Tetu Blog

Here we Go!

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:48:00 GMT

We took our first load up yesterday! I still get that excited feeling when I cross that border. One of anticipation, knowing that in a few days we will start having our friends show up one by one. Meaning the great Tetu team, they are like family and we miss them all winter, and always look forward to their return.

It will be about a month of prep and then all of our great guests and friends start to return! We start the season with a group from Avon, Mn. Midsota, they make the best trailers we have ever used (if you ever need one check them out). They are bringing their team up for 3 days of fun! Then we have the season in full swing, and it's a great one thanks to all of our loyal friends and guests!

We have a lot of work to do this spring, busy-busy-busy! Two generators to install. We are putting a complete new water system in, it will be state of the art! Fresh, clean drinking water everywhere, and the best part- plenty of pressure! Thank you Kurt, he works with another great team at Pipeline Supply! If you have plumbing needs see them, they have a great showroom down in Hopkins. Then we get done with that we get to start the AC project, we will have the lodge and the fort done this year for sure, hopefully more. New motors to be put on the boats. We have chosen Yamaha 90's this year, or at least the guides did. That's what they wanted, they know best! Wow, I'm tired just thinking about everything to be done! It's a good thing we have a great team.

It looks as though our friend Matt Thompson was able to get a work permit so he will finally be at Tetu! He will be a great help to all of us. Not to mention his fun loving personality! It will be nice to have him part of the Tetu Team!

Looks as though I will take another load up early Tuesday and stay for a while. Then Kathi to follow on Sat or Sunday. That will be great, it's been a long time since it was just she and I on the island. I'm going to love it!

Once we get the season in full swing we are going to start hauling a huge amount of gravel on to the island to fix up our road system there. It is need of a lot of work. We are putting a transom on our barge and will be able to push on it's own now. Thank you again, Midsota for the design - build on this project. 2 Yamaha 50's - high thrust will power it. It is quite the project, the barge moves up and down depending on the load as much as 20". Not an easy design to get the motors to travel that much. It will be nice to finally have this one done. It will make using the barge a dream!

The water is a bit low and the season is probably three weeks ahead of time. We should have great fishing right out of the box! I'm getting excited for it as we talk, just four weeks and it all starts!

See you then!

Ed and Kathi

PS: We still have some openings for early June, not many but if you are still thinking-it's time to do!

March Already!

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 02:46:00 GMT

Hello everyone! Hope everyone is having a great winter! We have been busy going to shows and meeting some of our friends. Looks as though we are going to have another great year at Tetu! Thank you to all of our great customers that continue to support us each and every year. Either myself or Kathi have been at a show every week except two. Long winter, but it seems to be working -so what the heck, keep doing it! Thank you to Katie for helping us this weekend, we had two shows going at the same time. She is always great in the booth and we definitely miss her at Tetu!

The dogs are great! A lot of frisbee and laughs for Kathi and I. The kids are doing well and as we all know that's a blessing for parents. Looks as though we will have them for Easter, which is always great! Kathi is excited this year to get back to the island this spring. Thank you Paulson Brothers! All it took was a new kitchen in our house up at the island- wish I would have known that years ago! Just kidding, it's great to have it comfortable upstairs after all these years. She deserves it!

I will be back to the island early this year, around the third week in April. Looks as though Rene and Curry are coming in early as well as Amanda and Mitch. We have a lot to get done this spring! 2 new generators to get wired and installed. All new water system going in this year to Tetu! We have designed a state of the art system thanks to Kurt at Pipeline Supply, here in Minneapolis. I would suggest anyone looking for new plumbing fixtures or water systems to call them! We are putting in all new waterlines, a large holding system with a new pumping system to deliver pure drinking water to the entire resort with 60lbs pressure at every tap! It will be great to finally have this solved! Also 2012 will kick off the beginning of A/C in the lodge and some of the cabins, the fort is a must. If money permits, we are hoping to redo cabin 6. That may be a dream but we will see. Also we have new motors coming, looks like we are turning our fleet over to Yamahas this year! Look forward to trying them.

Our great Tetu team is coming back together. We are going to miss Marsha and Pierre this year. Will be missed by all! The really great news is that Joy and Stephen are making there return to Tetu! Phoebe and Fabian are also returning after a few years off, it will be great to get them back home. Looks as though our friend Clint will be coming home this year also! We are applying for a work permit for Matt Thompson this year, we hope he can join our great Tetu Team! The verdict is still out on Tod, he is torn between love and fishing. It's a tough decision for him and we support him however it goes! {Although we hope it is a return.} We are so proud of each and every one of our friends and team members, without them it wouldn't be Tetu! Thank you guys so much!

Enough from me, it is time to spend some time with Kathi and the dogs before the shows start again on Wednesday. Look forward to a great 2012 season! See you soon, and if you haven't booked a trip yet - hurry up!

