Hi Mitch & Sharon, To see this incredible transformation taking place over the last couple years at Pine Sunset Lodge has added to the excitement of visiting your resort. When we visit we feel as if we are family. Looking forward to the television show and love the commercial that has been added to the site. We were looking at the pictures recently and noticed that grandma had caught Shane's monster smallmouth. We booked a remote fly in trip for this year and also plan on doing the houseboat adventure in the future but the rest of time will be spent with you. Don't think for one minute that you won't see us because we will be up there in June for another attempt at camping. I'm planning on about ten day stay at your camp. Looking forward to visiting you at the All Canada show here in Milwaukee. Richard _______________________________________________

Hi Sharon, I forgot to mention while I was there that your website is awesome! It is the only site I go to that changes daily. It's real fun to visit the site and see what is new. Keep up the great work. I also wanted to share some photos with you. One was our catch from the last day. It was our best day out of the three. We threw back at least a dozen 12"-13" walleyes and kept only the 15" -17". It was an awesome outing! There were some tournament people back there not catching anything but watching close. (I hope we didn't give too many secrets away. I'd like to think there will still be some nice one's left when I return). My brothers and I are trying to plan something for next June. I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the memories, Randy P.

Dear Sharon And Mitch: Now that Ann and I are back from our Great Canadian Adventure, we wanted to send another sincere thank you for your gracious hospitality while we stayed at your camp. It was nice meeting you two and our guide John also. Tell John that after I tell our Midwest Outdoors Readers about his Muskie stories, he should be getting a lot of requests for guiding jobs. Larry was right when he described you as being some very nice people. Again thank you and I look foreword to doing your story for the next special Canada section that will run in December, January or February. Check with Larry for the exact month next winter. Casey _______________________________________________

I just wanted to let you know that we heard from the gentleman that purchased your package on our online auction. He couldn't say enough good about the resort and about the people there. He was SO pleased that he said that they were going back next year. I thought that you might like to hear this. Most of the time all we hear are the bad things not the good.AND this is GOOD! Linda Hawk Marketing Consultant _______________________________________________

Sharon & Mitch, Wanted to thank you for your help, hospitality and cooking (on Tuesday) during our stay earlier this July. The fishing was good, but as usual the people you meet that run and stay at the resort were even better. Hope others enjoyed their time as much as we did and the fishing was as good for them as it was for us. Continued luck and best wishes for the success of your resort. Attached should be a couple of pictures for your photo gallery if you would like to use them. Thanks again. Greg _______________________________________________

