Catchin' up on the news...

Last week, I weighed a 3.2# silver bass-a proud angler. The Oakwood Lakes carp tournament was held last Saturday with 36 participating teams. They caught 590 pounds of carp. Read about it in the Hamlin County paper. There was also an article written by Larry Leeds about the effect of the water levels in Poinsett entitled, "Lake level has strong impact on business." Bob was interviewed along with Dave Peterson and Jeff Jager. "With the water level up the attitude of the people is much better," Bob was quoted as saying which pretty much sums it up.

Area Happenings

17-23.............Brown County Fair, Aberdeen
20................Girls Night Out, Watertown
21................21st annual McCrory Garden Party beginning at 2pm, Brookings
21-23.............71st Annual Cornfest, Ortonville, MN
22................Glacial Lakes Regional Chili-Cook-Off, Aberdeen
26-30.............47th Annual Steam Threshing Jamboree, Prairie Village~Madison
29-30.............Wheels & Wings Weekend & Air Show, Aberdeen
Sept.
3-7...............State Fair in Huron

Summer's winding down, where did it go?

Well, it was a great year for outside projects, not too hot, if you could squeeze it in between rains and MOWING! Hope you had some fun times even though the weather wasn't always what we wanted.

LAKEVIEW Resort, Your Place at the Lake

Let me just take a minute to invite those of you out and about taking in the area's events, stop in. LAKEVIEW is located on US Hwy 81 between Watertown and Brookings, South Dakota. Visit our website at http://lakeviewresortlakepoinsett.com/

Summer events this weekend

July 31-Aug1...Royal River Car Show in Flandreau
Aug 1..........Lantern Tour, Fort Sisseton State Park
Potato Day in Clark
Bike Parade, Oakwood Lake Rec Area
Aug 3-9........Sturgis Motorcycle Rally atReM Sturgis, SD
3-6............Codington County 4-H Achievement Days in Watertown
5..............Annual Area Rodeo in Selby, SD
6..............46th Annual Flower Show, Ortonville, MN
6-8............Kingsbury County Achievement Days in DeSmet
6-9............Day County Fair in Webster
7-9............Castlewood Days in Castlewood
Fur Trader Days and Antique Tractor Pull in Geddes, SD
7-8............City wide Garage Sales in Willow Lake
8..............Arlington City Wide Garage Sale
Quilts & Vines: Outdoor Quilt Show and Wine Tasting in Renner, SD
Pioneer Day at Lake Thompson Rec Area
Redlin Art Center Annual Concert Event, Watertown
Harvest Day in Britton
Looney Days in Colman
8-9............Clark County Threshing Bee
Twin Brooks Threshing Show
Scottie Stampede Rodeo Days in Scotland, SD
9..............Pedal to the Park, Oakwood Lake Rec Area
10-14..........The Casey Tibbs Memorial Ride in Fort Pierre, SD
13.............Free Day at Bramble Park Zoo, Watertown
13-15..........Clay County Fair in Vermillion, SD
14.............McCrory Garden Party in Brookings
Hot Dog Day in Clear Lake
14-15..........MWC Fishing Contest in Milbank
Potato Days in Oldham, SD
15.............Bull-A-Rama in Redfield, SD
15-16..........Threshing Bee and Old Iron Show, Rosholt, SD
16.............Arlington Car Show
16th Annual Car Show at Prairie Village, Madison, SD

Whaz Happenin'?

Just a quick note about Saturday Night's Karaoke at LAKEVIEW. There were more talented singers under our roof than we have heard in a long time. What a treat for all of us as they shared their gifts! As JAM-MASTER BOB says, AWESOME!

Tuesday, July 21st, we're heading to Tea to spend Happy Hour at the Tea Legion with Dick and Mary. Audrey & Kerry Scott will be there. Audrey's cooked up all the snacks (from meatballs to cream puffs) and wants us all to enjoy the spread while she and Dick are sending beer and drinks our way. Should prove to be a memorable event. Come on out to Tea and join in the fun!

This coming weekend~
24-26th Arlington Days, Arlington
Laura Ingallls Wilder Pageant, DeSmet
24-25th Crazy Days in Madison
Crazy Days in Watertown
25th Storybook Land Festival, Aberdeen
Arts in the Park, Madison
Sand Volleyball Fun, Lake Poinsett Recreation Area
Summer Crazy Days in Miller
Hoe Down, South Shore
Miss Prairie Village Pageant, Madison
25-26th Harvest Fest & Ranch Rodeo, Wilmot

Did you see the double rainbow, Monday night?

