Public Lake or Private road?

coyote…I used the word reasonable “loosely” for various reasons in my last post.

big g

Everybody should go plow a froven road sometime and then go run a drag over it for a few hours after that then they might understand.

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Once I get to a mudflat, if I find an open hole – I surely don’t owe the guy that drilled it a fee! If somebody driving past sees me catch a fish and they move close – I am not entitled to a guide fee! Same issue as driving on a plowed road on the water.

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Here’s my million dollar Idea! Don’t tell anyone please. I’ll go out there and plow my own road right next to theirs! I know it should be safe, but I don’t have to gaureentee anything anyways, then I can charge people for using when come from the public landings! $$$

Then what I’ll do is grab my GPS with my navionics chips and plow roads with my 4 wheeler or better yet, my John Deere Riding Snow blower, which ever one is lighter, around and through each flat and as soon as someone drives on it, Bingo! $10 please!!!

I wonder if I can do that on public land? Walk a path a couple times, cut any branches that might poke an eye out, move any stumps, logs that be a tripping hazard, post a couple stakes along the side, so they can follow the trail easier and the BAMMMMM! $10 please!!!!!!!!!! Mucho Bucko’s!!!
Again please don’t tell anyone!
I’ll pay if the conditions make it neccessary, but other then that… I don’t think so!
I’ll shut up now and go work on my business plan!

Gonna haul that 30 foot bridge with the John Deere too…. again, I did specify reasonable… for good reasons. Oh and after your done, then let everybody drive on it for free & tell you to go copulate yourself, then you have the scenario down right.

Glen Ertl

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Oh and after your done, then let everybody drive on it for free & tell you to go copulate yourself, then
Glen Ertl

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Exactly the mindset I was mentioning. “let everybody drive on it”??? Let them? Oh thank you so much for “letting” them.

Like I said before – I usually go through a resort, am happy to pay, but the air of entitlement that they are “letting” somebody drive there is what I disagree with.

When I went through a resort on MIlle Lacs this year and paid my $10 and parked among a few hundred rigs…..I had a hard time feeling sorry for the poor plow guy(this was long before he burned the first gallon of gas for the year) that shafted by a couple of guys that accessed through a public launch.

Tim

I figure in about 2 season I should have enough money for a bridge, plus I have CHAINS on my wheels!
Hypothetically, what if I already copulate?

set on land drink a 12 pack of budweiser and thank about it

Thanks Timmy, you hit the nail on the head. THAT was the word I was trying to think of….”entitlement”. You and I see eye to eye on this. I gladly pay when I access from the resort, but if I don’t and end up on someones plowed road, they are notentitled to payment just for plowing it. When people get confrontational about it makes me more determined to find an alternate route onto the lake.

My question is this. Two weeks ago while at Mille Lacs we fished out a resort so the road fee was included. I was on my atv 2-3 miles south of the resort and wanted a quick burger and beer. This year there is little snow so I was only on another resorts roads for a block to gain access to the bar. Is it suggested that I pay a 10.00 road fee to gain access to their business for a quick lunch. If so how is that differant from plowing their parking lot so customers can gain access? I completely agree that a fee is fine for nonpublic access to the lake for fishing..ect. But should I have to pay 10.00 to get a 5.00 burger?

You cannot change a leopards spots, nobody can.

big g

Sounds like the makings of a good soap opera. “As Mille Lacs Turns”.

I do understand both sides to this BS. To me it is pretty simple, NOBODY owns the ice/water, period.

Just my humble opinion.

Just a contest of wills. Boring….

This topic comes up every year on numerous websites. Always a good fight, I will say that!

Here is my take. If you are going out of a public access and driving all over resorts plowed roads(not just crossing) and not paying, you are a dink in my eyes. On the other side of the coin, if you are a resort owner out there demanding money from everyone on your road without a sticker on their window, you are also a dink in my eyes.

Fortunately, 99% of people are honest and will pay to use these roads. And 99% of resort owners don’t go around trying to collect fees from everyone, most just get them at the landing and leave it at that.

No, noone owns the lake. And no, it is not right to use these roads without paying. It might be legal, but it is not right.

Well said.

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Its not harassment if he plows it shut without disturbing your fishing. You can not set a tip up more than 200 feet from yourself, so if he plows the road shut 205 feet away from you your arguement is mute

jack that sounds so much like you

Thats being taken a bit out of context, but what ever. I’m 100% on the resorts side of this issue. Those people work way to hard for people to freely take advantage of their hard work.

I suppose some here would also think it justified to drill holes in a road to fish there because its public water also!

Well if there are 2 reasonable sides to this issue (which there would be if it’s reasonable to use a resort access and also reasonable to use a public access), then to be 100% on either side here doesn’t really come off as reasonable.