Sharon & Mitch I just got a big box from Ken. In it was a (want-to-be bear rug) along with a note. As he thanked me for the cap and he also said that the card you sent was cute too, well kind of. His words, "Dave didn't want you to forget. I think it should have read Dave will never let you forget: yup, five pounds more!!" After some more jabbing it is apparent that neither one of us has forgotten. Thanks for doing this. Also this is the finally revised version of "The Hunt". This is the one if you were to let someone else read it to show them. The Bear Hunt The "HUNT" started to take a life of its own several years ago while I was fishing at the resort my wife and I had found while attending a sports show. We had been to a few lakes in Canada but never found the "RIGHT ONE". Little did I know that the young couple that had recently purchased a resort would be the one to change many events in the future. It was apparent that I had found a couple (Sharon and Mitch) that I soon would include in my group of friends. As years have gone by and we have gotten to know them better we have not looked for a new place to fish. Also as the years have gone by and in numerous conversations with them it seems at the end of the fishing season they also have moose, deer and bear hunting. BEAR HUNTING!!!! Fast forward to this year and along with my nephew (Ken) I was going black bear hunting. With stick and string we were on our way. At this time I must take you back about a year and half ago. While talking to Sharon about a bear hunt she mentioned that they had scout cam pictures of a color phase black bear and it's big. First thought, will it be there next year? Then I heard "it has cubs this year so we will not hunt it this year", but she won't have any cubs next year so it will be fair game. And they had 2 tags to fill. While this was known by me when I talked Ken into going along with me, the fact that there was a color phase black bear somehow never came up. How did that happen? Ken had other plans (Elk hunting) and could not make it. As time went on and I kept working on him we finally made it happen by changing dates and scheduling and headed north. Of course I had to open my mouth and tell Ken my bear was going to be 5 pounds bigger than his. A smile appeared. Arriving at camp one of the first things to catch our eyes was a black bear hanging on the rack. It had been harvested by a fellow hunter who happened to be 70 years of age. Talk about a happy hunter. He was it. We also found out that we were the only ones with stick and string. The rest had long guns and one was using a gun big enough to stop a water buffalo. As it turned out we got ours first. The next morning we were on our way to the stands. Because Mitch took Ken to his stand first I got to see his setup. Ken and I had big grins as we looked around. This looked good! After Mitch and I went down the road to my stand it appeared to be coming more and more cloudy. I had barley gotten into my stand and heard Mitch leave as the rains started. Just a drizzle at first but shortly afterward it rained hard. As time went by the rain would change from a light shower to a downpour. This was to be repeated most of the day. The wind would change directions several times each hour. By the time I could no longer see the pins on my bow I had not seen a single bear. The smile was not near as big. When I got back to where Mitch was waiting for me, I got the great news that Ken had gotten a black colored bear that afternoon. The smile came back. Arriving back at the cabin Ken was sitting at the table, another big grin. As I started to tell him I didn't like this game, Ken had gotten up and pulled out a baggie from the refrigerator. Not taking time to see what he was doing and asking all kinds of questions and not giving him time to answer, he pulls out the bear heart and holds it up right in front of my face. Silence !!! I can see the mark of the broad head clearly visible, dead center of the heart. Bigger smiles. We go out to look at his bear. As I stand there and look, I am staring at a very nice bear. It had a nice broad head, thick neck and shoulders that would make a weight lifter proud. I thought maybe 5 more pounds was not going to be as easy as I had made it out to be. Sure enough out of my mouth came "Mines going to be 5 pounds bigger". Another smile. The next morning I'm back to the stand. After a couple of adjustments I'm back up ready for the day. It did not take long to get back in the routine of light showers that was interrupted by heavy downpours every so often. Today was different in the fact that the wind was coming from the baited barrel toward me and was directionally steady all day. Today was also different in the fact that sometime after lunch a small bear showed up. It came in with great care. It would lay down take a bite, sit up on its haunches and look around. Lay back down take a bite sit up and look around again. After doing this for a short time it stood up and took the board off the barrel and turned it upside down. It took a few more bites and suddenly took off. All the time I watched it I was calm as can be. This is going to be a piece of cake. Then the doubts