Fort Whyte Ponds

[Dale Martens]

Was anybody getting any largemouth out of Fort Whyte this past summer? (Aaron, I know you're pretty tuned in to that location...)

Dale

[Deleted]

I was guiding at Eaglenest Lake Lodge all summer, but from what I have heard/gathered the success was on the scale of slim - nil. Two different individuals that I am acquainted with, made use of the ponds before they were technically "open" in spring and both "claimed" to catch a decent sized largemouth. I had no success when I ventured out there a couple times in fall, but with the seemingly dwindling population, I assure myself that it is understandable.
I would be willing to give 'er a try again next year.
Good Luck


Aaron Wiebe

[Dale Martens]

Aaron,

You mention that the population is dwindling. Have you seen your catches of largemouths going down over the past few years. Any hint as to why?

I appreciate your insights.

Dale

[janosboda]

I was out on that lake couple times this year but I did not get any bass. However I got many pike, they were biting on everything, and I would not be surprised if they feed on the bass as well.

[Robert Burton]

Janos:
What time of year were you getting all those Pike?

[janosboda]

I think it was in early July, but last year it was in September and the result was the same, pike after pike! It was also very scary from the float tube!

[Robert Burton]

How big were these pike? I enjoyed them this year on the Managatogan River (from shore) and St. Malo Lake (from the tube) I like to go after pike with the fly rod and well the tube is the only boat i have but i am getting used to it

[janosboda]

You know what? I afraid to measure them (they were least 50 cm, some of them 70-80 cm, guessing) or even get them close to the float tube, after one of them scarred me little bit! I think it’s fun to catch a pike on the fly rod, but I do not want to get an alligator when I am sitting in the float tube!

[caddisguy]

Hi Fort Whyte Bass Fishers

I have not fished for bass at Fort Whyte for some years now but have had succes in the past. I used to run a spring fly fishing school with my buddy Stu Thompson. We would get there at sunrise and fish till the students would show up and maybe at the end of the day after they left. These are largmouth bass and the only place in the province I have ever caught any. They where stolked in 1958 and have survived to this day. The pond we used to fish was pond #1 by the old field station which is where we held the schools. I found the best fishing for them at the shallow east end of the lake. There was always one that hung out in an old 45 gallon barrel and I caught him on several occations. The biggest I've caught is 18 inches but I have seen larger ones. I usually fished from shore but have fished it in a bellyboat.I was out in my tube one time had a fish wave his tail at me just like you see whales do it on National Geographic. All I saw was the tail and it was one of thosr ten horse canoe paddles. It wasn't a bass for sure but either a very large Pike or carp. like Janos said verie scarie stuff in a bellyboat.

[Deleted]

Hey
Dale: From my own results, and those of my buddies, our catches have gone from slim to nil. And before my time, in the mid 90's, the bass were supposedly quite active in there. I wouldn't expect the population to crash, whereas the bass have seemingly sustained themselves for many years in there (they claim that supplemental stocks have not been added, but a photo of a bass in the net of a Fish Stocking Officer, suggests otherwise) so it may be that the bass are in a low point of their cycle, and we will see an increase in their numbers in the coming years. Or we just haven't been able to entice them....
On another note, I too have spent many an afternoon float tubing at FWC, and it is a paradise with five lakes to fish, and a variety of species. Action can be very good for pike in June, July, later September, and at the right time in June you can get into a mess of big walleyes too.


Aaron Wiebe

[janosboda]

I agree FWC is a paradise, almost , but I really miss the management of the lakes. That is true you can catch pike, and maybe sometimes walleye, but where are the other species? Lake Cargill was awesome trout fishery until this year, but now I heard winter kill, lots of weeds, algee, etc. This year I tried that lake many times and not just I did not catch anything, also I did not see any rising or anything that would suggest any fish in that lake exist . I feel the same with the bass. I heard many legeds of them , but lately nobody catch any of them!
What I really would like to see at FWC is that if I go to fish on one lake I could catch one specie, if I go to other lake I will catch another specie and so on, but right now does it metter where I go, I catch only pike, that’s true, lots of them!

