lake access rates

[dmengel]

I am alittle confused (not the first time ) about the rates to get on the lake. Do all of the resorts on the east side charge $8 a day, I thought I was only charged $8 for three days last year from one of them? I am not complaining about the cost I just would like to know for sure.

[nblasin]

It's per day. Think of it as up keep for the roads.

[waska]

generally its per day, its just courtesy, especially JRs since they knock down the pressure ridge and have that bridge over it

[kelly-p]

It's by the day. If you're going out for 3 days with your hard house get all 3 days in case you get into trouble. Kinda of a dumb feeling to get into trouble on the way back in and only have a 2 day old pass to show.

Right now we are well on our way to the forecasted -29 with wind and Buddy and Jon are out there trying to get a guy out of the pressure ridge before he freezes into it solid. Sounds like he missed the bridge by a couple hundred feet. An up to date road pass is valuble.

[Lucky12]

Not all access are alike, there are couple that will be chargeing considerably less

[Paul Waldowski]

yep...the same ones that when something happens out on the ice will tell you that sorry...........nothing we can do for you. Been there and done that and will never do that again

[Random guy]

Quote:

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Right now we are well on our way to the forecasted -29 with wind and Buddy and Jon are out there trying to get a guy out of the pressure ridge before he freezes into it solid. Sounds like he missed the bridge by a couple hundred feet.

An up to date road pass is valuble.

---

That road pass does many things for you, first you are taken care if if something like the entire front of your truck falls into a pressure because you "thought you could make it", Buddy and myself just spent the evening diggin around a wet truck to get this fellow out and on his way in -20 below with 20mph winds,ya my finger tips froze, then we made sure they all stayed warm and none of the gear was damaged or got stolen while we ran back and forth to get trucks, ropes etc. We also help to get diesels going that didn't do so well in the cold, and do not forget when the wind is blowing and things get turned around we are leading and directing traffic so everybody gets home safe or we are out looking for lost souls in the snow storm because...they are paying customers that paid a road fee and for a sevice not only to get onto a lake but to make sure thay get off the lake safely also.

Not to mention last week when five plow trucks worked all day to make sure the roads where open ran up a little overhead. Think of five full size trucks with big V8s in sub-zero temps locked into four wheel drive ramming into snow drifts and ice chunks, no way you are coming out of that cheap.

How I look at not paying the fee or trying to get around it would be like taking your car to the mechanic to get fixed then pay the garage across the street half the money when the work is done.

[chubs17]

are there alot of problems with pressure cracks? i am comming up in two weeks and i dont really want to drop my truck in a crack and have to go through all that trouble to get it out. paying the fee to avoid that is well worth it.

Thanks

[LABS4ME]

use the bridge... no problems then! Even if it's a little out of the way.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Scott K]

Jon, when you include all of them services with the fee, that sounds like insurance. I have paid some high lake access fees on other lakes, minimal maint. to the lake. I had some problems with my ice house a pressure ridge decided to appear throughout the week under my house, asked them for some chisels and a rope, and possibly a hand to get my house out. I was told they would charge me $60 per hour, and they could rent me a chisel, and a rope but I needed to leave them a $100 deposit. I didnt take up there generous offer, luckily there were some friendly fishermen on the lake next to me, that helped me out. I think if we knew that we were going to be treated as you have stated in your post, I think almost everyone would be more then happy to pay, but with my expierence not all are that helpfull. Im glad there are places as you described it makes me feel better about all the fees I have paid over the years.

[LABS4ME]

Mille Lacs (I assume) and Red are 2 different 'bear cubs'. I thin all the accesses have your safety in mind and will more than likely give you a hand whenever you need it on the lake... I have witnessed this all to often!

Good Luck!

Ken

[Random guy]

Quote:

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I have witnessed this all to often!

Good Luck!

Ken

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Because you always seem to be the first one having trouble.

[Mike L]

ROFLMFAO

[LABS4ME]

Guilty as charged!

Good Luck!

Ken

[crappeyeslayer]

I was just up there this last weekend....and let me tell you that if you get into trouble the road fee is priceless ! What really got to me was i witnessed several guys use Agassiz raod and blow right passed his car without paying! I discussed it with him later on in the day and he said that his car has been egged, and people will so far as to cut out carboard into the shape of money and put that in as thier payment... what is wrong with people these days? The guy lost everything and is just trying to make a living! You will send all the money in the world in gas and bait and everything else but cant afford 8 bucks... just my two cents!

[Northlander]

Get out and check those bridges over ridges though. No matter who put it there. I went over one and it failed and it cost me $400 in exhaust/manifold work! OUCH!

