Needing some Help - where is best?

[Bigguyone]

Good news - I finally got the wife to agree to a cabin in MN. I live out of state but come up fishing quite a bit. Mainly have fished Vermillion and Rainy.

Looking for a great bass lake - Musky and pike are a Bonus for sure. Wanting to be able to catch numbers of fish in the 2-4lb range LMB and SMB. I usually have 30-40 fish days on Vermillion so it is tempting but too far from a direct flight airport for us so looking for your help.

Thinking something in the Alexandria area or between MSP and Fargo so I have a choice of airports incase tickets are spendy or flights are full.

Where would you recommend?

Looking for a place with a few cabins as ultimately looking to do a fractional ownership where I buy it with 3-5 people or buy into an existing cabin where someone wants to sell their part or a person realizes they do not use it as much as they thought they would so wants to sell "part" of it as I will be there about 6 weeks a year. Thinking a cabin that has a shared (good) boat and possibly atvs would be great but boat is a Must.

[CAMAN]

Leech Lake

[RK]

Walker area was my first thought too. Can fly into Bemidji or Brainerd, or it's a reasonable drive from Fargo (@ 2 hours) or MSP (@ 3 hrs). Multitude of lakes in the area that are good bass fisheries, from Leech itself to hundreds of smaller lakes.

Detroit Lakes/Pelican Rapids area is a good one too...it's my stomping grounds so I'm biased, but it has a lot to offer, plus it's under an hour from Fargo, and @ 3 from MSP.

Alexandria area is good too, but more developed, if that matters.

[bemidjibasser]

Brainerd pops in my mind first... tons of lakes in the area as well as the Mississippi river... Mille Lacs is only about 20 minutes away for huge smallies and muskies, never mind it is an excellent walleye fishery. The gull and whitefish chains are great bass lakes and home to pike and walleyes as well. Just some more food for thought.

[kt]

I live in the alexandria area and absolutely love it for bass fishing. There are so many different options very close by and at the same time it isn't too far a drive to get to all the lakes in ottertail county to the north west. It's also only a couple hours to get to the brainerd area and bemidji area as well.

[grab the net]

Tough to beat the Fergus Falls area. Many lakes that will give you the opportunity for a ripped up thumb by the end of the day. Some really decent SM lakes, plus Ottertail River for some small river wading with again decent SM. Some lakes up that way even have a few big fish in em.

[Bigguyone]

Any certain lakes you guys would recommend at all? Going to try and start narrowing it down...

If you happen to know someone that may be interested in selling a fraction of their cabin (6 weeks or so a year) do let me know.

[email protected]

THANK YOU

[corncob]

Pelican Lake by Orr is hard to beat for both Smallmouth and Largemouth.

[Cecil]

Big and Little Birch by St Cloud are great lakes. Not far off 94 but far enough...

[BTL]

Tough to beat the Fergus Falls area. Many lakes that will give you the opportunity for a ripped up thumb by the end of the day. Some really decent SM lakes, plus Ottertail River for some small river wading with again decent SM. Some lakes up that way even have a few big fish in em.

That area would get my vote as well, although I'm extremely biased because I haven't done much fishing anywhere else in MN. OTC has so many lakes it's difficult to pick which one you want to hit. I just love it.

[thatoneguy]

Definitelt not the Leech Lake area...no good bass fishing there

[KickNBass]

Longville Area (cass county) has great bass/muskie fishing.

Lakes like Little Boy will have all the species you want.

[Bigguyone]

Finally got the wife to agree to a cabin. Thinking with this economy there are some great options and this may help you or a friend out.

Looking for a cabin that I can go to the same place on a consistent basis. I live out of state so I will only spend about 4-6 weeks at the cabin (since have to fly up). Looking for a 3bd cabin on a great bass lake - Pike and Musky are a BONUS.

Would like the cabin to include a boat with it that is at least 17' and at least 75hp (non-tiller).

I am not dialed in to one particular area or lake as I am thinking anything within 2.5 hours of Fargo and MSP (probably Fergus falls, alexandria or maybe Bemidji/Walker area if have to go that far) so I have 2 airports to choose from when I fly in).

I am willing to do discounted rental (due to paying for multiple weeks) or a fractional ownership where I pay a lump sum upfront and then an annual amount to help with maintaining the property and have 10% ownership or so. For example someone could have a cabin worth about 200k and I would pay 25k up front plus an annual "maintainance" fee to help out with the costs of upkeep.

If you or a friend has a cabin you think would benefit both of us from an arrangement similar to one of the above do let me know if you would please at [email protected]

Thank you in advance for your help.

[JP Z]

Bigguyone,

You can look into the Brainerd Lakes Area and specifically Breezy Point on Pelican. That is a great fishery for bass and also Eyes. You can do one of the time shares in Breezy???? I don't know. I'm biased towards the BLA as that is where I grew up and live.

[ottertailguy]

Rush lake just north of Otter Tail lake. We had a cabin on there 5 years and it has both size and numbers. I just like walleyes fishing more.

If your 4-6 weeks are in the June,July and August than 10% is way to low for buying fractional ownership. Even though I enjoy our cabin all year long, there are only 16 great weeks at the cabin. But if you were going to use a week in January, March, June, September and November than that might be right. Good luck