I was waiting for the lightening to stop before turning on the computer, when I looked into the sky and spotted not just one, but two brightly colored rainbows arching from Lake Albert to Lake Poinsett.

More rain! and in the middle of July. Check past blogs for links for rainfall or lake levels.

Update on Lake Poinsett Water Project District meeting that was postponed until October...The change in the meeting date was due to an "emergency health issue to one of the primary witnesses," as reported by the Hamlin County Republican. The next date that the state water board meets is Thursday, October 8th at 8am. in Pierre. The meeting is about amending the Flood Control Permit. If you want to read the permit go to the LAPADA website.

Special Notice- The water hearing in Pierre has been postponed until October.

Special Notice- The water hearing in Pierre has been postponed until October.
This notice was on the LAPADA website. Don't know if it's good news or bad.
Go to the website, http://lpada.com/
They are offering a printable copy of Lake Poinsett for you to download.

Pushing out the Dock, water came up again

After the recent rainfall, Bob says it's time to move the dock further out, again. What a great summer with a lake full of water!

This weekend's area events

July
11th & 12th...Brookings Summer Arts Festival beginning at 10am both days in Pioneer Park
10 - 12...Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant, DeSmet
10-12...Northern Fort Playhouse, Fort Sisseton State Park
11...Sand Sculpture Showcase, Lake Poinsett Rec Area
11...7th Annual Great Aberdeen Pig Out, Aberdeen

Website updates for sobriety checks

I've heard about this, so thought I'd pass it on...http://www.actcivilized.com/

Kelo-land's Doug Lund's Review that included LAKEVIEW Resort

Lund's Annual Lake And Food Review
Posted by: Doug Lund - 07/02/2009 12:00 AM

Just back from another mini vacation..or “stay-cation” as some might call it. The cell phone stays in the glove compartment and the computer remains in the case…okay, I did have it along but only fired it up once.

I’ve written here before how much Linda and I enjoy our annual summer sojourns to Watertown..me for the golf..she for the casino.

Our friends and traveling partners, Denny and Joanie accompanied us again and, as always, we consumed copious amounts of distilled and or brewed beverages as well as enough unhealthy but delicious food (with one exception) to make an Atkins dietician faint.

We like to get off the interstate on these trips and take the back roads through small towns often stopping to check out some of the local establishments.

One of our favorites is The Lakeview Resort on the West side of Lake Poinsett. The dining area has a terrific view of the water, which, by the way is the highest I’ve seen it in years.

But the real reason we like the resort so much is because of the breaded deep fried mozzarella sticks they serve which are the best any of us have ever tasted. We all agreed too that their onion rings are nearly as good as at Michael’s Restaurant in Sioux Falls which is saying a lot.

JULY 4th Fireworks at LAKEVIEW

Every 4th LAKEVIEW Resort joins the rest of Lake Poinsett at dark as we all shoot of fireworks. LAKEVIEW's display is always exceptional with the help of the crew from RON'S FIREWORKS. You can purchase your own fireworks from their stand in the parking lot next to LAKEVIEW. Happy "lighting up the sky" weekend. Be safe and have a blast!!!

Update on Dakota Sportsmans Fishing Tournament

The winners of the 26th Annual Dakota Sportsmans Inc. Fishing Tournament June 13-14 were Tim Tesch of Watertown and Bob Smunk of Clear Lake. The first day they took 2nd place with their 17.51 lbs. of fish. The second day, they caught 7.95 lbs for a combined total of 25 pounds overall (10 fish).
Congratulations! Tim said he plans to head up a team of youth to fish this weekend in the tournament.

Angler & Young Angler Fishing Tournament

June 27th, 2009 @ Lake Poinsett hosted by Weiland Marine and sponsored with donations by lake businesses including LAKEVIEW Resort.
40 Teams-$150 entry per team (1 Adult & 2 Youth in each boat) beginning at 7:30 am. - 3:00 pm with BBQ and prize awards to follow.
Over $12,000 in prizes to be given out, including a Lund Boat, Mercury motor & Trailer and the chance to compete in the International Championship in Ontario. Further prizes will be awarded based on weight of fish caught along with random drawings for prizes. Good luck to all.

Results of the 2009 AYA fishing tournament are posted on the weiland marine webpage with a huge photo of all the participants.http://www.weilandmarine.com/

More fun things to do in the area, this summer...

The official first day of summer was just this last Sunday, but it already feels like summer's flying by. If you're looking to fill those long days, there's plenty to do.
Area Events until the End of June
June -July1 . Traveling WWII Exhibit, Beauvais Heritage Center, Clark.

