Photo by Deb Gau Lake Benton Elementary student Addison Osland watches her bobber from the shore of Lake Benton on Friday. About 50 students grades 4-6 spread out along the west shore of the lake for an afternoon of fishing.

LAKE BENTON — A windy, chilly afternoon didn’t spoil the fun for Lake Benton Elementary students as they cast fishing lines off the western shores of the lake.

In fact, the kids were only there a few minutes before someone got a bite.

“It’s a northern!” students called out to classmates further down the shoreline.

More than one student ended up catching a fish, during an outing with the Lake Benton Sportsmen’s Club on Friday. About 50 students in grades 4-6 went fishing with supervision from community volunteers and teachers.

Student Gabe Johnson estimated it took him “three minutes” to catch a fish.

“It felt good,” he said.

The fishing trip was a community effort that took a couple of years to come to fruition, said Lake Benton principal Jeff Hansen.

“I had thought about doing this pre-COVID,” he said. With the lake, he said, “We have a wonderful resource right here in the community. Let’s take advantage of it.” As schools returned more to normal this year, it seemed like the time was right to hold a fishing day.

Hansen said he reached out to the Lake Benton Sportsmen’s Club to help organize the trip.

“They are amazing,” he said. Together, the club and local donors like the Lake Benton Lake Association made it possible to provide rods and reels for the students. Before the trip, students also had class visits from Nate Hodgins of the Windom area fisheries.

Students said they were having fun on the fishing trip.

“It gets me out of class, but also I haven’t been fishing in a while,” said fifth grade student Lilly McKee.

The group included a mix of students who were new to fishing, and ones with more experience, Hansen said.

The fishing day was a chance to get young people interested in the outdoors, said Matt Eickhoff of the Sportsmen’s Club.

“It’s something for them to do that’s not on their tablets,” he said.

“It’s fun to see them out there,” club volunteer Shaun Thomas said of the students’ fishing trip.

“It would be nice if it was a little warmer, but they don’t seem to mind it.”