Hodgey's Sept 1-8 Alwaki Lodge

[Hodgey1]

September, what a beautiful time of year to be in Quebec particularly Kipawa. Our trip started with a 3:30 AM departure from our home south of Erie Pennsylvania. We arrived at the border somewhere around 5:30a to only a few cars in line . Since we had done our Arrivecan app, we were only at the border agent window for a few minutes and on our way north. I think we got into Timiscaming around noon after stopping in North Bay at Billy Bobs for some Leeches. We made a quick stop at the IGA to pick up some fresh vegetables for the week, everything else we brought from home. Off to the boat launch in Kipawa where we were we found calm lake conditions, which made for a smooth ride to camp. We were greeted at the dock by Roy and Brian at Alwaki around 1:30 in the afternoon.

                                                                 

My September trips have been with my wife, who has become quite the little fisherperson. We tend to lean more towards relaxing as much as fishing these fall trips. So we were typically not on the lake fishing much before 9-10 o’clock in the morning, then back to camp by 1-1:30 where we would then pull up a chair on the porch, grab a cocktail and chill on the porch until 3-4 o’clock. Typically we were back on the water by five 5:30 most evenings for fishing the evening bite until dark after making dinner. On the dinner note, man did we eat good Lamb chops, fresh walleye, marinated grilled chicken and roasted veg.

                                                             

The fishing for the week was pretty darn good. I had thought about only buying one license and having my wife Fish off of mine, but then the first night we had caught our limit of 6 fish. Lol. So I purchased another license. Fishing overall was really solid with the exception of an outing or two, but all in all we caught a lot of fish. We had two full fish meals, shared a fish meal with friends and took our limit home. I am primarily a live bait jig fisherman, so nearly all our fish were caught were with live leeches. We gave worms a try a few times when the bite was good and it still seem to favor the leech.

                                                                 

On the other side of the spectrum was our trolling. We would use our late morning outings to troll using the Ulterra trolling motor and we didn’t do well at all. We tried bottom bouncing in hunters and caught a really nice 20.5" walleye followed by five snags. We then moved over to the sandbanks and tried bottom bouncing with worm harnesses and couldn’t catch a cold. We were in 40 feet of water using 3 ounce bouncers and the water appeared to be full of fish of which none wanted to bite. We even tried hot and tots with snap weights to get them down deeper and it just was not successful. When I use the same techniques on Lake Erie I am successful, but I guess I’m not on lake Erie. On another fishing note, We have only caught a few Small mouth Bass in our section of the Lake, this trip, they were a regular encounter, pretty much every outing we caught one or two. Grrrr

                                                         

One of the highlights of the trip was a great gathering of great people at Kipawa fishing forums member @Ozzy30 's Camp on hunters Lake. I got to meet for the first time some really nice forum members like Greg, Joe, Stuart and Erin. Ozzie‘s wife Les is a great host that prepared wonderful food. The weather was perfect for the gathering and a good time had by all. We left the party around 4:00 and went to a spot on hunters not far from Ozzie‘s camp. We began bottom bouncing and we’re in the process of switching over to jigging once snags became an issue when Ozzie came over in his boat and we both began jigging in the same area. It was one of our best bites of the week, with us boating over 20 fish with many in the 18 inch plus size. Great day for sure, full live well and a full belly!

                                                   
                                                    L-R: Joe, Oz, Me & Greg

The weather for this week was spectacular, with only one real crappy day which wasn’t even that bad. Nearly every day in the low 70s and clear blue skies and not much wind. It made for one of the best trips I think I’ve had to Kipawa. Very relaxing and also pretty productive fishing too.

                                                             

It was a bit sad for me knowing the uncertainties at Alwaki. With the place being broken into pieces and parcels and being sold off soon, I know the end is coming. I can’t say enough good about Alwaki, in the way that Brian & Tina maintained the place and took care of us as guests, as well as people like Roy who were always there if we needed. So, our stay in cabin 9 was Great as it always is. Arrive to a spotless cabin, that we have come to know as home for a week for the last 4 or 5 Septembers. Alwaki‘s new temporary model "until things are sold" is seasonal or month-long rentals. My wife & I gave very long, serious consideration to taking a month-long rental. The thought was we would use it for three weeks straight and then try to pedal one of the weeks. Since we are both a few years away from retirement, vacation time is a real issue and 3 weeks straight we've never done. So in the end, after much discussion between myself and my wife we had to decline. What a difficult decision to bail on, but using nearly all our vacation on one vacation just wasn't going to work for either of us.

                                                               

The good news was we had multiple irons in the fire for leads on cottage rentals in the area, including at turtle camp. We took an afternoon off and toured some cottages at turtle Camp, which brought some Intel on other cottages for rent. So I also had learned that what I believed was a private cottage in dead bear Bay, was actually a outpost camp for Miwapanee Lodge. So on my way home, driving down Highway 11, I called Miwapanee and spoke with James, who said he had a week available in July and it happened to be on our preferred date. So there we were on the phone traveling home and I booked it. Bam...2023 unknowns washed away in one call. I also inquired about our September week, but he said the person who was in the cabin right now had first options and he would have to get back to me. More good news, he let me know yesterday, that our preferred September week was open also. September Booked! As sad as I am, to no longer be going to Alwaki, I am very glad to have secured a cabin in the area of lake that I have gotten to learn & like to fish so well. Not to mention, this cabin appears to be a next level in Glamping. 24 hour electric, three piece bathroom with a woodfired sauna! We will be living large for certain, but truly will miss our time at Alwaki.

