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Camping on Kab/Nam


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So, here it is...I have an uncle and his son, my cousin, coming up from FL this week and they want me to take them on a camping/fishing trip. We are going to go up on Thurs. the 19th - 22nd of July. I've been to Kab/Nam before and love it up there. My question is....What are the chances of us finding a camp site if we get up there Thurs. noonish and on the water around 1 pm? If anyone is going to be up there and is camping and is planning on leaving on Thurs, and you see a Maroon Skeeter ZX2050 driving around, with 3 guys pouting, yell at us and let us know your leaving!! smile.gif I'm assuming fishing the rocky wind blown shore lines with Lindy's is the ticket at this time of year? (I'm usually up there in early June) These guys have never fished before, so I'll have my hands full keeping them out of the rocks etc....might have to pull some cranks instead? Any thoughts on the camping would be helpful, especially if you think it won't be a problem getting a campsite...will put my mind at ease!!

Thanks in advance!!!!

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You can go to chief wooden frog campground on kab and find plenty of places to stay...there's like 80 campsites there I think. However, finding a spot on the water might be the tricky part.

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Yes, use the Woodenfrog camp as a backup if you strike out in the park. I've heard you can pay to keep your boat at the Arrowhead Resort near the camp since you can't dock it at the campground.

Also, houseboats must leave any campsite area by 2 PM, so if you see one at a campsite, he's holding it for you! smile.gif

- JD

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I was on Kab this past weekend and it appeared to me as if there was not a lot of campers and the resort owners verified that to me, they thought it may have been the weather. Both Sphunge and Moxie sites were open on thursday and we stayed on Sphunge which is a nice spot and very close to the backway that most people seem to take when the wind is up. As for the wind, we did experience a couple of huge wind bursts that tried to upend our camp, one at 2:30 in the morning, that was fun. It was also very cold at night, mid 30's which is a first for me camping in July, we didn't bring sleeping bags as past Julys we usually find ourselves barely using a sheet that time of year. My three teens all caught a fish within 30 minutes fishing off of the rocks on Sphunge, so they thought it was a cool place, plus there is a really big otter swimming the bay that is fun to spot and a nice sand beach landing as well. We fished three spots of which I would recommend all three for beginners, my boys did fine on all three although we used slip-bobbers a majority of the time, but there was sand/mud bottoms on all, somewhat snag-free. I can give you more specific info if you would like, just ask and good luck.

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We brought two blankets and sheets and I gotta tell ya it was cold and this is from a guy who loves cold weather! This is my 20th year of camping in the BWCA or northern lakes and we have never experienced weather like last weekend, 30's in mid July?

Anyway, needless to say we will bring them next year, or more blankets smile.gif

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Quote:

No sleeping bags????

This is Northern Minnesota, my friend!


What is MN weather anyway? It's either Florida, or Canada weather. Couldn't even tell you what OUR weather is smile.gif

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  • 2 weeks later...

Is it ok for small boats to use houseboat sites?

We are making our first trip to Kab next month.

Quote:

Yes, use the Woodenfrog camp as a backup if you strike out in the park. I've heard you can pay to keep your boat at the Arrowhead Resort near the camp since you can't dock it at the campground.

Also, houseboats must leave any campsite area by 2 PM, so if you see one at a campsite, he's holding it for you!
smile.gif

- JD


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.

Dr Thunder:

Tenters may not camp in houseboat or day use sites and houseboats may not stay overnight in tent or day use sites. Day use is allowed at tent sites until 2:00pm. Day use is not allowed at houseboat sites.

-Voyageur

.

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There is no observed rule that a houseboat must leave its (houseboat or undesignated) site by 2pm. Most houseboats won't even pull in to a tent site as they typically don't just zip in and out of places. Don't waste your time waiting on them there are so many good sites to be had. If you don't believe me go ahead and give it a try. Trust me they are not holding a spot for you at 2pm... Have fun, make sure you clean you boat off well when departing to ensure you don't take along any hitchhikers like your friendly Spiney water flea which are thick on Namakan.

good luck

GF

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Quote:

There is no observed rule that a houseboat must leave its (houseboat or undesignated) site by 2pm. Don't waste your time waiting on them there are so many good sites to be had. Trust me they are not holding a spot for you at 2pm


I'm talking about campsites, not houseboat sites. 2 PM is the cut-off and they will be asked to leave by the ranger if reported.