Janos

[caddisguy]

The ponds where stolked back in 1958. Like you say the Bass do seem to cycle. Another problem may be that when a number of ponds merged because of high water the Bass may have spead out alittle. I have not fished FortWhyte for a few years so I cannot relate any recent information. The MFFA had a one day seminar last spring but no fish where caught while I was there. It was held in the new building at the north lake. What a beautiful facility.It is a replacement for the old field station and they have some cabins there to. This is on Cargil lake.I think at present it is closed to the general public for fishing but i heard that might change. Just Trout stolked there.

[janosboda]

I have a membership at FWC and Lake Cargill was closed to public until June of this year. They opened the lake for public due to the questionable stage of the trout fishery. Any time this year when I was there I asked the ladies and also I checked the “log book” at the front desk, and there was no entry about any bass was caught. Also very few trout was caught at Lake Cargill, mostly smaller ones, probably from this year stocking. The information from the “fish guy” at FWC indicated that Lake Cargill might have a winterkill.

[Deleted]

I don't think the ponds have been poorly managed, the only problem was the flood in '97 which certainly did disrupt things. When the variety of fish populations merged, the pike proved to be the dominator in this environment, but as I said the Walleye and Perch are there and sizeable if you can get over them. Also, two summers ago I was tubing and pulled up, to my surprise, a 16" White Bass! Still some interesting variety.
The bass pond was not flooded in '97, but fingerlings have escaped through the drain at the west end of the lake, and distributed from Lake 2 into the other lakes.
I would also disagree with janosboda's comments, whereas the only trout caught this spring were anything but "small", and the possibility of a winterkill is widely rumored, yet highly unlikely. It is quite a deep lake (over 40 feet) and the trout have always seemed to survive in Fort Whyte's lakes.

Aaron Wiebe

[janosboda]

Hello Everybody:

I think only just me…?? , and also I would like to point out that I did not want to argue with people about this topic, but I really want to get good feedback about the ponds at FWC, and maybe identify problems.
The only reason being that I am really worried about that fishery!!!

In my definition, I would call a fishery “well managed” when there are 4-5 lakes with 10-12 different species that could be caught all over the year. I do not think this is the case right NOW at FWC! Nobody said on this board, “Hey guys, this year I caught a 22” rainbow”, or “I caught 4 largemouth bass in a day in this fall!”
The only thing that I heard on this board the experience in the past, like “two years ago” or “in the middle of the 90’s”.

I think that is great what was in the past, and many people have great memories!!! But we are living today, and our children will be living tomorrow. So this is raising a question: "Could we have the same experience at FWC in the future?? I think, Yes, we could have, but I really think we have to do something about it!!

Now let` s start with the bass fishery. I think it is great that the roots are going back to the 50’s and also it is very good they try to protect the bass in the spawning season. But would not be helpful if they will do some new stocking? Do you need money for that? If our membership fees are not enough for that, maybe we should start fundraising? I am willing to help!!

Now here are some thoughts on the pike “problem”, “they overruled every lake, except Lake Cargill”. Can we move the pike into one lake? Or if there are way too many pikes , why they do not let people take home only the pike (catch and release regulations is effect for adults at FWC at the moment), and actually encourage that? Please, do not misunderstand me, I do not want to take home any pike and put into my freezer , but probably some others would be more than happy to do that, if they were allowed to!

The third problem is that there is still an open water connection between the two lakes, probably due to the erosion of the shoreline. Would it be possible and necessary to fix that? If the answer is Yes, then can I help? I am willing to!

The fourth thing is the stage of the trout fishery. I think, the winter kill, algae, ect. “rumore” came straight from FWC employee, Ken who is running the Fishing Certification classes at FWC, and who really was concerned about this issue. This year he fished on his lunch breaks at Lake Cargill, and he had a very poor results compared to previous years, and he was saying the trophy fish are gone. (My observation was the same after I fished 3-4 evenings at that lake in past summer, but I know I am not a good fisherman, so maybe it does not mean anything! Probably this is a result of the fact that the public fishing restriction was removed on Lake Cargill!

So, now as a fly fisher with a very strong conservationist thinking I am asking, is there any problem with the fishery at FWC? If Yes, how can I help?? Is anybody else thinking the same way? Or just me??

Thank for everybody` s feedback on this topic!

