We have been plugging away on all the shacks the last few weeks. Jonny boy had his hands full repairing old Minnesota. He did a great job installing a new window, rebuilding a wall and putting new runners on her. We figure she’s 48 years old.
We also have added another ice castle which I have named Nevada. It has 4 bunks 20 footer with 4 foot v. I’ll get some pics on our web site soon Cookiesonupperredlake.com
Dan and Darrin also brought up a 4 person skid house that we will be able to rent for them.
The reservations have been trickling in with still plenty of days open for reservations.
I was able to get new paint on old minnesota and montana. Florida is also on the list.
A local got a pic of a large cougar on his trail cam headed south. I have a hard time sneaking out to my stand with a bow in the morning thinking a cougar was in the area.
Ive seen a couple boats on the lake the past week but no clue if they caught fish.
I have plenty to still get done before the weather turns cold. Got the golf clubs put away for the season.
To all the deer hunters’ good luck and enjoy those days in the woods.
This season we will be allowed 4 fish with 3 under 17 and 1 any size.
Our good friends Rick and Bob are not coming up for deer season this year after not having much success the past few years.
well that’s about it for now were looking at another fun challenging season here on the shores of upper red lake

wow been 5 months since i posted anything. The fishing this summer has been bad, good, great, so so. I think I only got skunked twice. We did find a few elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappies but not what we expected. Although some fishermen with the cheatmaster 3,000 did get on to them. I believe Alabama is trying to make them illegal. The guys using them Ice fishing have dialed them in pretty good.
At this time we should have the same fleet to rent this year. We are looking for a couple more big ice castle to rent for customers. They pick a few dates when they come up the house is on fresh ice ready to go.
I again will be doing less of the manual labor as the old body just cannot keep up to the young guys. With bear hunting started our books are open and we have taken a few reservations at this time. Old minnesota took a beating last year and does have some major repairs we need to tackle, it always hard to get going on the projects during the summer.as there always so much going on including work. I’ve been rehabbing my body as being 64 is catching up.
Blue thunder needs a new starter installed. The red baron still needs a transfer case. Rusty trusty has been fired up and moved a couple times. black beauty will again be my lake beater she only has 1rst 2nd and reverse. We also may have acquired a custom-made house and will give it a name and put on our website when it’s a done deal.
Jonny boy will again be handling finding the fish for the houses to be placed. After last years cruddy ice everyone up here are hoping for a much better season of ice. Thats it for now on a grand lake that owes us nothing

Well, a little good news. Writing our senators and reps has paid off for now. The bills have been tabled which means they suspend
consideration of a bill indefinitely. That sounds like it could be presented again but not this year. I feel we still need to keep a eye on what the federal level is doing. We all need to keep letting Amy Klobuchar www.klobuchar.senate.gov Also Tina Smith. smith.senate.gov let them know how we feel.
We encourage all to join upperredlakeassn.com.
This news from the beginning upset quite a few people. I know it was always burning on my mind. It also has made me think about all the times I’ve been here starting in 1966. My mom left our step farther Carl and we came up here from Colorado in a 1956 lite purple Cadillac. We left when he was not around, so he had no idea where we had gone. We arrived here sometime in the early summer. Every day we could we were playing in the lake it was so much fun on the real windy days. We would run full speed into the water tell it made us fall down. I hate to say I’m too old for that now. We also had our uncle Pete and aunt Bertha next door. I do not know how but we were all small enough to crawl through the culverts in the ditch. My real dad came up at some point, so he was able to take me fishing. I would get seasick and crawl up in the bow of the boat. Sometimes I would throw up chumming in the water. My dad encouraged me to keep pucking as it helped the bite. We also got to meet our cousin Stan. He was maybe 12 13 years old. For some reason he took me, my sister and another kid fishing. At some point we ran out of gas way out in the middle of the lake. So we were trying to ore back as a storm was coming. We were getting pushed around in the waves and lost one of the ores. We had no clue we were in any danger. At some point we lost the other ore. Then after a while one of the ores came next to the boat. We were laughing throwing minnows at each other splashing each other. That’s probably how we lost the oars. Then what seemed out of nowhere a big boat pulled up and rescued us. We did not even know we needed to be rescued. When we got back here, we wanted to go down and play in the big waves. It was a firm no. That was 58 years ago.

