Let the compass be your guide

Take one of those math compasses we all enjoyed so much in school and center its unnecessarily sharp point on a map of downtown Cloquet. Stretch out its metallic arm and locate someplace, anyplace, 175 miles away. From there draw a perfect circle. This is my home range. This is where I live, work, hunt, and fish.

If you plopped that same compass down anywhere else in the United States, you may find better hunting ground, but you would be hard-pressed to find the quality of outdoor opportunities available to anglers encompassed in this range.

Look to the eastern side of your circle. Lake Superior dominates the region. I often begin my spring trolling cohos, kings, browns and lakers along Park Point. By the end of August I’ve worked my way up the North Shore to Grand Marais, targeting many of the same species on the big lake. The south shore provides trophy-walleye potential, and just a stone’s throw to the east you will find the Apostle Islands teeming with trout. Chequamegon Bay is a world-class smallmouth fishery, but has an equally impressive walleye, salmon, and trout population. I always take advantage of Wisconsin’s free fishing weekend (always in early June) to test these waters.

Travel south and you will discover some hidden gems. Grindstone Lake offers some of the most southerly lake trout habitat in the state. Just a little farther down I-35 is Pokegama Lake near Pine City, one of my favorite multi-species destinations. I’ve caught pike, walleyes, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, black crappies, white crappies, catfish, bullheads, and bluegills all in the same afternoon.

Head west and Mille Lacs, Leech, Winnie, Cass, and a lifetime of other options await. Mille Lacs has been hit by political and resource management arguments the last decade, but it remains a premier fishery. Walleyes still garner most of the attention. However, smallmouth bass, musky, pike, and even crappies and bluegill provide trophy-class angling opportunities. Leech Lake walleyes, bass, and muskies bites have been fantastic the last couple of years, and Winnie and Cass can be lights out.

When I think of heading north, I’m pulled in two directions: Rainy Lake, Rainy River, Pelican, Vermillion, Lake of the Woods and Red Lake all compete for my attention. Farther to the east, the far reaches of the Gunflint Trail beckon me. Gunflint, Saganaga and the numerous lakes up and down the trail are truly my second home.

Like a whitetail buck during the second week of November, I find myself wandering out of my home range from time to time. I’ve waded in the White River of northern Arkansas, chasing brown trout in total darkness, honing in on the sound of them slurping insects in the night. I’ve climbed to the the top of Montana mountains to battle greyling and cutthroats. I’ve ridden in a float plane into the heart of Alaska in pursuit of a world-class king salmon run. But I always return home — home to my 175-mile circle. There’s no place I would rather be.

In the last couple of weeks many of you have approached me with questions about specific bodies of water, or how to target different species at certain times of year. These questions keep me up at night and drive my addiction. If you have any questions about my home range and how I approach any particular body of water or species, please send them to [email protected]. I will answer as many of your questions as I can in upcoming columns.

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.