What's Going on in the North Woods

This newsletter is designed to help keep you current on the issues of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Quetico Provincial Park, to give you information on Williams and Hall Outfitters, and to share some of our knowledge and love of the outdoors and the wilderness around us. We hope you enjoy these articles and share them with your friends.

Check Out Our New Website and Win a Walleye Fishing Kit

If haven't seen it yet, check out our new website - the most authoritative website for planning a great paddling adventure in the Boundary Waters and Quetico. And while you are on the website,enter our Holiday Raffle to win great Walleye Fishing Kit put together by our fishing guru, Dave Sebesta.

2015 Season Closing Thoughts

The towboats are out of the lake, the water is disconnected and the paddles are all put away! So ends another season on Moose Lake at Williams and Hall Outfitters.

On behalf of all of us at Williams and Hall, we would like to thank each and every one who helped make 2015 a successful summer.

We hope that you had the opportunity to make some new memories and re-live some from the past. After all, a Boundary Waters trip is more than catching a fish or seeing a waterfall. Its watch a youngster land a trophy of their lifetime (of any size) or leaning back in awe at the sight of the beautiful landscape. It’s a brief glimpse of the northern lights, the flash of a pine marten dashing through the campsite or a bold encounter with a gray jay. A Boundary Waters trip is not something you “take”, it’s something you experience.

As we head into another off-season, we’ll try to keep everyone up to date on any new information or changes in the process and as always, we’re here to answer your questions or help with future trip planning. In turn, we’d love to hear from you! Let us know how we can help make your next trip even better!

We look forward to seeing many of you at a Sport Show or Customer Night. For all whose path we won’t cross this winter, we look forward to talking with you or trading an e-mail or two. If you have pictures you’d like to share…we’d love to see them and as always, we truly appreciate the opportunity to be a small part of your next “Boundary Waters Experience”

Blayne, Charlene & Dave

The Fishing Corner

SLEEP DEPRIVATION

“The mere act of depriving one’s self of sleep for the sake of staying awake might be considered foolish! However, when that same act is done for the chance of catching giant smallmouth bass & walleyes, well then, the act is far removed from fool heartedness.”

For nearly 25 years, the simple mentioning of the “August Full Moon” gets the adrenaline pumping. For me, and all those who’ve joined me over the years, long after hours with only headlamps and moon glow to guide our casted crankbaits and jigs, the thought of landing a trophy bass or walleye can’t be squelched by mere darkness.

The technique, first read about in a fishing magazine some 30 years ago, consists of finding shallow, narrow or “necked down” places where one lake flows into another. I’m not talking about a rapids but a mostly imperceptible current. This subtle flow attracts baitfish and in turn attracts gamefish. The added attraction of a moon lit night seems to bring the big ones in. Your arsenal should include lures to cover shallow to medium depth (2ft to 10ft). Rapala Husky Jerks and Storm Shads are just a couple we’ve used out of countless options. Jigs are also effective when you need to bounce the bottom. Cast and cover all the areas from the center of the narrowest area to the shoreline and points adjacent to the narrows. Keep it simple, too. Even with moonlight and headlamps, you can get messed up quick at night. Eliminate clutter. Three or four crankbaits and a half dozen jigs in a small tackle box will do in a canoe. A rubber coated landing net is very handy and great when dealing with crankbaits and big fish. Don’t forget pliers, either.

To clarify now…I’m talking about the time period of the full moon including a few nights before and after. And, while the August full moon is my favorite, any full moon period from mid-July to mid-September can be great. I’ve fished other month’s moon, but bugs (earlier) and weather (later) can be brutal.

So remember, when planning starts for next year’s canoe adventure…don’t forget to consider little “Sleep Deprivation” during a Full Moon!

Dave

2016 Permits

We're back to our preseason format on permit reservations. That means Quetico Park permits are available no sooner than 5 months, to the day, ahead of the actual start date and Boundary Waters permits are available for application starting in mid December. All BWCA permits become available first come, first serve in late January.

Remember...We are happy to secure your permits at no extra charge!

Important Upcoming Dates

We are looking forward to seeing you this winter at a Sport Show or Customer Boundary Waters Night. Mark your calendar now to save the date.

Sport Shows
Nashville Boat Show - January 7-10
Cincinnati Boat Show - January 15-24
Kansas City Boat Show - January 21-24
Schaumburg (Chicago) Sport Show - January 28-31

Boundary Waters Nights
Indianapolis - January 11
Cincinnati - January 19
Park Ridge (Chicago) - January 27
Milwaukee - January 26

Thank You!

We thank you for a wonderful 2015 and look forward to helping you plan your 2016 Boundary Waters Paddling Adventure!

From your friends at Williams and Hall,
Charlene, Blayne, Dave and Kevin
Williams and Hall Outfitters and Canoe Adventures
williamsandhall.com
(218) 365-5837
canoe@williamsandhall.com