Fishing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) was lights out. I mean amazing. Our crew of six men enjoyed all you can eat fresh caught walleye cooked in a skillet over a wood fire five nights in a row. Fishing out of a canoe for five days was a challenge. So was the weather, and sleeping on the ground in a tent for five nights isn’t quite as enjoyable as it used to be. There is a lot to unpack from what I learned on this first go around. All in all, though, the trip I took with five friends to the Boundary Waters shall be remembered as one of the great outdoor adventures of my life.
The BWCAW was not the landscape I expected. It was rough, rocky country littered with deep, sometimes wide, pristine lakes. Three of the six from our crew are sporting deep purple leg bruises bigger than a baseball by way of unfortunate falls on slippery rocks. I’m one of the three. The region looks like a clawed creature grabbed Earth to stop it from spinning and left tears in her surface now filled with water.
The BWCAW is a non-motorized wilderness within the Superior National Forest. It spans over 1.1 million acres of land and water and stretches 150 miles along the Minnesota and Ontario border. North of which is Quetico Provincial Park, which is similar but even more remote. With special permits, you can paddle right on into Canada. The BWCAW is bordered on the west by Voyageurs National Park, which allows motors. There is so much water to explore, you couldn’t see it all in multiple lifetimes.
You need a permit to enter the BWCAW, but once you’re legal, you can leave the modern world behind. There’s more than 1,200 miles of canoe routes to choose from. Along those routes are approximately 2,000 designated campsites. These are first come first served. Our group found the site we planned to camp at occupied when we arrived, so we moved on down the lake to another. When the first site became available, we broke camp and moved.
A first-time trip to the Boundary Waters needs to involve a lot of planning. Having an expert in your group certainly helps. On this trip, we were lucky to be joining a well-seasoned BWCAW explore, Scott Mackenthun. Scott is a native Minnesotan, fisheries biologist, and fellow outdoor writer who has made more than 15 trips into the wilderness area. He took care of the necessary permits, set up the canoe rentals for us from Voyageur Canoe Outfitters, planned the food, and gave us a list of gear to bring. This sort of expertise isn’t available to most, so I encourage you to do some studying on what you should and shouldn’t bring along.
Our group speaks in-depth about the experience, the gear we used, and the changes we’d make for future trips on episode 299 of the Driftwood Outdoors Podcast. It’s called Boundary Waters Recap and will provide you a lot of perspective on planning your own BWCAW adventure. I’ll cover some of the basics. You can find it anywhere podcasts are streamed and on YouTube.
You have to be prepared for weather. We were soaked for three days. Don’t skimp on warm clothes. Puffy jackets and pants weigh nothing and are easy pack. It’s essential to keep your camp clothes dry. Don’t risk leaving anything out. Storms blew in quick and at times unexpectedly. You need to store your clothes in dry bags. Quality rain gear is an essential, so are dry socks.
We were split with three tents and three hammock campers. Everyone seemed happy with their shelters. Tarps are needed for the ground and above your camp. Again, they are light so don’t skimp. Bring plenty of paracord for hanging tarps, clotheslines and more. A warm sleeping bag and a comfortable sleeping pad or air mattress makes a big difference. Five nights on the ground at 46 is sure different than 26. Bring a small, comfortable folding chair for camp. And bring a seat with a strong back rest for your canoe. A Thermacell and bug spray is essential.
I brought way too much fishing tackle, as expected. Scott brought plenty of leeches for the group. They caught everything. Next time, I’ll have one tray of tackle with slip bobbers, hooks, sinkers, and pile of quarter ounce jig heads with a single blade, like the Road Runner heads I used. Use leeches under a bobber and tip the jig with one. These two offerings will catch all the smallmouth you desire, and limits of walleye when you find them. Add in a few types of soft plastics and you should be good. If you want to catch northern pike, bring a few bigger spinners and jerk baits along. Two spinning rods will suffice. One medium-light and one medium-heavy.
No doubt, we would’ve traded canoes for more stable boats in a heartbeat. At times, when the waves were white capping, we felt like we were on one of those logs that lumberjack’s roll on. Derek Butler, my cousin and paddle partner, and I spent too much time out in the waves. We discussed, on multiple occasions, what to do when the canoe tips over and all of our gear sinks to the bottom at 80 feet. Thankfully, it never happened.
As our government considers selling off our public lands for minuscule short-term gains, please ask yourself why. Why support selling our amazing birthright. Giving up your land so the uber rich can become even more rich, while you receive nothing in return, is the worst deal in I’ve ever heard of. You gain nothing and will never have access again to the land you currently own. Even you don’t frequent the wilderness, it’s amazing to know it’s there and filled with bald eagles, bears, moose, wolves and a few humans who seek to reap the marrow of life. Please, tell your federal legislators to keep their hands off your public lands. Let’s protect what belongs to “We the People” so future generations can enjoy the same opportunities we’re afforded today.
See you down the trail…
Brandon Butler
driftwoodoutdoors@gmail.com
Pic: Fishing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) was better than this six man crew dreamed it could be.
For more Driftwood Outdoors, check out the podcast HERE or anywhere podcasts are streamed.
