Big Birch Lake - A Jewel of a Lake in Central Minnesota

Riding an inflatable tube behind a boat has become one of the most popular water sports in the past 10 years. Gone are the days of trying to tube with an inner tube tied to a ski rope.

Tubing has become a favorite not ony with the young at heart, but many adults enjoy tubing as a great way to enjoy the lake on a warm summer day.

Inflatable water tubes come in a variety of sizes and shapes along with a wide range of prices. Some tubes come with a tow rope, while most tubes require that you purchase a tow rope seperately. A quality tow rope is essential for tubing safety.

Listed below will be some great resources listed for finding the right tube for your family.

Tip #1 from my 2 kids and their friends.

We have used the "Hot Dog" type of tube before. They are expensive and to be truthful, my kids thought they were boring. You can't turn it or whip it over the wake. Even if it is a really windy day, it still is not a very bumpy ride. However, it is a very safe tubing experience which would be good for a group of young children (ages 3-9) or a group of adults just wanting to laugh and get wet at the lake.

Tip #2 from my 2 kids and their friends

The smaller the tube, the less stable the tube. My kids & friends (ages 10-14) have used either 60" or 72" tubes. Both sizes can be used for adults and kids. Don't be afraid of a 84" tube. It may seem huge, but they spent many hours riding double on an 84" tube.

Tip #3 Two Tubes? Make them the same tubes.

If you are going to pull two tubes at once (which my kids love), make sure they are identical tubes. They whip at the same speed, handle the waves the same way, and the kids won't argue about who gets what tube!

Water skiing is one of the original sports that were created when smaller boats started to be equiped with small gas engines. The sport advanced greatly in the 60's, 70's and 80's as motors got larger and ski's became more than just pieces flat pieces of wood.

I spent hours as a boy skiing and riding in the boat watching other people ski. Watching people learn to ski, trying to get up behind sometimes underpowered boats.

My kids today know how to water ski, but also spend a lot of time water tubing.

They love ride 2 tubes at one time behind the boat. There is no doubt that they enjoy tubing more than they do skiing. Heck, I will admit it. Sometimes it is a lot easier to just lay in a tube than to hang onto a ski rope!

Tip #1: Trainer Water Skis

OK, 40 years ago I learned to ski with a pair of adult water skis. However, after teaching many kids how to ski I am a big believer in "Trainer Skis" for you children. They eliminate a lot of frustration for the parents, driver, and the child. My kids preferred the trainer skis with the bar that screwed into on the top front of each ski instead of the skis with a rope between the two. The bar is also much easier to take off once the child has learned to ski. Either borrow, rent, or buy a pair of trainer skis. They are not that expensive.

Tip #2: The Second Time is the Charm

If after 3-5 times the child has not gotten up, take a break. Let someone else ski, go tubing, or swim. Tell the child that you will try again in an hour or later in the day. Tell them that "The Second Time is the Charm". I can't tell you how many times that this has worked and the child "pops right up" the next time they try.

Tip #3: Kids Outgrow Everything

Heck, we are parents and understand that kids outgrow everything sooner or later. Skis are no different. Many kids can handle moving from trainer skis to adult skis, but a pair of intermediate skis will handle the 6-12 year old child for many years and they are not that expensive. Our "adult skis" were actually purchased at a garage sale. I actually like the look of old wood skis. My kids tell me they are "retro".

Check out some great skiing shirts and merchandise for kids and adults at my website MnLakeWear.com.

This has been a lake activity that we have done since I can ever remember. I can't begin to estimate the number of hours I have spent in my life hunting for turtles with friends, girlfriends, or friends of my kids.

First, don't get mad that we hunted (searched) for turtles. We never killed one to the best of our knowledge. When we caught them, we would bring them back to shore and play with them. Maybe put them in a kiddle pool for awhile. Ultimately, the highlight was "releasing" the turtles. Watching them crawl down the shore into the water. Running out on the dock to see them for as long as we could. What a simple pleasure.

How many turtles did we catch? If we had to feed our family only with turtles, we would be eating mud pies hand made by kids for most of our dinners!