I will start with a fishing report since I know someone that went fishing on friday and what thy caught. Jonny boy escorted Darrin, big tony and 2 young ones Mason and Major. Tony did bring the cheatmaster 3000 fish catching machine. Most say you still have to get them to bite. The area they fished; I think someone with upper red lake knowledge could have found them without the machine. Jonny boy shared a video of them catching the ever-elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappies. It looked pretty exciting for all involved. It sure set off many memories of landing on the motherlode. Upper red lake has given who knows how many fisher people the best fishing of their life. I’m not kidding either. Let’s hear some stories! on the facebook pages. Back in the 80s we were here visiting grama Olga enjoying our time here eating, fishing, swimming, The hammer, I and my good friend the Greek. “Grama gave him that nickname because he gave her some some greek seasoning salt ! She also gave me my nickname Cookie when I was just a baby. Anyway back to the fishing story we were trolling spinners because that was the best way. The hammer and greek were catching left and right I could not get a bite. After they had caught many fish, I finally had the big one. It was fighting so good. as we scooped it up, I caught a rock with a little hole in it the hook had gone right in it.
The next day was quite the opposite as I had the hot hand as they both struggled to catch a fish. It might not have been the best fishing that weekend, but it is one of a million stories to remember and share.
I’ve caught my biggest crappie here, the hammer has caught her biggest who knows how many others have? I have caught my biggest pike here as well as the hammer. She has also caught here biggest walleye her on a grand lake that owes us nothing.

Dear XXXX

My name is Warren Halvarson and I am writing you to voice my vehement opposition to your calls to cede the remainder of Upper Red lake to the Chippewa tribe. My family has continuously lived and maintained a property on the shores of Upper Red Lake, in Waskish, for over 100 years and at least 7 generations.

The family property is a symbol of our ancestors overcoming enormous homesteading hardship and their attempt at obtaining the American Dream. My grandfather, John Halvarson, died of spinal meningitis after clearing land to make it suitable for farming. My grandmother lived alone and persevered on her own for 40 years after her husbands death. She welcomed many visitors over the years to enjoy her hospitality and the beauty of the area. My father John Halvarson died in a tragic car accident in Bemidji in the early 1970s and our family property is the only tangible thing that remains of his memory.

I have countless memories of swimming in Red Lake with my grandmother, cousins and siblings. Countless memories of campfires and enjoying the awe inspiring gallery of stars overhead. Countless hours spent fishing and communing with mother nature in all her splendor. A price cannot be put on the sentimental value that the lake and the surrounding wilderness has in our hearts.

While I can appreciate the intent of the perceived virtuous pursuit of appeasing the native tribes. They already control the majority of Upper & Lower Red Lake. Any attempt by you or any other officials to change existing agreements, treaties and boundaries is in my opinion Unconstitutional and profoundly unjust to people that have lived on the lake over the last 100+ years.

Please consider the economic impact of removing the area from general visitation. Please consider the emotional impact on the families that currently live there and make their living there. Please remember the profound beauty of the lake and general area is a gift for countless future visitors to cherish and behold. Sequestering this resource to a few designated few is discriminatory in nature and robbing the greater population of it’s grandeur.

Two wrongs don’t make a right. Let the natives hold what they have already and let the people who homesteaded the area keep their homes and rights. That is the right thing to do. We must all learn how to live together in peace and harmony,

So this will be more about asking for everyone’s support. If you have not heard the red lake nation has taken steps federal and state to acquire all of red lake and a 1 mile buffer zone around the lake. They would take big bog state park, the boat ramp access Plus the red lake state forest. I beleave there top priority is getting control of the lake. This has put a emotional toll on all it effects. Our best bet is to start asap e- mailing or calling as many of the state senators and reps from your districts and others districts as well. If they were rewarded a mile around the lake we would lose our home, business, and waskish would basically be gone. There would be no access to the lake .
This is a small community. This effects every hunter,fishermen,and visitor to the area.
My great grandpa Norman came here in 1909 and homesteaded here. my grandmother Olga was born and raised here. She lived her entire life here 92 years. She raised 3 children here. My dad John was going home to bemidji from waskish when he was tragically killed in a car accident. He was only 38 years old. This winter we had our great grandson here to make it 7th generation. This is Mary K Kunesh 39 dfl. Anyone in here district needs to call and or email her. even if you are not in her district call or email to oppose the land back bill 651 296 4334. This is 34 dfl John a Hoffman 651 296 4154 Grant Hauschild 03 dfl 651 296 1789 all the support we can get would greatly be appreciated.

