Naturally our search quickly took us to Minnesota, where these days the fish are “really jumpin’.” Fishing magazines were full of articles telling us that we didn’t necessarily have to go to Canada anymore if we wanted to catch a world class muskie or walleye. We also knew that any new lake, be it Vermilion, Mille Lacs, or Leech, would be a challenge the first time out. We decided Lake Vermillion would be our best bet, as it was about as close to Canada as you can get without actually being served back bacon on a bun and a glazed donut the size of a truck tire for breakfast.

Most resorts on Big-V are very family friendly, with fun activities available for everyone. Naturally our search narrowed to about a million places, so we put out an A.P.B. for recommendations. To make a long story short, we settled on Vermilion Dam Lodge (www.vdl.com) and were very happy with the decision. The accommodations were five-star and we found most necessities right there in camp – a roll out of bed and stone’s throw away.

“In the 1940's the National Geographic Society declared Lake Vermilion one of the top ten most scenic lakes in the United States. And it still is today. With its [41,000] acres of water, 365 islands and 1200 miles of shoreline, it stretches 40 miles across the heart of Minnesota's Arrowhead Region.” (www.lakevermilion.com)

I actually have a friend that used to vacation on Lake Vermilion when he was a kid in the 1950’s. We have compared notes and relatively speaking, Big-V hasn’t changed all that much over the years.