Being superstitious friday the 13th is never a favorite day for me. I learned to accept it as just another day.. At 19 below this morning any issues can be blamed on the weather.
Shelly and Bob from montana staying in our fishhouse nick named montana started yesterday morning with there side by side in enclosed trailer with a dead batterie. Battling 19 below here on the shoresof upper red lake are always a eye opener. When he tried to open the seat she did not want to budge. After retrieving a batterie charger trying to hand it to Bob I broke the red clamp off the charger welcome to 19 below. They decide the best option would go buy a new batterie in Baudette. They ended up out on the lake buy noon only to get skunked as moving after getting set up was not a option.
Ozzy and the boys in California did find a few fish. They have been coming for years and might get a surprise if jonny boy decides too get her onto the lake on fishable water for the evening bite. Yesterday morning when I stepped into california there was a snap in the door. It broke a metal hinge. Welcome to 19 below
Dane and his buddy staying in Chris’s Custom fish house also found a few again. Battling mother nature, moving after getting set up is not a great option. Welcome to 19 below
Our nephew Scott decided to take is small ice castle onto fishable water so we will see how they did later today. His brand new 4-wheeler did not start welcome to 19 below.
Bob showed up with colorado last night so he will be using his house before he leaves it with us for the season.
Darrel staying in florida coming up from Indiana lost a wheel on his truck just 7 miles from arrival. The tow truck brought his trailor here before taking it to blackduck for repairs. His john deer tractor would not start yesterday morning welcome to 19 below.
One of my golden rules was I do not move houses when it 20 below for a reason. Mother nature at her finest.
Our help rolled in for the season Dusty. Dusty and jonny boy will be taking her on this year as I recover from my back surgery coming up.
Today the plan will be able to take a couple of the smaller ice castles out too fishable water.
I have seen a couple of the elusive yet still catchable upper red lake crappies with two close friends getting a couple on their adventure.
Today we wave to mother nature goodbye 19 below on a grand lake that owes us nothing.

well well where to begin. The fishing started off a little slow last week but boy did it pick up as the weekend went along. Yesterday Rizo and his gal figured they caught over 50 fish. Ed arrived yesterday and did well just a little way out. Most of the crews staying down at the lake all went home with limits plus a few had fish frys saturday eve.
I did see a pic of where a side by side dropped a track into a crack and got hung up. I have seen that before when they drop in the track will get hung up under the ice and make it impossible to drive out. No one got hurt or even wet that I know of.
I have also heard of some larger areas of only 5 inches of ice so pay attention to the resorts that ask you not to go exploring beyond their boundaries.
We have gotten 2 to 3 inches of wet snow since yesterday so it is any one guess how this is going to affect the ice condition? Mother nature and time will determine that. If you are venturing out just common sense would be a good thing to have.
Jonny boy has shuttled a few fishermen out that have come with no machines, Dusty should be arriving for the season so he may be able to help also. The phone has been busy off and on we still have many nights open for sleepers.
Our good friends Darrin and Dan have started with a few houses to rent this year D and D fishing. Darrin 218 390 1949 Dan 218 428 8904.
Jonny boy is doing a fantastic job keeping everything running smooth. Making it much easier on my older bones.
I’m going to give blue thunder her first work out in a bit.
The temps are predicted to nosedive in the next few days on a grand lake that owes us nothing but keeps on giving

Just like that most of the resort are allowing side by side and under out onto the lake. You still need to use common sense. If it does not look right do not drive onto to check it out.
We do have a full house this weekend and will have some fishing reports from our customers.
I’m hearing reports of 9 to 10 inches of ice. I’m sure Jonny boy is itching to get out there and wet a line himself. We will be checking in some customers today.
Darrin and Dan will also be coming up today. They have acquired a few houses and are planning on renting them out this season.
We have plenty of openings still. You can check out our houses on our web page cookiesonupperredlake.com
If your a beer drinker plan on buying beer before you arrive in waskish as the store here in town has no beer? Yes no beer. Westwind does have some off sale.
I’ve decided to have back surgery this year so Jonny boy and the crew will be running the show for a couple weeks.
We have about 3 inches of snow on the ground so its a winter wonderland here on the shores of upper red lake.. I hear a couple of the trucks running so Jonny must be in the driveway.
If I was a guessing kind of guy, some resort may start allowing 1/2-ton trucks out buy mid december. There is a good chance we will be getting some of the smaller houses out on fishable ice buy mid december also. Mother nature will have a lot to do with that decision.
We have heard of a few sketchy areas out there so listen to the resorts you go out of.
I should have a decent fishing report sunday morning as I visit all our fishermen this weekend on a grand lake that owes us nothing

Every year is different. This year is started off with a nice cold wave to make a quick 6 inches of ice. A recent satellite pic looks like there is no open water which makes the ice less likely to shift. With more snow and high winds, the next 48 hrs. I would advise no fishing period. Try to stay off the lake.
It’s not a problem for me as I rarely go on lake until I can drive blue thunder.
We do have some open houses on shore this weekend. I’m looking forward to that first fish fry at JRS.
Sounds like a crack formed last night. Were not sure if it made it up this way but will know later. Heard of just a few fish caught which a few from a fisherman could mean 12, A few to me is 3, not 12, 2 is a couple not 8, Some is 3 to 5.
Jonny boy has been working his you know what off getting all the manual, hard work done as I’m transitioning away from all the hard work.
Not much else to say at this time as we batten down the hatches for the predicted high winds on a grand lake that owes us nothing

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.