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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Many are trying to escape the cold temperatures as much as possible, but some Heartland residents are dedicated to spending as much time as possible outside in the freezing temperatures. Ice huts on the river and people standing out in the bitter cold with their fishing poles are a common sight in Ottumwa.

"You drill a hole through the ice and scoop your slush out, put a minnow down to the bottom and bring up about a foot or so and sit there and hope for the best," said ice fisherman Joe Reed.

All it takes is a hole about seven to ten inches wide and some good bait. "We try to take advantage of catching big walleye and sauger down here when we can," said fisherman Rich Dye.

While some might think these dedicated fishermen are crazy, they’re not afraid of the ice. "I wait for the other guy to go out. You get five, six inches, you’re good," Reed said.

To them, every minute spent out in the chilly weather is well worth it. "I got a four-pounder yesterday (Saturday)," Reed said. "It just gets your blood going and you have to do it," Dye said.

At the end of the day, the cold often leads to a warm meal. "I take them home, clean them and eat them," Reed said. "There’s tons of fish and it's walleye and that’s a good eater," Dye said.

As many as 20 ice fishermen can be found on the Des Moines River near the Ottumwa dam during the winter.