Survey, Ice fishing on Kipawa?

[crunchie]

All good points.  Since the start of the ice fishing ban, I've always believed that it was to save the co's from having to patrol the lake thus saving $$$, and I still believe this.  Like many have said, why not ban it during the summer when the lake trout is being targeted?  I've never seen one person targeting lake trout in the winter in my life.

Sure you can nab a lake trout now and then while fishing walleye at the same time in the winter but it's not because they're targeting them, and that's not what's depleting the trout population, IMHO.
The many years of screwing with the water levels at the wrong times and not realizing what they were doing is the reason we are where we are.

[limacharley]

crackers- I travel from Kip dock to Hunter's lake almost every weekend from ice out until ice in and I have yet to see a net so I'm not sure that is valid. Especially with Lake Trout.
But again, they could have targeted them 10 years ago in the spring on spawning beds.....who knows. I go on the Kip reserve often and one does not see fish for sale like we do on the Nipissing reserve along Hwy 17 W so I don't buy that theory.

I think Cruchie's theory is more plausible. The untimely lowering and raising the water levels every year affected the trout spawn.

But still, arbitrarily closing the season for everything is just lazy enforcement.

[puckster_guy]

I have seen nets in opeeation neqr my camp. They are targetting walleye in a narrows I fish in my end of the lake. Those narrows also produce lakers in early sprin. I got several that way trolling thru. They are netting but not taking massive amounts of fish but it is affecting the walleye fishing.

[crackers42]

Limacharley,

My family and I have been around this lake for the last 55 plus years.  Although they may not target walleye do you think walleye are the only thing that gets caught in the net.  If you think nets are not part of the reason for the decline in the fishery over the years you are sadly mistaken.  If you guys think the fishery closed because the ministry is lazy you are also sadly mistaken

[crackers42]

If anyone really wants to know the truth go ask the ministry when they are betting walleye in the spring at red pine and they will tel you what they have done and why they did it

[crunchie]

If anyone really wants to know the truth go ask the ministry when they are betting walleye in the spring at red pine and they will tel you what they have done and why they did it

I'm pretty sure you meant "netting" and not "betting'.  I don't recall anyone on the board saying the ministry was "lazy" but I did read someone saying the the ministry may be trying to cut down on expenses (patrolling funds), against a lost cause, because of the possible "betting" going on.  So in the end, the ones paying the costs of the permits (that pays the salaries for the co's) are not allowed to fish in the winter because of.........

[puckster_guy]

 I think the lazy comment came about in the context that it's easier to enforce a fishing ban then to go out and check the guys fishing to see their catch. However spots are different for different species. Shallower for walleye and perch, and deeper for lakers and whitefish.  have met a couple of CO's and they're passionate about what they do. They also have to do as the ministry says.

[Dansar]

Someone asked if I've ever experienced the Ministry on the lake. Well, we have been going up since 1985. We started in Loon Bay at Chalet DuHurad with Ron and Mary but migrated to Smith Bay with George and now Lynn and Grant. Well, on the Wednesday, Ron always had an open bar and fish fry at noon. It was about 5:30pm and he and I were going to go fishing so I went and loaded up the cooler. I was pulling the boat into the main dock to pick him up and some guy on shore yells at me to pull my boat in. He turns his back and I see RCMP all over his back. So I pull my boat up and he yells at me to open my cooler. I did and he asks me if I had any fish in it, I say no, he sees whats in the cooler and says shut it. So then, the minstry guy comes running back from my Brothers cabin. They had too much to drink and had no plans to go fishing but my cabin was next. Well, every year I always bring up a big black rubber snake to put into the newbie's on the trip sleeping bags. Well my cabins hears the noise and what's going on in my Brohters cabin. So the RCMP and Ministry guys leave my brothers cabin and goes into my cabin. In front of the fridge the Minstry guy is yelling at my buddy to open the frezzer. My buddy says no you do it. He again says OPEN IT. So my buddy says ok, so he opens it, reaches in and grabs the snake and shakes it in the face of the Ministry guy. I have never seen a guy so scared in my life. He filled his pants. The RCMP guys just laughed and that was that. Later we talked down at the main house and all had a great laugh about it. The guy who did it, passed away 3 months ago. He loved lake Kipawa. Rest in peace Tom.  That my Friends was the 1 and only time I've ever seen enforcement on the lake and it was a memorable one.

[Greg]

In 14 or 15 trips - I have been checked at one outfitfer, one cottage we rented north of Corbeau island and twice at the Kipawa municipal dock.  Every time was professional, courteous and respectful - we were fully cooperative and we had no issues (because we knew we were well within the regulations).

[Oarin]

 I have been checked twice. Their boat was very nondescript. We didn't know it was the game cops until they were up close. They were very polite and professional both times. One of the times my son had left his license at the outpost cabin. They could have given us a ticket or worse, but told us to go back and get it and find them in the bay. We did, and that was that. I did hear that earlier that year they caught a guy with bass out of season and minnows on his boat. Stupid and expensive! I for one am glad they're out there to get the few(I hope) people who don't follow the rules. I have heard that they sometimes set up a check point at the border in Temiscaming. Again,good!

[smitty55]

Things sure have changed. When I first started going to the Kipawa hub area back in the early 80's it wasn't unusual to get stopped a few times over the course of a week. Mind you live minnows were allowed back then so long as they came from an outfitter, so most of the time all they wanted was to see the receipt for the minnows, specially after they had already checked for licenses on the first stop.

[RoK]

Been going to Kipawa 20 years now, never been checked until 3 years ago and each trip since. Very professional, thorough & courteous. Glad to see them & knowing they are out there. 

[michelle]

About 4 years ago, we were working at camp and heard a boat coming toward our beach. Thinking it was friends, we walked down to meet them. It was the MNR...they came to our beach, asked if they could come on shore, we said sure. They chatted a while then asked if they could look in our fridge and cooler. We let them in to have a look but always wondered what the law is on this. They were very polite and respectful.
First and last time we've seen them at our end of the lake.

[kipawa4]

 I always wanted to ice fish Kipawa. I put it off to long, and missed out. Been going to Kipawa lake for 35 years. This year will be 36years. We have been checked at least 15 or 16 times. Never any problems. The one year we were starting to get a complex. Checked 3 times in 2 days at the camp and in the boat.  But some years were at Kipawa up to 4 weeks. Mostly 2  weeks a year in those 36 years. Just to give an idea of amount of time there. We have been checked at the cabin, in the boat, at the dock, on the road, and at the Canadian US border. They have always been polite and respectful. Enjoy Kipawa and our many friends there. We have been blessed.