LAKESIDE RESORT....NEVER AGAIN!!!!

[Ice Hole]

Any of you guys ever meet that guy at lakeside resort (Millelacs)? (I think the owner) What piece of work he is! Not only did I "looked like a guy who would f@#k him", but he threatened to rip apart my icehouse!! I went in there to pay for access fees, and did not know about the "rules" concerning putting a 4X8 permanent out there. I guess I need to buy a mandatory $250 "season pass". The ice shack I had wasn't even worth $150. I asked him if I could just put my shanty out, and pay $10 every time I wanted to use it since I would be up there only 6-7 times. He then blabbed on about renting water pumps for $135/hour and running it for weeks blah blah blah... Told me about these other fellows who tried to sneak past him, then told me that I was going to do the same...and if I did...he would go out there and tear my shack down! Is any of this "legal"?? How would he know if I used a different resort to get to the same area? Do all the resorts stick ya with a $250 fee? I have never heard of such a thing...and I DO NOT recomend EVER going to LakeSide Resort...that guy is an @SS HOLE, his grounds are unkept, and he has no respect for anyone; anything. Working at a couple major sporting goods stores, I will be sure to send my customers elsewhere. No-one I know or meet will ever go to that resort. Mark my words.

[s.f.]

obviously this form of "marketing" genius is not the norm at mille lacs. but, interestingly, there is at least one whereever you go that will convey a bad reflection on the rest. thanks for coming to mille lacs and hope you find the rest "inviting". stay safe...good luck! they've been bitin'!
#49

[Brian_MN]

After only hearing one side of the story, here's my take: there's no doubt that most of the resorters on Mille Lacs are hurting bad this year with the poor ice conditions. It's also a fact that resorts have every right to charge for the use of their accesses and lake roads. It's simple free enterprise, anyone has the right to charge whatever the market will bear for their product or service. However, this guy seems to have taken it a step further. My opinion is that his jurisdiction ends at the lakeshore, and he has no right to move, interfere with, or "tear down" your shack, regardless of how you got it out there.

I was once accosted for being on a resort's lake road without one of their permits on my windshield. The fact was that I'd driven on the lake at one of the public accesses and just happened onto his road on my way out to a spot. I was going cross-country, making my own trail. Once I explained that to him, and showed him my tracks coming from the access, he immediately apologized and was very nice about the whole deal.

Your experience at Lakeside is very unfortunate, because most of the resort owners I've dealt with up there have been genuinely glad to have me come up and support their business.

[Brian_MN]

Steve,

Where's the bext place to go out on the north/northwest side and get to some flats? We were thinking about Curly's, Rock Pile, or Seguchie for tomorrow - on snomobiles, of course. We went out of Terry's last weekend, but the heaves kept us from getting all the way out to the mud.


Thanks,

[s.f.]

by snowmobile, the expansion crack doesn't need to be bridged in most cases so i doubt you'd have trouble from garrison sports or myr mar.
the further north you start from, the more flats become closer. summer spots? the ice is fairly smooth all the way from myr mar. i haven't been out from any other area.
#49
as far as the resort/road ordeal, the legal rights of the resorter stop at the ice's edge. he can charge for 'access' and throw in the plowed road on the ice. although ethicly, you owe him for the expense and wear and tear to plow the road. plowin' roads, when considering just the 'drive-ons', is overall a tough way to make a buck...but then they need'em for their rental and private house access anyway.
#49

[Casual]

I'm truly sorry that you had to run into Henry,Linda & son's. I've ice fished out of many different resorts thru the years all around Mille Lacs & you will NEVER run into anyone else like them.They have been like that for years & somehow still get business??? I have a similar story but from a bunch of years ago about a friend of mine that I was with @ the time when it happened but will not relive that ugly scene.The friends of mine that had shacks out of there & were paying the yearly fee moved down the road to Liberty Beach & they didn't receive any more of our business.That $ 250 is a yearly fee which covers storage all summer & the first pull out & last pull off the lake.There also would not be any access charge every time you went to your house.All the resorts have basicly the same charge.

Like I said before you will not come across any resort owner like that around the rest of the lake.Like Brian said they are truly & happy to have us come up & give them business.They go out of their way to make sure everything is right.

Casual

[Millelacs Mafia]

Ya see it ain't exactly a fee yus see, it's just a service me and Big Lou do to make sure your treated right, we's looks afters ya, ya see.

And if yous don't likes it, well lets just say bad things could happen, ya see Mac, we wouldn't want that would we Bub.

:D

[waterfowler]

Well ice hole, I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I've been to Lakeside many times and have always been treated like a king. Sure, it's not as fancy as McCoids, but it's not as expensive either. At least it wasn't in the past. I hate to tell you but I doubt you'll find a resort that will let you store your shack or use their access without charging you. That's how they make a living. If you don't like the price, move on. I know Henry can be gruff at times, but you watch your lifeline barely scrape by like he has. I'm betting you may get a little testy too.....