Knee Lake or Kesagami???

[Luke 5:5]

Thanx smitty Ill check it out!!

[kgeary]

Anglers Kingdom is less than half the price of Kesagami

[Moosebunk]

Anglers Kingdom is less than half the price of Kesagami

Interesting point KG, might you be have just a wee bit of a preference for the Kingdom yourself or are you simply helpful on this matter.

[kgeary]

I might have a slight preference
And I am a helpful sort.
My point is correct yes?

[Moosebunk]

I might have a slight preference
And I am a helpful sort.
My point is correct yes?

Good answer, well thought out in a quick witted sort of way.

Yes, your point is correct. Alas though, if only the Kingdom of which you speak of wasn't just 60 air miles away from me in Moose Factory like another little well known pike lake.

[scuro]

What I like about Kesagami? Great big 10 by 20 mile lake, no road access with little fishing pressure, great fishing, and 7-8 hours by car. If you only have 7 days to fish, you don't want to spend two days travelling.

Chris

[kgeary]

30,000 acres, no road access, 4 hours in a plane and still less $.
You are right. If you live next to a good pike lake why travel anywhere?I've fished most of the "best " pike waters in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, NWT, and the Yukon. I still prefer Home. It's natural.

[FLIPPINSTICK]

For what it's worth, I've guided both - back in the late 90's the fishing was stellar at Kesagami - if you rolled a pike it was 35" plus - majority of the fishing was topside. The walleye fishing in the lake in the early season was child's play - numerous fish in the river - most of the sand flats and points were magnets with any sort of consistent wind - the odd whitefish too.
Plus: 'affordable', close to home, good to great fishing - walleye are solid, and pike are (or were) big and healthy
Charlie is a great guy and will do what he can to keep you happy.
Minus: when it's windy, it's windy - James Bay is unforgiving when it wants to be - that sort of prolonged weather can relegate you to fishing the river across from the lodge - sometimes for a couple of days
Freighter canoes - sturdy, spacious - and outfitted with 9.9hp (Provincial park restriction) - everywhere feels like forever to get to.

Knee in it's day was one of the most prime destinations for pike and 'eyes - they sold not only the fishing, but the five star food and accommodations. Essentially three sections to the lake which is huge. Walleye are generally easy to find - in the spring in particular, you could easily boat a couple hundred walleye - and no, I'm not making that up. There are some fantastic weedbeds to fish - surrounded by open water - it'll pay to be versatile when fishing this place if you want to catch big pike with any consistency - they have shoulders for sure.
Plus: five star accommodation, great food, great service -
Lund Outfitters with 40hp Mercury outboards (if memory serves) new and reliable and necessary - if you're bringing your lady friend, Knee is nicer - a little less 'rustic'
Minus: Cost - distance for travel etc..


These two lodges are definitely in two distinctly different classes.
If it's fishing that you're interested in, the choice of staying within the Province is a smart one - Kesagami and the food and lodging is certainly good enough.

My two cents: stay in the Province - consider a fly out with Cochrane Air Service (if money is an issue) - do your homework and find out what lakes are the most consistent and most likely to cough up a giant pike if that's what your after.
If money is no object - hands down, Wollaston Lake in SASK - honestly the biggest pike I've ever seen (and a lot of it was fish watching and not biting) - shot at honest 50"+ fish is real - 45-47's are fairly common - super daunting water - huge waterbody, and gets angry weather wise. Trophy hunting at it's finest - to be released another day.

Best of luck in your decision - so many options - so little time...oh, and money...

[Wallyboss]

Flippinstick just in case you didn't read it , this was posted in 2005??

[FLIPPINSTICK]

Thanks - I guess I missed the date... whoopsie.

[Doug]

but back when the post started I never read it, and so THANKS FLIPPINSTICK for bringing it up and allowing us newer folks to read it.

VERY educational!

Doug

[saskie]

If I had to choose between those two lakes, I'd pick Knee for the variety. I don't think I'd ever get bored of catching big pike; but just in case...

If I had the resources to go to either, I'd go somewhere else altogether.

IMO Knee and Kesagami have "the name". Undoubtedly they have the fish too (or they wouldn't have gotten "the name" in the first place). Since you were considering Knee (in Manitoba) and looking for pike. Check out some of the lodges in N Sask: Athabasca, Wollaston, Milton, Oliver, Tazin, Cree and Reindeer Lakes don't get the headlines but they've got no shortage mongo pike (and walleye, lakers and grayling too).

Like any big northern lake, wx can play havoc with your trip, especially on Atha-B. Cree, Wollaston and Reindeer have lots of islands so you can usually get out regardless of the wx.

Maybe I'm a bit biased - I never understood the obession with Knee.

If cost is a factor - definitely Kesagami for the reasons already mentioned. I assumed, since you were considering Knee, that cost wasn't the critical factor.

[saskie]

Flippinstick just in case you didn't read it , this was posted in 2005??

Got me too

So where'd he go...how'd he do?

I need closure!!!

[MTF]

Flippinstick just in case you didn't read it , this was posted in 2005??

Got me too

So where'd he go...how'd he do?

I need closure!!!

[setomonkey]

though it's an old thread, i'm glad it's back too.

I would really like to hit a northern lake for big pike & great walleye action one of these days, and whether to go to N Sask, N Man or N Ont is one of things I have to think about.

Mike