                                                           

I guess that’s a wrap on my September trip report. To sum it all up, it was an A+ trip with A+ fall out for next year. Brian if you read this, I will miss your facility greatly and have appreciated all you have done. You and your wife Tina have worked tirelessly to maintain a beautiful place, we will miss Alwaki and hope the best for you both.

[Kill Switch]

Great report. Congrats on great trip and for securing 2023.

[NovarDave]

That is a fantastic report, glad you had a great trip.  Thanks for sharing.

[fishtildark]

Great report Hodgey , as always. I imagine a lot of the readers on this board are feeling the pain of not being able to go back again to the place they have gone for years. I am on my third owner at Bush country camp. every time it sold I cringed but has turned out well with great people taking over .   New adventures ahead for you and it sounds like the new place will be great.

[penner]

Hodgey. Your going to like it at Dead Bear bay. I rented there a few years back before my Son picked up property at Red Pine. Nice area and nice cottage.

[Morrow21]

Great report. I’m jealous. We were supposed to be in kipawa the same week but plans changed and now we’re headed up next Friday. I checked the weather every day and it looked awesome. Think it’s turning a bit cold while we’re there. Glad to hear your fishing was good. We stayed at Alwaki many years and agree, they run a great camp and are great people. They will be missed.

[Jig and drift]

Great report and so lucky to be able to take two trips a year.  That is a dream of ours. 

[NortonJoe]

Love the report! My wife and I were also in Quebec 9/3-9/11, but it was Montreal...Can't wait for next summer already! 

[Hodgey1]

Thanks everyone for the kind words! 

I am very excited and all ready looking forward to next year. So glad I have reservations in hand for both weeks, I'm a person who doesn't do well with change. The fishing in and around a reasonable boat ride from Alwaki is great and what weighed heavy on not wanting to leave that part of the lake. Having to start over again, learning somewhere else on the lake was not appealing to me, 25 years ago yes, not any more. I'm certain I would have loved 3 Seasons or Kipawa Lodge or anyone of the others, but relearning fishing spots in a new area of the lake I wasn't looking forward to in the least.

Between my own recon,  help from Forum members here and others I've met in person, I probably have 10 or so "Go-To" spots around Alwaki, I love that. If one spot is not showing signs of promise, I hit the stow button on the Ulterra and off we go to another spot. In July, when the fishing was a bit tough, we would turn music on and if no one caught a fish or had a bite in two songs, we left onto greener pastures. That knowledge of the area creates invaluable flexibility, that comes from 8-10 trips to the same area.

So, yea..... very happy things have worked out the way they have so soon. 317 more days! 

[Ozzy30]

With a place like that looks like you are hosting the party next year.

[CaptainCrappie]

Hodgey, your love of the lake and camp shines through your wonderful report. All the trip reports help with the withdrawal symptoms that remain.  There is something magical about that place that makes returning a necessity.  I am convinced though that Kipawa time accelerates.  The just finished trip passes by before it should have and when you're thinking about it, it's almost like.... what happened?  I have just received my 407 toll bill which ripped the scab off of my July trip healing process.

Your reference to "go to" spots is a common occurrence.  They're "go to" because they were recommended or have been good before. My last several trips, I have made it a point to fish somewhere else, where it looks fishy or maybe it's just a feeling. When you do catch something at one of those spots, it adds to the fun. Speaking for myself, my head swells up a little and my chest puffs out nearing my stomach's girth. Take care.

[Hodgey1]

Captain, I heard a guy use a term years ago that has stuck with me, he said "every time he lit one of his cigars, it slipped his mind in to neutral" Love that saying.  Every time I arrive in kipawa and get unpacked and sit on the porch with a cold beer, my mind slips into neutral. There's not many places I've been in my life that are that relaxing.

Can't agree more with the finding new spots, I am trying to expand my spots, though I a bad man when it comes too  the decision of "where should we go for the evening bite" i find it hard to stray from the hot spots.

@Ozzy30 I'll have to give it some thought, maybe 2 get togethers are in order? 

[Jay Thomas]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your informative trip report - a very enjoyable read. And all with some great pictures - thanks. I'm inquisitive though about the picture of your sonar screen. What fish species do the marks represent?

Jay

[Oarin]

Nice report, Hodgey! Thanks. How did your new Bubba knife work out?

[Hodgey1]

What fish species do the marks represent?

Thanks Jay. I believe they’re walleye, but not a 100% certain, without a swim down to see. My inclination that they are walleye was based on 2 things.One It was full day sun and no fish were marked shallower than 35-40’ and that screen shot was at 50’, the entire route we took ranged in those depth and that wasvwhat the bottom looked like. Two, the water temps were warmer than other Septembers. We would normally do our evening jigging in 22-26’, this trip it was 28-32’.

Nice report, Hodgey! Thanks. How did your new Bubba knife work out?

I loved it. I have to say though it’s not that much better than the Rapala I was using before. Two things that stand out about the Bubba knife when compared to the Rapala . One is the trigger is 1000 times better on the Bubba knife, and if for no other reason than that makes it Superior. The other thing I noticed was the battery life on the Bubba seem better. Other than those two things the operation, Meaning filleting fish, they both work extremely well. The only other thing of note is I have an inkling that the Bubba knife has better blades, but time will tell.