The Minnow Bucket @ 222
Once forgotten. Now the fire at the heart of Saint Helen.
When Jeff and Ron took over the old bait shop at Exit 222 in 2019, the place had sat empty for five years—quiet, dusty, its shelves bare and its lights off. But they didn’t see a dead space. They saw something sleeping.
So they got to work.
Not just with paint and lumber—but with memory, imagination, and the kind of hard-earned hope that only comes from people who’ve walked the woods in November, or watched the sun rise over a frozen lake, knowing they’re exactly where they’re supposed to be.
Today, The Minnow Bucket is more than a bait shop. It’s a full-line sporting goods store stocked with archery gear, deer feed, live bait, firearms, propane, tackle, and tools for every season of northern Michigan life. It’s a place where you can find what you need, sure—but also where you’re likely to leave with something better: a story, a tip, a nudge in the right direction.
🦌 Come Fall
The air smells like cedar, molasses, and the soft grit of ground corn. Hunters come in before sunrise, still shaking off sleep, talking wind direction and trail cams while Jeff hands them a bag of feed or a box of .30-06. They’re not just outfitting a hunt—they’re continuing a ritual. And Jeff and Ron? They’re part of it.
❄️ Come Winter
When the lake freezes over, the store fills up with the quiet hum of people getting ready. Heaters, augers, bait, propane—all heading out toward the shanty villages on Lake St. Helen. Folks gather in the morning light, grabbing minnows and coffee, swapping yesterday’s luck in voices still full of breath and cold.
🎣 Come Spring and Summer
Crappie jigs come out in spring, sunfish tackle by June. Bobbers, rigs, coolers, nightcrawlers, leeches—the shelves keep pace with the season. Kids run in trailing sand, boots still wet. Locals swap launch times and talk weather. Ellie and Willow, the shop dogs, greet everyone like regulars, because by the second visit, they are.
🏕️ And Then—Minnow Camp
In June 2025, Jeff and Ron opened Minnow Camp—a five-cabin extension of their shop and their vision. Just steps from the door, those cabins offer guests a place to wake with the sun, walk over for bait or a thermos refill, and step into the kind of day that doesn’t need a schedule.
📍 This Isn’t Just a Store
It’s part of the rhythm of Saint Helen. The Minnow Bucket isn’t loud or flashy. It doesn’t need to be. It’s steady. Reliable. Familiar. The kind of place where the shelves shift with the season, the advice comes easy, and the lights are always on before dawn.
“We’re not just stocking shelves—we’re stocking stories. And we’re proud to be part of yours.”