Wildlife Food Plot Tips for Northern Minnesota

Wildlife food plots can be a component of wildlife management on your property up north in Minnesota. Though natural habitat provides suitable cover, food, water, and space, planting annual or perennial crops on your land can provide a supplemental food source for wildlife.

Here are a few tips to help you with your food plot this year:

  • If you have a lot of land, several smaller plots are better than one large plot. Also, irregular edges and shapes are best.
  • Test your soil for pH and nutrients and add appropriate amounts of lime and fertilizer to maximize plant growth. 
  • Purchasing expensive seed mixes is not necessary. Single species seeds can be purchased at your local store and mixed together. 
  • Good choices for your food plot include clover, alfalfa, and brassicas (rapeseed, turnips, etc.)

Fantastic Walleye and Muskie Fishing in Northern Minnesota

Minnesota has thousands of lakes and a plethora of great fishing opportunities, and one of the best is in our area. Lake Winnibigoshish (also known as Lake Winnie) has miles of undeveloped shoreline and is genuinely an angler’s paradise. It is 67,000 acres in size and Minnesota’s fifth-largest lake. 

Fishing pros know it’s a fantastic lake for fishing walleyes, muskies, and more. If you follow fishing news at all, you might remember that the 54-pound Minnesota record-breaking Muskie was caught on Lake Winnie back in 1957 and held the record for many years. Since then, though, a new record was set on Lake Vermillion.

If you’re fishing for walleye on Lake Winnie, make sure you know the current regulations. The Minnesota DNR has enacted a special regulation on Lake Winnie’s walleye — anglers must immediately release any walleye measuring between 18″ and 23″ and may be in possession of only one walleye over 23.”  Click here to see Minnesota’s Fishing Regulations for more information. 

Have fun, and remember, a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at the office!

Bored with Waterskiing?

Try These Activities Behind Your Boat Instead

It’s no surprise that here in Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Lakes, many of our favorite summer activities take place on Minnesota’s abundant bodies of water. Waterskiing is a classic choice, but if you or your family are looking to branch out and try something new behind your boat, here are three activities to consider.

Wakeboarding

You’re probably already familiar with wakeboarding; it’s been around for about 30 years. It also has the “cool factor” that waterskiing doesn’t. While you probably can’t waterski behind a pontoon boat, it is possible to wakeboard, so that might make it appealing to families with older children/teens. Many people also consider it easier to learn than waterskiing and less taxing for your body since it’s typically done at a slower speed than waterskiing.

Wakesurfing

A new form of wakeboarding is wakesurfing, which has been gaining popularity on Minnesota lakes. However, you’re not being pulled by a rope behind the boat, though you do use it to get up initially. Once you’re up, you drop the rope and then ride the wake that is created by the boat. Wakesurfing is appealing because it’s done at a much slower speed than wakeboarding, so falling off doesn’t hurt. Anyone can do it, so it’s popular with everyone from kids to baby boomers.

Wake Foil 

Another iteration of wakeboarding is a wake foil board. Wake foil boards have been all the rage for the last couple of years; it’s essentially a surfboard with an attached hydrofoil (or a fin with wings) that extends below the water. The design of the wake foil board causes it to lift out of the water so that a rider stands a few feet in the air as it moves through the water. 

Part of the rising popularity of riding a wake foil is that you don’t need perfectly calm water. No matter how rough the water is, you can float smoothly and silently over it on a wake foil. Plus, you can ride behind virtually any boat with a motor. Some people liken it to the smooth ride of a snowboard on the best powder day of the season.


When trying a wake sport, remember to wake responsibly. That includes staying at least 200 feet away from docks and the shore to minimize adverse effects to the shoreline and avoiding multiple passes. Courteous behavior ensures the lake experience is safe and enjoyable for all! Take the wake responsibly pledge at https://www.wakeresponsibly.com

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