Meet The Guides At Sportsman's Lodge
We have some of the most experienced guides on Lake of the Woods. Our guides have well over 200 combined years of fishing this awesome lake and they love it! As our guest, you can request which guide you would like to take you on your next fishing adventure. Keep in mind, some of our guides are booked nearly a year in advance, so make your reservations early. Here is an introduction to the Sportsman's Lodge fishing team, as well as some tips for fishing legendary Lake of the Woods.
Kit Beckel
A popular long time fishing guide for Sportsman's Lodge, Kit hosted Lt. Governor Carol Molnau during the 2004 Governor's Fishing Opener on May 15.
Kit, pictured here with his wife, Peggy, has been guiding visitors and guests of Lake of the Woods since 1960. His family moved to the area in 1959, from Austin, Minnesota, and owned Trails End Resort (which is now a part of Wigwam Resort). His dad purchased Kit his first launch (charter boat) when he was 13. In 1972, the Beckel family established
Sportsman's Lodge, located along the Rainy River. Operated with his brothers and their families, the "the Beckel Brothers" built one of the largest resorts in the area. In the mid 1990's, the resort was sold to its current owners, Jerry and LuAnn Hennum and their family.
Kit continues as a guide for Sportsman's Lodge, and is very proud that his son, Josh, is following in his footsteps as a third generation guide at Sportsman's Lodge and Lake of the Woods.
Email: kit@sportsmanslodges.comJoe Borg
Joe is one of our top guides. He should be...it seems to run in his veins. Joe's Dad was a guide and so was his Grandpa. Joe has been guiding at Sportsmans for almost 18 years now. And he says he loves the fresh air!
Joe thinks the best part about guiding is sunny days with a boatload of women!
But seriously, he caters to his customers...If you want to test your angling abilites, Joe knows great places for hook and line fishing. But if you would rather kick back and let the big fish come to you...he'll take you out downrigging.
Joe willingly gives out Lake of the Woods fishing advice, he says you gotta keep moving! And if you are hook and line fishing, there is nothing better than using an ounce and a quarter sinker with a crawler harness, hammered gold is always the best on Lake of the Woods.
Joe is married to Lisa, and together they have a 7 1/2 year old daughter named Aimee. On his days off, you might find Joe on the golf course, or swimming with his daughter.
Email Joe - joe@sportsmanslodges.com
Darryl Vacura
Darryl brings in a load of fish like you see here, day after day after day! As a matter of fact, he has been guiding with us for over 22 years! Darryl says, "It's easy! Guiding is not rocket science, especially on this lake, we have a great fishery here and in order to catch the fish, you have to be patient with the lake and listen to the folks who fish it." Darryl laughs as he explains how lucky he is to have this job.
The best part about being a guide for Darryl is simply being on the lake. He says Lake of the Woods is a beautiful lake with so many characteristics. As a matter of fact, on his days off, you won't find Darryl fishing, but you might find he and his wife beachcombing the sandy shores of Graceton beach. As for his advice to anglers coming up to Lake of the Woods...Darryl says, "Be patient, believe what the locals tell you about the lake; and how to catch walleye and you can't go wrong drifting or trolling with a spinner and sinker."
Email Darryl - darryl@sportsmanslodges.com
Dave McDougall
Captain Dave McDougall was born to fish! As a matter of fact he was in a boat on Lake of the Woods the day he was born. You see, Dave's parents used to own a resort on Lake of the Woods near Morson Ontario...in order to get home after his birth, he travelled by boat. That's where his love for Lake of the Woods began!
Dave has been guiding for Sportsman's since 1994, and he says Lake of the Woods offers everything an Angler is looking for: Great walleyes, a variety of ways to fish (from downrigging to jigging) and huge opportunities to catch fish!
One of the reasons Dave enjoys guiding so much is because he never wakes up in the morning and says, "Oh no, I gotta go to work today!" Dave's perspective on his job is quite the opposite, especially in the summer, he loves to fish, likes the people and enjoys the people he's working with.
Dave's best tip to those fishing Lake of the Woods is to be patient. He says, "Anglers need to try a variety of methods, from bait fishing to pulling shads, eventually something will work and the fish will be there."
