Questions about Mille Lacs sleeper houses

[camolund]

Howdy,

When next season rolls around I'd like to have my own sleeper house on the east shore of Mille Lacs Lake. I spent the day Sunday driving from resort to resort and seeing what used houses they have for sale. I have all spring and summer to find one so there is no hurry, but I want to learn as much about it before I spend any money.

Is there any advice any of you out there can give to a fella who is planning to buy a used house? I'm looking for a 8 x 16, or maybe a little longer, and I'd like it to be in pretty good shape. I want to store it at the lake through one of the plans the the resorts have and not use it as a summer cabin. I'm not particulary handy so if a house needs a lot of work (tougher than painting) I'm in trouble.

My questions would be:

1. Any tips you wish you would have known before you built/bought/deployed your house?
2. How is the relationship with the resorts: are they pretty good about putting folks on fish, plowing roads, etc.?
2. What is blocking and banking?

Thanks for any help you can give. If you have one you want to sell me write at lotalota3@hotmail.com. But mostly I'd like to learn the lessons of the trade and am not interested in pulling any money triggers any time soon.

Brad

[MnWalleyeKiller]

#1 More bunks, More holes,Go with 10 by 20 you will be glad you did.
#2 Flagship does not do much for roads and bridges or guide service, it is where im at. Dickies and liberty seem to be good.
#3 blocking is jacking the house up and putting wood blocks under the corners of the house to keep it from melting in. Banking is pushing up snow against the house to insulate it and keep wind out, holes open.
See you on the mud,
"Its Time"

[camolund]

Thanks! I was particularly impressed with Dickies. I rented from him for the first time the last week of the 'eye season and he put me 13 miles out on the flats. I caught over 30 walleyes and 5 slot fish--the first slots I'd caught all season.

It was my understanding yesterday that both Dickies and Liberty plowed roads out to the flats most years. Mac's Twin Bay also connects into Dickies Road, so that would be just as good. I'd like to be able to go exploring with my Otter Sled and use the house as a home base.

Don't they put the bigger houses out later? And not quite so far out? I thought that an 8 x 16 would be a pretty good compromise. Maybe not?

And one other thing. A few of the resort folks told me that most people sell their houses in the September-October timeframe. What has your experience been on when decent houses go up for sale? I'd kind of like to get one this summer get it ready to go. Once fall comes around I'm too busy chasing ducks.

BTW, I used to be someone else on this forum. I hadn't logged in for a while and I completely forgot my username and login. So I'm back, whoever I was.

Brad

[MnWalleyeKiller]

It all depends how much snow we get on the lake wether flagship makes us a road out to the mud or not. Tryingto get flagship to bridge a pressure ridge is like pulling teeth. I cant speak for dickies but I know their way better about this than flagship. As far as the house being too big well each resort is different but I dont see there being a problem. By haveing your house 8+16 is not gonna get you out any faster than the 10 by 20's. Its all about the 12-13 inches of ice needed for the trucks to pull them out there. Selling houses im really not sure about because most people hang on to them forever. Im sure you can find one though I see them sometimes at resorts for sale "not flagship". Oh yea you dont have to fish the mud to catch some eyes. We killed them on the rocks this year got my biggest 31 1/4. Good luck duck huntin, Im an avid hunter and im gone in october and never fished in fall cause of duck huntin, crazy!
Any more Q's shout for me!
"Its Time"

[camolund]

Thanks again. It seems like there are a lot of politics between the resorts. I talked to a couple of folks today who were selling houses and they all seemed to have a problem with one resort or another. But I guess that's just human nature.

I found at least 10 for sale on Sunday ranging from an absolute POS to very, very nice. Prices ranged from $900 to $5000--I only looked at 8' x 16' or larger. I put an ad in the Outdoor News that will run for 6 weeks and I'll see what I come up with.

If anyone has any response to this they would rather not put on the board, please do it at lotalota3@hotmail.com.

Brad