totem lodge

[alanexpup]

Hi. anyone here ever been to totem lodge? just wondering how it is there. thanks. is there good fishing around the lodge and that end of long bay or do you have to go 20 miles to find fish? thanks

[teddi]

first class place. the fishing around the camp is very good and you don,t have to travel very far[4 or 5 miles at the most]

[@Lunker]

I had an opportunity to stay at Wiley Pt. Food was very good. But there were some issues. Permanent docking space wasn't assigned, so every day you had to schlep your gear from one dock to another.

Assuming you're going with the fully guided package, be prepared to spend the entire day under power. Either the big motor is getting you from place to place or the kicker is on to hold position. Sorry, constant motor noise isn't for me when I'm in the bush.

There can be good fishing close to camp, but also be prepared for very long runs if necessary to get on the fish.

I'm on LOTW about 6 weeks a season. And, more than once, I've seen Totem boats crowd onto a spot, pushing other boats out.

I'm not intending to diss them in an extreme negative way. It's just that, frankly, I think you can do a lot better for a lot less money.

[Golden Eagle]

My experiences at Totem have been great. I took a group of 42 in for a week and they returned several more times.

Recently while on my way to another camp I stopped by to visit a Totem guide. Eric saw me and insisted on opening the bar so we could have a beer and then had someone cook up snacks for us. Next came a ride around camp on a golf cart, followed by a tour of the lake in one of the camp boats.

You'll be pampered at Totem. Tell them what you want and they'll deliver.

[guest]

bring 42 guest to my camp for a week & I'll open the bar for you too

[scotttheguide]

42 person group, I will get the resort owner to give you open bar for the first day! LOL

[Obabikon]

Yeah... bringing 42, and you can have an open bar as long as we have an open camp! :)

[Golden Eagle]

It was a group of contest winners and company people. They asked me where to go and took me along. Pretty nice. Economy dried it up after four trips.

[IA Walleye]

I hate to say something negative about a business, but we are suppose to be honest on this board with our opinion.

Totem has three lodges. About 7 years ago, a supplier to my wife's business took about 30 key customers and their spouces to Yellow Bird, one of the Totem lodges. This was in mid-summer.

The good - The lodge itself was great. The food was outstanding. Yes, the company had an open bar policy so the liquor flowed pretty freely. This was not a Totem gift, I am quite certain the company that paid for the junket got a bill for that

The bad - Well, this is a big resort, so every morning rush as the dock was a little like getting into downtown Chicago during a Cubs playoff game (yes, I like to dream). Nuts, with no organization of who goes where.

The first day our guide tossed our equipment aboard the guide boat (nice), and then proceeded to spend most of the morning driving the boat from place to place without saying a word, other than, let's move. He as a First Nation Guide, so English was not his native language, which is understandable. However, we would move to a new spot, let the jigs hit the water and within 2 - 3 minutes "let's move" and this guide never put a jig in the water himself. This happened all day. Fishing results, a skunk all day. Not one fish caught.

Day two, I refused to fish the same guide and got a another guide. He too was a First Nation member, but much more talkative. When he asked how the first day was, I explained the situation, told him the name of our guide and he laughed. He said that person was his brother and he apologized. Say his brother liked to smoke a bit of weed and when he did, he merely likes to drive the boat on those days. Under this guide the fishing was better, but not much better. I caught three walleyes all day, and all short ones (under 17'). At least we would fish for about 15 minutes before we moved to the next spot

Day three - New guide, 30 year Canadian. He too asked about my experience the first two days, which I explained in detail. He too apologized, and then proceeded to put us on fish. He would tell us what we were going to catch at a spot and how and then we did it. He mixed he day up by doing smallies for a while, then walleyes, , then smallies, then northerns. Good guide.

Other issues - Each day the entire group would go to the same island for a group lunch. Good idea, but the island had obviously been used a lot, which meant if you moved 10 yards back from the lunch area, then the island was being used as a human bathroom. Seriously, clearly the lodge used this place for all its large groups and these people would take dumps all over the place. I understand the need to go to the bathroom, but this lodge clearly did not understand that if you take 100 people to the same place day in and day-out, then the small bit of ground is going to get covered in human feces.