yesterday may have been the last hurrah for me. I jumped in with jonny boy in his razor to go on a crappie hunt using a cheatmaster 3000 fish eliminator. Mark and Carry also tagged along as we headed out off of our landing. Jonny boy has been out on the lake almost everyday since we brought the houses home. They have had some epic days of fishing as Andy would say. I have to admit that using that machine can be a lot of fun. The first couple spots we checked before the pressure ridge we fought all year at 4 1\2 miles. Scanning the first 2 spots we saw nothing. On the third stop we saw a small school of the elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappie. The poor fish did not have a chance as we were able to auger right on top of them. The fish were spooky and scattered the first holes we augured. They did not go far as some trickled back in to hammer my chartreuse rattling flyer with no bait. I banged out 3 in a row as fast as I could run the lure down. I had my 3 I wanted to keep in less then 2 minutes after I started fishing. The third one inhaled the lure, As I tried to get the treble hook out of its throat my vex was still lit up like a christmas tree. By the time I got my line back down they were gone just like that. Mark did miss a couple and Carry got one. After scanning around a little bit more they were just magically gone. I have a theory that they just hunker down in low spots. Thinking as in the past how you can catch fish out of one hole but 2 feet away you cannot mark a fish? We loaded up and headed out to check another area. After a couple more scans we arrived at the pressure ridge. Man did the high winds a week ago change the pressure ridge. She broke up and changed the whole thing, just amazing how chunks of ice the size of a car 20 inches thick can be stacked up. It looked like if you took your time and checked you could now find a spot to cross without a bridge. I guess we could of used that big wind months ago we might not have had to move the bridge sometimes 2 or 3 times a day. Jonny boy had a spot they found after the big winds to cross. We got to where we had some great fishing the last weekend of the season. Again, auguring a couple holes and scanning nothing. We kept heading west, about the fourth spot we checked there she was the motherlode of the elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappie. 2 huge schools again they were very skittish and kept moving away from us. I would say after chasing them around for 20 minutes they came back to some of the holes we had already augured. Just like that it was game on for the guys. I ended up keeping a fourth that again inhaled my lure. Jonny boy also got his fishing equipment out to catch a few for himself. I would guess I missed way more then I caught as they would charge up and take your lure still going up. I lipped quite a few from that. We ended up staying in that area the last 2 hours of fishing. Mark and Carry got there 10 a piece, Jonny boy kept 3 and I kept 4 for a total of 27 elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappies. With no wind and the sun shining almost 60 degrees we headed back to shore. The landing’s are starting to get a little muddy as the shoreline ice begins to melt. I’m not sure when we may be able to keep getting out. Back in the heyday we were water skipping my sled out onto the good ice. I even got the hammer on the back of my sled once. Of course, when we got out there, they had quit biting. Coming back as we were approaching the open water my sled sputtered as I hit the throttle. It was to late too abort so I feathered it a bit, she took off and we screamed across the water. When we got to shore the hammer said in a pretty loud voice never again.
I expect I will be hearing from Jake, as he comes home from the oil fields. He is possessed with these special fish. Big Tony and Darrin mentioned they would also like to get back up for one last hurrah on a grand lake that owes us nothing.

