What bait shops in Ely have bulk leeches, we head up in a week just trying to decide if i should get the locally in the cities and bring up or pick them up in Ely.

Spirit of the Wilderness and Voyageur North Outfitters are the two that we always use on the east side of town. By the pound or half pound.

VNO here too. But I'd call ahead just to make sure wherever you're planning on getting them.

I will be taking my first BWCA trip in late August. I would like to bring leeches and possibly minnows. What is the best way of keeping them alive while you're out there? I was thinking of using a floating bait bucket and just towing it behind the canoe but I wasn't sure if that would create drag in the water and slow the canoe. I cant imagine those bait buckets are convenient for portaging either. Any tips would be appreciated.

Muelle44: "I will be taking my first BWCA trip in late August. I would like to bring leeches and possibly minnows. What is the best way of keeping them alive while you're out there? I was thinking of using a floating bait bucket and just towing it behind the canoe but I wasn't sure if that would create drag in the water and slow the canoe. I cant imagine those bait buckets are convenient for portaging either. Any tips would be appreciated. "

Leave the minnows not worth the hassle if you ask me. Leeches are easy get the small floating buckets made for leeches

We skip the minnows...as mentioned, they are a PITA. But we do do leeches, in a bait bucket. Float them while we are fishing and while the boat is in camp. When we are moving (either putting in or between fishing holes), pull them up and set them under a seat in the boat. We single portage, and I always get the leeches (and the heavier pack :D but at least I don't have to manage the boat, so there's that). I just clip them with a biner to the side of the pack and march along. Kinda sloshy, but not bad.

Thanks for the tips. I appreciate it.

Call a few weeks before and check with the local shops. We’ve taken a few early September trips and you typically won’t find leeches in Ely, they are out of season by then. We typically buy further south and transport up.

Going in 7/22. Hopefully there are some leeches up there.

I ended up buy a pound of leeches and i bet most of them died, with the hot temps and warm water temps the leeches just couldnt handle it. We caught almost all of our fish on cranks with a couple on jigs. I am officially done bringing live bait into the BWCA.