About three weeks ago, a pair of Iron Range fishermen were trolling back to the Lake Ore-Be-Gone dock in Gilbert when one of the men made an impromptu remark.

"Is your rod supposed to be bent like that?" said one fisherman to the other.

Some exhilarating moments later, a 16-pound lake trout was in the boat.

This is no fish story.

Trout fishing in abandoned Iron Range mine pit lakes has over the last few decades grown into the kind of recreational activity that some fisherman tell stories about for years.

"These guys were all pumped up," said Doug Ellis, owner of Virginia Surplus in downtown Virginia, Minnesota. "They were standing on the dock with at least a 16-pound lake trout, all bent out of shape about it, texting me pictures of the fish. It's an absolutely gorgeous lake trout."

Since 1984, the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) Mining and Reclamation Division has stocked more than 210,000 pounds of fish in 21 area mine pit lakes.

While rainbow trout is now the species that's stocked, lake trout, brook trout, bluegill, crappie and walleye were also stocked in the program's early years.

Avid trout fishermen have found success within the former mine pits in both summer and winter.

The mine pits at one time produced iron ore which was turned into steel, helping build America.

The mine pits are generally not as heavily fished as area lakes.

"The day after they caught that big one, the two of them went back out with another friend when it was snowing," said Ellis. "They caught four lake trout that were eight, seven, five, and three pounds, and two rainbows. It shows that since they have been planted, those fish have adapted to that lake."

Today, another 1,650 pounds of rainbow are being stocked by IRRRB.

Pits stocked today are the St. James Pit at Aurora, Lake Ore-Be-Gone, Mott Pit in Mountain Iron, Kinney Pit at Kinney, Judson Pit in Buhl, and Tioga Pit near Grand Rapids. Another round of IRRRB fishing stocking will take place in the fall.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources also stocks fish in Iron Range mine pits, in coordination with IRRRB.

Ellis, who for years has fished the deep mine pit lakes, says the trick to catch fish in the pits is to be patient and fish the correct depth.

"I used to fish 'em all," Ellis said of the mine pits. "Rainbows can be hard to catch because like other fish, when it's not time to feed, it's not time to feed. And they don't like to be near the surface because birds pluck them off. I've found in Lake Ore-Be-Gone that you have a good chance of catching a 20-incher in 18-to-20 feet of water."