came in, should I have tried to take it? Then, if it comes back maybe I'll try for it. No, it was too small, or was it? Shortly afterwards a bear was coming in. It was coal black and BIG. As it got closer it got bigger and it also had a white "V" on its chest. The "V" went from shoulder to shoulder. By now I was shaking. This bear came in and laid down and started to eat. It did not bother to look around, it was in control. Did I mention that all of the vital area was behind some bushes, no shot! It then stood up walked around in front of the barrel and sat down with its backside pointed at me, again no shot. By now I was shaking so bad with excitement, that my bow hit the stand. "THUNK" The bear never even got up, just looked around and kept on eating. After sitting there for a short time it got up and got on the other side of the barrel, head on, and started to eat from that side. I'm still shaking but starting to calm down. I have a chance at it if it will just turn and give me a broad side. Suddenly with one swift movement it turns and is gone. No shot again. Maybe it will come back. I never saw it again. Within just a few minutes right in front of me clear of the bushes with the sun glistening off its hair was the most gorgeous chocolate colored bear I've ever seen. It was the color phase bear that I had been told about. With its wet coat it appeared to be much darker than it really was. It came around in front of the barrel with its back to me and started to eat. I was as calm as I have ever been in a shooting situation, Unreal, looking for one bear out of only God knows how many and its right in front of me. I'm now at full draw as it starts to walk around the barrel. It was a quartering away shot and I see the arrow all the way to the bear, the pin still on the arrow, and I can see the feathers protruding from its side. To my great surprise the bear fell over on the spot. It then rolled over on the arrow and broke it. It was a brand new arrow and the first time it had been shot. Bummer!! Then another surprise as it rolled on to its belly and tried to get away. "Lord let it die peacefully". It crawled away and I lost sight of it but could see the bushes shake. "Lord don't let it suffer". The bear crawls a little farther, and I finally figure out that I have taken out the back legs. I can hear heavy breathing. It has to be a lung shot but how did it lose the use of its hind legs? "Lord let it give up and not suffer." As I watch, it finally gets to where I can see it. It rolls on its back and lays its head down. I can still hear loud heavy breathing. It appears to be giving up much to my relief. After I had waited for over 30 minutes I turn to get down. To my surprise as I had been watching the bear I had shot another one was in front of me at the barrel. Bear number 4 the same afternoon and none all day the day before, must be the rain. So I decided that a change of plans was in order. I wait for another 15 minutes after the last bear has disappeared. Finally I get down and head back to camp to get help to drag the bear out. Back at camp I'm met by Sharon and Mitch. Did you get tired of sitting in the rain? Yep, I just got too wet, besides I got one down. You did? I got the color phase one! You did? By now Ken has started to come our way. The talk of it being a color phase talk stops and the bear is referred to as she. Both Sharon and Mitch know it is a female. Ken still is unaware of the color. When Ken gets close enough we decided to wait for another hour to go find it. Mitch, Ken and I all go back to retrieve the bear. After we arrived and got to where the stand was I can no longer see the bear as it has moved again. After a short search Ken finds the bear. He stops and looks at it in surprise. He than turns and says to me "It's a color phase". I answer him with a clear and concise "I know". Mitch just smiled as Ken finally figured it out that he had been had. Again the smiles came for all of us. Ken was just as pleased with the color as I was. After we had removed the hide we proceeded to figure out why the bear had lost the use of its back legs. The arrow was stuck in such a way that we had been unable to remove what was left of the arrow. We came to the conclusion that the arrow had ricocheted off a rib, taken out a lung and other organs in the path of the arrow before ending up stuck in the spinal column paralyzing the back quarters. Not the clean heart shot that Ken had. Oh by the way if you need a bear skinned call Ken. We did not make another cut in the skin after the field dressing cut. Just peeled it right out. Took more time but ended with a much better result. Ken's number is………… As the coat dried it turned out to be a gorgeous cinnamon color. When it was hooked up to the scale I watched the pointer getting closer and closer to the weight of Kens bear. The pointer went past 3 pounds, 4 pounds 5 pounds it kept going but I did not need to look anymore. 5 pounds bigger!!! Enough said (yah! right) . Big Silly smile!!! Thanks to Sharon and Mitch for helping make this happen. Special thanks to Ken for putting up with me and make this a trip to remember. Thanks again. _______________________________________________

