Updated February 1, 2012

• It's been a mild winter with only minimal snow.  Our temperature has dipped below zero only on 4 mornings and there is about 6 inches of snow on the local trails, which are open for cross country skiing and snowmobiling.
• Anglers are out and about on area lakes.  I have fished a couple of lakes and had some success.  It seems that perch are a bit more plentiful than most years.  Ice thickness is around 10-18 inches on the lakes I've fished.
• Our lake froze on December 2.
• Deer hunting was slow this season.  Burnett and Washburn County registration during the traditional gun hunting season was about 40% lower than last year.

• Kevin F. caught and released this beautiful musky on Benoit Lake on October 29.  The 44.5 inch fish took a bulldog over the weeds.  Great catch Kevin!
          

• Jake and I caught and released this 36 inch musky on Benoit Lake on October 1.  The fish took an in-line spinner in shallow weeds.
    

• Deanna and Martin V. caught and released a pair of healthy 30-inch muskies on our lake during the third week of September.  They were using Mepps spinners over the weeds.  Good job Deanna and Martin!
   
               

• Dave R. caught and released a 47-inch musky on a nearby lake on September 19.  "It hit my spinner bait hard and ran under the boat.  I didn't think I'd get him in the boat."  But Dave did land the behemoth!  Good job Dave!
   

• We have just about finished the repairs and clean up from the tree that fell onto units 3 and 4 on July 1 (see below).  The roof has been repaired, the steps have been replaced, and sod has been planted in front of units 3 and 4.  The gutters are scheduled for replacement on September 23.  Things are pretty tidy right now.
   
• My son, Jake, and I caught and released this 33-inch musky and 26-inch northern pike on Benoit on September 17.
   
  
        
• We had several killing frosts on the mornings of September 14-16.  The mosquitoes are gone!
• I caught and released this 19-inch bass on Benoit on September 11.  It was in water about 5 feet deep and took a large plug.
      
• The wild rice crop was again dismal this year.  We only harvested barely enough for our family.  Unfortunately, we'll not have any for sale over the coming year.  Hopefully the crop is better (and at least normal) next year.
• Bryan A. caught his first musky on September 4.  It was a spunky 24-incher that took a Mepps on Benoit.  Congratulations Bry!  Hopefully you catch many more!
       
• The DNR stocked 297 fingerling musky into our lake on August 29 and 30.  The fish were 9-12 inches long.  Our boys assisted releasing the fish.  If you look closely in the second photo, you can see 4 of the fingerlings in their new home.
      
  
      
• The large red oak near our dock was uprooted during a wind storm on July 1.  Fortunately there were no injuries and the damage to the building is minor.  The steps and walkway will be rebuilt during mid-August.  The biggest loss is the afternoon shade this tree provided for units 3 and 4.  The tree was about 85 years old.  Our winds were over 60 mph; nearby winds were over 100 mph.  We have removed the tree and brush and will need a professional to extract the stump.  The tree stump tipped back into the crater once all the limbs were removed.
  
• Jacob, my son (on left), and his cousin Rich, caught these bass on a lake nearby on June 25.  Good job guys!
  
• Martin Vota caught and released a 42.5 inch tiger musky on Benoit Lake on June 24.  His wife Deanna helped boat the beautiful fish.  The fish took a bass plug.    This very fine fish established a new resort record for tiger musky!  Great Job Martin and Deanna!
  
• I caught and released a fat 19 inch bass on June 24 on Benoit Lake.  The fish took a musky plug.
  
• My cousin, George Novak, caught and released this 20.75 inch bass on a nearby lake.  I was the net-man!  The fish took a plastic worm in a weeds.  George won the best bass of the week during my annual family reunion.
  
• Dave Broertjes caught and released a 52 inch musky on Benoit Lake on June 8.  The beautiful fish took a spinner on light tackle.  His wife Carolyn netted the goliath.  The net broke in the process, but Dave and Carolyn still managed to boat the trophy.  After measuring the fish, they spent the next 15 minutes reviving the beauty before releasing it.  This fish shattered the previous resort record (45 inches).  Dave plans on having a reproduction made to hang on his wall.  CONGRATULATIONS Dave and Carolyn!  This is a terrific fish!  It is wonderful that you have released the fish so that someone else might also have a chance at catching the fish of a lifetime!

• Bass, crappies, bluegills, northern pike, and walleyes have been biting on area lakes.  On Benoit, bass and crappies are spawning and are in shallow waters.  Several nice walleyes have been caught on nearby lakes.  Some of the recent catches are shown below.  Bluegills have just started to move into shallower waters for spawning.
• These crappies were taken on Benoit from weedy bays using minnows and bobbers.

• My cousin George Caithamer and his son George caught these nice bass on an area lake, May 27.

• Cousin George Caithamer also caught this nice 23.5 inch walleye on a nearby lake.  The fish took a spinner bait with a twister tail.  Good job George!

• Shawn W. caught this 21-inch walleye on Benoit Lake, May 26.

• Leonard C. caught and released this 36 inch musky on Benoit Lake, May 24.  He was bass fishing.

• Leonard C. also caught this 28.5 inch walleye on a nearby lake.  What a nice fish!  Good job Leonard!

• Conservation officers recently busted some of our clients that were 131 fish over their possession limit.  The fish were taken from our lake and nearby lakes.  Three anglers will face fines totaling about $2,900.  We wish that these clients had not been violating fishing regulations.  They will not be welcome back to our resort.
• My son, Ben, broke through the ice on our bay on the morning of February 5, 2011.  He did not fall into the lake, but landed on his rear and only got his feet and legs wet.  We were lucky, because where he broke through, the water was 11 feet deep.  He had accidentally wandered too close to a muskrat breathing hole that was 90 yards from shore.  Nearby the ice was 14 inches thick.  Be careful if you are on the ice!
• A new state law prohibits smoking in motel and tourism rooms statewide.  The law went into effect on July 5, 2010.  Smoking is still permitted outside.  We ask that our guests please respect this new law and also properly dispose of their butts.
• We again are offering locally made pure maple syrup for sale.
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