Thank you!

September 2, 2011

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 15:07:00 GMT

Hey Tetu Fans!

It's hard to believe it's already the beginning of September! Where did our summer go? We've been busy and happy with the outcome of the season, except for our water levels these last 8 weeks! We have dropped another 12 feet since July-I'm pretty sure we have never seen the water quite this low in the seventeen years we have been here!

Luckily, the boys have worked very hard to continue the fine fishing this system has to offer. It's amazing how these fish will adapt to the changes like we have experienced this year. The guides certainly earned their wages this year with so many changes and the warm temps we have had! This has been the warmest summer I can remember! I feel like I did when we lived in FLORIDA and the high humidity was a real challenge for our guests and staff!

As we begin to wind the season down, it gives all of us a chance to catch our breath! We were fortunate enough to have some nice, larger groups this year and we have secured them for next year as well. We enjoyed meeting so many new Tetu customers and friends!

Thanks to all of you have given us your comments or suggestions for upcoming trips-I promise that we listen to your ideas-Just the other day, someone suggested to us that we put more of the plastic hangers in the cabins instead of the wire ones, and the following day we made sure that we picked some up in Kenora and distributed them! It's the small things that help us, along with other ideas to make your trip exactly what you want!

As you all know, we have sure been short of precipitation this year! It's the longest we can remember without measurable rain in this area of Ontario. It's one of the strangest weather years that I can remember!

Our plan is to stay open as long as guests want to come and fish! Right now, our last guests will be departing the 26th of this month. That will put me back to Minnesota around the first of October, and Ed usually behind me by just a couple of days. The dogs will be sad to leave the island! They have enjoyed their freedom and all the guests this year! Caliber has healed from her surgeries and acting like a dog again! Let's hope she has an injury-free winter!

I'll make sure I write another blog before I leave the island at the end of the month! We thank all our Tetu guests for your visits and hope you plan your 2012 visit with us soon!

I'll also make a list of our Master Anglers soon and post it-some beautiful fish have been caught and released this year! Stay tuned!

Kathi

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Sat, 23 Jul 2011 19:34:00 GMT

Hello from Tetu Island Lodge!

Wow, where has July gone? It really whipped by us! Our 4th is usually one of the slowest times of the season, yet we were full and had a great holiday week-Fishing was great, weather behaved and there were plenty of nice Master Anglers caught and released-

We welcomed a wonderful new group from PEKIN Insurance on the 6th of July. This is a wonderful company out of Pekin, IL and we are still hosting them as I write this! Every four days brings us another 30+ fishermen/women from PEKIN and we're all having a blast with these fine people! We had some horribly hot weather to contend with and they were all troopers through it all. We're so grateful to add all of you to our "Tetu Family" and look forward to hosting you again next year! THANK YOU! It's so exciting to have so many new friends. We enjoy showing Tetu off to you all and we love all the positive feedback we are hearing from ALL of you! Once again, the Tetu Staff ROCKED and have been going strong with their fine skills, professional attitudes and their very hard work. Ed and I are so proud of this team and they sure didn't let us down!

For our Tetu friends that follow us on FACEBOOK, you see that Ed has been enjoying his new monster fryer for the group shorelunches! Once again, we thank BRAD from MID-SOTA Manufacturing out of AVON, MN! This has made our corporate lunches go so much smoother and it's so FAST that we can get these fishermen back on the water right after lunch! We've done 18 in a row now and down to the last 3 days, so Ed will be ready for a break!

We've purchased another 200 HP for one of the Crestliners-a special thanks goes out to Nisswa Marine for their quick response and installation. This week we also had to buy 3 new 90HP engines for the fishing boats.

FYI-If any of you have an iphone and have service with A T & T, your cell phones now work on the island! You'll even get service in some spots on the lake!

Our photo shoot went AMAZING! Scott and Tal were up during the third PEKIN group and they took some beautiful shots of them fishing, shorelunches, golfing, and in the dining room! We also finished our food shots, new cabin photos, aerial shots of the resort and staff/guide shots. We can't wait to see the finished product and choose some for the new 2012 brochure! Saksay even let them take some photos of him and we're hoping to do a special spread and article on him in this year's brochure.

Rene is back at Tetu! Their new daughter is doing wonderful and gaining some weight! He managed to get all the way home in time for her birth and he's one proud papa! Congrats, Rene!

Walleyes have been plentiful! 10 over 26 inches just in the last 3 days- We had a beautiful 45 inch pike caught and released by Frank McChesney the other day and we're finally seeing some big smallies on the board! plenty of 17 and 18's and occasional 19s. After the VERY long mayfly hatch (one of the longest and largest we can remember in 15 years!) we're now glad to see it is over and done with! I had forgotten just how horrible those things are and how awful they smell~ Whew~

I'm thrilled to report that we have a very busy August coming up! I think we only have 3 two day openings left, however, I am ready to wheel and deal on September dates anytime you are!