- JD

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Yes, 2pm is the rules, stated right on the campsite map. Believe me, if there is a houseboat at a campsite I want after 2pm, they will be quickly educated, and if they refuse to leave, they will be promptly reported to the nearest PR I can find.

You can bet if you were camping at a HB site they would scream to high heaven.

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Please read the post.

"There is no observed rule that a houseboat must leave its (houseboat or undesignated) site by 2pm"

Did this mention a designated tent camp site? My post stands as written.

Have fun and enjoy the lake.

good luck

Please remember to wash and flush your boat when trailiering from these waters to avoid contaminating other lakes

good luck, GF

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Didn't mean you should retract GF. I have run into a few HBers who think they own the site they are at. Most will leave when I show it to them in writting so I always cary a copy of the map that states it.

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Just sticking up for the houseboaters. I was on Kab in a houseboat in mid June and came upon an empty HB site in Lost Bay (at least it appeared so from the water). When I beached the boat, we saw that some campers were occupying the site. They had approached the site from a swamp on the back side and their tents and boats were hidden by trees.

I educated them as to the rules, but being 6pm, they said that they didn't want to leave and that there were no other camp sites available.

Being a decent human being (in spite of driving a houseboat), I took my fishing boat and found another HB site nearby (as well as some other tent sites). We spent another 45 minutes moving to another HB site, and I politely asked them to be gone by the next morning, as I wanted that site (it had a nice sand beach for my kids to swim on).

I guess that my point is that everyone must understand the rules, and anyone can be the jerk that doesn't want to follow them (tenter or houseboater).

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Yes, the world is full of holes, alot are of the azz variety. I try to eductae the most ingnorant among them and readily admit that not all are houseboaters.

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Agreed, I did extremely well last week trolling blue husky jerks on the downrigger @ a depth of 50 - 55 feet in just under 60 feet of water. Action was very fast and this took place between 11am and 2pm mid day. We were only moderately successful bouncing in 25 - 35 feet of water with crawler harnesses early moring and late evening. This was on the eastern side of Namakan.

good luck

GF

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Think about this from an economic standpoint. Houseboater pays $1400 a week for houseboat. Camper pays nothing for his accomodations. Camper brings everything himself at over the counter prices. House boaters pay for the convenince of having things delivered but make no mistake this comes at a cost. (sure they may have groceries to begin with, but...) The houseboat experiance is probably the premier way of experiancing the park while camping is the cheapest. (Not to say that campers don't spend money) Now I am going to stick my neck out here and say that due to the economic impact that houseboaters have on the local businesses I go out of my way to accomodate them. I have not yet met any that were anything less than great, friendly, appreciative, ect... I know that both sites are at a premium, but what is so hard about camping only in designated camp sites and house boats only in designated houseboat sites?

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O'Dali, your correct. I have met a great many people of both the camping and HB persuasion, and 99.9% were great, but that .1% A hole really gets your dander up when you meet one.

Fortunatly, I have only met 1 bonified BUTT HEAD of each kind in the 6 trips I have made up to VNP.

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I hear ya wade! So when ya gonna be up nort next? Fishing is picking up out on the reefs and on the eastern islands of kab. I have been finding my best luck with a silver spinner and a minnow in about 28 ft of water.

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I was planning to come up the weekend of the 25th, but all those who were gonna come with me are backing out. Only 1 guy left, and he still isnt sure. If he backs out, I will have to wait till end of October.

Anyone ever camped/fished namakan then?

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I'd be more than happy to fish with you then but I camp in my camper at the resort.

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Its looking like Nov 2nd thru the 6th might be the new target. Do walleyes bit then? I have always been hunting at that time.

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I am done for the year by the first week of october. Fall chores to do ya know.

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