Bennett lake

[Lookinforlunkers]

It's his lake and you can't have it

[Jale]

Fishhit...I know of 3 places on Bennets that will allow you to launch a boat for 5 bucks. If you want, pm me so Swamp-Horse doesn't get his feathers in an uproar

Joe

[Swamp-Donkey]

Your scarcastic wit is great, especially the one about the broom! I was hoping I wouldn't have to get into all the gritty details, but here goes... The issue at hand here isn't really anything to do with strangers launching thier boats. All the roads around and too Bennett lake are privately owned. Years ago all the properties, cottages and even the resorts were leased out by one land owner(m. Dokken)since then, most of these properties have been purchased privately. The original surveys, some dating as far back as 1929, were used at the time of sale. this is where the issue arises. these old surveys were very crudely staked out and almost all the property lines extended over and through roads. Several years ago, there was a bad car accident, the driver(not a resident and impaired) came around a corner too quick, and clipped another guy (a resident)who then veered off the road and hit a cottage. There was quite a bit of damage done and to my knowledge, it's still tied up in court. Since then its been understood that lake access points were to be used by cottagers and resort guests. That is why EVERY road into Bennett Lake is marked by sign that states "Private- Travel At Own Risk". (Even on Ennis rd.- bottom of the hill, on the telephone pole.)None of the roads there are municipally owned or maintained, many are maintained by the cottagers themselves. Anyways, I don't want to rant on here, I've just about worn my BROOM down to nub! I'm not being an inhospitable hard butt, and I'm not being over-protective of some untapped fishing paradise. IMHO the fishing in Bennett lake SUCKS! There are at least twenty lakes, within a 45 min drive of my cottage that I regularily fish with far better success, and far less fishing pressure. I live up there from April to mid-November and my boat is usually trailered, ready to hit one of those lakes. I usually only fish on Bennett lake a few days a year. Anyway, I hopes this sheds some light on things.

[Crusty]

While you have your deed out there donkey, you might want to check the clause about mineral rights... The government resevered the right to mine the ground under your cottage. All someone has to do is stake a claim and your cottage could be expropriated, in the name of economics and driving the economy.

A rumour could easily take off that there is gold in them there hills

[matcole]

BENNETT LAKE COTTAGE ASSOCIATION

[Swamp-Donkey]

This is like having a conversation with a bunch of little children. How this degenerated to the goverment expropriating my land for mining rights is beyond me but I'll humor ya. Let's assume for a minute that the scenario you described there Crusty did occur. When the government expropriates land for these purposes, they pay the landowner the appraised market value ( In some cases well above market value)for the land and whatever structures built thereupon. I'm not sure if you've shopped for real estate lately but do you have any idea what 22.5 acres with 1000 feet of shoreline is worth? My bags would be packed quicker than the ink on the cheque could dry!

Oh, and matcolecat....great pic! those guys look like a few of my neighbors! (afterall, were not far from Lanark!) Only difference is we certainly dont own tiny little pea-shooters like the one he's holding.......we have real guns.(unregistered nonetheless) Gotta keep the bears and other annoying vermon away somehow!!!

[Suddsy]

Bennett lake is completely private! I have a cottage there and am an active member of the Bennett lake cottager's assoc. There are access ramps at a few of the resorts, however they are for cottage owners and resort guests ONLY. All the roads surrounding the lake are clearly marked as "PRIVATE". As far as the fishing goes,...Your not missing much. In the last twenty years the fishing has dramatically declined. The bass are plentiful but undersized compared to other waterbodies. The walleye too are in decline. The Walleye that are there can be very difficult to catch due to extremely heavy fishing pressure and an over-abundance
of bait fish. The pike aren't even worth fishing theyre so small. It's the best Bluegill lake around though. 12" 1lbs Gills are common.

You know Swamp Donkey I think both sides of this debate are allowing it to degenerate into silliness. I don't think referring to the people responding to your comment as a bunch of little children is helping the discussion any more than your making immature references to your unregistered guns.

