6th Annual Wikwemikong Ice Fishing Derby TV shoot, Manitoulin Island, ON.
Posted on February 17th, 2014

We just returned from covering the 6th Annual Wikwemikong Ice Fishing Derby held on Manitowaning Bay, Manitoulin Island, ON. Wikwemikokg is an Unceded Reserve that offers anglers nu-paralleled rainbow trout fishing in the pristine waters of Lake Huron.

This years saw over 400 contestants enter and enjoy the excellent winter conditions, fishing, complimentary rainbow trout dinner and of course, have a chance of winning some impressive cash and prizes.

I had the pleasure of covering the event with my wife Barbara, my daughter Amanda (who was part of the production team), our pup Mulligan and our camera crew of Joe Shugan and Jeff Devisser.

We covered the non-stop action on the ice as we scrambled to shoot the freshly caught rainbows in the competition.

Skies were clear, air temperatures hovered in the -10C, with light winds which made for challenging fishing. Rainbows can be spooky and most of the competitors fished in water less than 15′ deep.

Holes were pre-drilled 2-days before so not to spook fish. Snowmobiles and other ATV’s were not allowed near the competitors to again help to not spook fish, and fish finders were not allowed to make the fishing fair for everyone.

The competitions started at 8:30am and was over at 12:30noon, after which all participants met in the local auditorium to receive their winnings and a complimentary fresh trout dinner!

Besides covering the event, we also got to enjoy some trophy rainbow trout fishing through the ice to give viewers valuable tips on catching these beautiful fish using light-gear and the right artificial lures & presentation.

In addition to the fishing action we also had a chance to shoot segments with Wikwemikong’ s Chief, Duke Peltier and also interviewed many of the participants from Wikwemikog to share their unique culture and what makes the Wikwemikong Unceded Reserve so special in North America.

If you love to ice fish, you won’t want to miss this exciting and informative episode when it is broadcast in the 2015 Canadian Sportfishing broadcast season.
If you would like to book a fishing trip to Wikwemikong for some fantastic, trophy rainbow trout fishing either in the winter, or open-water season, you can contact them at, inquiries@wikwemikong.ca, or you can contact them at, 1-800-880-1406 & (705) 859-3122.