2018 Fishing Opener Specials at Spirit of the Wilderness

Stop in today at 

Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitters and Retail Store 

to grab your 

FREE Rapala T-Shirt when you purchase any 2 Rapala Lures.  

(Special runs 6 AM - 9 PM 5/12/18)

We are open from 6 AM - 9 PM daily.

Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitters & Retail Store
2030 E. Sheridan Street
Ely, MN 55731
218-365-3149
www.elycanoetrips.com
info@elycanoetrips.com

Happy 2018 MN Fishing Opener!

It's the start of the summer fishing season here in Minnesota.  People have been getting their boats and canoe out of storage over the last few days and weeks.  There has been new line strung onto fishing reels, plans made for where to spend the opener and dreams of eating some freshly caught fish.

Here's a clip about how to clean a fish in case you are new to fishing or just a little rusty with filleting fish.  It's not a bad refresher as we get started on our 2018 summer canoe and fishing season.
MPR News - How to Clean a Fish

Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitters and Retail store is stocked up with Minnows, Crawlers and Leeches for your trip.  Remember our bait will catch fish or die trying!

Happy Fishing

Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitters & Retail Store
2030 E. Sheridan Street
Ely, MN 55731
218-365-3149
info@elycanoetrips.com
www.elycanoetrips.com

Loon on her nest

We were fishing on a lake off the Echo trail this past week and came upon a loon on her nest. We drifted close by her and she hardly moved, although she watched us very carefully. The male loon was across the lake fishing.

By the way we caught a couple of small northern pike and had a smallmouth bass grab a lure and flip out of the water.  What a great sight to see.

Stop at Spirit of the Wilderness Bait Shop, Ely MN for your live bait needs as well as current fishing reports.  We talk fishing. Hours: 6 am - 9 pm daily.

Ely Area Lakes Fishing Report - June 11, 2013

The water temps are 62-64 degrees. The Walleyes are mainly hitting on Minnows. Shiners, Rainbow and Fatheads seem to be their favorite. Most are catching fish with Lindy Rigs or jigs right off the bottom in depths of 12-18 feet.

The Smallmouth Bass are very close to being on their beds. We have seen a number of larger Smallmouth Bass being caught.

The Northerns are still in shallow. The favorite seems to be Light or Heavy Northern Minnows on a rig or big bobber. Casting spoons has also been productive.

Don't forget to take a photo of your catch and we will enter your fish in the local Angler Fishing Contest. No fee to enter.

Happy fishing!

Angler Fishing Contest

Each summer the Ely Echo has a summer long fishing contest here in town.  It is free to submit an entry.  Spirit of the Wilderness is one of the Angler Check In Stations for the contest. 

If you are in the area make sure to take a photo of your fish and send it to us with your contact info and how big your fish is.  The contest allows you to enter fish you keep by bringing them in to us to weight and measure or you can take a photo and release the fish for someone else to catch later.  We recommend the Catch and Release method so someone else can have a chance at catching a trophy down the road.

Here are a few of recent entries.

Why Use an Outfitter?

Are you planning a Boundary Waters Canoe Area adventure this summer? You will make lifetime memories. So why use an outfitter? Simply stated; an outfitter will make your trip much more enjoyable. Your outfitter will customize your route, advise you on techniques to use including choosing and setting up your campsite, preparing your meals, what clothes and fishing tackle to take along and much more.

I know we have done our job when our guests return and say " that was simple." What a great feeling to hear those words and see the "glow of the woods" on their faces.

When planning a BWCA canoe trip you will need:

• Set the date you want to be on the water, the day you will enter the BWCA
• Determine an entry point and general route your group will travel. Consult with your outfitter for recommendations
• Reserve your permit.Your outfitter can do this for you and do it correctly
• Determine how much outfitting your group will need. Do you need complete or partial outfitting, what type of canoes to use, how will canoes be transported to/from your entry point
• In case of an emergency who will be your local Ely contact.This is critical for both those on the trip and those at home

Watch for more steps in planning a Boundary Waters adventure

Contact Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitters today to start planning your adventure.

800-950-2709 or email at info@elycanoetrips.com

Happy New Year!

2011 is officially here. With a busy holiday season of visiting friends and family the time has sure gone by fast. We hope the holidays have been good to you and your loved ones. If you family is like ours, we talk about the fun things we did over the past year. Many of the stories are of the canoe trips we have taken and the fun we have had. Here's to you and 2011 being full of more fun adventures.

Ely, Minnesota has gotten a number of recent snowfalls. It's beautiful to see all the trees covered with snow. A few more months the snow will start to melt and we will be back into the canoeing season. Until then we will be enjoying the snow and ice. This is a great time to do a little cross country skiing or snowshoeing. There are many great places to sneak into the Boundary Waters across the frozen lakes. This is a time of year when you definitely have peace and quiet. Compared to the summer months, not many people venture into the BWCA during the winter. Speaking of winter, you can't forget about ice fishing. The Walleyes and Northern Pike are the fish of choice currently.

