MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. – Growing up in the foothills of North Carolina, I developed a love of fishing from an early age. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of days spent out on Lake Wylie with my dad and uncle reeling largemouth bass, catfish and crappie into our boat. For those who have never visited the Tar Heel State – whether you’re in the Appalachian mountains, on the coastline of the Outer Banks or somewhere in between, there’s always a body of water close by to cast your line into.

When I received orders to Minot AFB two years ago, I began researching things I could do to make the most of my time stationed here. To my delight, I read that North Dakota boasts some of the finest fishing in the continental United States; and soon discovered that to be the case.

During my time in Minot, I’ve enjoyed many weekends on Lake Darling and Lake Sakakawea catching northern pike, walleye and the occasional bullhead catfish. But there comes a time every year where all of the lakes are frozen over; not good if you’re a fisherman – or so I thought.

Recently, I heard about a resort on Devils Lake, N.D. that offers the unique experience of ice fishing; something I had heard of people doing up here in the Midwest, but it seemed very foreign to me.

In North Carolina, if you were to mention the idea of going out onto a frozen lake and ice fishing you’re likely to catch a funny look or two; but as they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. I decided to seize the opportunity.

I was joined by Senior Airman Kendra A. Ransum, 5th Bomb Wing public affairs specialist, who has been fishing occasionally, but considers herself more of a journeyman at the sport.

“I’ve been fishing from time to time over the years,” said Ransum. “I know how to tie a hook on, but I certainly wouldn’t consider myself an expert.”

Upon arriving at the resort, we were greeted by Landen Blanchfield, Devils Lake ice fishing guide, who provided us with some gear and told us to follow him in our vehicle out onto the ice.

As we left the familiar asphalt roadway and our tires began crunching over the ice, I began to nervously roll my window down.

“We may need to make a quick escape,” I joked to Ransum with a smile.

Soon enough, we arrived at our home for the day – a small shack on the ice, known as an ice house. It was comfortably warm inside and there were holes drilled through the floor and ice, ready for fishing. With rods in hand, we dropped our lines into the frigid water hoping for a bite from whatever lurked beneath.

“You want to drop your line about a foot above the bottom of the lake bed and gently move it up and down to attract the fish,” Blanchfield instructed, gesturing to the fishing sonar, a gadget that let us see the precise depth of our lines.

Curious, I asked Blanchfield what types of fish people commonly catch while ice fishing on Devils Lake. He explained that the lake is famously known as the ‘Perch Capital of North America’, and that yellow perch are mainly what ice anglers target there; but it’s also home to walleye and northern pike.

Over the following hours, we repeatedly brought our lines up to the surface empty-handed with our bait stolen. Unfortunately, on this day, the fish had won.

“Man, I really hoped we were going to catch something,” said Ransum.

“That’s why they call it fishing, not catching,” I grinned.

I couldn’t help but imagine a school of yellow perch just below the ice, gleefully celebrating the feast we were providing for them as they gracefully evaded our hooks time and time again.

“Ice fishing is really hit or miss,” explained Blanchfield. “It all depends where the fish are located on the lake that particular day and if your ice house is in the right spot.”

Deciding to call it a day, Ransum, Landen Blanchfield and I packed up our gear and headed back to the resort. There, I got the chance to speak with Kyle Blanchfield, the owner of the resort and Landen’s father.

“Once you get bitten by the ice fishing bug, for a lot of people, it becomes a passion,” said Kyle Blanchfield. “Every winter, there are people from all over the Midwest who drive 12-plus hours to come here and go ice fishing.”

Something I commonly hear about Minot from fellow Airmen is that there’s not much to do in the winter. For anyone who feels that way, I encourage them to give ice fishing a try.

“I’m sure if you’re from a warmer area and you’re stationed up here, during the winter, you might be wondering ‘what can I do’,” said Kyle Blanchfield. “I always tell people to embrace it because you’ve gotta find stuff to do outside; you can’t be stuck in the house all winter.”

I found myself reflecting on something Landen Blanchfield had shared with us earlier that day. He said ice fishing is more of a social experience; an opportunity for people to come together, spend time with each other, and connect – and he’s right.

Throughout our time in the ice house that day, Blanchfield, Ransum and I shared stories, laughs and a sense of camaraderie; and I can definitely say I got to know both of them better through it all.

While we didn’t catch anything, I still really enjoyed the experience and thanked the Blanchfields for the opportunity. It was a one-of-a-kind experience that I probably wouldn’t have had if not for being stationed in Minot, and I would love to try it again sometime. Even though the fish claimed victory that day, the battle is far from over – they won’t have the last laugh. I’ll be back.