Canoecopia 2016 is almost here!

Canoecopia is March 11-13, 2016.  This is a great paddle sports show in Madison, WI.

Come visit the Spirit of the Wilderness canoe outfitter's booth.  We are happy to discuss & help plan your upcoming Boundary Waters canoe trip for this coming summer.

Spirit of the Wilderness will be at booth #N14.  Stop by our booth to sign up for our drawings.

We will also be giving a number of seminars during the weekend show. Here's the titles and times to catch.

A First Time BWCA Adventure You Can Do
       -Friday, March 11 at 6:30-7:15pm
       -Saturday March 12 at 11:30-12:15pm

Top 10+ Unique BWCA Sites to Visit
        - Sunday, March 13 at 10:30-11:15am

We look forward to seeing you there.  Bring your trip dates and canoe trip questions.  You can book your trip in person and have something to look forward to this coming summer.

Can't make it to Canoecopia in Madison, Wisconsin?  Call us at 800-950-2709 or 218-365-3149.  You can also email us at info@elycanoetrips.com.  For more BWCA canoe trip information visit www.elycanoetrips.comWww.elycanoetrips.com.

Fishing Gear in the BWCA - what to pack?

Do you fish the Boundary Waters or Quetico?  What top fishing tackle items do you always take with you?

Some items to take on a canoe trip:

• Rod and reel with 6-8 lb test line. It's ok to take more than 1 rod/reel, just be careful you are only using one at a time per person. MN DNR rules.
• Floating lures - working top water is great late June into September when fishing for bass
• Countdown lures - getting down to where walleyes are takes some planning. Lures that are designed for 15-20 feet used while trolling work well
• Jigs with twister tails or artificial bait - jigging is a good method to get deep, working a foot or so off the bottom of the lake. 
• Spinner bait to work the weed beds - fish go looking for food (bait fish) and a place to hide in the weeds. Yes, you might get your lure stuck in the weeds...but fish where the fish are.
• Live bait, i.e. minnows, leeches, crawlers, are allowed in the Boundary Waters. Be sure to change water between lakes so as not to take an invasive species into another lake
• Fillet knife - think positive...you are going to catch a fish big enough to fillet and eat

Register Your Fish

If you fish lakes in the Ely area, BWCA or Quetico this summer, be sure to register your fish at Spirit of the Wilderness, Ely MN to enter the Angler Fishing Contest.  Free registration, get your picture in the Angler paper and best of all...you just might win!

We register both catch and released as well as those fish that are kept.