605-532-5772
25-27 . 64th Crystal Springs Ranch Rodeo, Clear Lake . 605-874-2121

26-27 . Motogator Joe’s Country Music Festival, Prairie Village. 605-256-3644

26-27 . Hwy 12 Treasure Hunt, Milbank. 605-432-6656

26-27 . Webster High School Alumni Reunion, Webster. 605-345-4668

26-28 . St. John’s Weekend, Turton. 605-897-6589

26-28 . Graceville Toqua Tenial Days, Graceville, MN. 800-568-5722

26-28 . Alumni Weekend with Special Events .

Browns Valley, MN, 320-695-2110

26-28 . Family Fun Days, Pickerel Lake Rec Area. 605-486-4753

26-28 . Milbank Farley Fest, Milbank. 605-432-6656

27 . . . . . . . . Jim’s Tap Ride Through, Brookings. 605-692-8239

27 . . . . . . . . Fireworks Display, Milbank. 605-432-6656

27 . . . . . . . . Monthly Hoe-Down, South Shore. 605-756-4130

27 . . . . . . . . Summit Alumni Weekend, Summit. 605-398-6111

27 . . . . . . . . Gold Classic Triathlon, Eureka. 605-284-2055

27 . . . . . . . . 5th Annual Q-Fest, Milbank. 605-432-6656

27 . . . . . . . . Sand Volleyball Tourney, Oakwood Lakes State Park . 605-627-5441

27 . . . . . . . . Headwater’s Motorcycle Ride around the Lake.

for Parkinson’s Disease, Big Stone Lake, 800-568-5722
(For 4th of July events, check the Coteau Shopper from Watertown)

Did you get out?

Saturday, a picture-perfect, mid-June day for fun in and around the lake. I'll admit I was pretty happy to spend it lounging on the "not-yet-finished-deck" over at our place before going in to work for the night shift.

On Poinsett, sailboats and fishing boats dotted the eight acres of water. I heard the top total for five fish caught was over 18# and the largest was over 7#.

Speaking of water, the controversy over water levels in Poinsett was on the cover of the Watertown Public Opinion's weekend edition. My question is: why (and who authorized) are the gates now open letting water flow OUT of the lake into the Sioux River?

Catchin' up on the Fish Tales of Poinsett

April 6, 2009 Michael Weber of Brookings landed a record, 23-inch, 5#-12oz. white sucker in Lake Poinsett.

May 8th, Bryan Dykstra used a bow and arrow to take a state record, 38-inch, 42#-4oz. common carp in Lake Poinsett. Both of these were taken legally but by unconventional methods, therefore are listed in the unrestricted record category.

May 31, 2009, Adam Arendsee caught a record 4#-5oz. black bullhead in Lake Poinsett. Speaking of bullheads, check out a great article, "Yella Belly" by storyteller, Tom Hayes in the June 2009 issue of The Outdoorsmen Magazine. Pick up a copy at LAKEVIEW Resort or email them at outdoorsmen@iw.net for more information about their locally produced (Flandreau, SD), most excellent, monthly magazine full of valuable articles.

Congratulations to all of these record anglers. If anyone has pictures of these record fish, please forward them to our email address, phone #, or bring in a copy to LAKEVIEW and we'll post them for all to see.

And still standing is the record 6#-9oz. smallmouth bass caught April 27, 2008 by Darin Laue.

For a complete list of state records, visit www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/fishing/Info/StateRecords.htm

June Events, Catching up after "Being away from my desk"

This weekend, we look forward to the 26th Annual Dakota Sportsmans Inc. Fishing Tournament June 13-14. The tournament consists of two-man (or woman) teams that will begin fishing at 8 am. both Saturday and Sunday. Weigh-in begins at 3:15, Saturday and 2:15 on Sunday. The tournament headquarters is located at the public access at LAKEVIEW Resort. The tournament follows South Dakota rules. Weather forecast looks favorable for a great turn out. For more information or to sign up your team, call Bob VanSickle 605-520-2053 or Randy Johnson 605-881-7476. There will be payouts each day.

What's going on at LAKEVIEW Resort this month? For your enjoyment our kitchen is cooking up all your favorite menu items and specials that include broasted chicken, cod, catfish and walleye, Mexican specialties on Thursdays, and BBQ pork ribs or prime rib dinners on Saturday nights. Drinks and beer available. (Eat in or order it TO GO.) Off Sale beer and wine coolers TO GO, too.

