HARRIS, Minn. — The Fish Lake Bait building in Harris has been an I-35 staple for anglers for the past 48 fishing openers, but it took on an unlikely new owner three years ago.
"I'm sorting my rainbows out of my fatheads," said Berlin Miscevich, who now runs the retail side of the business, called Fish Lake Premium. "I never even scooped minnows in my life before I moved here."
Miscevich grew up in Pennsylvania and never dreamed of moving to Minnesota to open a bait shop.
"This was my ex-husband's dream to have this place," she said.
But she would come to realize that she was the one who fell in love with the business, so she kept it in the divorce.
"It's more of a predominantly male industry and I like being a female in things like that," she said. "You know, I've done concrete, I was in the military for five years, I like being able to be a woman in a man's field and be like, 'Yeah, I can do that.'"
Not that it's been easy as a single mother.
"My daughter is 5, her name's Delaney, and I couldn't ask for a better-mannered, sweet little girl," Miscevich said. "She always has a dress on, but she'll be out here digging in the mud, so she's like a good mix."
But she says mixing tackle and toys wouldn't be possible without her righthand Mom, Beth Puchtel.
"I have three kids of my own," said Puchtel, who is not technically related to Miscevich.
"Everyone always asks, 'Is your mom working?'" Miscevich said. "I don't even tell people anymore that she's not my mom. I don't have any family out here, so she's like a mom and a grandma to me and my daughter, and I legitimately couldn't do it without her."
Puchtel started out as a babysitter as Miscevich was trying to transition from being a stay-at-home mom.
"I just was starting to like lose myself," Miscevich said. "I think a lot of moms could probably relate to that. You just kind of find yourself devoting all of your time to your kid and then before you know it, you look at yourself and you're like, 'Who am I?'"
She began to find herself after taking over the business full-time, bringing Puchtal on board as an employee.
"It's not a job I expected to have," Puchtel said. "My husband would be very proud of me because we were fish farmers. His dream was me going to sit at the end of my driveway and sell minnows for him."
That dream was cut short when her husband died nine years ago, but she's happy to help her adopted daughter realize hers.
"Am I proud of her? Yeah, who wouldn't be?" Puchtel said. "She's done a wonderful job. We both work very hard to keep it going."
That does mean they won't be dropping a line themselves this Mother's Day, but that is by choice.
"When the fishing opener happened on Mother's Day, I would always send my kids with my husband and I would say, 'See ya! It's my day,'" Puchtel said.
"We'll go and throw some bait out behind my house and stuff but for the most part... you'll catch me here," Miscevich said. "This place is kind of iconic, and I'd like to hopefully keep it here for another 48 years."
Mothers who are looking forward to getting out on the water can fish for free this Mother's Day weekend. They can also enter a virtual fishing contest through the Minnesota DNR. All you have to do is join a Facebook group and post photos of your catches, and you will be entered in a drawing for multiple prizes.
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