Ice fishing delayed by mild weather

The Bay of Quinte has frozen over in the past few days, but is still not safe to go out on. Photo by Samantha Reed, QNet News

By Samantha Reed

BELLEVILLE – Fishermen this winter can be seen heading out on boats in open water rather than huddling in a hut with an auger.

Because of the mild weather, many summer fishing businesses are still in operation, while the ice fishing industry has not started.

“Business is dead, if there’s no ice you can’t sell ice huts,” said Dave Chatteron, owner of Fish Finder Charters.

Chatteron says he hasn’t rented out any ice huts so far this season.

“I don’t have any income, that’s how it has impacted me,” he said.

Shawn Patel, owner of Bayside Outfitters Ice Hut Rentals echoed Chatteron, saying he too has not rented out any ice huts this season.

“I’ve sold none so far, but do I have another other business, Bayside Motel which helps,” he said.

Fisheries that operate during the summer months have enjoyed an extended season.

“This year, fortunately, I was able to get out on the water later than usual,” said Scott Walcott, owner of Bay of Quinte Charters

Walcott’s business offers guided charters on the Bay of Quinte and West Lake. He said the lakes normally freeze before his insurance coverage runs out for the season, but this year was different.

“My insurance will only cover me until Dec. 16, and I definitely could have gone out later than that,” he said. “The weather is normally a limiting factor not the insurance. Normally it ices up before our policy stops the coverage.”

If the warmer weather continues, he will be able to get a jump on spring fishing, said Walcott.

“(The weather) certainly will impact the start of the season. We will be able to get out earlier for some of the trout species,” he said.

Walcott said he has heard of only a handful of people have gotten out on the ice.

“There was only a handful though, and there was not a lot of good ice anywhere,” he said. “Compared to last year we had good ice and early ice.”

He said there has always been a friendly debate between himself and his ice fishing friends.

“I have friends who are hard-core ice anglers and it always turns into friendly banter between me and them about whether we want the ice to come or not,” he said.

Doug Stevenson, tourism director of Bay of Quinte Tourism said although ice fishing is huge in the area, the warm weather has not created a huge reduction on tourism in the area.

“Fall fishing in this region is world class. In an interesting way with the ice staying off, fall fishing was even bigger this year. In fact their season was extended,” he said.

He says Bay of Quinte Tourism does not track ice fishing numbers, so it’s hard to know how this year differs from others.

He said the mild weather is unfortunate for ice fishers, but it has not made a huge impact on tourism in the area.

“There’s still so much to do here, that we’re still seeing great visitation,” he said. “There is so much sports tourism throughout the winter, that it drives our visitation up.”