Turning ice fishing into a video game

Ice fishing is Minnesota’s favorite winter activity. But it’s not all a quiet meditation with nature. For many of its acolytes, ice fishing is big business and high tech. Correspondent Adam May headed to Lake Minnetonka, one of the most popular ice fishing spots in the Twin Cities, to see how this ancient sport has been transformed.

The lake is covered in 26 inches of ice, enough to hold villages of ice fishing houses, and a heavy Suburban to get to them. Dan Jasper, a successful ice fishing tour guide, rents his fish house to tourists around the world, who can enjoy fishing the lake’s chilly depths without bracing the outside. “It’s something to do in the winter," explained Jasper about the appeal of ice fishing. “Trust me, we would be fishing year round open water if we could.”

Jasper’s newest gadget is a Marcum underwater camera, which allows fisherman to see the view 19 and a half feet down from the cozy warmth of their fishing house. The ancient solitude of ice fishing becomes a video game, with players toying around with tricks on the screen and seeing what works in real-time.

Everyone on the lake told America Tonight that we had to check out the ultimate in ice-fishing luxury: the Bellagio. It is the pride and joy of Allen Schafer, who turns on strobe lights on his roof when visitors are welcome.

Schafer’s ice fishing house includes a flat-screen TV to watch sports, a fully-stocked bar, an LED light for atmosphere and 10 fishing holes that bubble to prevent freezing. He even has Bellagio-branded swag for visitors.

For those who question how much actual fishing goes on in these deluxe huts, Schafer’s tribute wall holds the proof. Asked why he spends the winters of his retirement on a freezing lake as opposed to a Florida beach, Schafer replied: “I think it makes our winters go fast. And it’s just plain fun.”

But not everyone is seduced by the latest gadgetry. For many years, this father and son duo have huddled up in a small tent to enjoy ice fishing the old-fashioned way. “A lot of times you get wrapped up in a busy life and you’re not able to get over and see your parents,” the son explained. “…So this is our time to spend together. And it means the world to me.”