Toques, minnows and a lot of patience: Ice fishing in Windsor-Essex

A lot of things are needed for a successful ice fishing trip: good ice, angling gear and an understanding of where the fish can be found.

But just as important is patience.

Angler Helen Trotechaud, who spoke to CBC News while ice fishing at the marina in Lakeshore, said Friday was "very slow" when it came to bites.

"We got a northeast wind," she said. "An east wind, they always say you get the least."

"So, yeah, very slow."

Trotechaud was one of a few people out trying their luck on the ice last week. She was using small jigs as bait; Jerome Meloche, meanwhile, was using minnows.

"We're going to be out here for a few hours, for sure," Meloche said. "But I'm not cold whatsoever. If anything gets cold, it's gonna be my ears, and I've got a toque."

Kevin Dmyterko said there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a spot to fish, including ice thickness — ice needs to be at least 10 centimetres thick to safely walk on (the ice at the Lakeshore marina was 30 centimetres thick on Friday, he said) — and checking social media for reports from other anglers.

And the weather is a factor, too.

Dmyterko recalled a February day at the marina when the temperature was about 4 C, the sun shining.

"There were hundreds of people down here," he said. "That's when .. the cabin fever has set in, they want to get out and enjoy the outdoors."

"That type of weather, with no wind and the sunshine, it's pleasant outside," he said. "People going up and down the river with snowmobiles and ATVs, people ice fishing, out walking. It's a nice day."