Fishing & Boating in the Northwoods

Vermilion Lake

lake vermilion at sunset

Lake Vermilion “Lake of the Sunset Glow” Most lake names in Northern Minnesota pay homage to the Native Americans. Vermilion is no different. It was known to the Chippewa as the “Lake of the Sunset Glow.” Perhaps the name is the result of the fire-red horizon at sundown, perhaps the result of the incredible displays […]

Lake of the Woods

Lake of the Woods “The Walleye Capital of the World” In all of Minnesota, one of the truly unique places is the incredibly beautiful area of international waters encompassing Lake of the Woods and Rainy River (The historic Rainy River is the original highway of the famed Voyageurs – it linked the Great Lake with […]

Bemidji

paul bunyan and babe in bemidji mn

Bemidji, MN “First City on the Mississippi” and a great little lake, too! Paul Bunyan. Babe the Blue Ox. Itasca State Park. My first float-plane ride. Fishing. Some of the best memories of my life are the result of experiences that were surrounded by these phrases and many others as my family headed north for […]

Alexandria

blue hammock hanging outside the house Alexandra cabin

Alexandria, MN Not far from Minneapolis – an easy 2-hour drive west on Interstate 94 – lies a beautiful little place known as the Alexandria Lakes area. About 20,000 years ago, the last of the glaciers retreated to the north, scouring out more than 375 pristine lakes in this part of the state – nestled […]

Bronko Nagurski & the Kabetogama Connection

bronko statue

Many thanks to Ed Oerichbauer, curator at the Bronko Nagurski Museum in International Falls, Minnesota, for his helpful information and insight. A conversation with him ultimately helped me determine the proper direction for the article that follows. (This page may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure about affiliate links here.) Super Bowl XVIII Coin Toss […]

Kabetogama

lake kabetogama islands

Kabetogama, MN It was 1972 when I got my first look at what I consider to be one of the prettiest “wilderness” areas on the planet; Lake Kabetogama in scenic Voyageurs National Park. It is about as far north into the state of Minnesota as one can get and still be in Minnesota. (This page […]

The Finest of Times

rain in the distance of Lake Kabetogama

Today’s pace is, admittedly, much different & much faster than the one I can remember from the years during which I grew up. Nonetheless, a family vacation is still one of the best opportunities to reconnect with the ones who are most dear to you. (This page may contain affiliate links, which means I may […]

Fish Cakes Recipe

Kab Cakes in pan

This fish cakes recipe is a great way to use any single fish or combination of fish. We’ve actually dubbed this recipe “Kab” Cakes since they were first made with fresh fish from Lake Kabetogama, in MN. They are very similar to crab cakes but make use of freshwater fish instead of crab. The cakes […]

How to Make Your Own Lindy Rigs

tying a lindy rig

When I first went walleye fishing on Lake Kabetogama in 1972, I quickly learned that the method used there to fish was quite different from what I had previously known. The resort owner told us that we needed to “use a heavy sinker above the snap swivel and bump the bottom with a long leader”. […]

Winter Fun on Lake Kabetogama

Ice fishing on Kabetogama

Winter is in retreat and the sun is starting to race to the north. We’ve passed perihelion – the earth’s closest approach to the sun – and the days are getting longer a few minutes at a time. Sounds like Spring is just around the corner… Well, it’s a little further away than that, but […]