For many Minnesotans, winter is a great opportunity to hibernate. Dash from the cozy house to the pre-heated car, from the preheated car to the warm office, then back to the cozy house. Repeat daily from December to March. For these people winter is something to be endured, not enjoyed.

Well, this story isn't about them. No, it's about people who think hating winter when you live in Minnesota makes about as much sense as hating music when you play guitar in a rock band.

It's called ice fishing. And every winter, thousands of people flock to the state's many lakes to sit on three feet of ice waiting for something wet and wiggly to drop by.

Tim Liester is one of those people. The 43-year old married resident of Shorewood has been fishing since he was a kid. In winter, that meant dropping a line through a hole in the ice. The season starts in December. If you don't mind driving north of the border, into Manitoba, you can stretch it out into May, says the lumberman. Some of the best spots straddle the border, such as Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake. Both were famed resort areas in the early decades of the 20th century, but their reputations for ice fishing are also well established.

Winter weekends see a pilgrimage of men from the suburbs and cities to the lakes, a ritual that includes young and old. Single men - those without familial responsibilities - might head out every weekend, Liester says. But even those with kids try to find the time. An outdoorsman has an activity for each season, and ice fishing is one of the top picks for the coldest part of the year. "There'll be hundreds of fish houses out on these lakes," he says. There are even competitions in which one fish is tagged and the person who catches it wins a prize.

It's not just about the fish, of course. Captain Highliner has battered sticks in every grocery freezer in the nation, and even an avid ice fisherman would probably acknowledge that catching a Walleye through a twelve inch hole isn't quite as dramatic as landing a Marlin off the coast of Cuba. No, part of the pleasure is in the opportunity it gives these guys to socialize with their buddies.

One of the outdoorsman's friends has a tradition. Every time you catch a fish, you have to down a shot of peppermint schnapps. "If you're having a good fishing day..." says Liester.

Now that he's a little older and everyone's kids are a bit older, too, the boys have started a new tradition. They meet the weekend after New Year's. "We've been going for a few years," he says. When - asked which is the priority - the social time or catching fish, he says "it's probably even." If the fish aren't biting, the lads might exit the fish house onto the ice and throw around a football.

Of course, even a traditional Minnesotan activity like ice fishing isn't immune to change. Take the aforementioned fish house, for example. The sportsman says some of them are two-stories tall, have bunks for sleeping and bathrooms. "There are guys that'll have satellite dishes in them." Portable tent fish houses have changed the game as well. Now it's easy to pick up stakes and move if a spot isn't yielding fish. Or, there's always the "shack." A wooden structure, covered in insulation and painted an outrageous color. But no matter what the shelter, in the end, it's all about catching the fish.

Ice fishing poles are less than three feet in length, and use a light line. Another basic part of the kit is an auger to cut through the ice. It's not an expensive sport to get into. Liester says as little as $400 will have you set up with an auger, rod and tackle, and a portable hut.

The introduction of electronics 15 years ago has revolutionized the sport. It's become "a critical part" of the sport, says the fisherman. Sometimes you can actually see an individual fish moving in on a jig the size of a fingertip.

Mind you, if the fish aren't biting, no electronics in the world will give you a banner day, says Gary Moeller, manager of Ballard's Resort, on Lake of the Woods.

Moeller has managed the site since 1990, and Ballard's has been a fixture on the lake since 1961. In the summer, as many as 120 people will be lodged at the resort. Winter isn't exactly slow, either.

On the weekends, from December through March, it's "busy all the time." The reason is simple: "What do you do in the winter time in Minnesota?" says the manager.

Ballard's has perfected the art of comfortable, "shirt-sleeves" ice fishing. Banish the picture in your head of a parka-clad figure sitting on an overturned bucket in the middle of a windswept expanse of ice. For around $90 per person, "we provide everything, from start to finish." Equipment, bait, even fish cleaning. Then there's the propane heated fish houses, elevated off the ice, with two holes for each fisherman. Lake of the Woods is a big body of water, though - a million acres. So to make it easier to access Ballard's 45 fish houses, they run Bombardier snow track vehicles out onto the ice. The vehicles have cabins, and the largest holds as many as twelve passengers.

Hmm. With all the technology and comfort that's been developed, maybe Minnesotans no longer have to choose between hibernating and enjoying winter. Perhaps outfits like Ballard's provide the opportunity to do both simultaneously. The ultimate irony might be happening this very minute on a lake near you: A group of fisherman in a fish house, lines in the water, watching satellite fishing shows on one television, while playing XBox fishing games on another.

Ice fishing is a male dominated sport. But where some women might think the boys' club pastime as an infringement on family time, Laura Hotvet sees it as a way to help children. For the past two years - this year makes three - Minnewashta Elementary School, in Excelsior, has held an Annual Ice Fishing Soiree to raise funds for their Parent-Teacher Organization.

Last year, the January event had 70 participants, fairly evenly split between men and women, and this year they hope to have as many as 100.

"We have prizes for the biggest fish, the smallest fish, costumes, the most creative use of camouflage or day-glo orange, and the most bites in a minute," she says.

The centerpiece of the party is a heated tent, in which food and drinks are served. There's also a charity bingo game which raises additional funds. While Hotvet coordinates the event, a crew from a company called Pikes Dreams helps with set up and equipment. ("Great guys!" she gushes.)

Last year, the "soiree" raised $2,000, all of which was donated to the school for child-focused programs requested by staff.

By Eric Sparling