Long rides. From Yellow Bird to good walleye fishing, it was a long ride, an hour or more. That means from a 6 hour fishing day, at a minimum 2 hours was spent in travel.

Lodge Location - If you think Yellow Bird is part of a wilderness area, think again. Lots of resorts and cabins at this location.

After supper fishing - one evening, I wanted to go out to fish after supper. I was told this was OK, and they let me take a boat out. Not the guide boat, mind you, but a little 14' which was OK, expect for the fact it had a slow leak. Not a leak I was going to sink in, but enough that my shoes were getting wet. The evening fishing around the lodge was nothing to write home about (very small walleyes and perch), so I never did it again.

So my take on Yellow Bird is that is OK for large groups where the average person will not care about the fishing being less than wonderful as long as the accomodations are good, the food great, and the alcohol plentiful and first rate. If you looking for a serious fishing resort where the focus is truly on fishing, I think there are plenty of others that I would rate higher. Of course, my sample size is from one three-day experience 7 years ago, so it my have change, it may have been one bad week, etc. If I had the pleasure of fishing with the last guide all three days, perhaps my view would be different. However, in the years since, I have watched Totem do very heavy marketing, which means to me that they have to replace a significant % of their clientele each year. That means to me either your not doing a good job of getting repeat busienss for some reason, or your business model is directed at the non-serious fisherman, the person that does it one year and then next year goes to Colorado for rafting (or some other place). Either way, if you want a serious fishing vacation, I don't think Yellow Bird is the right choice. I cannot speak to the other Totem Resorts, they may be different and better. IA Walleye

[Golden Eagle]

If I ever have something negative to say about a camp, I'll identify myself and direct my complaints to the owner.

[Mark R]

Well, alenexpup asked and IAwalleye related his experience. That what's why the question was aked, correct? I don't see anything wrong with that.

[Aaron-IN]

Iowa Walleye......are you sure you were not at the old Minaki Lodge?

LOL, sorry.

[jimirjr]

Never stayed at the resorts, BUT..... had a few run- ins with the guides.... yes, they will pull right up next to you if you are on one of "the spots" but mostly, they are trying to get their clients some fish..... They do seem to "run around" quite a bit.
The resorts all look beautiful from the lake! I guess it depends what you want for your personal trip.....

[Golden Eagle]

Well, alenexpup asked and IAwalleye related his experience. That what's why the question was aked, correct? I don't see anything wrong with that.

Okay. Freedom of speech.

Personally I would not come on in a stealth mode and trash any business person. I can be contacted on this board and I'll respond.

[dale jr,]

wow, stealthy approach there,
held onto that one a long time, like you were waiting,
maybe you should consider that things change , and so do people,

If I had the pleasure of fishing with the last guide all three days, perhaps my view would be different.

hmmm, that is not a maybe, , is it now,


However, in the years since, I have watched Totem do very heavy marketing, which means to me that they have to replace a significant % of their clientele each year. That means to me either your not doing a good job of getting repeat busienss for some reason, or your business model is directed at the non-serious fisherman,

not even true, maybe you should meet some of them, than make your judgement,

Of course, my sample size is from one three-day experience 7 years ago, so it my have change,

3 days don't make a lifetime, ,

seems maybe you just did not tell anybody and that was what bothered you more, ,

[IA Walleye]

To all that questioned it, yes, I did tell the manager of my concerns. Virtually everybody on the trip was a non-fisherman (or at least non-serious fisherman, so the lodging, food and open bar, made the trip for them. To each their own.

As to my post, I did state clearly that:

a) my sample size was small (only one short 3 day trip)
b) it was 7 years ago so things may change

Thus, with those caveats, the place could very well be perfect.

As to never saying anything negative on a open forum board. If we are not suppose to be honest, then why have a board that allows posting. From now on, I am 6'4", great looking and and only catch 10 lb walleyes, which come aboard my boat in a frequency that boggles the mind. Better yet, every resort I have been to (both fishing and non-fishing) are perfectly run and staffed with saints.

