Kay Hawley Angler

08/14/2026

I’ve been in Canada for almost two weeks now, fishing and teaching at Grassy Narrows Lodge, spending time at Cliff Lake, and now enjoying the Technology Summit at Hawk Lake. Stories and photos from Grassy and Cliff are still coming!

One of the best parts of being back at Hawk Lake is reconnecting with the wonderful friends I made at last year’s Summit and making new friends this year. There is something pretty special about bringing together people who love fishing, technology, learning, and sharing what they know.

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours on the water with Jason Halfen, the Technological Angler, and it was golden. We worked on my electronics, figured out why Follow the Contour wasn’t working, talked about boat positioning for the way I like to fish, and then went looking for lake trout.

We never found the lake trout, but somewhere in the middle of all that learning, a 29-inch walleye decided to join us! Jason said it was the biggest walleye he’s caught on Hawk Lake this summer. What a pig! I also caught a beautiful whitefish, an unexpected bonus and a lot of fun.

Early this morning, I went back out on my own and put Jason’s teaching to work.
“Make the first cast count.”
“Don’t close the bail after you cast until the blade bait hits bottom.”
“Give the blade bait 3 or 4 little flutters as you hop it across the bottom.”
“All of the fish I’ve caught this week have pinned it to the bottom.”
So that’s what I did.
And I caught another BIG walleye this morning!

That may be my favorite part of a week like this. Someone who really knows what they’re doing shares what works, I take it out on the water and try it for myself, and suddenly something clicks.

The older I get, the more I value being around people who know their craft and are generous enough to share what they’ve learned. Jason, old friends from last year, and new friends from this year have all been part of what has made this week special.
The fish have been pretty terrific. The friendships and learning may be even better.

P.S. Hawk Lake Lodge continues to be a pretty remarkable place. Beautiful water, wonderful accommodations, terrific food, and a staff that takes such good care of us. It’s quite a setting for a week of fishing, learning, and friendship.

08/03/2026

Women’s Week at Grassy Narrows Lodge is officially underway! 🎣

Today was all about new beginnings. We met a wonderful group of women, launched the boats, shared a few laughs, and started building confidence on the water. Some are experienced anglers, while others are just beginning their fishing journey, and that’s what makes this week so special.

I’m excited to spend the next few days teaching, learning, laughing, and making memories together on beautiful Lake of the Woods. Here’s to a great week ahead!

06/26/2026

GRASSY NARROWS LODGE - WOMEN’S WEEK!

There is a story behind every plaque, and this one belongs to Beverly Keller.

Last year, Beverly WA Keller won the Grassy Narrows Lodge Bragging Rights Champion award during Women's Week. If you know Beverly, you also know she'd be the last person to brag about it. She is one of the most passionate anglers I know, and she earned every bit of this one!

The best part is that Beverly is returning this year as part of our coaching staff. She brings enthusiasm, experience, and a genuine love of fishing that has a way of making everyone around her a little better.

This will be my third year leading Women's Week at Grassy Narrows Lodge, and one of the things I enjoy most is watching everyone's confidence grow over the course of the week. Every woman spends time fishing in my boat, so we can work together one-on-one, try different techniques, and answer questions as they come up on the water.

The learning doesn't stop when we come off the lake. Every evening we gather to share the day's stories. Where did you find fish? What were they biting on? Why did that pattern work? It's amazing how much everyone learns from one another by the end of the week.

That's me on the left, Beverly in the middle, and Maria on the right. Maria manages Grassy Narrows Lodge and is the reason this week comes together so well year after year.

Women's Week runs August 1–6 on the Canadian side of Lake of the Woods, and we still have room for a few more women who want to spend a few days learning, fishing, laughing, and making new friends. Whether you've fished for years or have never picked up a rod, there's a seat in the boat for you.

Be kind. Be patient. Keep casting.
Kay Hawley

06/24/2026

Our first day of pre-fishing on Winnie this past weekend produced exactly one perch. Big water, hard wind, a front pushing through, and one perch in the boat to show for all of it.