Janos Boda

[Robert Burton]

This is what i "know" on this subject
1. there was some kind of die off in cargill (winter kill???) i do not know the reason but because of the die off they opened it up to genral fishing (not just those ice fishing derbies).
2. These "lakes" are ponds with no new water coming in except from rain and the odd flood. With all the oxygen being "produced" by wave action and the algae/particulate matter doesn't help. It is easy to see how trout might not do too well.
3. Big fish (trout) were caught in cargill this and last year (ma's) but this year they stocked 400 adults in there this spring.
If you want to work at the FWC they are always looking for volunteers but they might not want or need help in the fishing area...that i don't know.
rb

[Robert Burton]

Long time no see

[Deleted]

Hey
Sorry about that Robert, I was trying to quote and got carried away, and forgot to delete.

Janos Boda said: "Nobody said on this board, “Hey guys, this year I caught a 22” rainbow”."

On May 15, 2003, I caught a 22" Rainbow Trout in Lake Cargill.

Anyway, I think that 4-5 ponds, with 10-12 species, is more a dream that we all have at night, rather than a reality for even a well-managed resource. Fort Whyte's fishing is not one of the focuses of the Center, it is more of an offshoot, and they do not want to spend money on or hassle with. The pike have proved to be the dominant species in this environment, and little can be done to alter this. The pike cannot be moved into one lake, or removed from another. Their presence is inevitable, no matter what the "limit" is on them, and without a drainage/poisoning (not feasible for FWC) I do not see how they can be removed...although I think that Lyons/Hunt/etc. once had pike....does anyone know how/if the native species were removed for the trout....

I am not sure there was a winterkill on Cargill. It is true the fishing was fairly slow, and often outright crumby this spring, but how have the last three years been any different on Lake Cargill? The tournaments were all miserable, and the only day with very good luck was Father's Day Fishing on June 16, 2002. There were catches this year, and although it is possible that there could have been winter kill, I think that the poor fishing is consistent with Cargill's reputation and can not be used as argument.

I do agree with you Janos, that we should work together and make the best out of the fishery, but I think the best we can do is enjoy the pike, and maybe help the struggling bass/trout populations.

Aaron Wiebe

[Robert Burton]

Aaron said:

I do not see how they can be removed...although I think that Lyons/Hunt/etc. once had pike....does anyone know how/if the native species were removed for the trout....

I think they have used a posion that kills the fish but not the plants and insects (i do not know the name) in closed systems like hunt and lyons and sometimes mother nature does the work for the MNR. I hear a rumour that there is one big pike in hunt that is seen off the dock when the stocking truck comes. Well fed but lonely
I think FWC is a good local place to go but counting on stocking is maybe not the way to go. I like fishing for trout of any kind and size they are a treat but we can't count on a non-reproducing species for our fun. Or get upset when they are not there in the numbers we like or get upset if someone is unhappy with our favorite fishing spot.
It is going to be a loooong winter I can see that
But i hope we'll all meet up over the winter maybe a casting thing or the MFFA open house on Jan 6th.
rb

[Deleted]

It is remarkable that the poison is effective enough to remove an entire population, because, as we all know, it would only take two.
And I don't think there is any way that you could convince a Nature Center, to "poison" one of there lakes, and kill off a very abundant, flourishing species, in order to make a habitat for another more "desirable" species, which may not do half as well...
...it would definitly be more tactful to tie up some zonkers this winter, and practice casting with your nine weight, and then hitting up some tooth and slime next summer....

Aaron Wiebe

[Robert Burton]

Well I am certianly not advocating the poisoning there And i am not sure it is a poison but it is something to get rid of few fish.
I like pike fishing just fine..matter of fact i got my fort whyte "fishing card" to target the bows but then the lake was only open for derbies but all this pike talk has me thinkin about hittin their ponds for what they have the most of.

[Dale Martens]

The only Fort Whyte pond that I've fished is the one that has the largemouths. I've yet to catch a largemouth, but I can heartily recommend the pike fishing. They seem to be quite numerous and average a solid 4 or 5 pounds. Little "snakes" don't seem to be too common.

Dale

[janosboda]

Yes, it would be great meeting you at the MFFA open house on Jan 6th. Also, I hope I will have more up to date information about the FWC fishery very soon. So, see you at the meeting Robert, Aaron and anyone who is interested.

Janos