The weather may not have been ideal, but Canadian and U.S. anglers still turned out in droves last weekend to get the 2025 fishing season underway, and business was booming for one area bait and tackle shop.
Hannah Mueller is the co-owner of Westside Bait and Tackle, a shop located west of Fort Frances that helps anglers get the last of what they need before they head out of town to hit the lakes. While the weekend forecast had some people nervous about whether the weather would hold for opening weekend, Mueller said the colder temperatures didn’t seem to bother anglers one bit.
“It was a great weekend for us,” she said.
“We had a great turnout. I was actually a little bit surprised looking at the weather forecast. I didn’t think we’d see much for people going, but we had a great, great few days to start off the season, and we’re seeing quite a few tourists still.”
There’s no denying there has been some political unrest between Canada and the United States of America, but Mueller said that she saw plenty of U.S. anglers stopping by over opening weekend, proving that the Rainy River District remains a popular destination for anglers from the south side of the border.
“There’s a lot going on, so a lot of people weren’t sure,” she said.
“But we’ve seen a lot of tourists from south of the border. We’re happy to see them and they seem to be very happy to be coming back up here.”
Mueller is entering her eighth year of business, so she’s been at the helm through plenty of ups and downs that have affected tourism in the region, from fluctuating dollars to global pandemics to trade wars. So far, she said the season seems fairly similar to last year, with a comparable number of anglers passing through the store on their way to land the big one.
“It’s just great to see, especially coming off of COVID still,” she said.
“There’s a lot of camps up here that really got hit hard with COVID, and they were starting to see that increase again, and then you get a little bit of uncertainty with politics and you don’t know how it’s gonna go. Everybody, I have to say, has been very upbeat and very nice, and it’s a great start.”
Since Mueller prides herself on ensuring her products are always reasonably priced at a good deal for the discerning angler, there aren’t any special sales to be had coming off of opening weekend, nor heading into the Emo Walleye Classic, but she did note that they’re always happy to help out anglers with making sure they have everything they need to make their trip a success.
“We’re definitely encouraging any tourists or any big groups to come through that they call ahead if they want to book their bait,” Mueller said.
“We never like to disappoint anybody, so we always encourage large groups to call ahead before they come. And a lot of them are doing that, which is fantastic. On top of that, with the Emo Walleye tournament this weekend, we are opening at 5:30 a.m. both days of the tournament so that people can grab their bait on the way out to Emo to fish the tournament.”
Eight years is a milestone for any business, and Mueller said that she’s thankful to all the local and visiting anglers who frequent the shop for their fishing needs, which allows her and her family to continue to enjoy the business together.
“We really do just want to thank everybody,” she said.
“It’s been an incredible experience. We’re going on year eight here, and we’re just absolutely blown away by the local support and the tourist support. It’s just been a fantastic ride, and it’s been so exciting to watch the business grow. We couldn’t do it without everybody that comes out here. It’s been a really, really fun ride. It’s the greatest thing we’ve done, and working with my dad has been fantastic, my mom helps out all the time, my sister helps out, it really, truly is a family business. And it’s just a really great time.”
To reserve your order of bait from Westside Bait and Tackle, call ahead at 807-274-7606.