Happy New Year.

Thanksgiving is almost here

With Thanksgiving around the corner don't forget to talk to your friends and family about your next BWCA or Quetico canoe trip in Ely, Minnesota this coming summer.

Many agree that a Boundary Waters canoe trip is a great way to reconnect to nature and recharge your batteries. There's something about getting into the wilderness and leaving behind the busy world of cell phones and computers.

Sometimes, it's good to disconnect from the technology. We spend a lot of time worried about what email we have to return and what text message was just received. A canoe trip really gets you back to basics. You worry about where to fish for the afternoon, what's for lunch or dinner and if you can get a great photo of the sunset.

Taking a canoe trip brings enjoyment to many. Time and time again we hear how someone took a trip in their youth and hasn't been able to make it back since. Make 2011 be your year to rediscover what it means to explore the wilderness. Maybe you have been to the Boundary Waters every year for the past 15 years. Then tell someone about your trip or bring someone new. As our lives get busier it good to remember there are still places where life moves a little slower and we can reconnect to nature.

And once again more great fish pictures

We would like to thank everyone that has been registering thier catches with Spirit of the Wilderness of the Ely Echo Angler Contest this summer. Just a few more weeks for the contest then it's over until 2011.

Fish Photos. What a catch!

We have been having a number of great fish entered into the fishing contest. Many of these fish were released back into the lakes to live to be caught another day.

Live Bait in the BWCA....Still OK.

As we work our way into July we keep getting questions about if live bait can be used in the Boundary Waters. The answer is yes, you can bring in Minnows, leeches and crawlers to name a few of the most popular types of bait. There are no rules stating you have to only use artificial baits. You do want to make sure that any left over bait is packed out of the wilderness and thrown in the trash.

The question for your group and your trip is what kind of bait do we want to pack in and fish with?

Night Crawlers are a pretty basic bait the will entice a number of types of fish. They are easy to put in your canoe pack or canoe. They just need to be kept in the shade and they will make it for most or all of your trip. The key is to make sure you have enough. The middle part of the summer is when night crawlers are most popular with the fish. This typically means mid-June to mid-August.

Leeches are another great mid-summer live bait option. Leeches take a little more care, but are hardy and loved by the Walleyes, Smallmouth Bass and a few other fun fish to catch. Leeches like to have fresh water a number of time a day. It is best to not get them too warm in the container. Leeches are best when the lake water has warmed a bit. Too cold, such as early spring, and you may not have as much luck with leeches. The warmer summer lake water allows the leeches to be a bit more active. Too cold of water and they tend to keep balled up on the hook. To take leeches on your BWCA canoe trip you should plan on having some sort of leech tote that has very small holes. Minnow buckets have hole much too large to keep the leeches confined. You want a container that allows you to easily change water to keep your bait happy.

Minnows are a great spring and fall a bit. The cooler weather makes it easier to keep healthy minnows. The typical types of minnows used in the Ely, MN are are fathead chubs, rainbows, shiners, and a variety of sizes of sucker minnows. You can use minnows year round. They get a little harder to keep when the weather turns hot. So most turn to leeches or crawlers for their mid-summer canoe trips.

Now a quick note to those of you headed into the Quetico Provincial Park in Canada. There is no organic bait allowed into this wilderness area. You also need to make sure you are using barbless hooks when fishing the Quetico.

If you have any questions please give us a call here at Spirit of the Wilderness 800-90-2709. We do stock minnows, leeches and crawlers all summer long. Just give us a quick call if you would like to pre-order your bait for your upcoming BWCA canoe trip. Need suggestions on what bait to take or what lures to pack or buy? Just stop in and ask. We talk fishing!

Happy June!

Well June is here and we are happy to say the fish seem to be biting. We have received some rain over the weekend to help the water levels a bit. It looks like this week we will be getting a little more rain. Any rain helps keep the fire restrictions away.

This past weekend was a very busy due to Memorial day. There were many campers that used the long weekend to enjoy some time in the north woods of Ely, Minnesota.

Here's to all that have service in the US Military....Thank you.

Today is Walleye Opener

Today is the day we have been waiting for. This is the start of the fishing season here in Minnesota. it will be interesting to hear the fishing reports. We had very early ice out this year, which means the water has had a chance to warm a bit more then normal. Th current water temps. are in the low 50 degrees.

We will try and post a few fish pictures from the weekend.

Happy Fishing!

Fishing Opener!!!

The Minnesota Fishing Opener is just days away. May 15, 2010 we will be joining many other anxious anglers to get out in the canoe or boat to kick off our 2010 fishing season. It is almost a holiday in Minnesota.

