The world's best ice anglers are in Rhinelander. They're getting ready for the World Ice Fishing Championship.

It's the first time the prestigious tournament has ever been held on U.S. soil. It gets underway on Saturday.

The tournament is being held on Boom Lake. Right now anglers are getting a chance to test out the water where they'll be competing.

Many of the competitors, who come from 11 countries around the world, have never been to the U.S. before. They flew into Chicago on Saturday and did some sightseeing.

But they couldn't wait to get to Rhinelander to hit the ice and start learning about the conditions and species of fish here.

"We never saw these kind of fish," says Igor Chinyakov of Team Russia. "We have in European countries perch as you have here, but no crappie, no other panfish."

The competitors will spend just a few hours a day on Boom Lake. They are not allowed to go inside the zones where the competition will take place until it actually begins.

Members of Team USA, who hail from Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois, say they have an advantage because they are familiar with the types of fish and have fewer distractions.

They do have one disadvantage, though. They're used to using power equipment and technology, but international competition allows only the most basic hand-tools.

Stay tuned to NewsChannel 7 and wsaw.com for more updates from the competition.