ELY—A small shop nestled on the east end of Sheridan St., has a big reputation as a bait store that goes the extra mile.
It’s paid off for Arrowhead Outdoors, which was named Best Sporting Goods Store in the state by the annual Best of Minnesota contest sponsored by the Minnesota Star Tribune. It’s the fourth year in a row that the shop, owned and operated by Steve Renneberg and Kris Winkelman, has won the coveted top spot in the annual reader-voted contest. It’s a remarkable achievement in a state where there are over 800 bait and tackle shops.
And for the second year in a row, the store was named Best Outdoor Outfitter as well, just ahead of second-place finisher Piragis Northwoods Company, another Ely institution.
“Winning this reader-voted award four years running is a dream come true for us, especially in Minnesota’s competitive outdoor retail landscape,” said owner Kris Winkelman. “Just being nominated is something to brag about.”
The Best in Minnesota award celebrates top businesses and services across various categories in the state. It highlights establishments that excel in quality, customer service, and community impact. For Arrowhead Outdoors, winning the Best Sporting Goods Store category four years in a row underscores its standout reputation among Minnesota’s competitive outdoor retail landscape, particularly in the fishing and adventure hub of Ely.
Surrounded by thousands of lakes and rivers within a 50-mile radius, Ely’s diverse fish species and proximity to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness make it one of the most challenging regions in the state to run a bait and tackle shop. According to Renneberg, it’s not unusual for a customer to ask for advice about a remote stream trout lake in the BWCAW, while the next customer looks for tips for catching walleye on White Iron, followed by the next customer asking about salmon fishing on the north shore of Lake Superior.
Yet, Arrowhead rises to the challenge with an unmatched inventory, including exclusive products like Laker Tackle—custom-designed tubes made in Ely—and the new Hicks Sticks, custom-colored wacky worms made in unique colors tailored for Ely’s world class smallmouth waters. Arrowhead Outdoors live bait, which is largely sourced from local Ely trappers and sustained by pristine water from the shop’s own spring, sets an unmatched industry standard for quality live bait. As Renneberg likes to say, Arrowhead Outdoors is the only bait shop in the area that guarantees their live bait will catch fish or die trying.
The shop’s success is anchored by its passionate staff, like Heather Hicks, who runs Cast Outdoor Adventures with her husband Dave, leading ice fishing trips with their dog sled teams into the Boundary Waters.
New staff member Susan Laine, known for her enthusiastic “Hi, Welcome!” and detailed rundowns of our weekly fishing reports, often guides customers through the store’s clean, organized, and well stocked aisles, offering tailored advice on tackle and techniques that are working right now.
According to Renneberg, customers frequently rave about the shop’s rare inventory and personalized service, calling it a must-visit on every Ely trip. Arrowhead Outdoors’ weekly fishing report has become very popular with their customers, too, and is available on their website at arrowheadoutdoorselymn.com or in newspapers like the Timberjay.
“We hear from our customers all the time about how they love reading our weekly fishing report and how reading the fishing report has them dreaming about the great fishing the Ely area offers, said Renneberg. “Through all the forums, newspapers, and email list, close to 100,000 people read our fishing report every week.
Arrowhead Outdoors’s commitment to evolving with customer needs is reflected in innovations like a 24-hour bait vending machine, launched this year to provide round-the-clock access to their premium live bait, ensuring anglers are ready for early-morning or late-night trips without the constraints of the store’s 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. hours.