Grandpa Frank’s Pontoon

Summertime brings memories of my time spent in Cass Lake, Minnesota. Both sets of my grandparents lived “up north” in this small community.

Otto and Mae [Lydick] Norenberg had a house on the west shore of Cass Lake, technically in Pike Bay Township. Frank and Gert [Rector] Gentzkow lived in town. One of the best things was Grandpa Otto’s boat harbor where Grandpa Frank kept his boat.

Author and her siblings pulling a boat in from Grandpa Otto’s harbor, summer 1968.¹Photographic copy of slide film. KArrie Blees made digital copy February 2024.
Grandpa Frank’s pontoon is at the right edge of the photo.

Pontoon

Like most pontoon boats, Grandpa Frank’s boat had a flat platform atop cylindrical floats. Many pontoon boats have expansive, specialty lounge areas. Grandpa Frank’s pontoon was special, but it was truly one-of-a-kind because he fitted it out himself.

Manufactured boats have plush seating covered with marine vinyl. Grandpa’s pontoon had metal, church-type fold-up chairs.

New pontoons have solid, side panels. Grandpa’s boat had chain link fence around the perimeter.

A bimini top is the canvas cover that provides shade. Grandpa’s shade covering was rigid, held aloft with metal tubing; it didn’t fold down. The underside of this canopy had chicken wire which held a great assortment of dangling, jangling, fishing lures that danced over our heads as we motored on the lake.

Some boats have complete enclosures with vinyl windows. Grandpa used a surplus army parachute and made curtains for the “shanty” in the center of the deck.

Super fancy watercraft have a “head,” a toilet. Grandpa affixed a toilet seat to a bucket for those of us who did not wish to “go” overboard.

Grandpa Frank, cousin Wanda, cousin Retta, Loretta Gentzkow Johnson²Photo of Frank Gentzkow and his pontoon belong to Retta Johnson Freeman, digital copies made by Karrie Blees. Dates of photos unknown.

Fishing with all the Cousins

Early-morning fishing trips were standard summertime activities with Grandpa Frank. For the Opening Day of fishing, he took his grandkids out at night. On the boat, they set up cots, curled up in sleeping bags, and kept warm with a kerosene heater. They fished until the first light of morning.

Grandpa Frank was a meat-cutter at Teal’s SuperValu grocery store. When he took all of us kids fishing, he also cooked breakfast. The delicious smell of bacon and eggs cooking over the little charcoal stove filled the air.

Grandpa Frank with a boatful of kids (clockwise from Grandpa):
cousin Vicki covering her face, friend Margo, friend Casey, cousin Retta, cousin Michael “Mike”

Water Carnival

At the end of July, Cass Lake celebrated Water Carnival Days. Festivities included a parade, boat races, prize drawings, lumberjack competitions, and a fishing contest.

On the day of the contest, Grandpa Otto took one group of fishermen in search of walleyes and northern pike. Grandpa Frank loaded up his pontoon boat to see how many fish his grandkids could catch during the allotted time.

For this one day each year, Grandpa allowed us to keep all of the fish that we caught, even the littlest ones. There were prizes for most fish caught as well as for the  largest fishes.

Combing Through the Cass Lake Times newspaper, these grandchildren were listed as award-winners:

• 1965
  • 2nd Most Perch: Vicki Johnson
  • 2nd Largest mixed string: Vicki Johnson
  • Youngest Fisherman: Mike Johnson
• 1967
  • 3rd Largest Northern: Judy Johnson, 2 lb 7 oz
  • Most Perch (33): Mike Johnson
  • 2nd Largest mixed string (4): John Norenberg
• 1968
  • Largest mixed string (23): Mike Johnson
• 1970
  • 3rd Largest Northern Pike: Mike Johnson, 2 lb 10 oz
  • Largest string of Perch (42): Mike Johnson
• 1971
  • Largest string of perch (90) Karie [sic] Norenberg
  • Largest mixed string: Mike Johnson
• 1972
  • Largest Walleye: Mike Johnson, 1 lb 14 oz
  • 3rd Largest Northern Pike: Mike Johnson, 2 lb 1 oz
  • Largest string of Perch (132): John Gentzkow
  • Largest mixed string: Mike Johnson

In 1971, I did not catch 90 perch by myself! (I do not have the skills necessary for that feat.) My cousins were with me on Grandpa’s pontoon and they likely caught 88 of those perch. How could we lose with a Grandpa like Frank?

Frank Gentzkow, piloting his pontoon boat on Cass Lake, date unknown

SOURCES

• 1
  Photographic copy of slide film. KArrie Blees made digital copy February 2024.
• 2
  Photo of Frank Gentzkow and his pontoon belong to Retta Johnson Freeman, digital copies made by Karrie Blees. Dates of photos unknown.