2024 was a whirlwind of outdoor travel for us. While we had window seats at 30,000 feet on a few trips, we also put over 24K miles on the Fundra getting us to fun, outdoor destinations all over North America. We packed our bags at least once each month with most excursions occurring outside Minnesota. We’re in the business of promoting tourism so we check out cool places and give you the details on how to do it yourself. In this blog, I’ll break down where we went each month and why you should plan for it in 2025.
I recently had a few conversations with people about life and how tomorrow isn’t a guarantee. If you can make it work to travel, don’t wait. Get out and enjoy life and experience the outdoor opportunities the world has to offer.
January
Northern Minnesota – Watch The Prairie Sportsman Episode Here
This typically isn’t a big travel month for Fish Hunt Forever because we’re generally nose deep in our laptops editing the new season of Prairie Sportsman. In 2024 we were nominated for 5 Upper Midwest Emmy Awards and won for our episode on Barotrauma. We’re grateful for the recognition but surprised that our Arrowhead 135 episode didn’t get more love from the judges. This is a grueling 135 mile race in northeast Minnesota that starts in International Falls and ends at Fortune Bay Casino. It usually takes more than a day to complete and racers can walk, bike or ski, with a few even unrolling a sleeping bag to nap in the snow along the way. It’s wild. I’m not suggesting you participate, although it’s quite the accomplishment to finish, but giving you a heads up about a place we stayed: Melgeorge’s on Elephant Lake.
This cozy hotel and restaurant/bar is tucked away in the woods where much of Minnesota’s rich logging history took place. In fact, it used to be a logging camp and remnants of it’s past decorate the property. It’s located on a popular snowmobile trail so it makes for a great race checkpoint and a perfect place to stop or stay during a trip with the sleds or side by sides. We’ve filmed there twice now, including a snowmobile episode from Voyagaire. A summer fishing trip isn’t a bad idea either.
February
Devil’s Lake (Video) | Lake of the Woods – (AGLOW Media Camp)
Haybale Heights Campground and Resort has been a big supporter of Sporting Journal Radio over the years and in February we hit the ice and rolled around in a Snobear. It seems like each time we come up there to fish in the winter, we hit a cold front, with our first trip in 2018 taking place when it was a frigid -45! But, each time, we catch fish. Even with a tough bite during this year’s trip, we managed to fill the bucket with walleyes and perch. The Snobears make it easy because you can move around to find active fish and you don’t have to go outside, except when nature calls (just don’t tell the Minnesota DNR about it).
Haybale has a year-round campground and cabins for rent. Plus fully-guided fishing so you can just show up and have a good time. The cabins are nice, with lots of beds and full kitchens. They’re located just 6 miles east of the city of Devils Lake so running in to town is easy and there is a gas station located close, so essentials such as snacks and beer are nearby.
River Bend Resort at Lake of the Woods has been a popular destination of ours when we go to the Rainy River. AGLOW held a media camp there in February and fish were on the menu. The Walleye Capital provided non-stop action once again and the fish fry at the restaurant was delicious. Paul and Brandi always provide a friendly atmosphere and if you’re lucky, you can catch Greg Jones singing in the bar. Watch our video here.
March
Pheasant Fest/South Dakota – Pheasant Fest Walk Through Video
This event moves around each year so while the Sioux Falls location gave me a chance to sneak out in South Dakota for a quick snow goose hunt, the show itself is a great time for anyone who enjoys following a dog’s nose through the grass. Not only do you get to see and talk to like-minded individuals, but important discussions regarding the future of conservation take place each year. From biologists to veterinarians, and recognizable faces like Sam Soholt to brands such as onX who don’t just offer a product but do the work on the ground to create more habitat and make it accessible for hunters. The 2025 event takes place in Kansas City and you can learn more about it here.
The snow goose hunting was tough as all we could find were adults, but seeing the leading edge of the migration each spring will always get the blood pumping. I’ll never forget the first time I drove west from Fargo, armed with a cheap camera, in search of snows. I’d been urged to experience the migration – whether hunting or not. Finally I saw a string of white birds that stretched as far as I could see across the horizon. It’s an unbelievable sight that can lessen the sting of being shut out by stingy snows.
April
Niagara River – Video | Rainy River – Video
When Minnesota’s lakes are covered with dark, deteriorating ice in late spring, the various river destinations become the focus for people across the region. The Rainy River is a tradition for anglers and you can count us among those who travel north each April. Our trip coincides with the anniversary of our 500th episode of Sporting Journal Radio so we created a fun fishing tournament called the SJR500. This will be year 4 of the sturgeon and walleye contest and it continues to grow and be a fun event at River Bend Resort each year. We host a party with prize giveaways, a live podcast and all sorts of other shenanigans. It’s a catch – video – release tourney with FishDonkey so it makes the catch and release regulations on the river that much more fun. Plan to join us April 8th and 9th for this year’s tournament. Get more details here.
