...or possibly a Gun Lake Fishing Video? Email it here and we will post it to this website on the fish tales blog page. Here is one to start:
Newcomers to Gun Lake can learn just about anything they need to know about the area by making Gillett's their first stop. We offer ideas when it comes to fishing in summer and winter. Do you want to know the condition of the ice before heading out on to Gun Lake?
We can give you an update on ice conditions, then sell you equipment to bore a hole in the ice and the pole and tackle to go with it. Do you want to know about the history of the Gun Lake area? Visitors to Gillett's are likely to run into longtime Gun Lake residents who are delighted to talk about the old days and swap fishing tales. While touring the Gun Lake area and the Heritage Trail, stop and admire one of the many trophy fish or deer mounts that fill the walls Shown in the picture above is Jerry "Shorty" Dehn, who caught the big fish. Mr. Dehn sadly passed away in 2013. Upon retiring, "Shorty" liked to hang out at Gillett's and swap fish stories. He came to Gun Lake when he was 5 years old, from a town in Michigan called Hooper, a farming community that no longer exists. "Shorty" caught the big fish years ago while ice fishing on Gun Lake. Dehn enjoyed summers on Gun Lake and heading to Florida to spend his winters. Mr. Dehn undoubtedly fished a lot and certainly had 'fish stories' to tell. In addition to the numerous fish mounts, there are rods and reels, nets, hardware supplies, a cage for crickets, tanks filled with minnows, comical fishing signs and of course, the jackalope and fish wearing sunglasses. Gillett's is just not the same since the old wood stove disappeared a few years ago. There used to be a big wood stove that sat by the fish pole for many years but insurance rates went way up and no longer was feasible. The guys, including 'Shorty' would sit around, relax and have warm friendly conversation about fishing and hunting. One thing that's always been at Gillett's is hot coffee. Gillett's Sentry Hardware on Pickerel Cove was originally two buildings, according to old history books. In 1953, partners George Gillette and Charles Butler built a combination small bait store and gas station, side by side. This business replaced a bait shop that was run out of Butler's residence prior to Gilletts Bait and Hardware being developed. The business also included the Pickerel Cove Drive in, offering hamburgers, malts, root beer and other treats. In 1955, Butler sold his interest in the business to Gillett, who tore down the drive-in and added on to the bait shop to offer customers hardware, plumbing and heating supplies. Butler and wife, Frances, also built cabins to rent out. So, if you stop by Gillett's, tip your fishing hat to "Shorty's" picture of the Big Fish and admire the ONE that did not get away. We recommend that you take a break from the surrounding areas to spend time at Gun Lake. You just might catch a whopper of a fish and come up with a fish tale of your own. Of course, anglers are famous for exaggerating the size of their catches and making the stories as dramatic as possible, but snagging a whopper will give you Gun Lake bragging rights. And if you want to shoot the breeze, here is no better place than Gillett's to pull up a stool and swap stories. Like the sign on the wall says, "Cows may come and cows may go, but the bull in this place goes on forever." |
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Doug Kukulis, 28" Walleye 8lbs 2oz on Gun Lake.
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