Memories Are Made At The Lake!
Words from the Jim & Kristin Wherley, owners of Sunset Bay Resort
At Sunset Bay Resort, as is the case at many resorts in Minnesota, we pride ourselves on the appeal we have to generations of families. Most weeks we have 3 to 4 generations of a family stay with us, and it is so rewarding to see the way the resort experience is passed on to the younger ones!
Just the other day, one of our guests was returning to shore after fishing in his kayak that morning. As he rounded the reeds, he saw a young father showing his son how to cast his line from the dock. The dad told him to watch his bobber and that if it was pulled under, he should start reeling in his line, as it meant he had a fish. No sooner had the bobber hit the water than it was pulled under! The little boy was so thrilled as he brought in a sunny! Our kayaking guest called out to him, “Nice catch!” What a cool experience for all three involved: the new fisherman, the dad, and the observer!
Another example is the great grandfather sitting on the bench with his three little ones, showing them the best places to catch each type of fish on Dead Lake. He has been coming to Sunset Bay for many years. First he brought his children, then his grandchildren and now, his great grandchildren! The way they listened to him was amazing, and they caught his excitement just by his stories. 
We hold a fishing contest each week at our resort, with the longest game fish of the week winning. We have a traveling trophy, a yellow wooden fish we call “Sunny.” The cabin with the longest fish gets to hang Sunny on the outside of their cabin wall, until someone else turns in a longer fish. Then Sunny moves to that cabin. Whoever has Sunny at the end of the contest wins! It is amazing how competitive some guests get-and it is usually against their own family members that they compete! But the best part of the contest is watching the little ones learn how to fish and seeing their eyes light up when they catch one-even if it’s not “The Big One!”