Two days later, Keller and I weighed a second-place walleye stringer. That makes three straight years of placing in the Women on Winnie tournament. Winnie made us earn every fish, and that is part of why I keep coming back.

What still amazes me is that we have done it three completely different ways. The first year we chased roaming fish with crankbaits. The second year we pulled Scatter Raps over shallow weeds. This year we found them in 10 to 15 feet of water and caught them on slow spinner rigs with Slow Death hooks and crawlers. Same lake, same two women, three completely different answers. That is fishing. The fish are always teaching us something.

None of this happens without Hart. More than twenty years ago, Judi had a vision and built something far bigger than a tournament. She built a community, and every year that community shows up for one another. Thank you, Judi.

Thank you also to Greene for emceeing, Lodge for hosting, Gebhardt for the photos, and all of the volunteers who keep this event running year after year. Beverly, you are a terrific partner on the water, and I am grateful every time we share a boat.

One moment from the weekend still makes me laugh. I donated a copy of my new book to the raffle, and several fishing friends gave me grief because they assumed my first book would be about walleyes. Instead it is Start Smart Money Basics: 10 Money Principles Every Young Adult Should Know, the book I wish someone had handed me when I was young. The fishing book will have to wait.

Next month the season continues at Women's Week at Narrows Lodge in Ontario. Until then, be kind, be patient, and keep casting.

05/03/2026

🎣 Calling All Women Anglers! 🎣

Get ready for an unforgettable experience at the Third Annual Grassy Narrows Lodge "Women's Week," happening from August 1-6, 2026. Nestled on the scenic Canadian side of Lake of the Woods, Grassy Narrows Lodge is surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of Ontario's wilderness.

Sign up today by contacting:
Maria Vandenbrand: 1-800-589-2214
Email: [email protected]

Website: Grassy Narrows Lodge

Don't miss this incredible opportunity to connect, learn, and create lasting memories with fellow women anglers.
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02/02/2026

I've been thinking about some of my favorite summer moments ...the slow drift of clouds, the stillness on the lake, the quiet that shows up when you let yourself pause. The complete opposite of this bitter cold. 🥶🥶🥶 The lake has always been a teacher… reminding me to listen, reflect and trust the calm beneath the surface.

Here in Minnesota, there's a heaviness we are carrying. You can feel it in conversations, in the way people look out for one another in the quiet moments when the world feels unsettled. Maybe that's why these photo memories stand out today. They remind us that even in hard seasons, there's a steadiness in us that doesn't disappear. Sometimes we just need a moment of still water to remember it's there.

I'm grateful for those reflections on the lake and I'm quietly counting the days until we're back out there. 💕

01/28/2026

Welcome to Kay Hawley Angler!

I’m Kay, and I love helping people feel confident on the water—whether you’re new to fishing or looking to sharpen your skills. From reading structure to using electronics and GPS mapping, I enjoy making fishing feel approachable and fun, especially when you’re learning a new lake.

I’m an educator at heart and passionate about sharing what I’ve learned, while also being a role model for women who love the outdoors.

Lund Boats captured a short video that reflects my fishing style and why mentoring on the water matters so much to me:
https://youtu.be/4wMMu-f4UQg

If you enjoy practical tips and encouragement, you’ll find them here.
👉 Hit Follow and come along.

Curious about Women’s Week at Grassy Narrows Lodge (Aug 1–6, 2026)? Feel free to message me anytime.

01/27/2026

09/05/2025

What a fun evening! The September 2025 Twin Cities Walleyes Unlimited meeting featured guest speaker Brad Juaire, Open Water Trolling Cinics. I’ve been fortunate to fish with Brad many times, and a few years ago we even co-hosted a Summer Trolling Clinic at Vermilion Dam on Lake Vermilion. I once wrote an article about Brad for the Minnesota Valley In-Fisherman club, and thought I’d share it again for those interested and to give you an idea of what it is like to spend some time in Brad's boat!

