 to 1/2 oz., but I doubt you'll really need one heavier than 1/4 oz. Chart, orange or chart/orange have produced the best. <P>Finally, you'll want to have leeches and minnows. Sometimes they'll take a crawler, but that is a little early for a real consistent crawler bite. If the fishing is hot, and it usually is that time of year, you'll catch fish on virtually anything. If it's hot it's a great time to experiment with different presentations and baits. I've learned a lot just by messing around. We go up there each year for the Memorial Day weekend and stay at Schuster's. We arrive early Friday and leave on Tuesday. Last year six of us went through 24 dozen minnows, 1.5 lbs of leeches and 5 doz crawlers. We always make a point of having shore lunch on Pine Island each day, maybe we can hook up. The DNR has an established shore lunch area on the Four Mile Bay side of Pine Island that has a place to start a wood fire to cook over, but we bring a stove for speed and convenience. Also, bring golf clubs. If the wind is blowing hard (or if you've handled so many fish your hands are sore and need to heal), there is a golf course about five miles from Walleye Retreat and it is a great way to burn up an afternoon.<P>Good luck, have fun and be safe!!