Daughter Kate and her boyfriend Chris are arriving this coming week. I'm so excited to finally get Chris up here, as he is a FISHERMAN and I'm hoping to get him on the muskies and big pike! Kate is no slouch herself, as her record for a muskie is about 51 inches! Our oldest son, J.B. from Naples, FL will also finally get back to Tetu the first week of September, along with Ed's sister Donna, also from Orlando.

We'll be announcing some exciting news soon for mid-September!~We're trying something DIFFERENT for Tetu then and we hope it will generate some interests, trips and BIG prizes for you! Stay tuned!

Thanks for taking the time to check in on us! We're thrilled to be having a fun and busy season again! Ed's hard work is finally paying off for us and we're both so excited about the future of Tetu Island Lodge!

Kathi

Mid June at Tetu Island Lodge

Sat, 18 Jun 2011 20:09:00 GMT

Greetings from Tetu!

I have to apologize for my lack of blogs these past two weeks! On June 5th, I had to take our yellow lab Caliber home to Minneapolis to her orthopedic surgeon's office and just returned yesterday so I feel I really missed 12 very important days and so many wonderful guests that I wasn't able to see and visit with! Caliber is doing great, they had to remove the TPLO plate from her previous surgery. She has had so much trouble with this surgery so we're glad we're about to the end of it-Thanks everyone, for understanding how important these dogs are to Ed and I!

Enough about OUR last couple of weeks, let's talk about some GOOD things happening here on Tetu Island. I'd like to acknowledge some of our Master Anglers we have had the pleasure of hosting:
Darrin Westemeier                          walleye                       27 inches
Todd Johnson                                  pike                            37 1/2
Marsha Wellman                             walleye                       26
Bernie O'Connor                             pike                            36
Ron Smith                                       pike                            35
Robert Warneke                              pike                            40 1/2
Doug Apt                                        smallmouth                 16 1/2
John Stark                                     walleye                        26
Jeff Ohman                                     pike                            38 1/2
Paul Sperazza                               smallmouth                 17 1/2
Leo Brunner                                  walleye                        26
Michael Lee Sr.                             walleye                        26
Don Martisauski                            pike                             36 1/2
Brett Paynter                                pike                              35
Don Martisauski                           pike                              36
Ken Buck                                     walleye                         28 1/2
Bruce Ervin    pike 35 1/2
Max Psihos    walleye 28
Sam Mauger    walleye 26
Matt Sperazza walleye    26
Matt Psihos sturgeon 34
Brett Paynter                               pike                              36
Ken Buck                                     pike                              40
Ken Buck                                    pike                               39
Brett Paynter                              pike                                39
Darin Keimig                               pike                               37
Tim Kyler                                    pike                               36
Harley Williams                          walleye                          26
Brendon Ervin                            sturgeon                        66 inches!
Brett Paynter                              walleye                          27
Bruce Paynter                            walleye                          28
Sam Mauger                              walleye                          26
Jason Dunlap                            sturgeon                        73 inches!
Jim Deleeuw                              walleye                         26
Jim Deleeuw                              walleye                         26
Jack Daniels                              walleye                          29 inches!
Ethan Richardson                      pike                              38
Samantha Devick                      pike                               37 1/2
Dave Doucette                          smallmouth                   16
Steve Devick                             pike                                35

Congrats, everyone-on catching and releasing these great fish! You all know what awesome fishing this system has and I have to admit that we have some of the best guides available in Canada!

Mother Nature is really messing with us this spring/summer and I think we are at least a week to 10 days behind normal temps, both air and water-We've certainly had our share of precipitation and I'm about ready for it to be over! Thank goodness most of our guests remember to bring or purchase good quality rain gear before their trip up! Notice how many of our FACEBOOK photos are pics of the guests and their fish in their rain gear!

We have a great season booked with a few openings left and would love to get these time frames filled, so if you are considering a trip up to Tetu this year yet, just give us a call-Our fall fishing is looking good and we're giving some nice healthy discounts for September! I am willing to bet we will have some beautiful and warm temps for the fall this year with the way the season is going.

Feels wonderful to be back! I have one more trip to Minneapolis planned for Caliber to remove the staples at the end of this month, but that will be a 2 or 3 day jaunt! Our 4th of July is filled this year and it should be a fun one! Stay tuned to hear about it!

Hope you are enjoying the FACEBOOK photos-Amanda works hard at keeping up with them-

Thanks, all for keeping track of us-we appreciate your feedback!

