Superior Pursuits Charter Fishing on Lake Superior

Great Outdoors: Family Fishing On Lake Superior For Novice & Expert on the Elixir

TWIN PORTS, Minn. — With Lake Superior on our doorstep, the urge to fish on it, is quite high! It can get expensive having a boat, buying the gear you need and knowing exactly where the fish will bite. For this week’s Great Outdoors, forget all of that, because we are joining an expert with a huge passion to fish on the big lake, who conveniently also has his own charter fishing boat for you to hop on!

Meet Captain Parker, “I’m living the dream! It’s a gas! I get to meet people from all over the world. I’ve taken people out from Italy, Germany, Australia, all over the country too!” explained Parker Bambenek the Owner & Captain of Superior Pursuits.

He started his own Superior Pursuits Charter Fishing for walleye, salmon and lake trout in the summer of 2016. But his experience on the big lake goes much further back. He grew up in Minnesota and his dad had a 34 foot boat he was always out on.

“I’ve always been fishing on Lake Superior and love it!” laughs Bambenek.

When Bambenek was hit by a snowmobile in 2012, it gave him a new outlook on life. “I ended up breaking both my legs so I decided that I am going to pursue something that makes me happy every day, versus sitting at a cubical somewhere.”

This led him to the creation of Superior Pursuits Charter Fishing out on the big lake and he has never looked back since! This will now be his 4th season running his boat, named the Elixir!

If you’ve never been charter fishing before, that’s okay! You can expect a clean boat, top of the line fishing equipment provided for you, alongside all of the safety gear needed too.

“Expect cool weather, it’s Lake Superior, it’s Duluth. So always dress warm and you can expect to have a good time! I’m going to always provide a warm and comfortable atmosphere for you.” said Bambenek.

The unique part… attention all animal lovers…!

“I have a black lab Remi, he’s the first mate and will always be on the boat with me.” said Bambenek. “He is a friendly black lab that loves kids! And we are going to try to catch fish! I catch fish 99% of the time!”

Now if you are wondering what’s the draw to fish on Lake Superior versus inland lakes and rivers, “We do it a little bit differently out on Lake Superior. We have a little bit bigger equipment. We mostly are trolling out here on the lake because there is no structure holding fish so we are always moving and trying to find fish.”

Water temperature and water color become their main clues for finding and reeling in the big catch!

Some techniques he uses in the spring are, “stick bait on the surface with big planar boards.” When the water warms up in the heat of the summer, “The fish drop down in the water column and we start running down riggers and other specialized equipment to get the baits down to the fish.” explained Bambenek.

Now Captain Parker has all the equipment you need to fish the big lake, just be sure to bring, “any snacks or beverages you want for the time you are out here on the water.”

And of course, you need your fishing license!

“This is my passion, I do this both because I can make a living out of it, but this is my passion, this is what I love to do. That shows every day when I’m out on the water. I’m going to give it my best!” explained Bambenek.

With the warm spring weather finally settling into the Northland, trips book up quickly! You don’t need any experience to go and you’ll also get the opportunity to steer the fishing vessel, set lines, view Duluth from a new perspective and of course, catch big fish!

Captain Parker Bambenek is a US Coast Guard Licensed Captain and MN licensed Fishing Guide for Lake Superior.  Captain Parker has fished out of Duluth on Lake Superior for lake trout, salmon, and walleye for over 15 years.  “Growing up in Duluth has given me an advantage of learning how to fish the lake any time of the year.”

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SUPERIOR PURSUITS WEBSITE includes more information, Captain’s log, Charter fishing info, Videos, Pictures and more!