Towboat Service in the BWCA

Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitters, Ely MN is specially permitted by the USFS to provide towboat service on the following lakes:

• Moose Lake to Splash Portage, Prairie Portage and on Basswood out to Washington Island or Back Bay
• Snowbank Lake to Disappointment Portage or Boot Lake Portage
• Across Burntside to Crab Lake Portage

We load at our Ely base facility and trailer boats to our drop-in landings. Our operators know the lakes and key in on being safe and punctual.  Set an appointment for your one-way or round trip tow today. Call Spirit of the Wilderness at 800-950-2709 or 218-365-3149.

Sheridan Street Garden, June 21, 2014

Spotted water collected on the Lupine flowers in our Ely garden after a gentle morning rain. Note the large water bubble in the center of the leaves. Our garden is being tended again this season by Zone 3 gardeners. Planting, weeding and advising me what plants are weeds and should be pulled. Apparently, I pulled a number of sprouting flowers last year and was told to be more careful. Garden looks good and will only get better as the summer progresses. Stop by to see all what is and will be blooming.

Trapping Bait...No Easy Job

Many people think trapping minnows is an easy job. Try doing it and you will find it is hard work. Here Peg, our bait suppliers for minnows, leeches, and crawlers, is packing a small outboard engine plus minnow trap to a no-name spot looking for rainbow chubs.  What you don't see in these photos is the 4 wheeler and small boat required to get to waters edge. I'm sure you can count on mosquitoes and flies being in the neighborhood and "knowing your name". They will make your work a bit more difficult.

Thanks Peg for all your hard work. You always provide the finest quality bait.

Stop in at Spirit of the Wilderness, Ely MN for all your live bait and tackle needs. We are open 6 am - 9 pm daily until mid-October. Remember Bait Happy Hour is every Tuesday and Wednesday 5 pm-8 pm: buy 2 dozen live bait, get 1 dozen FREE.

We carry fathead chubs, Rainbows (in season), Shiners, Pike Suckers, Light Northern Suckers, Heavy Northern Suckers, Night crawlers, leeches (mixed run, large, jumbo, super jumbo), and wax worms.

Kevlar inventor Stephanie Kwolek, age 90, dies

We all can appreciate the invention of kevlar that Stephanie Kwolek discovered; not only in protecting our military and police personnel, but also in development of light weight canoe, canaks, and more.

Kevlar inventor Stephanie Kwolek, 90, dies http://usat.ly/SYfSmV

Boundary Waters Rescue June 12, 2014

A successful rescue in the BWCA was done on Thursday by DNR, St Louis and Lake County, USFS, and Latorell Outfitter staff. Thank you to all who responded. Check out this report from a Duluth TV reporter.

http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/S3472797.shtml?cat=10335

This is a prime example of why everyone should wear their life jackets every time they are in a boat, canoe, kayak, SUP board and other watercraft. Also, with high gusting winds and crossing big water, it is okay to wait out the high winds until they die down. Be safe to travel the wilderness again!

Live Bait at Spirit of the Wilderness

We are now stocking Super Jumbo Leeches as well as mixed size (ungraded), large, and jumbos. Buy them by the dozen, 1/2 lb or l lb quantities. Spirit of the Wilderness is your only Ely location for Super Jumbos Leeches.

Our minnow selection continues to be excellent with Fathead Chubs, Shiners, Pike Suckers, Light Northern Suckers, Heavy Northern Suckers and our popular Walleye Mix; combination of fatheads, shiners and pike suckers. Even the area guides are choosing this combination.

Our night crawlers are plump and active. We repack them in Fat & Sassy pre-moistened bedding that keeps them fresh and living longer. We package them in dozens, 4-dozen boxes, 1/2 flats as well as flats.

Bait Happy Hour
Be sure to stop in for bait happy hour (hic!) Tuesday and Wednesday 5-8pm. Buy 2 dozen live bait, mix or match, get 1 dozen at no charge.

Call us at 1-800-950-2709 if you want to have us set aside a quantity of leeches, minnows or night crawlers and we will have them ready for your arrival. Or stop in at our shop 6 am - 9 pm daily.

Good fishing and see you in Ely soon.

Early season fishing report - June 4, 2014

Fishing Report From the Ely Fishing Guide Company by guide Rob Nelson.

Our season started off with a bang with good numbers of walleyes in the current areas. Our customers were able to catch a lot of eating size fish as well as some trophies which were all released. Biggest Walleye of the season so far is 30.5 inches. With a couple others in the 30 inch range and many more in the 26-29 inch range. These big fish made for some happy customersI

Currently the walleyes are on the move finding their summer spots. The current areas have slowed down and our guides are finding fish in the bays, points and flats. Fish have been caught in the 13-18 foot range with minnows, leeches and some crawlers.

Smallmouth Bass and Northern Pike are being caught on the shorelines and the bays. The bass are still pre-spawn and the larger females are being caught in 6-10 feet of water on plastic worms and tube jigs.