Kathi and Ed

2011 Fishing Season News

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 20:03:00 GMT

Dear Friends,

We're excited to get back to the island, and are ready to begin the 2011 season. We're excited to tell you that most of our current staff is returning for the new season! Our bookings look good, but we still have some exceptional openings that we'd love to have you fill!

To accomplish that, we're offering a special price on trips of three nights or more. If you buy a three night trip, we'll add another night for free. The trip must cover the Sunday night through Wednesday timeframe, and is based on availability. This offer is only good for new bookings, so if you've already booked one trip, please consider a second one! Please call us at 1-800-317-6941 to check calendars, and to book your trip.

We've rebuilt docks and have done some remodeling in the lodge. Now that Sak is back, we're looking at some new menu items for this year. If you have any suggestions, please go to our Facebook page and let us know what you'd like to see on the menu!

Speaking of Facebook, check out our page and view our latest "Big Fish" video.

Also, when packing for this year's trip, please remember to bring your Ontario Outdoor Card, if you have one. Having that card saves us time in getting your license, and saves you money, in that if you don't have the card with you, you'll have to re-apply which costs $15.

Thanks so much for your business, and your friendship. As we begin our 17th year, we are so grateful for your support.

Memorial Day Weekend at Tetu Island Lodge

Sat, 28 May 2011 18:49:00 GMT

It's been great to be back up at Tetu! Ed arrived two weeks ago with Darryl, Lindsay and Rene. I followed four days later and we've been going strong ever since! These last 3 days have brought in many of the remaining staff and Sak returned on Wednesday. I can't tell you how relieved I was to hand over the "oven mitts" to him! Although I love cooking for the staff in the beginning and end of each season, it's wonderful to have him back and taking care of the food! Marsha also is back in the Tetu kitchen baking, cooking breakfasts and the staff dinners at night.

The dock work was complete the first week, then I think Ed was in a building mode, as he tore out the bathrooms in the lodge and we are almost finished with the new ones. They look fantastic and hope you all appreciate them! The office is also getting a mini-remodel and we thank our good friend, Dave Gramling for providing the beautiful granite for the new counter. Also, Al and Ken Paulsen who also remodeled our home kitchen made us beautiful desk tops and counters to work off of in the new office area. Ed and the boys are working on cabins three and four today and replacing the vanity tops with beautiful granite ones, also from Dave's business in Eden Prairie. All this granite! It's gorgeous and what an improvement over the plain white ones! We're getting spoiled-

We have a returning party from IL, the Pini family fishing for the first day of our season today! It's a little cool and cloudy, but we're hoping they had a great first day on the water and caught some nice fish-We have a couple groups arriving this coming Tuesday with 27 people and by next weekend we will have a full resort! The resort weathered well this past winter and we're working on the landscaping and flowers today. New deck chairs were added on the front deck of the lodge and they look perfect out there-

We have a new generator coming in the next couple of weeks, so that's a relief. We also are purchasing a new 225 HP motor for one of the big Crestliners. The new dining room linens look beautiful and the girl's new serving outfits look great on them! Lindsay and Tracey will be returning to the dining room and we're in the process of finding one more gal to fill in while Joy is gone. Amanda is back in the office and we have a sweet new gal named Lilly for the laundry. Misty is also here and we're so glad to have "our girls" of Tetu back at it this season! What a great group of young ladies we work with and we're so fortunate to have them-they make everything here look great and CARE about their duties and make sure they are done RIGHT the first time!

The "boys" of Tetu have been so busy since they arrived I hardly see them except at meals-boats, landing, decks, docks, yardwork-you name it, they have been working hard on everything to prepare Tetu for the season. We have some great new guys who are joining the guide staff and they seem to be fitting in extremely well with everything. All of the new guys have some guiding experience so once they become familiar with our system, they will be out on their own.

Our labs-Cooper, Caliber and Muskie are all thrilled to be back at Tetu! Caliber had surgery in February and she is doing pretty well, but not quite back 100% yet on that back right leg. Muskie is hanging in there and she was so excited when we reached the landing on our trip up.

It feels awesome to be back here for the new season and we're excited to see everyone! We are offering some special rates and deals for the times we have left to fill. We're posting on our FACEBOOK page and will get some 2011 fish photos up soon.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend with your family and friends! We're thrilled to start the year off and are expecting some fantastic fishing and stories from all of our VIP guests and friends!

Kathi

Springtime Greetings from Tetu Island Lodge!

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 03:51:00 GMT

After an extremely long winter here in Minnesota, I cannot tell you how happy I am to see the snow almost gone here! It seemed like the winter would never end! After 5 years here in Minneapolis, this was the longest winter yet! I'm sure you all know that I left Florida kicking and screaming when Ed decided it was time to return to Minnesota!

