After 10 or so trips to the same area of Lac Kipawa, last week's trip yielded the least number of fish we have ever caught. One of the main things I love about going to Kipawa "besides the beauty" is jigging for walleye instead of trolling like I do in Lake Erie at home.
I started this thread to gain insight from others as to what they think the probable cause of the lack of walleye was last week. We had six straight days of catching very few fish at all, we were five guys and we're maybe catching five or six fish a day including small mouth. I know we will never 100% why all of a sudden the fish moved, I can tell you this I went to many spots using my high end electronics and could not find fish anywhere that we normally see them. Then the last day like someone turned a switch on, the fish were there again and our numbers became more and what we would expect at that time of year. Thankfully we had that last day, but the first few days were tough especially since our crew included two young children.
@smitty55 offered up a interesting hypothesis based on the molting of crayfish possibly being the culprit. It may be that, i don't know.
I just thought this would be an interesting topic to discuss here because I'm certain that I'm not the only one that has occasionally had a hard time finding walleye while at Kipawa. The poor fishing will not deter me from returning, but it was a tough week.
I'm sticking with my theory Chris. Crayfish are most often in shallow waters of 6ft or less. So assuming they were molting the Walleye would all be that shallow as well along shorelines which would totally explain why you weren't marking any in your normal spots which are much deeper. Like fishtildark posted, he accidentally made a cast on to a rock one time and after dragging the jig off it he caught a Walleye and then it was the same thing for an hour catching shallow fish almost every cast. Cheers.
@Hodgey1 same thing happened to us when we went early June up at CVL. Going back August 19th for the week.
Came across this fishing time calendar. Wonder if it lines up ?
https://bfaht.com/fishing/calendar/canada/quebec/kipawa/7/2023
I'm unaware of whether or not molting crayfish might have negatively impacted the walleye bite.
However, to my mind, the fact that Chris didn't mark many fish with his high end electronics says a lot. Hi end electronics, adjusted properly, can mark tight to the bottom walleye particularly if the fisherman knows how to interpret the display. I'm not saying I could have found walleye. All I'm saying is that I would have been moving until I found walleye - different structures, different depths and different transitions (i.e. rock/sand, sand/mud). Thinking out of the box (e.g were the walleye suspended in very deep water (70 to 100 FOW). Nothing to lose in trying.
Jay
We do Kipiwa every year. 2 years ago, mid/end summer, really hot weather, fish were 2-6' deep. I was pounding them on almost any shoreline with deep water nearby casting right up into the rocks. This was abnormal from previous years, or even last year where we caught them in the norm 15-25' range. I was just trying different things until i figured it out... never thought they were shallow in that lake.... fished Temagami mid june and never seen, marked or caught 1 walleye.
Here in the Bay or Quinte, we will not go near the bay if a cold front rolls through. Fish disappear for week(s) and none to be found or even marked. Thats the nature of walleye, MNR here in ontario did a tagging study in the bay/lake ontario and seen walleye reportedly moving 25 miles/day.
Tuna - any chance you remember whether you were fishing the windward or leeward shoreline
I was told and also read that it might be more comfortable and calmer fishing the leeward shore but that the windward shoreline will produce more fish due to the fact that more bait fish and insects will be blown to that side as well as the water will tend to be higher on that side washing bait down into the water from the shoreline.
I think the crayfish theory is a good possibility
The moon does effect the fish, but I do not think it will shut the biting
down completely or push them off the usual locations.
Quote from: TunaSandwich on August 12, 2023, 07:32:31 PMThats the nature of walleye, MNR here in ontario did a tagging study in the bay/lake ontario and seen walleye reportedly moving 25 miles/day.
That is crazy and extremely interesting. As expansive a flooded river system that Kipawa is, they literally could be anywhere.
We definitely looked deeper, not much shallower than 15? and possibly needed to look harder in the Rocky shallows. The 10 or more trips at that time have always had them 20? or deeper. All very interesting and a good learning experience.
I cannot comment on Lake Kipawa, but we also noticed that the Walleye in early June were up shallow compared to what we normally see in early August. Most of the fish we caught on Grassy were in less than 15 feet of water. (some as shallow as 2 feet) We also noted that some of the walley were regurgitating crayfish. The only thing constant in fishing is Change!
