Hello from Reelpro

[Reelpro]

A hello to all, from a fan of all things fishing.

Fishing guide and Charter Operator

[JimW]

Welcome to Fish-Hawk Reelpro. Where and what species do you guide/charter for?

[smitty55]

I knew I'd seen your name before. Are you the same Mike@Reelpro as on OFC? I was just looking at the pics of your dogs. Even better are you still from Kipawa and guiding there? I started going up there in the early 80's and it's my favorite place in the world. First couple of times I camped in the shortcut then spent a few years at Corbeau including once camping on the grass as they were booked up. Finally got in at Alwaki and never looked back until it was sold. Last year up there stayed at the old Mckenzie Camp down by Red Pine Chute. I sure do miss those days big time, there's a magic there I've never felt anywhere else. I'm still active on the Kipawa forums too. I see now you must still be in Kipawa as you recently posted on the Sunnyside Cam on the 9th about the lake still being open. It's good now though, the marked trail goes all the way to Turtle from the village.
Cheers

[JimW]

I knew I'd seen your name before. Are you the same Mike@Reelpro as on OFC? I was just looking at the pics of your dogs. Even better are you still from Kipawa and guiding there? I started going up there in the early 80's and it's my favorite place in the world. First couple of times I camped in the shortcut then spent a few years at Corbeau including once camping on the grass as they were booked up. Finally got in at Alwaki and never looked back until it was sold. Last year up there stayed at the old Mckenzie Camp down by Red Pine Chute. I sure do miss those days big time, there's a magic there I've never felt anywhere else. I'm still active on the Kipawa forums too. I see now you must still be in Kipawa as you recently posted on the Sunnyside Cam on the 9th about the lake still being open. It's good now though, the marked trail goes all the way to Turtle from the village.
Cheers

My family summer vacations from 1976 to 1991 were on Lake Kipawa. We stayed at Echo Bay Lodge for most of the time until it was sold and then closed then we finished our last few years at Alwaki Lodge. Always think about going back up to the lake, but just never seems to happen.

[smitty55]

My family summer vacations from 1976 to 1991 were on Lake Kipawa. We stayed at Echo Bay Lodge for most of the time until it was sold and then closed then we finished our last few years at Alwaki Lodge. Always think about going back up to the lake, but just never seems to happen.

I'd love to go back to Alwaki and spend a week up there. I still help out newer forum members with Laker runs marked on maps. Most of my buds have passed and one moved to BC and I no longer have a boat that I could take up there although my first trip there was in a 12ft tinny and a 6hp lol. Alwaki is now up for sale for the last 3 years and split into 3 lots, each with 2 or 3 cabins and still open for rental but with no lodges services available as the Douglas family is no longer into running the lodge anymore for some reason. My PB Walleye of 11.5lb came from there. Now there's a slot for Walleye and a fairly high minimum size for Lakers but for the last 20 years or so ever since a major beaver dam let go up in the north end and Smallmouth bass got into the lake they have been migrating a mile or so south each year and there is now a large very healthy population with plenty of 4-5 lb and better fish available throughout most of the watershed. There are nowhere near as many lodges anymore and with Alwaki a 14 mile boat ride you'd think you were at a fly-in rather than a paved road drive to.
Cheers

[injectgusty]

Hi. I am also a new member and the reason I am here is the same as you. I have been reading through the posts on this forum and I am wondering why I have not joined sooner. It is so great!

[smitty55]

My family summer vacations from 1976 to 1991 were on Lake Kipawa. We stayed at Echo Bay Lodge for most of the time until it was sold and then closed then we finished our last few years at Alwaki Lodge. Always think about going back up to the lake, but just never seems to happen.

Jim I don't recall ever hearing about Echo Bay lodge up there and I get no results on a google search. I only ever launched in the main village except for our very last trip up there. No listing in the Kipawa forum either on the outfitter map. What part of the watershed was that lodge, just curious?

[JimW]

My family summer vacations from 1976 to 1991 were on Lake Kipawa. We stayed at Echo Bay Lodge for most of the time until it was sold and then closed then we finished our last few years at Alwaki Lodge. Always think about going back up to the lake, but just never seems to happen.

Jim I don't recall ever hearing about Echo Bay lodge up there and I get no results on a google search. I only ever launched in the main village except for our very last trip up there. No listing in the Kipawa forum either on the outfitter map. What part of the watershed was that lodge, just curious?

Echo Bay Lodge was in the Hunter's Lake part of Lake Kipawa, past Alwaki Lodge. It closed in the late 1980's. It was a great lodge, a shame it closed.

Here is the location pin on the Google maps.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/MqMfUT9MnrjytcfG7

[smitty55]

Echo Bay Lodge was in the Hunter's Lake part of Lake Kipawa, past Alwaki Lodge. It closed in the late 1980's. It was a great lodge, a shame it closed.

Here is the location pin on the Google maps.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/MqMfUT9MnrjytcfG7

Tks Jim, never knew it existed there but I do see there are still buildings and docks there. Good place to be protected from the wind on the lake which often made the conditions brutal when the NW wind picked up as you would know, one of the reasons we never went down the lake very often because of the risk having it blow up during the afternoon and not being able to make it back until the wind died. Never went up that bay but did have a real good Laker run at the top end of Hunters around the corner from the North entrance to that bay as it was reasonably protected from the wind as well so long as you could get across coming out of Hunter's narrows. There was a real weird current that you could feel and see on the gang troll with the rod or even with the downrigger rod as you went by the gap between that smaller island and the main point, used to get a good portion of the hits there. Real good average size too, we rarely got smaller fish there.
Cheers