   We are down to just a few weeks before Ed leaves for Tetu. Darryl will the the first of the guides to arrive and knowing him, he will arrive ready and willing to work hard! Lindsay will travel with him and she and I will open camp around the second to third week of May. Our first guests arrive early June and I know we will be ready by then. Ed has some work to do on the new part of the docks to complete before June. Sak will also arrive early June.

   As many of you will remember, our female yellow lab Caliber had surgery last winter on her left knee and had to have the same surgery on the right knee this last February. She is still in her healing stage and doing great! We'll have her ready for swimming and running the island by the time we open, so it's been along winter for her, as well. Muskie is hanging in there this winter and she will hopefully have another year with us this summer at the resort. Cooper is having a great winter and loving life!

   It's wonderful having the renovation completed here at our home. We had a house-full over the Christmas holidays and we loved entertaining our family again. My sister and husband came up from Kansas City, and both our mothers were here to celebrate the holidays with us. We have a small Easter planned and the following week will be time for Ed to leave for Tetu.

   We are so grateful to all of you who have decided to return to Tetu for another Canadian Fishing Trip! We look forward to the upcoming season and are excited to see all of you soon. The staff is lined up and arranging for their starting dates. We have a few new guides that will be joining us this season also. The kitchen staff will all return and we're looking forward to hearing how Sak's trip to Thailand was this winter.

   Early June has plenty of room if anyone is still undecided on dates, so give us a call and we would be happy to give you some pricing! Ed and I are ready to go back to work and get to Tetu soon-Ed should have power and phones by the second week of May up there and I will be arriving there AFTER the power and water is running! I can't WAIT for that first fresh walleye fillet to hit the fry pan!

   Hope all of you are enjoying some beautiful spring weather and sunny days! Let's hope for a beautiful May so we can get Tetu opened and looking great for our 2011 season! See you soon~

Kathi

Tetu Island Lodge Newsletter, Spring 2011

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 13:41:00 GMT

Hello Friends,

After this long winter, who isn't ready for a little open water, and a shore lunch? After the winter we've had here in Minnesota, we're really looking forward to welcoming you back to Tetu Island Lodge for the 2011 season!

It's been a busy winter for us. Ed has been traveling to sports shows throughout the Midwest, and is looking forward to heading north around May 1st.

We are excited for the coming season. After getting the generator started, Ed will get the lodge and office open. Then, he will start re-building the docks to make them more user-friendly for arrivals and landing boats. He will also be doing some updating in a few of the cabins, and around the grounds.

We are expecting to have most of last year's staff back this season, along with a few guides who have been with us in the past. We feel that this is a benefit to our guests. Our well-trained staff knows how to take care of guests and deliver the service you've come to expect.

Water levels are expected to be higher at the beginning of the year, given the amount of snowfall this winter, but not to worry. Tetu is on a controlled system that doesn't allow the water to get too high, or too low.

Thankfully, our bookings are ahead of last year at this time. We do have some additional openings during peak fishing times, so don't hesitate to call us to schedule your trip to Tetu Lodge. Also, if you can refer a new guest that books a trip with us, we will give you a 10 percent discount on your trip in 2011 or 2012. Talk to your friends and tell them about the great times you've had at our resort. We love referrals, and are thankful for every one of them. Please let us know if you need additional brochures to pass on to your friends. We'll ship them out to you ASAP!

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook. That is the best way to keep up on the fishing reports, weather, and the latest news from Tetu.

We're looking forward to seeing old and new friends this summer at Tetu Island Lodge! Thank you for your business.

The Tetu Difference

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:25:00 GMT

This is the time of year when we hear from so many of our former guests and meet new guests who will be coming to Tetu for the first time. We have spent a lot of time in recent weeks hitting trade shows in Chicago, the Twin Cities and elsewhere. The most common question we get asked is, "how is Tetu different than other Canadian resorts?" Some of the things we talk about are:

