BEMIDJI 鈥� As a town with hundreds of lakes within a 20-mile radius, Bemidjians and tourists wouldn't be getting the full 鈥淯p-North鈥� experience if they didn鈥檛 observe them firsthand.
Luckily, the owner of the town鈥檚 newest watercraft rental business, Aaron Guthrie, founded as a way of sharing his love of the Northwoods with the community.
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In the words of Guthrie, anything that floats, he has in-store. From sailboards to pontoons, Latitude 218 is a one-stop connection to get out on the water.
Located inside the old Northwoods Bait and Tackle shop north of town right off of Bemidji Avenue, Guthrie soft-launched his business about a month ago. After smooth sailing through Memorial Day weekend, on Wednesday, May 31, Bemidji Chamber Ambassadors gathered in support of Guthrie and Latitude 218 Outfitters for a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark its official opening.
鈥淢y biggest goal is to provide great service that's affordable for people and build relationships with my clientele so they come back to rent in the future,鈥� Guthrie said. 鈥淲e want to offer this community as much as we can. I don't believe that Bemidji has reached its full capacity of tourism yet, so anything we can do to add to the community as far as tourism is concerned is great. This is just another way to highlight Bemidji.鈥�
As a former owner of Northwoods Bait and Tackle, Guthrie sold his share of the business back in February. But when current bait shop owner Aaron Schmitz moved to a new building off of U.S. Highway 71, Guthrie 鈥� before he had any idea what kind of business he wanted to run 鈥� couldn鈥檛 let go of the old building that easily.
鈥淚 knew I had to stay because I liked this location so much. I knew if Aaron (Schmitz) wasn鈥檛 going to keep minnows in here, I was going to keep the building and think of something to put in here,鈥� Guthrie said. 鈥淚 wanted to preserve the location that I have a lot of love for, I feel it's a dynamic spot for anything to do with water and beautiful Lake Bemidji.鈥�
With great traffic and visibility, he knew the old bait shop 鈥� located right across the road from Lake Bemidji 鈥� would be the perfect place for Latitude 218 Outfitters. Guthrie saw the need for a watercraft rental business on the lake, especially with the future of BSU's Outdoors Program Center at Diamond Point Park unknown.
鈥淚 see it as a sustainable market and there was space to present needed resources to our community and those who visit,鈥� he added. 鈥淚 wanted to build a solid foundation and attraction for the community, but also increase options for people that vacation, visit, work or travel through the Bemidji area.鈥�
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鈥楬ere to make our customers happy鈥�
Latitude 218 has a wide variety of watercraft rentals and unforgettable experiences to fit every family, friend group and solo adventurer.
Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day this summer, Guthrie can be found going above and beyond to help Bemidji鈥檚 community members and its visitors create memories out on the water.
鈥淚鈥檓 very flexible with customers because not everyone wants to wake up on vacation and go pick up their (rentals) and last night for example, I was out at 8:30 p.m., picking up boats,鈥� Guthrie said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e here to make our customers happy however people need us. It's their vacation time, not mine. We just do what we have to in order for our customers to have the greatest experience they can have.鈥�
He also offers free deliveries within 20 miles of the shop, providing clients with a variety of lakes to choose from. Special events like bachelor and bachelorette parties, weddings, birthdays and sunset cruises will be available all summer long and even come with a private captain.
鈥淪tarting June 7, we will offer something called Ladies on the Lake,鈥� he said. 鈥淔rom 5 to 9 p.m. each Wednesday, we will have a ladies night for groups of 7 to 12 people with a tour around the lake with a couple stops along the way of their choosing.鈥�
On top of that, as a longtime member of Bemidji's fishing community, Guthrie has a vast knowledge of the area鈥檚 fishing guides and hopes to make Latitude 218 Outfitters the Bemidji area fishing guide headquarters.
Interested clients who are seeking guided fishing trips can contact Guthrie and he will match the client's vision with the perfect professional guide who will provide the ultimate advantage on bodies of water in northern Minnesota and beyond.
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鈥淚f someone is new to the area and wants to go fishing, instead of calling 15 different guides and trying to find someone that's reputable and knowledgeable, they can just call me,鈥� Guthrie said. 鈥淚 will personally set them up with a guide who鈥檚 an expert in the area, not just someone in the phone book.鈥�
Latitude 218 Outfitters is located at 6616 Bemidji Ave. N Suite 1. For more information or to view rental options, visit
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