At Spirit of the Wilderness we take this day very serious. We make sure to be stocked up on all the popular lures, rods, reels and of course we have bait. Since we are closed for the winter this is always an exciting time. We measure time in when we will be getting the bait in to start the 2010 fishing season. We always carry all sorts of minnows, leeched and crawlers.

The most popular minnows in the spring depends on who you ask. Many will tell you it's all about the shiners. Others swear by the rainbow or fathead chub. We like to think of ourselves as an equal opportunity minnow employer. You know, we do train our minnows to catch fish or die trying!

No matter what bait you choose or what lure is on the end of your line we hope you have a great Fishing Opener!

P.S. Don't forget to bring in your catch or a photo of it and we will sign you up for the local fishing contest and put you on the bragging board.

The Ice is out.

We have been enjoying a very early spring up here in Ely, Minnesota. The snow has been gone for a few weeks now. The ice has been out since early this week. There were a few bays that still had some ice as of Monday. After the continuation of our warmer than normal weather I'm sure that most of the ice that was around Monday is gone.

This is the earliest most of us can remember the ice going out in at least a decade. Last year we were hoping for a little warm weather to melt the ice for the fishing opener that was in mid May. We have been getting a few calls from those eager to get out paddling already this year. This is close to a month before last year.

With less snowfall this winter and early melting we are hoping for a little rain. The rain and the great sunshine we have been getting will help the early spring flowers. We are already seeing a few tulips poking through. It shouldn't be long before the trees begin to green up and the summer is in full swing.

Thanks for attending!

Thank you for stopping by the Spirit of the Wilderness booth at the Northwest Sport show this last week and weekend. We met and talked to a lot of great people.

Thank you to all of you that attended the Fishing in the Boundary Waters seminar Friday, March 26, 2010.

Keep in mind there is still time to book your BWCA or Quetico canoe trip for this summer. There are still permits open. Give us a call and we can set up your 2010 summer trip.

Fishing in the BWCA Seminar

Don't forget we will be giving a Fishing in the Boundary Waters seminar this Friday, 2 PM, March 26, 2010. We will be in one of the seminar rooms at the Northwest Sport Show.

Steve will talk about fishing tips, techniques and whatever he can to entertain you.

Can't make the fishing seminar? Stop by the Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitter's booth, #537, anytime during the show and we would love to talk to you about fishing and canoe trips.

Don't forget about the show specials. These specials are only offered when you book your trip at the show. So bring your BWCA/Quetico canoe trip dates.

Northwest Sport Show

Visit with Spirit of the Wilderness at the Northwest Sport Show March 24-28, 2010. The Northwest Sport Show is at the Minneapolis Convention Center. We will be in booth #537. Stop by and say hello.

We would be happy to spend some time with you discussing your 2010 Boundary Waters or Quetico canoe trip. Bring your questions and trip dates and book your trip at the show.

There will be Outfitting Show Specials that can be taken advantage of if you reserve your canoe trips while at the show.

Don't forget! Owner, Steve Nelson, will be giving a seminar 2 PM March 26, 2010 at the show. Come listen to the Fishing in the Boundary Waters seminar. This is a great opportunity to learn fishing tips and techniques for your BWCA canoe trip.

Canoe season is around the corner

The canoe are just waiting for you here at Spirit of the Wilderness! OK, maybe it will still be a few more months until we have open water and the snow melts. We just get excited, here at Spirit of the Wilderness Outfitters, for the coming canoe season. This is about the time we get a little anxious to see some of that warmer spring weather.

We have been taking to many of you about your upcoming canoe and fishing trips. It's won't be long until we are open for the season. We are looking to be open around May 6, 2010.

Hope to see you this summer. Don't forget we will be at a couple of sport shows soon. If you are around to visit with us at the show we would love to see you. We would love to spend some time reminiscing about old trips or talking about new ones.

• March 12-14 we will be at Canoecopia in Madison, WI.

• March 24-28 we will be at the Northwest Sport Show in Minneapolis, MN.

Welcome 2010 !

Welcome to the new year of 2010.

It's hard to believe that we are part way through the winter and making our way towards another canoe season. How time flies when you are having fun! As some of you know, the Nelson's purchased Spirit of the Wilderness Canoe Outfitters, then Hill's Wilderness Trips, back in 1999. We had, and still have, a love for traveling the BWCA. Our mission has been to introduce people to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the outdoors through a fun, helpful, educational and friendly experience.

This is the time of year that we at Spirit of the Wilderness start getting excited for the upcoming canoe season. We start to hear from previous guests and new guests about the trips they hope to take in the summer. It makes it a bit easier to get through the -20 below zero days. Soon we will be heading out to a few sport shows and then before you know it the spring will be here and we will be watching for the ice to come off the lakes.

We hope that the new year is good to you and your family & friends. We look forward to 2010 and all the canoeing and fishing it brings!