We believe that we have something very different than other resorts--our island location sits at the heart at spectacular river and lake system, allowing our guests to fish current, calm bays and at the edges of rapids--all in one day without leaving the boat! Structure-wise, our guides may lead you into rocky or sandy bottom structure, or quietly take you into a shallow, weed-lined bay to hunt for large pike or muskie. All this variety makes for a day of fishing that may look completely different from one hour to the next.
The term "all inclusive" is something usually used to describe large resorts in Mexico or the Caribbean. We talk about Tetu that way because all you need when you come to our resort is your clothes. We have top-flight gear for you and all the bait and lures you could ever ask for. Our boats are boats you would normally see on a recreational lakes--they are top-end, very comfortable and made to order for the type of fishing experience our guests have told us they want. Food-wise, we can promise you that you will eat exceptionally well every day. We could go on, but chances are if you are wondering if we do can this, or we can do that, there's a pretty good chance the answer will be, "yes." Many people tell us that the "net fishing and relaxing time" at Tetu is as high as any fishing resort they have been to before. We work hard to take care of every little detail so you can get settled, ready to fish and ready to take advantage of every minute you are with us. It's your time and we do everything we can do to make sure you get the most out of your stay with us.
Customization is also possible at Tetu. We have people that come to us and want to hit the water first thing and fish until the stars are starting to come out. Others are more laid back and prefer to go at an easier pace, come back and take a break at the lodge or extend the time of their shore lunch. One question you will be asked over and over by us, "so what do you want to do today?" We mean it when we ask that. Your days with us can be custom designed.
Our guests are a mix of families, business associates, old friends on a reunion and couples celebrating anniversaries. Some have fished their whole lives. Others have never held a fishing rod before. Last year, we had two couples come up and the wives had never fished before. By the second day, the women opted to go out with a guide on their own because they felt comfortable doing so and because they wanted to show their husbands a thing or two about catching walleyes. We love to see people come here and discover a newfound passion for fishing or being in the Canadian wilderness. It is one of the joys of our work and we see it happen every day.

These are just a few of the reflections from our recent run of trade shows and visits with our old friends and new guests.

Tetu 2011 is Fast Approaching

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 13:52:00 GMT

After this long, cold and snowy winter, who isn't ready to see open water and lush Canadian shorelines? Have no fear. It will only be a matter of weeks before the gorgeous waters of the English-Winnipeg river system are again ready to be fished and gazed at. And when that happens, all of us at Tetu will be ready to welcome you back for what we believe is the greatest fishing lodge experience Canada has to offer.

Call us today to book your 2011 Tetu getaway.

Tetu New Year and Holiday Greetings

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 03:41:00 GMT

January 4, 2011

Holiday Greetings from Tetu to all of you! I hope your holidays have been enjoyable and you have been able to spend some quality time with those you care about. Our Christmas was busy, which is a first here in MN for us! We had plenty of company from out of town, and with Scott and Kate around, it was a magnificent holiday and really fun New Years! Both of our mothers were here with us for about two weeks also!

Today we finished up with new carpet for the sport show booth! Ed will be able to pick up the new photos we chose and we're excited about the "new look" for the 2011 Tetu Island Lodge Booth display! We have needed this for awhile and we love it and hope you can come to one of the shows we are attending to get a look at it!

Our first show starts January 13th, in St. Charles, IL at the Pheasant Run Convention Hotel and Convention Center. Tetu will also be attending the American Outdoor Show in Chicago-Rosemont on January 26th through 30th. He is more than ready to get on the road and begin working again to get the reservations going for 2011!

Our winter is flying by with both of us working on the remodel of the house here in Minneapolis. It is nearly finished and has been worth the wait! It was awesome entertaining over the holidays and so great to have room for everyone! The dogs are also enjoying their winter, except we have recently found out that our poor yellow lab, Caliber is going to have to have another surgery on her right hind leg for the exact same injury she had LAST January on the LEFT leg! Whew~this little girl is expensive! But hopefully she will be good as new by the time we return to the island in the spring. She has a fantastic surgeon and a great vet to help us through it all.

We thank all of you who sent us your beautiful Christmas cards and holiday photos and wishes! We love hearing from you and seeing your families! It's always thrilling to have Tetu Island Lodge on the front cover of your holiday greetings!

If you are planning on a trip this year, I would suggest you get your reservations in as soon as possible-The weekends are filling quickly and we always want to try and fulfill your wishes on dates. We certainly can use some "help" with any bookings from you, or others you might have shared our Tetu info with! This economy doesn't seem to be magically improving like we had all hoped it would, but Ed and I are still so grateful for all our wonderful customers and the reservations~

Any questions or comments you might have, please contact us through the phones, emails, or Facebook. Hope to see some of you during the sportshow season! Thanks for taking the time to read our blogs, view our web site and we hope you enjoyed the beautiful 2011 Tetu Brochure. If you would like us to mail you another one, or have someone in mind, please let us know and send us the address and we would be happy to mail it out right away! We LOVE to share Tetu!

Happy New Year to all of you!

Kathi

Holiday Greetings from Tetu

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 02:58:00 GMT

December 4, 2010

   We hope that you and your family are enjoying this very special time of year. Ed and I have been busy decorating the house, yard and getting our holiday shopping in order. So many of my family and our friends are living in other states, so that forces me to get more organized much earlier than I used to!
   Ed and Tod were the last to leave Tetu for the season at the end of October. We had late hunters this year, and the poor guys had the most beautiful hunting "weather" you they had ever seen! Unfortunately, they had mid 70s most of the week they were at Tetu! Sorry, no big hunting stories to tell you! Maybe next year, guys! Who would have ever expected those temps for the end of October in NW Ontario?

