The gifts that keep on giving

I usually just buy my wife something I want for Christmas. If Santa happens to bring her a new trolling rod or shotgun that I can put to good use, all the better. With Christmas quickly approaching, and it clearly understood I have no idea what women want, I’ve decided to put together this gift buying guide for all the ladies looking for the perfect gift for their outdoorsman.

Under $25

Best bet, gift card. B&B or Outdoor Advantage. The holiday spirit comes alive with meat sticks or a fistful of new ice fishing gear.

Under $50

Now you’re talking ... talking turkey or tackle. Turkey decoys, calls, shells, clothing. Terminal tackle (hooks, line, sinkers), or a romantic bouquet of crankbaits.

Under $100

Well, actually this comes in at just over 100 bucks. Hopefully one of his most-used pieces of fishing equipment — the filet knife — is often overlooked and underappreciated, until he handles a Leech Lake filet knife. Available at http://www.reedssports.com.

Under $250

For this price point, a high quality fishing rod for soft water. I suggest a St. Croix, medium light, 7-footer. Gene at Outdoor Advantage will help you out.

Under $500

North Dakota Ice Fishing Special. Bite Me Box Tip Ups. Four of the best tip-ups on

the market with extra reel assemblies. http://www.boxtipups.com

Under $1000

Stop by Daugherty’s on Cloquet Avenue. Tell Tommy B you want the best Big Green Egg $1,000 bucks will buy. Comes with a little bit of a learning curve, but once mastered, fish and game flavors come alive.

Under $2,500

Three- to five-day guided deer hunt. With properties in the highest-density monster buck counties in Wisconsin and Iowa, check out http://www.ruttingridgeoutfitters.com.

Under $5,000

World class salmon fishing in Alaska with a Cloquet connection. 1995 Cloquet graduate Jason Rockvam, along with his wife, own and operate a premiere fly-in fishing resort in Alaska. Book a trip in early summer to coincide with the unforgettable king salmon run. Trip rates and itineraries can be found at http://www.wildernessplacelodge.com

Under $10,000

Four wheeler, specifically the Can-Am Outlander. Lots of sizes and configurations to fit his needs. With a little engineering, doubles as a ice-fishing machine in the winter. Check out the inventory at http://www.mooselakeimplement.com

Under $50,000

Decked out fully loaded, Ice Castle RV Edition. A large screen satellite equipped TV to watch the Minnesota Wild, check. A separate hi-def TV to watch the fish react live on the Aqua-View underwater camera, yes please.

Under $100,000

2019 21-foot Ranger Fisherman walleye boat, powered by a 300-horsepower Mercury Verado. Rigged with three networked 16 inch HDS Live Lowrance fish finders. Also, equipped with bow and transom trolling motors and dual 15-foot Talon shallow water anchors. This gift seems oddly specific…

The sky’s the limit.

5,000 continuous acres of prime whitetail habitat in Buffalo County, Wis. Food plots, tower stands and enough lodging to invite all his family and friends … and his favorite Pine Knot News Outdoors writer.

Hopefully my wife reads my suggestions and makes a good decision. If not, I may have to get her something off the list. That reminds me, I need to break out the tape measure and see if the Ranger will fit in our garage?

Bret Baker is a lifetime resident of Cloquet. He is a proud husband, father, educator and outdoorsman. Bret began guiding fishing trips when he was 16 years old. Today, in his 40s, his passion is to introduce people to the tremendous outdoor adventures available in our region.