Grab your gear and go hit up a hole.
Except this hole isn’t the only one made up by a fisherman. When it comes to ice fishing, Sandy Shores Resort’s new rig is for every one of every skillset, even those who perhaps don’t find themselves on the ice all that often.
“The pitch was making ice fishing accessible to everybody,” said Rauncie Kinnaird, owner of Sandy Shores Resort. “I certainly found with some of our clients that not everybody enjoys the great outdoors, but there’s some things that don’t really work for all of us outside. For myself and for my daughter, I really want to open up ice fishing to women, girls and everybody so that’s what this experience is for everyone.”
The inside of such a cabin has a lot to do with fishing, but also a lot to do with non-fishing for those without a taste for the outdoors.
“We have all sorts of activities, so pretty fun fishing!” said Rauncie. “In the evening, the underwater camera can keep track of the fishing. I really feel that ice fishing is a blast, but it’s not always accessible to everybody, specifically women and girls. I want this kind of comfort when I fish. I think it’s the first of its kind found anywhere. In the rental market, there’s nothing like this around here.”
Indeed, when something like this mobile fishing shack became available to renters, it caused quite a stir when it was found to be a rarity. Four sleeping arrangements, television, numerous holes, a bathroom, equipment designed to give fisherman a look into the holes by way of camera, and more. When it was made available on the market, Sandy Shores had to handle the demand.
“They were just beating down the door!” Rauncie said. “The rates vary depending on the season and we’re renting it out through FishingGeeks. It was expensive, we brought it in through the States and there was extensive costs. To me, it’s a bit of marketing because I always want to introduce people to the development, and there was always lots of sponsorship from both tourism and our partners.”
Right now, Rauncie says she can’t make anything official regarding her development, but the news seems to be coming down the pike. In the meantime though, Sandy Shores has been kept busy thanks to all this extra business.
“Can’t wait to tell you more, it’s coming soon, but nothing I can make official right now!” she said. “The level of permitting and steps that are involved, it’s very intensive. I would say it’s both positive and negative. We had a couple of months where it’s scary and we’re really concerned about local businesses. Then people recognized that they want to spend time at home. It was really positive for the development, this has been really well received because people are looking for new experiences.”
Fisherman Sean Konrad, of the FishingGeeks squad with brother Adam, can’t say enough about the new cabin and what it represents for the future of the sport.
“Amazing, last night we stayed in it and you can fish in it all night!” said Sean. “Right now, we’re fishing pike and perch. I love to just get away and learning about new things to do with fishing. Adam and I are always learning and it’s just something that we love to do.”