   All the staff arrived safe and sound to their homes when they left in September and October. Saksay returned to Tetu to cook for the hunters, and Amanda, Mitch, and Jason left mid October, for Mitch to get back to Quebec so he could go to work at the caribou camp. I ended up coming back to Minneapolis without any of the dogs, as I had a week's vacation time with all my best girlfriends! I have known some of these gals since I was in junior high, so we go back a long time and we certainly enjoy our week every year. This year the gals came from PA, CO, IA and MN. Such a great time, thanks, Ed for helping me make that happen! Saksay, our chef drove down from Winnipeg and spent a very special Thanksgiving with Ed, Kate, and I. We took him to Mall of America on Black Friday and I am guessing he will never want to do that again, but I had a blast and always love shopping, no matter what day it is! We had a fun 4 days with Sak and it's always nice to socialize with our staff "away from Tetu" so we can concentrate a bit better on just having a great time!

   The 2011 Tetu Brochure is being printed right now and we hope to have them to you in the next couple of weeks. Thanks again, Bill Coontz, his awesome company, and of course, the ULTIMATE printing company, Quantum Graphics-both these fine companies are local and from the Minneapolis area and we're so lucky to be able to work with them! We hope you enjoy the 2011 Brochure-

   Hopefully, you have all seen the beautiful new web site and we'd love to hear what you think~We love our Facebook posts and hearing from you always makes us smile!

   On the Henn side of things, it's been a furious and fast late fall and early winter for us-The remodel is nearly done and we're finally able to enjoy it! It's beautiful and we love staying home now! I've kept Ed really busy with all of my to-do things and we haven't had much time to do anything but work, but it's coming together finally and it's all been worth the wait! Thank you so much, PAULSON BROS. WOODWORKX for their fantastic job on our cabinets! Thank you, W.D. FLOORING for the gorgeous hardwood floor! Kudos to Dave's Floor Sanding, and we thank DAVE ANDREEN CONSTRUCTION for this huge project! Dave is the very best contractor around and we're so lucky to have worked with him! We really appreciate ELECTROLUX for the appliances and ALL INC. for my BIG BAD WOLF! A HUGE hug and thanks to Dave Grambling, of NORTHWESTERN MARBLE AND GRANITE! It's beautiful, Dave! Tony-at AM plumbing, you are incredible! Steve Singer, PIPELINE SUPPLY for the fantastic plumbing fixtures! Thank you, SHAW-STEWART LUMBER for the supplies-Steve Sinkie, of HEATING AND COOLING 2, you are awesome and we love our heating/cooling systems! Mr. Rick Eder-your painting and staining skills are amazing-thank you! A big thanks to SOUTHERN LIGHTING, out of Burnsville, for the incredible lighting fixtures! Of course, I won't forget John Drew, who owns ULTIMATE EXTERIORS-we love it all, John-   All of these wonderful people are OUR TETU CUSTOMERS and we thank each of you so very much for helping us with our project!

   We're gearing up for starting the Sportshows, which begin early January. Our schedule is looking OK, but we ask that you book early for the dates that you prefer. The weekend days become really tough to find open after spring, so if you thinking of coming to Tetu for 2011, give us a call and we'll give you some ideas of dates and prices.

   We wish all of you a very happy holiday season and hope you enjoy this time with your family and friends. It will be a quiet Christmas at our house, but at least Kate and her boyfriend Chris will be home with us. Son J.B. will stay in Florida to work and our son Scott will be with his very special gal, Lani in Kansas and Iowa. My sister, her husband and my mom are hoping to visit the week between Christmas and New Years and I'm hoping we can get to Iowa yet to see Ed's mom before the holidays. We're perfectly happy to stay home this year with the three dogs! Muskie is hanging in there and getting around real well. Coop is just missing Tetu Island, where he ran the entire island and could go anywhere he pleased. Caliber is just happy sitting at our feet 24/7! Ed just had the invisible fence installed, and none of them were real thrilled with it, I must admit!

   Call or write anytime if there is anything we can do for you! We are already making our plans and making lists for opening in 2011-I have most the new catalogs for the season and having fun with my "wish list" for Tetu next year!

   Enjoy! We're thankful for all of you and wish you a very Happy Holiday. We are sure counting our blessings this year, thanks to many of you! YOU are what makes Tetu Island Lodge what it is and what it means to all of us~

Kathi and Ed

August Fishing

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:27:00 GMT

August fishing has been CRAZY, HOT, AWESOME, and INCREDIBLE! This has been wonderful so far-!

