Heads up on Fisherman Inn's landing….

Jim Peterson, owner of Fisherman’s Inn sent this note to me to pass along to others who have used the landing at Fisherman’s Inn in the past. The landing is private and I have watched this coming for some time now…..

“Tom,

We are going to shut down our ramp access for summer and winter use on November 1 2015. After 28 years of battling the people who use it we have decided it is not worth the garbage associated with leaving it open. The insurance and repairs along with the lip service have left a fowl taste in our mouths. Over the past 3 winters I have done a survey as to how many people use the ramp and how many also patronize our restaurant and have found the numbers disappointing. It is true that 90% of the people appreciate having the ramp but a small number have ruined it for the rest.

I am passing this on to you to get the word to the fisherman so they can make other plans.

Thanks

Jim

Fishermans Inn”

Tom ,I am surprised it has taken this long for them to shut it down !

Some people just dont get it !

I sure hope the regulate the parking on the DNR ramp.

Jim has put up with a ton of crap out there for years and he has tried to be fair with people but they just keep screwing over, so yes its about time.

Hope that doesn’t hurt the restaurant I would figure their isn’t much reason to even go down that way except to use the ramp. Guess the pondy will get that much more service I might not be thinking that right but would make sense.

So what’s going on out their what are people wrecking?

I don’t have a dog in this fight, but I use a public launch that shares it’s parking with a restaurant during ice fishing season’. I used to go in and have breakfast at least one of the mornings I was there over a weekend, but it was dead so they stopped breakfast. Now though I make sure I go in and get dinner. Although not the most appropriate attire, since I’m off the ice and I have my frabill suit on…it cost more than their sport coats, but that’s besides the point. Anyways, I order dinner and behave myself and tip well. I sure hope the owner notices so as to keep good relations up. I just wish other ice fishermen would do the same, but most are way to cheap and pinch their pennies to hard.

The thing is their are many ways to get on this water and the better fishing in my opinion is closer to the other launches. I understand this owners frustration but sometime being a restaurant on a lake like this or resort owners or any kind of buisness that make their money off fisherman your kinda at their mercy. Just saying shut that launch down it will make that restaurant take a hard hit.and ponderosa will love it. But whatever these boaters and fishermen are doing to upset this gentlemen it would be smart to stop so everybody can enjoy this great body of water from both end

Jim won’t get hit by this move. As it stands, people have the option to buy a day pass or a season pass, both of which offer a free drink on the day pass or a hamburger/drink on the season pass….something as a token thanks for doing business. People just drive past during the winter or launch and not pay during the summer. he isn’t making any money on the launch as it is and the cost of maintaining it is unreal….kind of like feeding the neighbor’s dog but not being able to take it hunting. I don’t blame him a bit.

And yes there is always the public launch on the other end of the lake that is free. No watchdog either. And its a mess as a rule. You pay at the Pondy too so he might pick up some extra business if the ramp isn’t all rutted out. Basically now would be a good time for the DNER to clean out the other landing at the Co.Rd 12 bridge and make it usable again.

As an up-date for this issue….it appears that Jim has moved the closing date up to the current time. He has the access barreled off and according to one good source has stated that he is no longer interested in finding a solution to the problems the ramp creates and that access is a thing of the past. The only access available at a public level is the Ponderosa site.

This was in tonight’s Post Bulletin Newspaper….

Andrew Setterholm, [email protected] | Updated 8 hours ago

ORONOCO — Lake Zumbro boaters and anglers have for years been accustomed to launching their watercraft from Fisherman’s Inn, a restaurant on the bank of the 600-acre lake.

They soon might need to find another boat ramp — Fisherman’s Inn owner Jim Peterson has closed the private ramp that until now had been a popular lake access. Though he is weighing his options for re-opening it, this likely will be the last summer the ramp is available.

The asphalt ramp has deteriorated with heavy use and now requires major repairs. The costs run from a $16,000 patch-up to a $60,000 full replacement, depending on the owner’s plans.

Peterson said his goal is to get the ramp back into working order this season, but next year, it could close for good.

“We’re just weighing all the options,” Peterson said. “From an emotional standpoint, you know, it’s fun and the ski club has used it. But we’re starting to look at it from a business standpoint.”

Peterson said his restaurant has been subsidizing boaters’ use of the private ramp. There is a fee to launch from the Fisherman’s Inn ramp, but without a gate and constant monitoring, the fee is nearly impossible to collect, Peterson said.

Peterson said he tried to sell the boat access to the Department of Natural Resources so it could make it into a public access, but the agency had no interest.

SkiDox Water Ski Team, formerly the Rochester Water Ski Team, has been performing at Fisherman’s Inn for decades. The team will maintain access to the boat ramp this year, and Peterson is required to give the club a year’s notice if he plans to close the ramp, he said.

Melissa Mergen, SkiDox board president, said the club plans to help Peterson with the cost of repairs to the ramp, but details have not been finalized.

“We will be helping him fix the ramp. We’re just kind of working some things out at the moment,” Mergen said.

SkiDox performances, which take place every Wednesday evening from Memorial Day to Labor Day, are planned to continue.

“Our ski shows are going to be going on as planned this summer,” Mergen confirmed.

Next year might be a different story.

“The goal is get it open for this year, and then potentially close it for good next year,” Peterson said.

With only one public boat launch on the lake aside from the Fisherman’s Inn private access, boaters will have to make other plans to access the water.