Yesterday we spent most of the day getting the fleet out front of our place. The biggest obstacle was pulling them across the pressure ridge. I would guess the pressure ridge bridge was moved over 15 times the last couple weeks. Anyware from 3 to 5 or 6 guys at a couple hours a time that roughly 150 hours of manpower.
Traveling on the ice at night was also a obstacle this year with lack of snow. Many of our customers had to be escorted back to the bridge as there was never really a plowed marked road as we had to negotiate around and through piles of broken refrozen ice fields.
I towed old minnesota home in blue thunder. She sure needs another tune up and some exhaust work. She has gotten quite a bit louder. We did scratch out another year out of old Minnesota. Ole and I fished out there last wednesday catching a couple 4 crappies and a limit of keeper walleyes. Wayne and I fished over the weekend we landed a few 15 walleyes some
2 elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappies, 2 giant mooneyes. I also lost quite a few fish throughout the week and weekend. We need to replace the whole runner system into steel if we want to have her out on the ice again. I even spent sunday night out there getting woken up 3 or 4 times from the rattle wheels. Having the house over the pressure ridge took a lot of worry away and I did sleep well last night not having any customers on the lake.
The first group that had north dakota got here early Tuesday it was so nice out they fished outside. I told them what I knew, and they landed 17 elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappies. They landed a couple more the next day in the same area.
Thursday we hauled her another 1 1/2 miles west with montana. Jake had a crew looking for the motherlode of the elusive yet still catchable upper red lkae crappies. Jake figured they landed and released over a hundred with just a couple meals kept. I think each house got one overnight.
We had Scott had his family in Tennessee and Utah they hit the motherlode last year but this year was quite a bit slower. They had 7 or eight people so they were able to eat some fish.
Don with Lee and Tiffny outdoor show The Crush from Iowa,
also came up again .Him and his buddy also ate fish both days and took home a limit.
Mike and his crew were also back again. They only caught walleyes but had a grand weekend on a grand lake.
I set up Rod again in his ice castle for the weekend with my bob, rick and john plus 2 other ice castles. Rods house got 6 elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappies. Plus they all took home there walleye limit.
Colorado also went out with Jake and crew looking for the motherlode. They also caught some nice fish out of the house.
Our plans at this time as to take most of the fleet back to some areas we have had success catching crappies in the past for this coming weekend. I would say we got close to 7 inches of snow with high winds. Tony headed home as well as Darrin so it’s me, dusty and jonny boy.
I’ll wait another week before we thank all our new and repeat customers this year. All and all this past week has had some great end of the season walleye fishing.
We could not have done any of this without all the help from the crew from Jonny boy, Big Tony, Dusty, Darrin and his truck. Dan and his plow truck with Mell cooking the crew many breakfast’s Thank you so so so much guys. I could never have carried on without all your help
Jonny boy will be guiding the rest of the season searching for the mother lode of the elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappies. Here is his direct number 218 508 7036.

Wow just 7 evenings of big game fish left for the season. Mother nature sure threw us a couple curves this year. With record warmth, lack of snow, rain, 4 degrees this morning.
the fishing went from great to just so so for all our houses.
Colorado probably had the best fishing of the fleet. They caught 15 walleyes 4 elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappies, a couple perch they also missed 18 fish.
Darrin did get 9 elusive upper red lake crappies Saturday night. plus 5 walleyes and quite a few scuffits. I have always said if your getting very small walleyes the crappies are in the area.
Texas had decent fishing thursday then she fizzled out.
California had a few fish, The guys in alaska and utah went with the snowbear friday and it was ugly only landing 3 fish, sounds like he did much better saturday.
I set Rod up with his wheelhouse they did get a couple elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappies 4 plus a few walleyes.
Old minnesota has just done all right, Heather did get an elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappie. She also lost a big walleye at the hole. They love the charm of old minnesota and I expect to see them again.
Tennessee just did so so with 2 elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappies and 5 walleyes.
North dakota and florida had rick, lenny, len jr.and Mike? those two houses had the poorest fishing only getting a handful of fish.
Montana had Jason and his two boys they also managed to get a few fish but nothing to brag about.
Yesterday I drove from this end of the lake all the way to rodgers in black beauty 1\2ton truck in 2-wheel drive. I cannot believe all the area that looks like no one has fished all year. There is a area I would like to get to I have been trying to get back to that area for years. This may be the year. Jake will be coming up towards the end of the week. I going to talk him into going out there with me if mother nature cooperates.
I have been reading all the archive’s from years ago. 2015 was the year we pounded on the elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappie, that was the year we all had the magical fishing that this grand lake can offer.
Watching all these fishermen with the cheatmaster3000 fish eliminator as my brother and I call it. The poor crappies do not have a chance. I know we sure would like to keep catching them for the next 20 years. The hammer and I sometimes will keep 3 with noodles and veggies is enough with left over fish. My personal opinion if you harvest fish with the cheatmaster 3000 fish eliminator you should at least only be able to keep half your limit. Watching 6 guys keep 60 is tough to swallow. The dnr does not manage this lake for these special fish she is a walleye lake. They have been doing a fantastic job with the walleyes in my opinion. I never expected to see trophy walleyes.
We’re hoping to do some tip up pike fishing the next few days as it’s always fun to tie into a big fish.
We have a few open houses for the week and a full house the last weekend of big game fishing. Our plans are the same as every year for the past 23 years to stay out looking for the mother lode of the elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappie. Will have to keep a eye on the pressure ridges, plus have some back up plans for getting the fleet home. Yesterday the crew and buddy hillman had to move the bridge again. I can see why he does not want wheelhouses going over it as they spent close to 2 hours chopping and giving the trucks a good workout. It now sounds like they are again working on it out there at this time.
I also plan on fishing every night just to enjoy the relaxation. Might even talk the hammer into spending the night out there on a grand lake that owes us nothing.

