 While ice fishing is not just for men, according to the Women Anglers of Minnesota, and they are proving it by braving the cold and reeling in some fish. Haiti Clotter has more in this week's Community Spotlight. It's seven below outside, but that's the perfect weather to go ice fishing. 38 women from the Women Anglers of Minnesota took part in the inaugural winter ice fishing trip over the weekend. We are actually celebrating our 40th year this year. The club was started in 1977 by a group of women that were housewives that really wanted the chance to get out and go fishing, but leaving the guys at home. The club now has about 150 women who love the sport of angling, and they also have tournaments and fundraisers. The money raised goes to purchase rods and reels to help fund children's clinics. With everything they do, there's still some misconceptions. Overall, I think women have a stereotype that we're not tough enough to do it. I think that you've experienced the cold. You know, we came out this morning and it was minus seven degrees. Every woman was out here and they were fishing and never once did I hear I'm cold, I wanna go in. Whether you've never fished before or have years of experience, it didn't matter. This trip was about tradition for some as a mother and daughter participated in the activities. They've been to all the meetings when they were babies. I took them to the club when they were in car seats and they'd sit at the meetings in car seats. So they've been with women anglers actually almost as long as I have. Two sisters also fished with us. So this weekend it's just us, Mom and I, but in the summer it's all four of us. And we've met a lot of friends and have a lot of fun. The itinerary for the weekend included educational courses and professionals coming in to show the women different techniques. This event wouldn't be possible without sponsors who provided the shacks, clothing and lodging. Really wanted to bring something fresh to this lake and bringing the women here was, it just seemed like it was a good fit for all of us. The heated shacks on Boestring Lake had holes inside for the women to sit down comfortably and bait their fish. Croppy and Northern were just two of the types of fish that were caught. One of the most common injuries isn't falling through the ice, it's actually slipping on ice. Where in spikes prevent falls, bives keep your legs and core warm and ice picks help you out of the water if you do go in. These Vexar machines are used to locate the fish. Muren says this is one thing she can't be without while ice fishing. Biting the head of a fish is meant for good luck and that's exactly what Deb did. For one woman she caught her first fish and was pretty excited about it. This environment isn't about competition or who caught the biggest fish, it's about the camaraderie. In Deer River, Hady Clutter, Lakeland News. And no one went home empty handed. Anyone that didn't catch a fish, they were sent home with some so they could enjoy them. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.