First-time ice fisher proves it's a viable southwestern Ontario pastime

Amber Hyatt was hardly paying attention when she caught her first fish. She and her mom were in a portable hut about one kilometre off the shore of St. Williams, Ont., sitting on top of 28 to 30 centimetres of ice on Lake Erie.  

Although her mom and stepdad are out on the ice virtually every week, it was Hyatt's first time joining them, over the Family Day weekend. And she wasn't just lucky, catching one fish — by the end of the day, she had pulled several, proving it's not just a pastime for the pros in southwestern Ontario.     

"I'm glad it wasn't huge for my first one," said Hyatt, laughing. She'd been afraid of catching a pike because of its large size and its teeth. Her first fish was a tiny perch, which she released back in the water. 

With rolling COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions in the province, ice fishing might not be an obvious winter sport for families with little experience, but there are several operators in southwestern Ontario that are making it easier for first-timers. 

Bayside in St. Williams is a hut operator not far from where Hyatt's family was fishing. They're used to dealing with people who have no experience and have everything a novice ice fisher needs to get going. 

"We take them out on a bobsleigh," said Mike Lounsbury, who works at Bayside. "Take them to the hut, drill their holes, start their fire." 

Unlike the pop-up hut used by Hyatt's family, Bayside offers huts equipped with wood stoves. Customers get firewood and minnows as bait, and if people don't have their own rods, they can rent those, too.   

For now, the company takes customers about one kilometre from shore, Lounsbury said.

Weather permitting, the ice fishing season can last until March 15 at the latest. 

When it comes to ice safety along parts of Lake Erie, Hyatt's stepfather, Damian Whitchurch, swears by the local ice reports posted on social media by HuntFishLife Outdoors, a page dedicated to outdoor enthusiasts in the area.     

"They post on YouTube. They show you ice conditions and they actually come out and measure holes and you get a good idea from the experienced guys on what to do," said Whitchurch, who also co-owns an online fishing shop with his spouse called Off the Dock Baitz.

If there are no ice reports, Whitchurch will use a spud bar, which looks like a walking stick. It's used to measure the thickness of the ice by striking it with the pole. 

He also mentions the shuttle service provided by Collins Harbour Marina Resort, which his family had used to get out on the ice for Hyatt's first time. 

Although Collins Harbour doesn't rent out fishing gear or huts, their shuttle — which is an eight-wheel amphibious SUV, or Argo, with two sleds hooked up to the back — can take people about one kilometre out on the ice, making it accessible for kids and elderly people.