22 Years of Good Fishing at Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge

   This 2009 fishing season marks the 22nd anniversary of Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge. Over the seasons Gunisao has seen many guests, staff and trophy fish. If its lodge walls could speak, we all know that they would have some interesting stories to tell. Tales of amazing trophy catches, fish that got away, unannounced bear arrivals at shore lunch, and everyday guest banter, would be just a handful of memories/stories you would hear.

   Gunisao Lake's most noteworthy story would be of how Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge came to be. Dr. James Budd purchased Gunisao Lake Lodge in the fall of 1987. Previous to this Dr. Budd had practiced podiatry in Michigan for twenty-six years and had retired in 1985. It was then that Dr. Budd's family decided he needed something to keep busy. This led him to the inevitable; he took his love of hunting, fishing and the outdoors, and decided to pursue the fishing resort industry. It took a couple of years for Doc to find the right combination, of location and fishing, to strike his interest but it was a search worth waiting for. He visited many lodges, carefully considered a few, but in the end fate took its course. One day his phone rang and on the other end was Jim Gulay from Fisher Branch, Manitoba. Mr. Gulay had heard that Dr. Budd was looking to purchase a fishing resort, and was calling to tell him of his fishing lodge in northern Manitoba. It did not take much convincing for Dr. Budd and his brother Don to head up to Manitoba and take a look at this lodge with their own eyes. Dr. Budd and Don spent nearly a month at Gunisao Lake in the fall of 1987. They fished, learned their way around the lake and tried to decide if this was truly the right place. In the end Dr. Budd purchased that lodge, which we all know today as Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge.

    In the years that Dr. James Budd has owned and run Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge, he has surrounded himself with family much of the way. His brother Donald Budd was there in the beginning cooking in the kitchen and assisting Dr. Budd with handiwork and many other things around camp. To this day Don still comes up every summer to fish the Gunisao waters. Don's wife Barb was actively involved with the lodge during the summers and going with Don to the sport shows. Ann Louise Budd, Dr. Budd's wife, was also there in the beginning. She has worked the sport shows, answered the phones and lent helping hands to our wait and cleaning staff over the years. These days Ann Louise is Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge's expeditor, as well as the lodge's eyes and ears to the outside world during fishing season. Brendon Budd, the fourth of Dr. Budd's six children, was also with Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge in the beginning. Brendon helped Dr. Budd manage the lodge for thirteen years. During these years he married Lisa and they were both involved in everything from sport shows to bartending during the regular season. Dusty Budd, Dr. Budd's youngest son, has been involved with managing Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge for the past seven years. Prior to managing the lodge the family likes to say Dusty was an indentured servant guiding on the lake during his college summers. Now, Dusty and his wife Jennie are involved with everything from sport shows and running the office to managing the store during the season. Those of you visiting this year will have the opportunity to see the second grandchild who will grow up at the lodge. Lisa and Brendon's daughter Savannah, who many of you remember is now thirteen and Dusty and Jennie's Jackson, is 15 months old.

   Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge is truly a world class walleye fishing destination. One look at the master angler list in Travel Manitoba's Fishing and Hunting Adventures Guide can attest to that. Just ask any of our long time patrons. Some have been fishing Gunisao Lake for each of the twenty two seasons that Budd's Gunisao Lake Lodge has been around; the Valspar group, Reverend Youngdahl and group, Dr. Molinaro's group, the O'Daniel group. Most anyone that has ever fished the Gunisao waters knows exactly why it is such a special place, such a diamond in the ruff.