The triangle finally got me that time. I was due I guess. Many many trips to URL and that was the 1st bad thing I had happen to me. I hope I go a long long time without any more troubles now.

Pay the access fee! Even if you dont have problems its the right thing to do! These guys work hard to keep roads, bridges etc up and running. Ya things happen but they cant watch them 24/7. I have no problem paying $8 to have nice roads and a chance at a 16" crappie or a 30" eye.

[Scott K]

You are correct it was from Mille Lacs! I know most places work hard trying to get us on and off the lakes safely. They risk there lives out there, also! If I did my job and I wasnt getting paid for it I would be pissed. Its $8. , on many years we wouldnt be on the lakes to get to our honey holes if it werent for them.

[CatManLee]

I don't mind paying the access fee. Yah it is a bit spendy when you total it up for the entire year, but it would suck trying to get out to fish deeper water without any type of road!

I'm sure the guys plowing the roads do alright, $8 per car adds up to a good chunk of money on weekends! Just 15-cars = $120. But come on... these guys have to make a living too. They aren't doing it for charity, they have to pay the bills with this and have some money left over for beer after a hard days work. If you work out all the hours they put into everything, the type of work they do, weather, etc. How much an hour do you think it's worth? I think this job deserves a pretty good hourly rate.

Now the part about paying for more than one day of access use if you stay out in your sleeper? I have only paid one $8.00 access fee each time I have been up. If I'm staying on the lake the entire time and only using the access once to get on the lake and once to leave, then I should only have to pay once...correct?

Anyways, I don't mind the cost of an access pass, But I do hope it doesn't go up in price anytime soon!!!

[Random guy]

What do you suspose this cost an hour? Don't forget I'm sitting in plow truck #4 taking the picture and plow truck #5 (Pat Foster) was in front of me, so he is already to the end of a seven mile road turning around for the next pass.

Yes that is seven miles per pass and a V-plow only takes three to four feet per pass on a 100'+ wide road. You are not going to get rich plowing roads.

[shadyzr]

If I'm staying on the lake the entire time and only using the access once to get on the lake and once to leave, then I should only have to pay once...correct? (Quote)

____________________________________________________________

It's kinda like tipping the waitress at a cafe. It's not her hourly wage, and you don't have to tip her, but then look-out next time you go there. Your taken care of according to how you pay. If you don't tip, you don't get good service. You don't pay the per-day access fee, you don't get any help pulling your sinking truck out, from the

place you accessed on at. You will have to find some good hearted fisherman to help you out.

[Mjen]

I have paid for a season access pass the last 3 years. It's a card I carry with me and show when I want to get on. This year I was told to stop and get the slip of paper for my dash each time because they are starting to check vehicles out on the lake due to so many people cheating them. Pay the fees. Plowing doesn't just take time, it's hard on the trucks. "Like a Rock" doesn't always apply to trucks that plow.

[jignminnow]

This will be my first trip to URL this weekend. I dont see what the big deal about $8 is? Wether its $8 a day or $8 every time you leave and come back on. Those guys work hard at making it easy for us to get out and enjoy the fishing. Would it matter if you gave them $8 or bought them a couple beers? I have no problem paying the access fee. Ive been to Mille Lacs and done it there, and its worth it. You buy the right lures and bait, just consider this a part of that!!

[CatManLee]

That's fine. I'm not trying to screw anyone out of what they deserve. I'll pay what I have to, If they make me pay for three days when I'm staying out on the ice I will! For what it's worth, I don't make much money, so yah $8 or $24 dollars does matter to me...Some of you guys might make enough money for this not to matter, but when your living paycheck to paycheck, $16 dollars isn't pocket change. I'm very careful with what I spend my money on. Again, I'm not trying to be a (Contact Us Please) about this, but I just don't see having to pay for three days if you only use the access once on and once off? I might be wrong with how I see this, and if I am I am sorry, but this is my opinion. I see it like I have to pay rent to use the lake???? Sorry, I'm comming off the way I am, but I have been fishing up there for a few years now and this is the first I have ever heard about this, so it's kind of a shock. I thought the jump from $5 to $8 in one shot was a huge jump, now I find out I'm supposed to pay two to three times as much each time I go up and stay in my sleeper? How am I supposed to react?

I have been going out of an access up there for the past 7 years and they have never asked for more than a one day pass from me. They know I'm staying overnight, yet nothing was said? Is this something only "certain" people/resorts ask of their paying customers or is it something we're supposed to some how know?

