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Post by hambone on May 7, 2016 14:10:58 GMT -5
Ok guys I've finally found out what is going on at magnum. The ramp is open and hours are from Thursday to Saturday 7am to 7 p.m.. It is a $5 ramp charge. You also have the option of paying a yearly fee of $200 and in return get a key to the gate. You have to unlock gate and lock back when you use it. That way you can go any hours any time
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Post by coheasion on May 9, 2016 15:47:49 GMT -5
This is a bit disappointing and actually caused me some issues this weekend.
I arrived at the lake Saturday morning with daughter and jetski and paid the ramp fee and put her ion the water and filled up with gas.
She zoomed around all weekend until Sunday afternoon and we went to load the ski back on the trailer and lo and behold the ramp is closed.
This does not seem to be a very good business practice to have such limited hours.
If they lock it up, they are guaranteed $0 revenue during those times. If they use the honor system and keep it open then they will surely get something and get some business for snacks etc when fishermen stop back at the end of the day.
And $200 per year? No thanks - penhook is on my way to the lake and on the way home and is only a couple more minutes out of the way.
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Post by tblspoon on May 9, 2016 17:03:35 GMT -5
My thoughts exactly. Want to night fish, but, can't do it by those hours. I understand that being private, not much can be done.  |
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Gator
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Post by Gator on May 14, 2016 12:29:50 GMT -5
Can always use the ramp at the end of Crafts Church Rd. On that end of the lake. It's not much but doable.
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Post by Shadslinger on May 17, 2016 18:01:59 GMT -5
I stopped today on my way back home from the VA Hospital to check out the deal at magnum. Of course like Hambone said the gate was locked with hrs of operation posted as Thurs-sat 7am-7pm and Sun was posted as 8-2ish. The contact # was a 336 area code which is Carolina. So what this all tells me is this cat bought the place and is gonna come up to run it on weekends leaving for home sometime after 2 Sundays. I wouldn't expect to stay in business long like that but i dunno. Not good at all for us black water fishermen. Hambone did you pay the $200? Me, Coheasion and Gator will split the key cost if you make copies...  As for Crafts Church. I checked that out today too...  I guess we all stuck at penhook burning gas for a while. Anybody know mileage by water from penhook to magnum? just curious. Or the whole blackwater arm. |
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Post by quackquackboom on May 17, 2016 21:53:36 GMT -5
From b41 to crazy horse is 8 miles. Based on that I'd guess it's roughly 8 miles from magnum to penhook.
I used crafts for the first time this spring. It sucks.
I have no idea why magnum is keeping the gates locked. Has to be turning people away. Roy's not running the place anymore. The whole inside of the building is gutted.
If the magnum owner does happen to read this - PLEASE PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE put in credit card pumps. It's a hell of a long ways to gills creek for gas in the winter.
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Post by quackquackboom on May 17, 2016 21:54:35 GMT -5
Oh yea - B41 to sml dock and lodge is about 12 miles
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Post by coheasion on May 18, 2016 7:25:51 GMT -5
Yeah - I've stopped in a couple times to the marina and each time I hear about the plans they have, but all I ever see is a few guys sitting around chatting and not much work being done.
The place is still for sale and listed for $1.5M - Probably quite a bit of potential there but the place needs a LOT of work to be turned into a viable business venture.
Really wish it would turn around because as mentioned - Gills is a long ride for gas.
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Gator
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Post by Gator on May 18, 2016 8:26:48 GMT -5
Yeah - I've stopped in a couple times to the marina and each time I hear about the plans they have, but all I ever see is a few guys sitting around chatting and not much work being done. The place is still for sale and listed for $1.5M - Probably quite a bit of potential there but the place needs a LOT of work to be turned into a viable business venture. Really wish it would turn around because as mentioned - Gills is a long ride for gas. It has potential, barely. Bridgewater area is where everyone wants to be. Not way up the BW side. It's just a conveinence for most folks, as there is NOTHING on that end of the lake. Frankly, I don't know how Gills stays open. |
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johnr
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Post by johnr on May 18, 2016 9:03:22 GMT -5
Their best bet is to have a high quality, low cost, 24/7 ramp. That's the only way they will ever see the traffic required to have a marina there.
