PEQUOT LAKES, Minn. — The fishing bobber above the pines here is the answer to "Are we there yet?" for tourists and residents alike. When they see that red and white orb in the sky, they're home. But ...

Maligned by experts, the lowly bobber is the symbol of amateur anglers across the land. That representation is unfair. A bobber is a device that alerts an angler that a fish has taken his bait. It ...