Last weekend was our busiest of the season! Cattell Group was here, Wilcox-Ranney Group,(thanks,Brian!) Midla, Julian Family and they have caught and released some incredible fish: Dan from Julian party-started his first day with an 18 inch smallmouth-John Gonia also a nice 43 inch pike! Jack Julian had a 40 inch muskie-Alex Conti-37 1/2 inch pike-Christian Andriano -26 inch walleye-
Kevin York-42 inch pike-Greg Parker-40 inch muskie-Tim Houtz-41 inch pike-David Rickert-17 1/4 inch smallmouth-Peter Hanson-Electrolux Crew-19 inch smallmouth-Tiege Fox-16 1/2" and 19 inch smallmouth-Nathan ONeal-26 1/2" walleye-The Welsch Crew from WIS have fared well-Travis-36" pike, Bill Cohron-3 Master angler smallmouth-35" pike, 40" pike-Travis Cohron-36 inch pike and 35 1/2". John Welsch-36 inch pike and FORTY FIVE inch muskie! These guys still have ONE more day-Saved the best for last-this morning while the Electrolux crew were packed, waiting on the dock as their float plane came in--John Carroll of Evans, GA took a few extra minutes to fish before he left-Went out with Matt, threw a phantom and caught and released a FORTY SIX inch muskie 10 minutes before he departed! These are the special TETU moments that we can all remember and laugh about! The PAWLEY party is also with us, as they are here every year and we expect some nice fish to be caught while they are here-So far, Mike Pawley has a nice 16 inch smallmouth and Dennis has a 26 1/2 walleye.

Today we welcome the Aller Party and the Madsen Party. Tomorrow we have the Lam Party and the Roussos Party-Chris Roussos has been bringing his family to Tetu for YEARS and every year he, his father in law and their sons and daughter Anna come during Anna's birthday! THANKS, CHRIS!

We will welcome back the TRUSSBILT crew and Frank Zoelle and Steve Cooper on Saturday!

Staff are all back from their vacations and time off. Most of them went to Winnipeg and did some shopping, movies and relaxing. Joy and Stephen attended the Jon Bon Jovi concert and had a great time-!

I'll be heading out towards the end of this month to help with my mom's 80th birthday celebration with family and friends, but will be back shortly after Labor Day.

We have some nice openings still for this month-18th through 25-Let us know if you would like to come up and get in some great fishing time-

Hope all is well with you and your summer is going great! Ours is flying!

Kathi

Great Times at Tetu!

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:02:00 GMT

Hope this finds you all well and enjoying your summer. The Tetu summer is passing quickly and we've been really lucky with the beautiful weather this season. Of course, compared to LAST summer, anything would be an improvement!

We had a great group here this past week, The Healthsource Group-The guys had plenty of fun and some really nice fish caught and released!

Gerry Viere had a nice day yesterday, with a 40 inch pike, her largest yet!

Dick and Dan Edmonds have had great luck with the smallies this week fishing with Matt. Their largest so far is a 19 inch, also a beautiful 18 inch, caught on tubes. This is the first trip to Tetu for them and they are certainly putting a squeeze on the bass!

The Kruskopf Crew are back and loving every minute! This is about the 6th trip for Dave and Kate and Dave caught and released a huge 28 inch walleye yesterday!

The water level has risen about 14 feet since we opened in June. Fishing has been pretty good although we have seen the pike numbers drop off some the past couple of days. Could be the constant and ever changing fronts in and out of here the past 48 hours!

Staff has been taking their vacation times while we are slow. Mitch, Amanda, Marsha, Tod and Pierre are all due back today, with Tracey and Greg coming back tomorrow. It's a good time for the hard working staff to take a break, as we have a good 60 days yet to go for the season!

Ed is handing out some nice discounts for later in the fall, if anyone would like to try some fall fishing. It can really be awesome and it's so beautiful that time of year up here!

Josh and Jan Roundsley, owners of Thorne Brothers in Blaine, MN are here and we are expecting BIG news from them on the fishing! You ought to see the amount of equipment these people have with them! The guides are drooling !

Daughter Kate is spending her vacation with us this week, she and I managed to get out and walleye fish, with me getting a 26! My largest for the year, however, I might add that it is the ONLY time I have been in a boat all season! Kate would rather fish for pike and muskie and she will find time to do some of that late today or this evening.

I still go down to the dock and marvel at the beautiful, new deck that Ed and the boys have built. Ed continues to amaze me with his talents and dedication! (just don't tell him that!)

We're excited to welcome the SAM RUFFOLO CREW, they are arriving today via Winnipeg. Sam has been a VIP here at Tetu for years and is bringing some family and friends for their first trip to Tetu! Thanks, Sam!

Walleyes have been active on bottom bouncers with crawlers. Pike loving the spinner baits. Smallies on tubes-!

GREAT TIMES AT TETU!

Take care, everyone- Take one day at a time and let's all try and remember how lucky we are to be HERE!
Happy Birthday, to my BIG sis, Teri!
Kathi