If the ramp was nice, had parking and was only a couple bucks I would probably launch there twice a week. Which means I'd buy snacks and drinks there twice a week, plus any odds and ends that I might need at the time. In the absence of an affordable ramp there, I drive to hardy when I want to fish the upper end of a river, which is easily 20 minutes longer drive time from my house.
It will never be a huge operation, like was noted. There isn't ever going to be enough traffic to support it, even with a ramp. But they could at least provide the basics, gas, snacks and an anglers menu.
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Post by coheasion on May 18, 2016 9:10:45 GMT -5
Agreed - it will never be large but a single pump with 24/7 service, a couple vending machines, and a seasonal restaurant could make it I think.....but definitely not without some investment and certainly not worth $1.5M
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johnr
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Post by johnr on May 18, 2016 9:35:02 GMT -5
Yeah the 1.5m tag will ensure it remains nothing. I've always wanted a bait shop/snack shop/anglers station, but not for an initial shot of 1.5m.
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Post by hambone on May 18, 2016 14:55:52 GMT -5
I stopped today on my way back home from the VA Hospital to check out the deal at magnum. Of course like Hambone said the gate was locked with hrs of operation posted as Thurs-sat 7am-7pm and Sun was posted as 8-2ish. The contact # was a 336 area code which is Carolina. So what this all tells me is this cat bought the place and is gonna come up to run it on weekends leaving for home sometime after 2 Sundays. I wouldn't expect to stay in business long like that but i dunno. Not good at all for us black water fishermen. Hambone did you pay the $200? Me, Coheasion and Gator will split the key cost if you make copies... As for Crafts Church. I checked that out today too... I guess we all stuck at penhook burning gas for a while. Anybody know mileage by water from penhook to magnum? just curious. Or the whole blackwater arm. Well my dad and his uncle went on halfs on a key, and I been using dads when I go and he don't. Do maybe some of you guys could go in together and get one. In not sure why they selling keys cause all ya gotta don Is go make a copy. Before ya know it everybody would have one that never paid. I'm like y'all, I wished they would put the honor system back in. It would make more sense |
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Post by magnumpointmarina on May 19, 2016 16:24:31 GMT -5
Hi, guys. This is Jim at Magnum Point Marina. I just wanted to address a few of the issues. We are not new owners, just new operators. The five partners that own the marina went into the business about ten years ago, with the original owners still being part of the partnership. Since the marina partnership was formed we have leased out the marina every year. The fellow who had leased it for the past eight years or so wanted to do boat repair, so we were looking for someone to run the marina and one of the partners who lives in Union Hall was going to do that. However, he had to take over the boat repair service on the property due to our boat mechanic unexpectedly passing away. As one of the partners, I got the task of splitting my time between Greensboro and Magnum Point. With my preference being Magnum Point.
As far as the boat ramp goes, most of what is posted here is correct. To put in and take out is $5.00 during operating hours. If I know someone is on the lake after I go to my cabin, I do leave the gate open. My biggest fear about the boat ramp is that someone will get locked on the lake, and I am truly sorry that this has happened to cohesion. The gate can not be left open and unattended. This is due to a Virginia State law that requires that if a public boat ramp is accessible and unattended, there must also be accessible restrooms available. The septic system on the marina does not allow for this due to the restaurant, and port-a-jons are not an option due to land use restrictions at the adjoining properties.
As far as keys go, they are available for $200.00. Just like the honor system of the gate being open and placing the $5.00 in it, I expect the people who buy them to not make copies and sell them to other people. That does not jive with the honor system, and will most likely result in me having to either close the ramp, with the exception of business hours or investing in a lock system that has keys that cannot be duplicated (leading to higher costs of those keys).
Now, quackquackboom, a credit card pump may be in the works. Perhaps at the end of the season, so it would be operational for the winter striper season.
Shadslinger, gator, coheasion, and hambone - I'd like to ask you to not copy and distribute the keys. If you think about it, at $200.00, that is forty uses of the ramp at $5.00 per use with the added value of 24 hour access to a private boat ramp. Although we are a partnership, it is still a family owned business, just two families now, instead of one like it was 10 years ago. The key sales pay the wages of the staff that will be coming when school lets out for the summer. Thank you for honoring the honor system.
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Post by quackquackboom on May 19, 2016 16:56:50 GMT -5
Credit card pumps - even just one would be awesome!
If you don't mind my asking - who was it that passed away?
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