Where do you find turtles?

The best method is using a rowboat or paddleboat and slowing go into a creek or a shallow part of the lake. If you can find lilly pads, you can see turtles. It takes a sharp eye to see them coming up to the surface for air. Use a fishing net to reach out to try to net the turtle. Remember, the turtle usually goes down not away from you. Most turtles are missed because the net did not go down deep enough.

I see turtles, but I can't catch them.

This is why it is called "turtle hunting" and not "turtle catching". If you see a turtle go under water close to your boat, just wait quietly for a couple of minutes. Sometimes the turtle will come back up for air and then you have a perfect chance to net them.

Take good care of the lake turtles.

Taking good care of the turtles is very important. A bucket or cooler with some water is a great place to store your temporarily caught turtle. Take care not to stress out your turtle back on shore. Practice CPR: Catch, Photograph, & Release!

Make the Kids Wear Their Shirts Backwards.

This way the turtles will think you are moving away from them. It may not work, but the adults on shore will get a laugh and it makes for a great picture!

Check out some turtle shirts and merchandise at my website MnLakeWear.com,

Loons: what a great addition to have on any lake. However, I will not bore you with my comments on loons because there are a couple of fellow Squidoo lens writers that have done a great job covering loons. Check out The Commmon Loon by Elizabeth JeanAllen.

There are some Loon Conservation groups that loon lovers may find interesting such as: Michigan Loon Preservation, and Biodiveristy Research's Adopt a Loon program (Maine).

Kayaking has always been associated with rivers and whitewater rapids. Over the past few years with the mass production of inexpensive and lightweight kayaks, their popularity have exploded as an attraction on lakes.

Who uses kayaks the most? My wife and friends love to go out on the lake earlier in the morning. The lake is calm and not as busy besides fishing boats dotting the lake. They enjoy it as kayaking gives them a different type of exercise while allowing them to talk.

Kayaking allows you often to get a close up view of wildlife. More than once the kayakers at our cabin have been able to get extremely close to loons on an early morning. Sometimes it seems like loons are almost like dolphins. They will keep diving, feeding, and generally swimming along with the kayak on a warm, calm, sunny morning.

Kayaks are also very kid friendly. My kids enjoy kayaking with their friends. Kayaking is just another activity that the kids do to spend the time on a wonderful summer weekend at the lake.

Check out some great kayaking shirts and merchandise at my website MnLakeWear.com,

We have spent countless hours fishing at the lake. I grew up fishing with my dad on our old homemade pontoon. My father and I still go fishing, but the roles are reversed as I drive and set the anchor because he says an "83 year old has earned the right to sit back and watch".

My two kids and my wife have spent many years fishing for crappie, sunfish, bass, northern, and walleye. My daughter is a much more aggresive fisherperson. She loves catching bass and northern pike (shown in picture).

I won't bore you with details on how to fish, but I will recommend some great lenses/pages here on Squidoo on fishing that are really helpful.

Bass Pro angler, Sean McLoughlin, has created some lenses along with links to his website HardKoreFishing. A couple of lenses that I liked are Patterning Bass: The Four Stages of Spring, Patterning Bass: Summertime Haunts and Hideouts, and the last lense that I like which talks about lure colors is called Wading Through Color Selection.

Remember what my dad always says when the fish don't bite, "If you caught fish all the time they would call it catching instead of fishing.".

The web site One Act of Kindness was created by a friend of mine who owns a web consulting firm. This site has nothing to do with religion, collecting money, or signing up to do something. To quote from their site:

Striving to give back to the community...

One Act of Kindness was created to promote kindness in our community. Have you ever felt the desire to do something kind for someone? Wherever and whoever you are, you can make a difference.

Unfortunately in today's society any action that is too friendly can be misinterpreted. Acts of Kindness cards is a way to validate your kind act and promote making the world a better place.

One Act of Kindness is a non-profit website. In fact there is no financial benefit for anyone. Our benefit is the self reward to know that we did something nice for someone else.

Together we can make a difference in our communities!

Check them out. Maybe the act of kindness might be for someone enjoying the lake.

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