Bob, the Jam Master, spins the disks for Karaoke every Saturday Night (after 9:30 pm.) June 20th will be the Third Saturday of the Month KARAOKE CONTEST from 10:30 -11:30 pm! Mark it on your calendar.

We hope to have the same support for the karaoke contest as we did last month. By hosting a contest, we were blessed with some of the best singers from the area. The audience was thrilled with not only the quality of the entertainment, but also with their opportunity to participate by voting for their favorite "act".

Around the Lake...

The third annual Lake Poinsett Sailboat Regatta is scheduled for Saturday, June 13th with the starting gun firing at 1:30 pm. For more information contact Rick Holm at 605-692-593l.

The 6th Annual Lake Poinsett/Lake Albert Wind Festival will be held at the southeast corner of Lake Poinsett. Spectators are welcome. Open flying begins late afternoon, Friday. June 19th and continues through the weekend. Any questions, call Dwayne LaFave at 605-860-1650 or email dwayne.lafave@k12.sd.us

Go to the Lake Poinsett Lake Association website http://www.lpada.com for more information about the lake wide annual clean up day and the huge, and very popular, Lake Wide Rummage Sale on June 20th.

The city of Estelline has a website http://www.estellinesd.com and want you to know their Farmer's Market is open every Thursday Night 4-7pm.

Just received a Calendar of Events for Northeast South Dakota from the South Dakota Glacial Lakes & Prairies Tourism Association http://www.sdglaciallakes.com/. I am just forwarding events listed until the first day of summer, June 21st (also the longest day of the year). Who can say, There's nothing to do"? I personally look forward to the day we are done with our housebuilding projects (I just know there is an end in sight, at least to the sizable projects) so we can take in more of these activities...

JUNE

10-12 . Trail Ride, Wilmot. 605-938-4651

10-12 . Prairie Repertory Theatre, Musical, SDSU Brookings . 605-688-6131

10-14 . Farmer’s Market Begins, Milbank. 605-432-6656

11-13 . SD State Hog Rally, Watertown . 605-882-4337

12 . . . . . . . . Northern Bull Riding Tour, Prairie Village. 800-693-3644

12-14 . Old Timer’s Day, Volga. 605-627-9113

12-14 . Ipswich Trail Days, Ipswich, . 605-426-6155

12-14 . Summer Sidewalk Sale, Watertown Mall . 605-882-1734

13 . . . . . . . . WITP Talking in the Trees.

Richmond Lake Recreation Area, 605-626-3488

13 . . . . . . . . Kids Fishing Derby, Oakwood Lake Recreation Area . 605-627-5441

13 . . . . . . . . Family “no spike” Sand Volleyball Tournament .

Lake Thomspon Recreation Area, 605-847-4893

13 . . . . . . . . Herman Luce Pioneer Day, Lake Herman State Park . 605-256-5003

13 . . . . . . . . Game Time at Pickerel Lake, Pickerel Lake Rec Area. 605-486-4753

13 . . . . . . . . Uptown Festival of Arts & Crafts, Watertown. 605-882-8900

13-14 . Family Fun Weekend, Aberdeen. 605-626-7015

13-14 . South Dakota Outdoor Expo, Huron. 605-353-7340

13-14 . Brookings Car Festival, Brookings. 605-691-1967

14 . . . . . . . . Heritage Day, Clark . 605-532-3769

14-July1 . Traveling WWII Exhibit, Beauvais Heritage Center, Clark.

605-532-5772
17-19 . Elks Summerfest, State Fair Grounds, Huron. 605-353-7354

17-21 . Prairie Repertory Theatre, Comedy, SDSU, Brookings . 605-688-6131

19-20 . Prairie Hills Art Show, Wessington Springs. 605-539-1963

19-21 . Becoming an Outdoor Family .

Lake Poinsett Recreation Area, 605-627-5441

20 . . . . . . . . Bird Watching Basics, Lake Poinsett Rec Area. 605-627-5441

20 . . . . . . . . Lantern Tour, Fort Sisseton State Park. 605-448-5474

20 . . . . . . . . City Wide Rummage Sale, Wessington Springs . 605-539-1221

20 . . . . . . . . Hartford’s Father’s Day Fishing Tournament .

