The Bluewater Anglers first ice fishing derby in four years is a go, but has pivoted to a virtual event because of COVID-19 gathering restrictions, the club announced this week.
People are invited to take pictures of their ice-fishing catches on the Family Day weekend from Feb. 19 to Feb. 21, and post them to the angling group’s Facebook page for a shot to win gift certificates to outdoor gear and sporting goods store The Outdoorsman.
“We’re really just trying to promote people and families to get out there,” said Anglers spokesperson Paul Heckley, noting no licenses are required to fish that weekend in Ontario.
“Just kind of encourages people to get out, have some fun, send in a picture of what you catch,” he said.
The group’s last ice fishing derby was in February 2018 and drew about 300 participants.
Lack of ice shelved the 2019 and 2020 derbies while last year’s was canceled amid COVID-19 gathering restrictions.
The club has been mostly idle in terms of community events during the COVID-19 pandemic, save for a virtual walleye derby held last June.
Flagship salmon derbies that cover about half the annual costs to operate the club’s Point Edward fish hatchery, where rainbow and brown trout are reared along with salmon for release to restock local waterways, have also been cancelled, though hopes are the tentatively scheduled April 29 to May 8 salmon derby goes ahead this year, Heckley said.
“We’re very optimistic it’s going to happen this year,” he said.
Donations and derby sponsors have kept the hatchery going in the interim, he said, “but it has been challenging.”
The ice fishing derby has never been a moneymaker for the club, he noted.
Past events would include 100 or more people gathered for weigh-in, with prizes for kids, and provided hot chocolate and treats, along with cash prizes for the heaviest fish.
No fish weighing is needed to enter a photo for this year’s derby draw, he said.
“Just take a picture, send it in,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll get a whole bunch of participation out there.”