23 years doing this here on the shores of upper red lake. Every year mother nature seems to give us something different. With all the warm temps we were lucky the fog and clouds kept the sun from doing his damage. The rain we had last week had me a little worried as the water was going down the holes like a toilet being flushed over and over and over. We did drill some extra holes around some houses to stop all the water going down just one hole. When the temps dropped the water slowed down by morning most of the water was gone other than some spots the water was too deep to freeze in one night. As of yesterday, I would say 99 percent of any standing water has refrozen. I did see just a couple holes that were close to be big enough for a tire drop in. There really is no way to check every inch of ice out there so that’s why they say ice is never 100 percent safe. In the last week I have not measured any thing under 19 inches. Hillmans bridge again. Finding a good spot was quite the chore as the pressure ridge had gotten quite a bit wider. You could see why Buddy Hillman did not want wheelhouses to go over it as some would have been stranded up to 6 hours as that’s about how long it took to find and prep a new spot. We were able to still get to our clients, but it was around about way. This past weekend three vehicles tried to cross the south side of hillman’s highway. When it cracked and sank it basically created another pressure ridge. As I have said over and over for years if it doesn’t look right don’t drive over it. All three had to be jerked out.
Now for the fishing report I had heard that a few wheelhouses that set up a lot shallower caught quite a few fish over the weekend.
Our houses all did very well with most catching more than a few. We did get our old friend ole to come up before the rain and he was just tickled pink to catch 10 elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappies Plus his 4 walleyes. It made up for the previous week when he had gotten skunked.
I was able to enjoy old Minnesota a couple times even landing a couple fish.
Jonny boy and his sweetheart heather\feather fished old minnesota catching a few of the ever elusive but still catchable upper red lake crappies. She managed to set the hook and land 7.
North dakota had Tony and his family they took home their limit of walleyes plus a couple bonus crappies.
Florida has Jessica and her son and his friend they have caught a variety of fish all three days. Austin her son wants her to by florida fish house.
Boar and his wife were in Montana Boar figured they caught more than a few fish over 50.
Colorado had Kyle and his buddy’s they had fantastic fishing.
Tn had Steve and Magen they only landed 15 fish but did miss quite a few.
Texas did the worst off all the houses? They had a grand time anyway.
Utah has Britt and his dad they caught fish the first night saturday and planned on keeping fish last night. Let’s hope that plan works.
Friday was a chore trying to bank the house as all the snow was gone. As the temps dropped, we did get a little bit of snow but good old mother nature had to throw in 25 mile per hour winds.
Now looking at the extended forecast we will start making more ice by Wednesday, Thursday. We do have Tennessee open next weekend plus some houses open during mid-week and next. The big game fish season has only 12 nights left, wow what a crazy winter.