As winter passed, so did many outdoor extracurricular activities. Many students at BSM prepared themselves for another season of winter sports and Netflix. As it happens every year, the leaves fell off the trees, the grass died, and most devastatingly, the lakes froze.

Living in the winter tundra that is Minnesota can be cold and uneventful, but BSM students have recently stumbled across a mini-revelation: ice fishing.”One day my friends and I were pretty bored, so we got some ice fishing poles and saw some people fishing and went out on the lake,” sophomore Justin Dalum said.

The seemingly boring activity does not simply involve sitting on a bucket and waiting. “First you gotta get out there. Usually by foot, maybe with a snowmobile or car. Once you get to a spot you’ve selected off of the map (depth chart mobile app), you have to start drilling. Once you drill holes, you have to check to see if there are fish down the hole with your vexilar (sonar fish locator). Sometimes you have to drill up to 30 holes, but once you find them and have the right lure tied on, you can pound,” senior Louis Borgelt said.

Students at BSM are learning to admire this process and have fun along the way. Typically groups of two to four will fish together since the temporary ice houses (or shanties) have limited space to stay warm up.“It’s a lot more fun with friends,” Dalum said.

Technologically, the sport has evolved tremendously in recent years, creating an improved experience for new generations. “You can drill a hole, put your electronics down into the hole, and only start to fish when you know they are there. […] The advancement of technology and being able to see the fish on a screen is a reason for the spike in ice fishing activity at Benilde-St. Margaret’s,” ecology teacher Mr. John Porisch said.

New technologies, friends, and hard water seem to be the perfect ingredients for this much needed Minnesota winter past-time. Students have been flocking to metro lakes chasing a hot bite. “I try to get out as much as possible. […] There isn’t much else to do,” freshman Xander Wilharm said.