Maybe it’s not the Guinness Book of Records, but this season, so far, is breaking one record after another. Most importantly, there are the personal bests of our guests. This year, there have been more large walleye and bass caught than ever, making fishing history for the lucky and skilled angler who landed the monster. 9 walleye measuring from 27″ to 30″ have been caught and released in the past 4 weeks, each one representing a personal best for the proud fisherman or woman. And big walleye season is just beginning as the larger walleye typically get caught in late summer or fall. We can’t wait for the next size record to be broken. Maybe this will be the year that the lodge’s 33″ walleye record will be broken.
Similarly, the sizes of keeper-size walleye are larger as well, with most fish at the upper end of the 14 3/4″ to 20 3/4″ slot size. It is obvious that the walleye slot size regulations have been working on Lake Kipawa.
Another record worth noting is the number of large walleye being live released. Since the average size of walleye is noticeably larger this year (walleye are now averaging 18″-19″), the number of 21″ or larger walleye is also higher than ever. A couple of weeks ago, we saw 40% of the catch being released as these fish were larger than the upper slot limit. We have never seen those kind of numbers before.
Outside of fishing, there are other records being broken. 2023 has been our busiest season on record. Many guests from past years have returned this year on top of new customers we have welcomed for the first time this year. Given that most have already booked for next year, this record might be broken again next year.
Of course, there are the records that we hear most about: hottest and driest season on record, size of forest fires, air quality–but when you are up here, those don’t seem to matter. There have been no fires anywhere near Lake Kipawa and there has been far less smog and fire smoke here than in Southern Ontario and the Northern U.S. It has, actually, been a very pleasant summer with warm water, few mosquitos, light winds and plenty of sunshine.
We are now halfway through the 2023 season, and the future looks brighter than ever.