Rum or Mississippi? Maybe the Crow Wing? Last I heard they are running a bit higher than normal for this time of the year. That current will vary a lot depending on time of the year. I hope you checked for high water marks that may endanger your property depending on spring snow melt and/or heavy rains up stream. Some places flood every few years; so make sure not to scrimp on your flood insurance. Flood plain residences have been at special risk all throughout this area in the past few years despite general drought.

Nightcrawlers will be new to you if you have not fished north before. Southern worms of any kind do not compare. Everything will eat them from time to time, but mostly you can count on channel cats and carp and walleyes, but also they will take sunnies and crappies, pike, smallmouths, and sheephead. You are a bit far north for flatheads although they take an occasional one to 50 pounds up into the Twin Cities. The Minnesota has a far better rep for flatheads south and west of Minneapolis. No blues this far north either, but lots of channel catfish and lots of smallmouth and walleyes and some impressive pike. Muskies are there too, but you will probably not take one except by total accident. You may also run into a pile of black bullheads... For those who work the river there are some very impressive crappies taken but the locations are normally kept close to the shoulder by those who do. Same for bluegills. We do not have shellcrackers this far north either.

The Rum has a reputation for smallmouths, but they are also common in the Mississippi and the Crow Wing which joins the Mississippi not all that far from you.

One thing to remember about fishing in Minnesota. You are allowed only one line with one hook or lure on it. You can have a second one only on the ice in winter, but that is all. You may carry as many poles as you want but can only fish one at a time. Jugs and trotlines are also illegal as is noodling. Also there are some important restrictions on what kind of net you can use to catch bait and where you can transport what you catch. There are also some pretty restrictive regs on what sort of baitfish you can use. We also have restrictive seasons on important game fish, with the special feature of a catch and release only portion of the season on smallmouth bass. The various seasons open for different species at different times.

Be sure to read the reg book, which you can get online from the Minnesota DNR's website. The whole thing sounds more complicated than it really is.

One additional caution: be extremely careful about going on the ice over any moving stream in the winter. It will not be uniform especially over current, and fatal mistakes can be made very easily when fishing on river ice. That is true for all ice fishing but especially true on our northern rivers; conditions can change not just from day to day but in some situations from hour to hour. Always dress properly, too. Nothing gets one more miserable than getting truly cold which is very easy when standing directly on the ice.

All in all,in this country, a place on the river that is affordable is a rare gem. Here's wishing you and yours really enjoy the place.