On his day off, Dave just keeps on fishing! He enjoys taking his family out for a day on the water.
Email Dave - dave@sportsmanslodges.com
Dan Carlson
You'll love fishing with "The Swede"! Dan Carlson's love for fishing is absolutely contagious! Of course, it's easy to be passionate about the sport when you can bring in a fish or two like the one pictured here. This picture was taken in mid-July 2003. Dan and his son were out fishing with Windy (another Sportsman's Guide) and his son on that memorable day. In the course of a few hours they had caught their limit of walleyes, including two 10-pounders, an 11-pounder, a 9-pounder, and a few others over 28 inches! And that's no fish story!
Dan has been guiding with Sportsman's Lodge since 1997, but has been fishing Lake of the Woods for as long as he can remember. When asked the best time to fish Lake of the Woods, Dan says, "I really like shoreline fishing in June and river fishing in October."
Dan's tip to anyone coming up to fish Lake of the Woods is to be prepared for the weather. Even in the heat of the summer, it can get chilly on the lake. Guests should remember to bring warm clothes and even rain gear with them just in case.
When he is not guiding with Sportsman's, Dan enjoys hunting and fishing and spending time with his family. He also is an avid hockey player and fan and spends time in the winter working at the Baudette Arena.
Email Dan - dan@sportsmanslodges.com
Eric Lindquist
Growing up in the Baudette area, Eric “Snag” Lindquist has passion for the outdoors and Lake of the Woods. Eric has been guiding for Sportsman’s since 1997, and has been fishing the lake all his life. He is looking forward to the upcoming ice fishing season and offers a tip to those who are coming up in the next few months. Eric says, “If the fish are not biting…try harder! The fish are down there, you just need to catch them!”
Eric’s favorite time to fish is Mid-July. During that time he guides his anglers down-rigging on the reefs. He enjoys this method of fishing because it’s more difficult and takes more skill; there is also a greater chance of catching a trophy walleye. Eric says “Fishing Lake of the Woods is great because you can fish different areas of the lake every day, using different presentations.”
You may also recognize Eric as one half of the famous “Quack Addicts Guide Service.” Each fall he heads for the swamp for duck and goose hunts. He says, “This year’s early goose hunt was good and duck hunting was very good.” To book a duck or goose hunting trip with the Quack Addicts call (218) 202-0561, or email eric@sportsmanslodges.com
On his day off, Eric hits the woods and water for some hunting and fishing of his own!
Alan "Flip" Phillippe
Flip is originally from Baudette and has been fishing Lake of the Woods for over 40 years! He’s a veteran to the area and enjoys being outside. Flip says the best part about guiding…is the relationship you build with your clientele. Year after year, Flip finds that looks forward to each group returning for another great fishing experience on Lake of the Woods. His favorite Walleye Presentation is a Little Joe Hamered Gold spinner with a minnow. When asked what his best Lake of the Woods Fishing tip is…Flip said…”If you’re not catching fish in one place, move and try it again!
Email Flip - fishinflip56@aol.com or flip@sportsmanslodges.com
Tyler Snider
Everytime...That’s what we try to do! What a summer! Jig fishing was fantastic until mid July when the fish moved off the reefs deeper. Try to outfish me someday! Rigging’s a blast, too! Lots of pigs being released.
I have three full seasons in on
I moved to Baudette from
Or, come stay in the finest fish houses on the
Are you ready?
Email
Ron Rudd
If you are looking for a seasoned Lake of the Woods fishing guide, you have just found him! Ron has been guiding with Sportsman's Lodge since 1977! He was a full-time guide with us until 1997 when he became a teacher at Lake of the Woods school. He now guides for us through-out the summer months.
Ron's favorite way to fish Lake of the Woods is down- rigging. He says, "it's the best because the customers get to catch all the fish and the chances of catching a trophy are much better."
Ron likes to fish the many reefs on the West side of Big Island. But he offers this tip to anglers: "If the fish are not biting in your favorite spot, keep moving and trying different places."
When asked about his most memorable trip, Ron recalls: "We had one hour left of our day of fishing. In that hour we caught 5 fish, all of them were over 9 pounds!" What a great way to finish off the day.