Again, I really want to stress that I'm not trying to say your wrong and I'm right! This is just how I see it, and it's just one of "those things" that got me heated. If this is the "code" of the lake, then so be it...I'll pay. I don't want to be looked at like one of those people who drive by the box without paying. I pride myself with being a "good" sportsman and don't really want to piss any one off.

*On a side note***

I never knew that you'll get towing service, help, etc all for paying the access fee??????? I was up last year for a one day trip and got stuck. I Called "a" resort for help and they called someone else to come help me. They helped me and I got out, but it cost me $30 on top of my access fee, so this is news to me as well.

Thanks....

[The Donk]

Wow. In the words of Jim Rome, "rack that one". So anyways, I gotta say, I never knew that people pay per day either, if that is what they want, ASK FOR IT. Catman, don't worry about it, keep using that access, and keep being the good sportsman I'm sure you are.

[Lucky12]

Catman, I agree with you completely, if I come up on Friday afternoon and intend to stay over night I for one feel ripped off if I have to pay again for Saturday, especially if I did not leave the lake. The resort owners do not own the lake but they do own the property that the access is on and that is the only thing that you can charge for.

Two weeks ago when I was last there I went out one resort and paid their access fee, I moved around on the lake a few time and ended up quite a ways from the resorts plowed roads, well I could hardly believe what happened next, apparently I was fishing in an area that another resort owner thought that he had title to and he began to wine to me that I should have bought an access fee from him, I think I hurt his feelings when I told him that he did not own this or any other body of water in Minnesota and that I had every right to be where I was at. The best part is that is the very same resort that I went out of the week before, needless to say that is the last $5 that he is going to ever get out of me. If I ever get stuck and have to call someone to help me out I would expect to pay, I think that is only right.

[dodgeman]

Yep I have been stuck out there many time and not 1 time have i ever had a resort help me and i have been fishing red for years. And have never paid more then 1 access fee. Milacs can pull this off but there is no way people are going to do this up there. Your not that close to MSP. LOW dont even do that. Someone is dreamin if they think i am going to pay per day. If i went to a resort and they asked me how many days i was fishing and charged per day i would leave a go down the road there and many resorts around and not all if them are going to do something this dumb!!

[shadyzr]

I know how you feel. I have a wheel house on Millacs, and don't like the per day thing. I payed for 2 days once and will never pay the extra day again. The resort assosiation, all get together and decide how to charge for access fee. IF I want to use they're access, I will pay for access. Its up to everyone what they want to do. I can go off a public access and connect to "A" road to get to my fish house. I have a 3/4 ton 4x4 (not new) plow truck so I can go just about anywhere I choose. I've gotten into plowing wars trying to block me off but all have failed. I do the same thing the other plow guys do, check breaks and cracks, ice depths and know the lake very well. I know there will be one's that will comment how stupid, dumb, and dangerous I am. But really there is only one difference between me and the guy that plows for the resort, I don't work for the resort. I've been threatened 3 times in the over 30 some years by some resorts.

But all I have to do is call my freind, a state game warden, and we go have a talk with said offender. I stay with-in the law. I'm not trying to offened any resorts, but I know from the past some will be. I am like most of you on this forum, I enjoy fishing, hunting, trapping, and all the outdoors. But I know I will be attacked here because I don't go along with everyone else's idea's.

[hanson]

I know a certain resort owner on the south side of the lake that has really gone out of his way to help us out. For these reasons, I still keep my permanent shack with him.

Sometime in the middle of last winter, my brother needed his truck jumped out at my ice shack. I can't remember the particulars but I believe he called my parents who had Jerry's phone #. They either gave my brother the number, or called him themselves and he came out and jumped my brother when he found the time.

I've showed up to the lake a few times after a big snow to find a road plowed to my shack.

And the pull on & off the lake along with summer storage has been very reasonable.

You try to give the guy an extra $10 or $20 for doing more than is expected and he won't take it.

Least I can do is pay my road fee, eh?

[Mike L]

My experience there has been the same. Must be their Crookston connections.

[cookie129]

If you end up in a snow bank or pressure ridge or need a jump or any other help most will offer a few dollars which I would say is the right thing to do. The access fee is just that a fee to access the lake.I do not beleave it is insurance,someone sure can correct me on this.I have a perfect excample of how it works but will not go there. If you end up with some type of trouble I would not expect help for free except on occasion.Battling mother nature is time comsumming and time is money? If you get ung up on a bridge I could see where that would be free but if you miss the bridge? The best advise use common sense and do not jump snow banks?