Fishing Mille Lacs with Brad Juaire

MVIF members Jack Naylor, Jerry Walerak, Mike Palmer, Kay Hawley, and son, Doug, experienced great weather, excellent fishing, and enjoyable camaraderie while fishing with Brad Juaire July 11 & 14, 2019 on Mille Lacs. Brad is renown for his "Open Water Trolling Clinics” http://www.openwatertrolling.com/ and has been a guest speaker at the MVIF Club a number of times.

Whether you are a novice, intermediate, or experienced fisherman you will learn a great deal by spending a day on the water with Brad. He is a MASTER teacher! During the clinic he sequentially covers a plethora of topics …. trolling rods, line counter reels, braid and lead core line, planer boards, rod holders, crank baits, depth control, crank bait profile, color, speed, trolling patterns, etc. When the clinic is over he shares a copy of his PowerPoint presentation that reviews all of the key points.

Between the two days we caught between 40-45 walleyes with the majority of them between 24-26 inches and also a 28 incher. We kept misplacing Jack’s pencil and paper so it was hard to keep track . One of the highlights on Thursday was a “threefir” followed soon after by a “twofir”! It was definite a “catchin” day!

Sunday was more hot and humid day. We drank a ton of water and cooled off with ice water from time to time. A highlight Sunday was Doug catching a tullibee on a Fire Tiger Scatter Rap #9 Tail Dancer. Brad ecstatically proclaimed, “I’ve been fishing Mille Lac for 20 years and caught thousands and thousands of walleye but I’ve NEVER caught a tullibee before!” We learned a great deal fishing with Brad. I think I am correct in saying that all of us caught our personal best walleye of the season with a fish between 24 and 28 inches. That ain’t bad!

Many of you have heard me sing Brad’s praises before but I’m starting to think maybe I should be cursing him! He has cost me SO MUCH money! I’ve become so addicted to his way of fishing that I keep buying stuff like Tekota 300LC and Tekota 500LC fishing reels, new trolling rods, and of course lures. You need lots of lures! You can never have enough! Bagley Deep Diving Shads, Rumble B’s, Flicker Minnows, Rapala Deep Tail Dancers, Scatter Rap Tail Dancers, Reef Runners, Free Divers, Deep Thundersticks. Oh well, I guess it doesn’t matter cause I intend to do more open water trolling! .

08/30/2025

🌅 Hawk Lake Lodge – August 2025 🌅
What a week it was at the Technology Summit with Jason Halfen, The Technological Angler, on beautiful Hawk Lake Lodge! From sunrises worth waking up for to the call of loons echoing across the water, this trip was as much about nature as it was about technology.

Early in the week, I had my share of boat drama—a trolling motor that wouldn’t stow, a trolling remote that wouldn’t pair—but with Jason's expertise, a little patience, and a sense of humor, the fish and the lake still delivered.

Key takeaways from the Summit:�🎣 MegaLive is truly a game-changer—seeing fish in real time changes everything.�🎣 Side imaging isn’t just about fish—it’s about finding shadows and structure.�🎣 Boat control is everything. Without my trusty Minn Kota features like Spot-Lock and Follow the Contour, I realized just how much I’ve come to rely on them.�🎣 Casting cadence with jigging raps and blade baits is an art I’m still chasing.

The week wasn’t only about the fishing. It was about people—Rod & Tricia, Adam, Jim, Travis, Ben, Kevin, Greg, Mark—and even a surprise visit from Lars and his dad. Sharing shore lunch at Picnic Island (crispy walleye, potatoes, onions—perfection!) reminded me how food, friendship, and fishing always find their way together.
And Hawk Lake Lodge? Absolutely five-star. Ted, Virginia, Martina, and the whole staff made sure every detail was exceptional.

I'm home now with new knowledge, new friendships, and a renewed appreciation for the balance of nature and technology. Fishing new water, learning new tools, and catching big fish—it doesn’t get much better.
Until next time, Hawk Lake. 💙🇨🇦🐟