Cheers...IA Walleye

[Old Timer]

IA Angler:

Thanks for your candid assessment of the Totem Lodges. I don't think you trashed anyone, just advised this forum of your experience. For one, I appreciate your opinion. Not all lodges are as advertised and some cater to food and booze, rather than a quality fishing experience. My belief is that most readers of this forum want fishing first, then the accomodations. Personally, I can get plenty of booze and good food right in the city where I live. JMHO.

[Mike Kansas]

If I ever have something negative to say about a camp, I'll identify myself and direct my complaints to the owner.

I agree with you.

[chevtow]

IA Walleye stated his experience, he went into detail and was pretty well spoken which leads me to believe that he is telling the truth. The point of these boards are to share our experiences so that others can become better fisherman and also for others to enjoy fishing more. That is my opinion. If I buy something or go somewhere and that experience or product sucks then I darn well will share that with anyone who will listen. I will complain to the mgr. but how does that warn other people? Or because you had a bad time you keep your mouth shut and some guy saves all year long to go on 1 trip then has a bad trip, whereas if someone had done what IA Walleye has done with his review that guy may try elsewhere. The OP asked a question and received answers, exactly what he was looking for.....

[wingmann]

It's too bad now a days that people are so thin skinned that they can't take any critisism. The poster asked a question and was given an open and honest answer. Not every one is going to have a good opinion of the lodge and people want to be able to judge a place by word of mouth. One good sign of a quality lodge is how they handle complaints. Most owners know they will have problems from time to time and can handle these situations. They will listen and try to fix the problem. IMHO if the owner just wants to rant back at someone, then I think I will take my business elsewhere.
The quality lodges that I have gone too try hard to take care of their customers. The owners usually check with us to see how everything is going and ask if they can do anything for us. Most go out of their way as do their staff. For this, we continue to return as clients and let others know this is a quality lodge with caring owners. If we go somewhere where the owners really don't seem to care about their customers, we don't return and give others an honest and open opinion. Sorry but this message board is not supposed to be a "love fest". People want and deserve honest opinions good or bad.
Wingmann

[alanexpup]

HI and thanks for all the responses both good and critical. we have fished lake of the woods for many years and have seen their boats around but they were nice enough and bothered us. we are going to be spending a month up there and did not want the typical little cabin that you could get claustraphobia in. generally we stayed within a stones throw of sioux narrows to go out to the area with the smiley face on it. I forget what that area is called now. we never fished on long bay, i think that is the name of the water that totem is on. i am tired of going 20 miles to catch fish that is why i wanted to know if there were fish in the local area. thanks again. alan

[CCeastside]

been fishing LOTW for 40 years out of Sioux Narrows and the boys at Totem can be a pain for sure, if they see you catch a fish they dam near run you over to find other!! been there seen that!!! and i know the island they eat at however never have stopped there, it's a big lake and once you been there enough and learned what it takes to fish this lake you'll hardly ever see them, and i've stayed there also so i know how they run there place in fact 2 times i've been there, the place is nice and clean so that's not the problem therebut i'll put it this way it's the ONLY resort that i know of that no bill is ever final!!! and i know this has happened MORE THAN ONCE, not the first choice, just first class price, keep looking

[Bobby]

My cottage is a two minute car or boat ride from Totem and Yellowbird. The owner, Eric, is a very nice man and really cares about his business and his customers. He's also been a great neighbour. Last year, I had the best steak of my life there - food at Totem is just awesome.

There are fish in the area and the Totem guides do well nearby but the fishing gets better as you get out more towards the main lake (where there aren't any resorts and very few cottages).

[tourist outfitter]

Unfortunately, telling the owners is not always productive. Despite that, it is something we all should do when we get bad service. But, not everyone is comfortable doing that.
Walleye Central is the place to go if you need to know good/bad about fishing camps/areas andno one should feel guilty about expressing their opinion here.