Where in the Midwest can an outdoors enthusiast go to find true wilderness adventure? Where can an angler go to find some of the best smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, or lake trout fishing in the Midwest, probably even North America? Where can a family or group go to get a taste of the north woods flavor? Two words, one thought, will sum it up: Ely Minnesota. The Ely area offers all the fishing and outdoor activities the angler, adventurer, or outdoors-person might be looking for.

Members of the Fishing the Midwest Fishing Team have visited the Ely area off and on for the past fifteen years, and regularly for the past five years. Why do we, like many other anglers, keep coming back? For us it's the fishing. In 1997, Bob Jensen had perhaps the best bass trip of his life in the Ely area. In 1998, he experienced one of the fastest walleye bites for 2-31/2 pounders that he's ever been in on. Bob is one of the guys who visited the Ely area fifteen years ago, and he says fishing today is as good as it was almost two decades earlier.

Bass action can be spectacular on many lakes and rivers near Ely. Anglers can use their boats on many, many lakes in this area, while other areas are restricted to canoe use. The opportunity to take a trophy fish of several species is excellent throughout the Ely area, but the "Canoe Only Areas" can provide some of the fastest action you'll find anywhere for trophy smallmouth, northern pike, walleyes, and lake trout, and frequently you will have the lake to yourself. Much of the time a short paddle is all that is required for the smallies, while longer trips are often suggested for pike and lakers.

Employing the services of an outfitter will increase your odds for success immeasurably. Outfitters can provide all the information you need to make your trip memorable. They will suggest lakes, routes, lures, time of year, and they will provide all or most of the equipment and permits you might need. Anyone going into this area should strongly consider an outfitter on their first trip. On your next trip, you probably won't even think twice about using an outfitter: You'll know that's the way to go.

As appealing as the wilderness is, some visitors to Ely prefer to "rough it" in a little bit of luxury. How much "luxury" is up to the individuals. There are some ultra-modern resorts in the area that can provide any amenity desired. Some resorts have very nice play areas for children, serve gourmet meals, and even have whirlpools and hot tubs. Others cater more to the folks who prefer to do their own cooking and who want to enjoy a simpler lifestyle for a few days. From lakeside suites to rustic cabins on a point of land extending into the lake, you can find what you're looking for to make your trip to Ely memorable.

The town of Ely is of itself a very unique and interesting community. The shops are distinctive and have a true North Country flair. A day can be easily spent just investigating the various shops in Ely. It is advisable that when you visit this community, you leave a little room in the vehicle for souvenirs. Most visitors return home with rugs, furnishings, wall decorations, or trinkets that remind them of their trip to this area on the edge of the wilderness. These mementos bring the wilderness aura of Ely a little closer to their everyday lives.

In early July of 1999, a huge windstorm struck about eighteen miles northeast of Ely in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The effects of this windstorm were reported heavily in the media. Only a small portion of the BWCAW was affected by this natural occurrence. Most of the campsites and portages were open just a few days after the storm. The Ely area remains a wonderful location for whatever outdoor/wilderness/adventure experience you may be looking for. Right now is a great time to start making plans to visit this area of northeast Minnesota. Ely is calling!

Bob Jensen is the host of the "Fishing the Midwest" television series. He has the respect and trust of the angling public, as he is a well-known fishing educator and communicator. His knowledge of the lakes, rivers and reservoirs of the Midwest becomes obvious as he freely shares their secrets with his viewers. In addition to being the host of "Fishing the Midwest" for a decade, Bob has co-authored four best-selling books on walleye fishing and has co-hosted a series of educational walleye fishing videotapes. He is a highly-sought seminar speaker, and his feature magazine articles and syndicated newspaper columns appear in outoor publications and general circulation newspapers all over North America.