Great Fishing Destination
Photo by Joe Scegura
IS WORST KEPT SECRET
BY DAVE PEDERSEN
O
ne of most popular pastimes in Min-
nesota is heading out to the lake and
going fishing, and Central Minnesota is
a great place to do it. Not only does the region
have tremendous fishing all year long, guides are
actually encouraged to make sure anglers know
when, where and how to catch fish in the area.
When you visit www.explorealex.com you
will find an information box titled “Alexandria
Fishing Guide.” It includes information about
area lakes and resorts, fishing piers and guides,
plus where to get your fishing license.
Knowing the lakes in Alexandria were a great
place to fish, about three years ago, Paul and
Deb Roberts from Circle Pines in the northern
suburbs bought a home on Lake Victoria.
“When we looked for a lake home it was not
so much a decision about fishing as it was
about family,” said Paul. “The reason we picked
Alexandria was it was between the 3 ½-hour
drive to see our son’s family and we could spend
more time with the grand kids. Having a good
place to fish was very important since it was
what we did growing up.” ready. It is amazing to bring my granddaughter
down to the dock with worms from the garden
and she can see all kinds of sunfish biting. It is
a blast.”
Roberts said they spent three years looking at
about 150 cabins in north central Minnesota,
but were priced out of some areas further north.
They found an affordable home on Lake Victoria,
which is connected to a chain of eight lakes
through channels. For those who don’t have the luxury of access
to a cabin on one of the lakes, or lots of time to
get to know the area, there are plenty of people
to turn to for fishing advice. Among them, local
guide Joe Scegura, who has posted blogs over
the past five years telling what is happening on
lakes in the area. He supplies regular fishing tips,
points out lake conditions and notes where the
fish are currently being found.
“There are a lot of choices with tons of lakes and
thousands of acres of water we can explore, yet
we are on a 700-acre lake,” Paul said. “We got the
best of both worlds.”
Paul said he was used to fishing by feel in darker
waters and had to get used to fishing by sight in
the extremely clear waters around Alexandria.
“I can look 13-15 feet down and watch the
fish attack my lure,” Paul said. “At first, I lost fish
because I tried to set the hook before they were
“I have a circle of friends and guides who share
information with each other,” Scegura said.
“Together we do our best to stay on the hottest
bites around the area. I really think people
coming to the area appreciate the information.”
Plus, he provides pictures of the recent catches
and memories. Learn firsthand about all things
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