For the last couple years, we’ve been fortunate to experience the Niagara River. While this area is mostly known for sight-seeing at Niagara Falls or great lakes fishing, the stretch of river between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario can be world-class. Walleye, steelhead, salmon, brown trout, lake trout, muskie, smallmouth and more can be found among the rushing waters near the Devil’s Hole or around the Niagara Bar where the river flows into Lake Ontario. We stayed in Lewsiton, NY which has easy access to the river, great restaurants and places to stay. There are a number of quality guides who we met during our trips. I recommend starting with Frank Campbell. He’s not only a guide, but also with Niagara Falls USA Tourism there, so he can help with any questions.
May
Eufaula, Alabama. Bass Fishing (video) and Hog Hunting (video) at Great Southern Outdoors
Alabama was a new one for us. Alabama Black Belt Adventures invited us down for an AGLOW Media Camp and what I noticed first was just how many trees there were. I really had no preconceived notions of what the landscape would look like and I was surprised to see how wooded and wild it was. The “Black Belt” stretches across 23 counties from Georgia to Mississippi and it’s named after it’s rich “soll”. That’s “soil” for anyone outside of that region! That fertility brought agriculture and tree plantings, with the latter fueling a timber industry. The hunting was so good that big companies bought land for hosting big clients and employees. Celebrities have been known to travel there to chase turkeys, whitetails and hogs. The area really became known for it’s dog trials for over 100 years and each year two-legged visitors bring their four-legged friends there for the experience.
We spent two days hunting hogs at Great Southern Outdoors and two days fishing Lake Eufaula on the Alabama/Georgia Line. We actually spent an afternoon in the boat with Eufaula Mayor Jack Tibbs, learning about the area, the economic benefit of the outdoor tourism and the history of fishing tackle companies in the region. He owns Strikezone Lures, Humminbird manufactures their electronics along the lake and Mann’s Bait Company opened there in 1956, even though it recently closed it’s doors.
The lake is part of the Chattahoochie River, so we had Alan Jackson songs stuck in our head the whole trip as we dipped our toes into the legendary bass lake. I also got to spend a lot of time taking pictures of alligators, which became an obsession for me. I should clarify that because of said alligators, we were only dipping our toes metaphorically.
June
Tazin Lake, Saskatchewan – Tazin TV Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 Coming Soon
You probably knew this would be on the list. This place is amazing. Beautiful views, huge fish and good times with great people. We have a few episodes of Tazin TV from this year’s trip available here, along with a new one coming in the next couple days. Thomas Allen from In-Fisherman joined us so Dan Amundson and I filmed two In Fish episodes that will air on the Outdoor Channel in January. We also recorded an episode of the In-Fisherman Storyline podcast while we were up there and you can listen to that to learn more about the trip.
One mission this year was to get Dan a new PB northern pike. He’d been stuck trying to break that 40″ mark and never had much of a chance to pike fish during recent trips since we focused so much on lake trout. He’s got some giants and this year and checked big pike off the list, hooking into a 45.5″ trophy early on. That video can be seen here.
The season opens June 14th at Tazin and you can get a trip booked here.
July
Guardian Eagle Resort, Ontario – Video
While we’ve done some bass trips this year, we are from Minnesota. Legally, we have to be walleye anglers. We have done annual fishing trips to Ontario with the family, but this year we were able to visit Guardian Eagle Resort. I’ve known about the resort for a few years having worked sport show booths next to them. Owners Clare and Twyla Bergen have created an epic destination with some of the most insane walleye fishing I’ve ever seen. The cabins were huge and the food was amazing. While we caught walleyes at will, the most memorable part of the trip took place right at the dock. You can’t fish there, but you can hand feed walleyes any time of day. It was bonkers.
This fly-in destination can be reached a couple different ways:
1) Flying direct from the twin cities or Chicago to their runway at the lodge.
2) Driving to Sioux Lookout and flying in from there
Visit their website here and watch the video of our trip here
August
NW Angle Boat Tours / Lake Commandos – Episodes coming soon.
I’ve taken a few trips to the Northwest Angle, both to hunt and fish. But this trip was different, this was a history lesson. We jumped in a boat with Joe Laurin, a former engineer with Polaris who began giving tours of the area in recent years. The amount of history there is astounding.
From Fort St. Charles to pictographs (see above) to Massacre Island. All landmarks worth seeing during a trip to the angle. We all like to fish, but give Joe a call during your next trip and go on the tour. You won’t be disappointed. We filmed it for an episode of Prairie Sportsman coming later this year.
