ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – With the weather turning cold, you know that ice fishermen are waiting to get on the lakes and rivers.

And now is the time to make sure you have everything you need. The annual St. Paul Ice Fishing and Winter Sportsman Show runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday — it’s $10 for adults, $4 for children.

Ice fishing enthusiasts like Dave Genz are already planning that first outing.

“Ice fishing is my life — I’m truly excited to get out there,” he said.

The show features all the comforts of technology.

“I’s really exciting, especially now with our modern electronics we’re using,” he said.

From the latest toys, to the warmest gear — the ice fishing show is one-stop shopping. Nearly 200 different vendors will offer products to more than 20,0000 visitors.

“Every single ice fishing product made is probably at the show this weekend,” Barbara Ronning said.

But for longtime ice fishermen like Genz, you can’t appreciate the new until you compared it to the old.

“About 35 years ago we started to come out of the stone age, and into the space age,” Genz said.

Gone are the days of back-breaking labor, as electric augers are among the hottest sellers. The latest depth finders and cameras always get plenty of interest, too.

“It’s actually like playing a video game, except you have live players on the other end,” Genz said.

Consider it a welcomed change to a long standing Minnesota tradition.