|  At
North Knife Lake Lodge, we have the perfect habitat
for trophy pike and lake trout right on the lake as
well as great flyout access to arctic grayling, walleye
and brook trout. And with the catch and release and
fish management policies we’ve implemented over
the years, our fishing just keeps getting better. In
addition to our fish management policy, we limit the
number of guests at our lodge to 16 at a time. 8 boats
on the water and only16 guests over 150,000 acres. And
that’s only if no-one is doing one of our world-class
flyouts on a given day.
Fish Management Policy
Mission: To provide a
world class fishing experience for guests to North Knife
Lake Lodge while ensuring maximum protection for our
fishery.
In these cold waters, lake trout and northern pike are
virtually dormant for 6 months of the year. Trophy fish
take many years to reach Master Angler status and exceptional
pike need 30 years or more to reach full size while
large lake trout will take 60 to 100 years!
Years ago, we implemented a catch and release policy
to ensure that a healthy trophy fish population could
be sustained for future generations of angling enthusiasts.
While this policy alone has had a positive impact on
our fishery, we know we must do more to maintain the
quality of fishery we are currently experiencing. North
Knife Lake is a huge body of water with a seemingly
endless number of bays, weeks and reefs for great fish
habitat. But like all lakes, 10% of the lake holds 90%
of the fish. In the case of trophy fish, it is likely
1% of the lake that holds 99% of the trophies.
Once hooked, these old-timers will fight all out, sometimes
to the death to get free of the lure. This is extremely
stressful to the fish, combine that with pulling them
from the water for measuring and photos and we create
a challenging situation for our aged catch. Revived
and released trophies will swim away supposedly okay
but many die later from overstress.
In tank studies done with rainbow trout on catch and
release, the mortality rate was 90% on fish caught and
held out of the water 10 seconds or more yet most swam
away appearing to be unharmed.
We would like to ensure that your grandkids are able
to enjoy the same fishing here that you do and have
implemented guidelines for protecting the fishery:
- Barbless only, one treble per
lure, with the eventual phase out of all trebles to
single barbless.
- Minimum 20 lb test line for pike
and lake trout fishing.
- Fish are to be “landed”
with a cradle, and measured in the water with gills
submerged at all times and released as quickly as
possible.
- Pike and Lake Trout may be taken from the water for photographing
but this process may take a maximum of 10 seconds for out of water time..
- We have over 150,000 acres of
lake here with many prolific fishing holes. Your fishing
activities will begin at the south end of the lake
(which the lodge is on) and over the course of your
4 or 5 day stay, you will make your way northward,
thus ensuring that the same holes are not hit each
and every day and to the point of becoming barren.
- Vertical holds or pictures are prohibited.
Catch and Release Policy
Please remember that all fishing lures must be barbless
in Manitoba. If your lures are not barbless, they can
be pinched with pliers before use on this lake.
As part of our fish management program, we have a catch
and release policy and keep only what we will consume
during your stay here.
When landing, measuring and releasing your fish, we ask
that you and your guide keep the fish in the water with
gills submerged as long as possible – even measuring
it in the water if you can.
In the event the fish needs to come out of the water,
it should be out a maximum of 10 seconds and then gently
released.
|