A few years ago, Steve Pennaz joined us at Tazin Lake Lodge to film 2 episodes of Lake Commandos. His usual cameraman Lance Tangen couldn’t make it, so I offered my services. (Lance actually filmed my first trip to Tazin in 2016 when I was with Northland Outdoors TV – and we have the same birthday.) Fast forward to this year and I was on a small body of water with Steve as Lance filmed us for an episode of Lake Commandos.
I’ve always liked the concept of the show and hoped that I could be on it someday. Unfortunately when that day came, I got my butt whooped. Shocker, I know. I’ll leave the exact details for the full show, but let’s just say I picked a method that I’ve been using to catch a lot of walleyes lately and it was tough…for me. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that a fishing Hall of Famer beat me haha. It was a good time and I’m thankful for the opportunity. Watch for the episode on the Sportsman Channel sometime this year.
September
Kentucky Lake – Learn More About Taking A Trip Here
Kentucky Lake has seen a resurgence of bass fishing quality in recent years after a perfect storm of events caused a crash. Fluctuating water levels, poor spawns and the invasion of carp caused the lake to go through a dark time. Anglers struggled. Fisheries managers scratched their heads and tourism departments panicked. Through some strategic management and a close relationship between Kentucky Dept of Fish and Wildlife and the Army Corps, the bass fishing is back.
We jumped in a boat with local tourney angler Brandon Hunter who showed us around the lake and took us for largemouth and smallmouth. We have a video coming later this year that you’ll be able to see on the Fish Hunt Forever Youtube channel.
We were there for the 2024 AGLOW Conference and different activities were offered for attendees. Dan went squirrel hunting and others went in search of the “Dogman” in the Land Between the Lakes (LBL). The LBL, is roughly 40 miles long and 6-8 miles wide and sits between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. It was created when the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers were dammed and the two lakes were formed. I’ve read that it’s the largest inland peninsula in the US at 170,000 acres and it’s managed by the US Forest Service as a National Recreation Area. There are hunting, camping and wildlife viewing opportunities there. It’s free to enter the LBL but some attractions have a fee, including the Elk and Bison prairie ($5 per enclosed car), the Golden Pond Planetarium ($7 per person), Woodlands Nature Center ($7 per person) Homeplace 1850’s working farm ($7 per person) and there are permits for camping, hunting, etc. More info can be found here.
October
Saskatchewan Waterfowl Hunting Regina – Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3
What can I say about this trip…the word “epic” gets thrown around a lot, but it may be the best descriptor for this adventure. Everything just fell into place. We made new friends. We hunted with family. My 84-year-old dad shot a triple on snows to cap off what is arguably one of the best days of hunting I’ve ever had. We’ve got three videos out now from this trip with a longer-form film coming later this year.
There were so many good things that happened on this trip that I would need to write a whole new blog to explain them all. Bradshaw Montgomery shot his first goose on this trip, we saw some amazing northern lights and I even won some money at Casino Regina!
November
Saskatchewan Whitetail Hunting at Trails End Outfitters – Video 1
As soon as I got home from Saskatchewan, I dropped off Dan and turned around and went back up, this time for deer. Saskatchewan is a legendary destination for bruiser whitetails with dark racks and I’ve been hearing about it from Barry Prall at Trails End Outfitters for years. The window to go finally opened and I was anxious to go. Danny Thompson and his father joined me and we had a fun week of seeing piles of deer. Another guest in camp also saw a number of moose up close in the blind – what a crazy experience. The full hunt video will be coming later this year but you can see the promo video I made from the trip here.
December
Southwest Minnesota
Since we started in Minnesota, I feel justified in closing with Minnesota. This was another trip to film for Prairie Sportsman and it included some really neat guns. It was all about the sub gauges and it was my first chance to hunt with a 28 gauge that came into my possession in the last year. My dad gave it to me and he acquired it during a coin buy. He got into buying and selling coins and collectibles after he retired and during one purchase he asked about a single shot gun leaning in the corner behind a door. The older widow mentioned that her husband kept it here for protection but she was ready to part with it. My dad held on to it for years and finally gifted it during a spring cleaning.
It’s a New England Firearms Pardner 20 gauge. It might even be a youth model. It was a goal of mine to seal the deal on a wild pheasant with it and you’ll have to wait for the episode to see if I was successful.
While this isn’t exactly a destination that you can pinpoint, but Pheasants Forever, the MN DNR and a number of landowners and volunteers work to protect habitat in Minnesota for wildlife. While you won’t necessarily have the success you will in the Dakotas, you can scratch out some birds and have fun challenging yourself with different guns along the way.
If you have any questions about these trips, I’m happy to help.
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