"Great lake and awesome hosts." Dan & Susan K., WI _______________________________________________

Dear Mitch & Sharon, I want to thank you for being such wonderful hosts last week on our trip to your camp. I wanted to do something with my 2 boys before they graduated next year and this trip was just the thing. We had so much fun it was just perfect. You 2 were very helpful in every thing. Kyle and I especially are very thankful for the time Mitch took to show us around the lake and pointers on how to fish it. My wife and I are already talking about next year. Again thank you for such a wonderful experience. Sincerely, Jeff D. _______________________________________________

Mitch & Sharon, Thank you for a fantastic time at your resort. Your hospitality was second to none. Justin and I had a fabulous time fishing and catching fish. Here are a few pictures of our fish we caught. Until next year… Best wishes, Dennis and Justin

Sharon, Just had to drop a line and tell you again what a great time the four of us had. Other than two days, we had fantastic weather. We would highly recomend anyone who like to fish and loves the outdoors to come and stay with you two. The drive to Thunder Bay is beautiful, and crossing the border was nothing. Thanks again for a great time. Hope to come again. Betty _______________________________________________

Hey I just was peeking at your new photos...thanks for putting our group photo up. I am using it as wallpaper on my computer at work..great advertisement! I cannot believe we had such a big group. thanks again for the memories. with the unstable weather and limited fishing we managed to create many memories. Randy is still boasting of his 47" muskee, think we shall be hearing that story until someone outdoes it. we had hoped to spend some time with you two, however being kept busy with other family members prevented that. Please again thank Jan for the blueberry experience, I truely enjoy that. We say a 10 pt buck on the way home as well as large wolf crossing the road, makes the driving pass faster with those sightings. Thanks so much. Randy and Vickie P.S. again what a fun week at the lodge.. _______________________________________________

Dear Sharon and Mitch Phyllis and I are really excited about coming back the first week of August. As I'm sure your aware of. Good help is hard to find and harder to keep. My worker that we are bringing along (with his girlfriend) has been a faithful employee and friend for 20 years as of this April. I can't think of a more special of fitting place to bring them. I am thankful for them and for you. So that I know we will have a great place to fish and relax. Thanks again and the money is on its way. Take care. See you at the end of July Sincerely Dennis & Phyllis _______________________________________________

Dear Mitch and Sharon: This will be our 22nd year together as a group at Dinorwic and Wabigoon and the 12th year at Pine Sunset Lodge. I will have been on the lake 26 times with 14 stays at Pine Sunset Lodge. As you can tell we enjoy the area and the fishing. Bye for now, Bill L. _______________________________________________

Hello Sharon and Mitch, We sure enjoyed our trip to Canada and are already discussing when we'd like to redo it-think either Aug. or Sept. next year. Hope all is well with everyone- is it still sunny? Kathy and Ray _______________________________________________

Sharon and Mitch, We wanted to say thank you for the hospitality and service we received last week while we were there. I think you have done a great job with the camp, docks, gas, minnows, appearance etc. Dinorwic Lake is like a second home as we have spent many times there since the 60's. We thoroughly enjoyed the time there last week. Keep up the good work and best wishes to you. Hope they are biting…. L _______________________________________________

Dear Mitch and Sharon, Enclosed are pictures we took will at your camp. The handsome young man holding the muskie is my son Matt. I caught this fish on July 25th on Dinorwic Lake at 6:15pm. I was using 10lb Cajun red line and a silver minnow five of diamonds in about 12 feet of water in a bay. The lure had on hook so I had to be very careful. My son netted the fish for me. We released it within a few minutes. The weather was hot and humid, the lake was down but the fishing was fantastic! An hour before catching the Muskie I landed a 41" Northern. My son Matt and I are catch and release fisherman. We both caught a ton of good size fish during our stay. Needless to say we'll be heading back next year for another excellent fishing trip at Pine Sunset Lodge with Mitch and Sharon. Sincerely, Dave and Matt _______________________________________________

Dear Sharon & Mitch: Thanks to both of you for everything you provided during our stay at Pine Sunset Lodge. Both Aaron and I agree we can recommend your Lodge to anyone. See you again. Mark _______________________________________________

Dear Mitch & Sharon, Dennis and I want to thank you for a great time in Canada. The weather was perfect, your facility is nice and the fishing was great...at least for me anyway! Looking forward to seeing you at the All Canada Show this Winter. Phyllis …Luxemburg, WI Thanks from me also. The other fisherman in the boat. We had a great relaxing and fun time. We a trying to plan for nex year. As of now we a looking at the week before Labor Day. Giving us a extra day to get organized from Vacation. I have given your information to a number of people so far. We are looking forward to seeing you at the all Canada show or before if your around the area. Take Care Dennis _______________________________________________

Hi Mitch and Sharon, Attached is the picture of the 25" walleye I caught while at Pine Sunset Lodge. I have a couple more pictures of that walleye plus the 18" smallmouth, Randy's 2 19" walleye (that he got while we were fishing perch after speeding through the rice river channel), and my 20" walleye. We are disappointed we did not get a picture of the big northern, but the picture will probably never leave our minds. Based on how far it hung over both sides of the net, we estimate it at 42". We really enjoyed our week with you. I have had approximately 15 Canadian fishing trips and this was the best by far. Your biggest asset is your personal touch with your guests and promotion of the family atmosphere. It does not hurt to be on a fantastic lake either. We will be back next year probably with a bigger group. Randy will be making the arrangements soon. Please let me know if you want more pictures. Rog… WI