ALBERT LEA, Minn. - With a number of Minnesota's pandemic shutdowns still in effect, a lot of folks are heading outdoors for entertainment.
The old Midwest tradition of ice fishing definitely has social distancing written all over it. One bait shop has noticed more demand.
Broadway Bait Co. is located inside Broadway Bike Co. The bait business is new in town, just barely opened last week.
Manager Mark Conley says on their first Saturday, business was booming, with nearly 100 customers stopping by.
He also says it's been hard for the shop to get more tackle from their suppliers because of the demand.
Conley thinks more people are enjoying the great outdoors this winter.
"With the COVID thing and everybody's limited to what they can do, the whole outdoor activity thing kind of comes into play," said Conley.
He also said ice thickness varies greatly out on Fountain Lake, with 4 to 6 inches in some spots and up to 12 inches on the Edgewater side.