Sorry - I had a typo in the last post. Our trip was in early July not June.
Am I the only one talking like Ernie from Sesame Street saying "here fishy, fishy, fishy...here fishy, fishy, fishy" lol
@Hodgey1 the one day that we hit walleye literally one after another with a few doubles was in a rocky somewhat shallow area of the Kipawa River. We fished all different areas, depths and structures and that was the best.
It definitely was an off your for numbers of walleye. We had issues finding good schools of fish. I had more success fishing with Jigging raps and Shiver minnows than I did jigging worms. I can not say why the fishing was off. Maybe it was due to more fishing pressure that the lake has seen in years. Or maybe not. What I do know is the lake trout and bass bite was the best I have ever seen. My buddy and I caught 10 lake trout in 2 afternoon of fishing for them. That is more than I caught in the previous 20 plus years.
Just got back from a week at Alwaki. Might have been the last group to be in the boat house as it sold. I read this thread before I left and was worried about finding fish. We fished all around the well know spots around Alwaki, Sunnyside, Island and points. Everywhere we went the walleye where so close to the bottom you would never see them unless I really studied and watched my mega down. All spots produced fish if the jig pounded the bottom a few times, while vertically jigging. Not sure on numbers but safe to say our boat,3 guys, 50 walleye av./ day. Not huge but enough to keep us entertained. Lotta smallie action too. My son boated a 30in Walleye across from the Makenzie camp 1230pm not a cloud in the sky 22fow.
That's awesome JOW, glad to hear about the 30"er also. I marked lots of fish tight to bottom last weekend but I also marked a lot of suspended fish in around the 30-35 feet in and around 45-60ftw. Fishing should really be turning on. I'm expecting good fishing this weekend as well.
Quote from: Ozzy30 on August 25, 2023, 08:42:38 AM
That's awesome JOW, glad to hear about the 30"er also. I marked lots of fish tight to bottom last weekend but I also marked a lot of suspended fish in around the 30-35 feet in and around 45-60ftw. Fishing should really be turning on. I'm expecting good fishing this weekend as well.
So this is where Lake Erie fishing tactics should work.
Clip on weights, dipsey divers or 7 colors of lead core.
What about down riggers with a long lead?? Anyone try this?
It sounds like it was something peculiar to Kipawa because in late July we caught more fish in Dumoine than over the past 15 years. The fish ranged as usual 20-30? depending on the brightness.
My thinking is with bass being so prolific the walleye have a new food source and are too well fed. Maybe lures that imitate a smallmouth?
Bass
I primarily fish the northwest end. We started out going to Taggart Bay in 2002 and have switched to Two Moon since 2018. The number of bass we have been catching has been going up every year. In the beginning(2002) we caught none or 1-2 week. Now we have to catch at least 100 per trip.
On the contrary, while the average size of the walleye we catch has increased due to the slot limit, our overall numbers have been declining every year.
With this new species introduced maybe they are competing for the same food source and the walleye have moved elsewhwere.
Another member who has been going to Two Moon since the early 2000's tends to agree with me.
Agree with Big Chief. I fish out of Cedar Valley. Bass were rare and now they are all over the bloody place, including the sanctuary areas. They apparently are supposed to be able to coexist, but I am now having my doubts.
Rumour is miners introduced bass to a lake close to the area and now they are everywhere.
I also think warmer water temps are driving the population.
I am by no means a biologist, but I do find the quantity of bass a bit concerning for the fishery.
Quote from: Kill Switch on May 21, 2024, 01:17:09 PMAgree with Big Chief. I fish out of Cedar Valley. Bass were rare and now they are all over the bloody place, including the sanctuary areas. They apparently are supposed to be able to coexist, but I am now having my doubts.
Rumour is miners introduced bass to a lake close to the area and now they are everywhere.
I also think warmer water temps are driving the population.
I am by no means a biologist, but I do find the quantity of bass a bit concerning for the fishery.
Miners did no such thing.
I believe as I heard several people repeat it that a significant rainstorm blew a beaver dam and that pond emptied into lake Kipawa somewhere in the North end.