I think that if you take a step back and have an objective look at your comments in the quote above you can see why some people got their backs up. Your comments seem to indicate that you actively particiate in the Bennet Lake cottagers assoc. and that a primary goal of the assoc. is to ensure that all of your access roads are marked "PRIVATE" and that water access is reserved for cottagers and resort guests "ONLY". As you are probably aware there is a long standing frustration among the angling community about lake front owners attempting to deny water access to people wishing to fish. It is understandable that cottager associations want to keep the tranquility of their lake protected and be able to manage their fishery by preventing undue fishing pressure. Unfortunately, there are now many places in the world where the public does not have access to fishing waters because of private ownership of all water access. This has happened to some extent in Canada already and I personally think that we all need to guard against it. The cottager associations would be better advised to ensure that our future generations all have access to the water and work together to create fish habitat, stocking programs, responsible boating and fishing and a shared resource for all. Sarcasm, pot-shots and anger will not create a positive result to this discussion or benefit the Fish-Hawk web site.

[Crusty]

FACTS ABOUT MINING IN ONTARIO
January 2004

Ontario’s Mining Act provides a framework for land tenure, mineral exploration and development. Ontario’s Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (MNDM) administers the Mining Act, which sets out rules for all aspects of mining.

Mineral Rights versus Surface Rights
There are parcels of land in Ontario where landowners may own the surface rights but do not own the mineral rights in, on or below their land. The Ontario Mining Act provides a statutory right to stake mining claims on Crown mineral rights and to conduct assessment work on the mining claims even if the surface rights are privately owned.

Section 78 of the Mining Act requires that the holder of a mining claim notify the surface rights owner of their intention to perform assessment work on that claim. This notice is only given once, prior to the commencement of assessment work.

The Mining Act also provides for a process of compensation if there is damage to the property of the surface rights holder. Should there be any damage to surface rights, the Mining and Lands Commissioner may award compensation. There have been approximately fourteen applications filed with the Commissioner on compensation issues over the last ten years.


I stand corrected, let me buy you a beer, but only if you promise to put the guns down. I merely picked bennet off a map.... I have not heard much about it... Now I know!

[GetTheNet!!!]

Aww, it's too bad this thread is wrapping up, it's been one of the most entertaining the last few days. I'm glad that you two've buried the hatchet but I'll miss the bickering, it was good for a few chuckles.

[muskymike]

Fishing Derby on this lake ?????????

[Wallyboss]

Petrie is not biting, lets head to Bennet Lake.

[GetTheNet!!!]

Actually guys, since it's only "open to property owner and their guests" we should play it cool, if we're polite one of us could be lucky enough to be swamp-donkey's guest to this private honey-hole. Pick me! Pick Me!

[Lookinforlunkers]

What's the limit for 12 inch blue gill's, iv'e been lookin for somewhere to fill my freezer

[Swamp-Donkey]

We don't have to wrap it up. I didn't realize this thread was attracting fans!

I would first like to respond to Sudsy's comment. Something about my "immature" comment regarding my "unregistered" guns. First of all Sudsy, it was a joke, simply to try to "one-up" matcolecat and his hilarious photo! (Luke Skywalker, holding a GUN)-If you couldn't detect that,...well what more can I say. As far as them being unregistered,.. Yeah! I am pretty darn proud of that. I'm sure there are alot of other's out there that apposed the gun registry that would support my thoughts. I never did register them and didn't use them either. (That would have been against the law!) However, now that the gun registry is gone, and I just recieved my FAC, next season I'm good to go. I was just trying to due my civil duty and save tax dollars.

As far as your concern with lake access through private property. Well that's just not how life works. If a guy wants to work his whole life, retire and buy a peice of private property on, or encompassing a body of water. Then it should be excactly that. Private. If part of that body of water is intersected with municipal concessions or abuts crown land. Then it is no longer private. This is the case with thousands of lakes throughout ontario. Therefore these areas will be accessable for many years to come.
Not to mention the thousands of smaller lakes that lie completely within tracts of crown land or provincial parks. If an entire lake is owned privately, and the majority of those land owners elect to restrict access for WHATEVER reason. well,.. that's the way it is.

I admit my initial post was a little abrupt, but I'm sure if you read on you could see that I lightened up a little. IMHO there were others throwing far more insults than I was. I was merely stating facts.As far as my description of the fishing... That is my honest opinion of it. Would you preferred I lie and say its great? The Blugill fishing is the only fishery in that lake that I would consider above average. I think LFL was wanting to fill his frezer with gills. Well if you supply the BEER, I might just consider it. They usually get the feed on in early May.

[Lookinforlunkers]

Hey Donkey I like to crack wise about keeping more than my share of fish, mostly to get under the do-gooders skin. However I am always up for a good fish fry and there is a beer store on my way . I'll bring a few guns and we can blaze em into the night sky and do'er up hillbilly style