Pig Hunter probably had the best summation of reasonableness on both sides when he said:

If you are going out of a public access and driving all over resorts plowed roads(not just crossing) and not paying, you are a dink in my eyes.

On the other side of the coin, if you are a resort owner out there demanding money from everyone on your road without a sticker on their window, you are also a dink in my eyes.

I would also add that if anyone is drilling a hole in the middle of the path plowed by the resort OR drilling a hole in the well beaten path from a public access, that person is really being a dink.

And if any plow truck driver is legitimatly plowing his normal path and his plow bank crosses someone elses path so be it. But if he deliberatly plowed someone in for the express purpose of blocking them in. Then that plow driver is really being a dink.

The real reason this is even an issue is not because of the presence of snow at some times and the lack of snow at other times, it’s because at times some from each side have acted like REAL DINKS.

Desparado, that pretty much nails it down!

JDLII, don’t you stir this pot every year?

Just an idea. If most people agree a fee for access is reasonable why not try to make the process uniform. One way would be to set up a board that all the resorts with lake access could be able to join. Set a seasonal fee for ice fishing access..example 2006-2007 season, that would be a one time fee for unlimited use during that season. The fees collected would be distrubuted evenly among the resort owners during or at the end of the season. Persons purchasing the “season pass” would be given a sticker or window tag and allowed access at any of the participating resorts and access to their roads. Resorts that chose not to join could still charge access fees, but my gut tells me if I can pay one reasonable fee for the season I would chose to use the mutiple sites all season version over just one seperate resort each day. Just a thought.

The only way a resort is entitled to money is if one uses their property to access the lake. That’s it. They don’t own the road, ice or lake. How can a resort owner expect cash for use of something that’s not theirs in the first place??
They don’t OWN THE LAKE! To charge folks for being on public waters would be illegal!

With that said, I do use the resorts, I do pay. I also go cross country (4Wheeler) from a private residence and cut across roads or hop on them for a mile or two, alhough I don’t need to with the lack of snow, if the spot I’m headed to is along the road, I’ll take it. I’m not going to go out of my way when I’m on public water.

Yes, it’s good to support the local economy, I do it myself, infact I spend a pile of money with the resorts every year, from road passes to food. But to expect payment for use of public waters isn’t only wrong, it’s illegal.

Where does it end? Should I…Pay for mearly crossing the road? Pay for 1/2 mile use? Pay for 1 mile+? Where do we draw the line? Right at their poperty line, that’s where.

If you walk/run/bike in front of my house on the public bike path, which I plow, salt and keep clear, and I come out and tell you that you need to pay me. Would you pay me? You should, it’s my time,gas,oil,salt and wear and tear on my wheeler! I’m doing it for you, so you have a safe path, you should pay me!! This is what many of you guys are saying. IT’S NO DIFFERENT!

I’ll say again, I do pay these resorts when I use their property, which is often, but to expect money from people using public property is BS.

BIRDDOG

I sure hope all the resort owners are reading this thread!!Maybe next year or the the coming years we wont have roads to travel on.Then listen to all the tight A@@’s on here complain about their wrecked tires and equipment or trucks going thru the ice!! Thats when the BS will really start!!

As a first time visitor to the pond this year I thought it was odd at first to see people come in and pay 10 for a truck and 25 for a wheel house. As I sat in the resort having several waiting for our shack to open, I saw a ton of $$$$ change hands and no one even blinked about it. I think everyone would be happier with a system of a supply and demand scale. If you drive on through my resort, no snow, no bridges, say 5 bucks. If I have to put out a bridge or 2 I can see the 10. I don’t think anyone wants something for nothing, but no one enjoys paying for nothing either, cut some slack where slack is due and collect dues where they are deserved. Just another view.

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JDLII, don’t you stir this pot every year?

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No! I speak my opinion openly just like several people with opposing veiws speak theirs. Thats the reason its called an open debate. If anything, I would venture to say that if someone were to be labeled for “stirring the pot”, it would have to be the person who starts a heated discussion on sensitive issues.

(No offense intended Wade )

This is my last post on this thread. I have now had 2 members who have never even met me take personal shots at me for speaking my opinion, and its is not worth being insulted to continue.

No just stating a fact. I didn’t mean it as an attack. I pay the fees to use the roads or land or what ever the case. 50 bucks in gas, 7-10 in bait, 400 for the fish house 5k for the Atv. 30k for the truck. 400 for the locator, 500 in other gear. Whats another ten bucks to get out to the spot. Pay the fee dont pay the fee I dont care.

See you all next year on this topic. Then we can beat this DEAD MULE again. I am learning to like it and look forward to it.

Jack, Your honesty and willness to debate are whats great!!To many people are chicken [censored] to say how the really feel about certain subjects, keep it up!! Don’t let the HELMETS on here run ya off!!