Big Stone Lake, 800-568-5722

20-21 . Arts in the Park, Aberdeen. 605-226-1557

20-21 . Antique Power Show, Huron. 605-352-8161

21 . . . . . . . . Party for the Planet, Bramble Park Zoo, Watertown. 605-882-6269

Pick up a free copy of the Welcome to Lake Poinsett supplement to Hamlin County Republican and Estelline Journal www.hamlincountypublishing.com for more lake news. Thank you to the publishers and advertisers of this very informative weekly newspaper. You're encouraged to pick up a copy each week or become a subscriber.

And finally, if you have a favorite out of the way, "Natural Spot" in South Dakota that you'd like to share, email the editor of South Dakota Magazine at editor@iw.net They are compiling a list of those special spots. You can sign up for their monthly e-newsletter and find more to do in South Dakota, by visiting their exquisite and photo-rich, website http://southdakotamagazine.com

Sharing Your Fish Pictures

I've been providing our email address to those that want to share their fish pictures with us. That has worked for some, but what might be easier is to just send your photo from your cell phone to my cell phone. Find the picture that you've saved in your camera phone and SEND it to 605-881-9313 (like you are sending a text message). You may be charged (like $.15 cents) if you don't have text messaging in your phone plan. But that will work for getting your pictures into the online album. This week I saw a 5#2oz. small mouth bass and a proud angler walleye. This morning a 9# walleye weighed in at the resort...

HUGE THANK YOU!

A Huge THANK YOU to all who made our 10-year anniversary celebration a fun and memorable event!
Thank you to all for the gifts and well-wishes from those that were there and to those of you that had other commitments, but were there in spirit.
Our food, liquor, and beer distributors generously donated to the enjoyment of the weekend.
Our kitchen people outdid themselves with the 'Bourbon Steak' while providing the quality meals we've all come to expect. So thankful to have Dee back on hand. She made up the week's chili and "mannned" the till.
The live band, ONE NIGHT ONLY, was absolutely awesome; singing and playing to the enthusiastic crowd who succeeded in convincing them to do an encore for one last dance.
The karaoke singers made our first ever, Karaoke Contest, a 'must-do' for every 3rd Saturday of each month. What fun and great listening for all!
Barb Carlson baked the beautiful (and delicious) cake and cookies for the Pinata Party. Those kids were so determined to break open that stubborn donkey so he'd release the hidden treats for them. They all took turns swinging for over a half-hour. They truly earned what finally came tumbling out of the pinata!
And finally, to our friends Mary & Dick who are always there to help...a heartfelt thank you, too.

Fishing Report: They Are Out There, We've Got Proof!

I have updated the online fish photo album with more, (and more recent photos) of fish caught and brought in to LAKEVIEW. However, I'm frustrated that I can't get the slideshow on this page to reflect the updates. I also failed in trying to provide the link here on the blog to the online album of fish. I'll work on it on this end, but in the meantime, go back to the lakeviewresortlakepoinsett web page. On the fishing/hunting page is the link. Click it to go right to the album.
Speaking of photo albums. When at LAKEVIEW, look for the photo album of the last 10 years. I have more photos online I'll share throughout the next few months...

Winds blow

Like the public boat launches on Lake Poinsett filled in with sifted sand, my poor old computer was rendered almost useless by the barrage of saved stuff that had accumulated on my hard drive. So I have spent time this week 'digging out.' Now I am finally at to the point where maintenance will keep me operable. GF&P is in the process of contracting for a 'dig out' of the public boat ramp next to LAKEVIEW and to have weekly maintenance 'dig outs'. After all, these last two weeks have made it obvious that the wind here in South Dakota is not going to quit blowing.

It's here, the Anniversary Celebration Weekend!

Been quite a whirlwind here preparing for this weekend's festivities. Hope you all get a chance to stop by and join in the fun. Thanks to all of our food, liquor, pop, & beer distributors, we have some very nice and unique prizes to raffle throughout the weekend.

Published in South Dakota Magazine

FYI Lake Poinsett: A City on the Beach is on the cover of the May/June 2009 South Dakota magazine. http://www.southdakotamagazine.com/current_issue.php An unidentified donor left a copy at the resort. We are very grateful to them for sharing. It was thrilling to read and enjoy the wonderful color pictures of familiar faces.

The article begins with history. Early visitors to our lake found cactus on its shore. Lake Poinsett was named in 1938, to honor the statesman, Joel Poinsett. In his travels, Joel Poinsett also brought back to the United States (and named) the Poinsettia plant that he discovered was part of their Mexican Christmas celebration.

Get your hands on this magazine and experience, "Poinsett's Enduring Charm" by Chuck Cecil and "Celebrating Our Ethnic Ways" by John Andrews which highlights Lake Norden's St. Urho celebration every March.