This past weekend was the first time I had gone fishing in South Dakota. My boyfriend and I went ice fishing at Pactola Reservior in the Black Hills. It was awesome because I love visiting new places and trying new things. The lake was located in the heart of the Black Hills just south of Deadwood, SD about 25 miles. I was excited to fish there because of the species present, such as lake trout and rainbow trout. I had never gotten the opportunity to catch these fish species in North Dakota, so I was looking forward to it! We had fished for about three hours and the sun was starting to set. My boyfriend used the ice auger to drill a few random holes at different depths, and I proceeded to fish each hole until I got a bite. The first fish hit my lure when I wasn’t paying attention and of course it got away! I was persistent and kept fishing. A few minutes later another fish bit, and I hooked into it! This fish fought more than many fish I have caught in the past, so I figured it was a nice sized one. To my excitement, I landed the fish and it was a new species for me; a rainbow trout! We snapped a photo and released the fish, what a rush! It is such a great feeling to have such a strong animal on the end of that fishing line. Even though the fish wasn’t huge, it still fought with all its might. A few minutes later, I landed two more rainbows! I caught the first, largest, and the most fish that day (No surprise there, haha!). It was a great experience, and I would definitely revisit this lake in the future!
The Viking Voyager 