Quote from: limacharley on May 24, 2024, 03:27:23 PMQuote from: Kill Switch on May 21, 2024, 01:17:09 PMAgree with Big Chief. I fish out of Cedar Valley. Bass were rare and now they are all over the bloody place, including the sanctuary areas. They apparently are supposed to be able to coexist, but I am now having my doubts.
Rumour is miners introduced bass to a lake close to the area and now they are everywhere.
I also think warmer water temps are driving the population.
I am by no means a biologist, but I do find the quantity of bass a bit concerning for the fishery.
Miners did no such thing.
I believe as I heard several people repeat it that a significant rainstorm blew a beaver dam and that pond emptied into lake Kipawa somewhere in the North end.
[/quQuote from: limacharley on May 24, 2024, 03:27:23 PMLuc
I heard it was in the Taggard Bay area that this happened.
Quote from: Kill Switch on May 21, 2024, 01:17:09 PMAgree with Big Chief. I fish out of Cedar Valley. Bass were rare and now they are all over the bloody place, including the sanctuary areas. They apparently are supposed to be able to coexist, but I am now having my doubts.
Rumour is miners introduced bass to a lake close to the area and now they are everywhere.
I also think warmer water temps are driving the population.
I am by no means a biologist, but I do find the quantity of bass a bit concerning for the fishery.
Miners did no such thing.
I believe as I heard several people repeat it that a significant rainstorm blew a beaver dam and that pond emptied into lake Kipawa somewhere in the North end.
So maybe I should label this " where do you think the fish will be?" My crew and I are going earlier this year than any other year ,June 15 -21. Any advice on where we should look for walleyes? Shallower? We usually go the end of June and look for fish in the 15 ft range.Thanks any advice is greatly appreciated.
Ziggy
Ziggy
Don't change anything.
Start off where you were last year.
Same spots
Quote from: RHYBAK on May 27, 2024, 11:01:55 AMQuote from: limacharley on May 24, 2024, 03:27:23 PMQuote from: Kill Switch on May 21, 2024, 01:17:09 PMAgree with Big Chief. I fish out of Cedar Valley. Bass were rare and now they are all over the bloody place, including the sanctuary areas. They apparently are supposed to be able to coexist, but I am now having my doubts.
Rumour is miners introduced bass to a lake close to the area and now they are everywhere.
I also think warmer water temps are driving the population.
I am by no means a biologist, but I do find the quantity of bass a bit concerning for the fishery.
Miners did no such thing.
I believe as I heard several people repeat it that a significant rainstorm blew a beaver dam and that pond emptied into lake Kipawa somewhere in the North end.
[/quQuote from: limacharley on May 24, 2024, 03:27:23 PMLuc
I heard it was in the Taggard Bay area that this happened.
Quote from: Kill Switch on May 21, 2024, 01:17:09 PMAgree with Big Chief. I fish out of Cedar Valley. Bass were rare and now they are all over the bloody place, including the sanctuary areas. They apparently are supposed to be able to coexist, but I am now having my doubts.
Rumour is miners introduced bass to a lake close to the area and now they are everywhere.
I also think warmer water temps are driving the population.
I am by no means a biologist, but I do find the quantity of bass a bit concerning for the fishery.
Miners did no such thing.
I believe as I heard several people repeat it that a significant rainstorm blew a beaver dam and that pond emptied into lake Kipawa somewhere in the North end.
There is the Bass lake at TBL that empties into Deep Bay. So that would make sense.
Just got back from CVL, 4 nights. First time here, so we had some help on where to get started. Thanks Patrick and CVL.
Fishing was slow last year at Alwaki. Didn't think it could get worst, but we only caught 3 walleye on this trip. Last year, the jigging locations were slow, so we trolled and picked up a few fish every day with a larger average size.
I noticed surface temps were 10 degrees cooler at CVL than central Kipawa has been the last few years. It did warm up a few degrees while we were there. Walleye could have been hugging the shorelines. We tried casting to shore in several locations with no luck on walleye and minimal success with bass and pike.
You're right Hodgey ! Where did the fish go ?