LYNN – The sun was shining, the temperature had climbed near 50 degrees Fahrenheit, joggers passed in shorts – Sunday was a beautiful morning to venture into the sun.Although, many of the fish under the ice at Flax Pond probably weren’t planning on doing that.”We have a lot of them going by, it looks like they’ve evolved,” joked Brian Keady of Lynn.Fifty-seven anglers gathered across Flax Pond Sunday for the Super Bowl Sunday Ice Fishing Derby, organized by Ippi’s Bait and Tackle in Wyoma Square. The catch-and-release derby – the first of two ice-fishing derbies this winter organized by the shop – seemed like an odd activity on a day where rain boots were more common than snow boots.But the so-called polar vortex had coated Flax Pond with about 9 to 12-inches of ice, according to Laura “Ippi” Ippolito, Ippi’s owner and derby organizer. So the tent that normally provided Salem residents Tom and Steve Boucher with protection from the wind was abandoned for canvas chairs facing the sun, as the men watched and waited for the fish to bite.Unfortunately, after some good action when the derby began at 8 a.m., it seemed that grills, ice skates, hockey sticks, chairs and sunglasses became the more utilized ice-fishing accessories as the morning progressed.”It’s very slow,” Tom Boucher said around 11:30 a.m. “You normally catch a lot of fish ice fishing, people would be surprised.”But participants didn’t seem to mind. Part of the appeal of fishing is getting outside and on the water.”You’re kind of out on the open, you can do stuff on the ice, and you can get to hard places you couldn’t reach (from shore),” said 11-year-old Austin Lavender, of Marblehead.Jake Valeri, 13, of Lynn, described it simply. With ice fishing, he said, “you’re actually on the water.”But little fish meant that anglers had to find other entertainment. Participants skated, passed hockey pucks, shared food (Valeri and friends seemed to judge a day’s success as much on the fishing as the Italian sub they all built), and swapped fish tales as they traversed the ice. And some fish were caught.Ippi collected $680 from entrance fees, which was redistributed in awards.Bob Seeley won $340 for hauling in a 23-inch, 5.75-pound largemouth bass, while Rick Hobby earned $238 for a 22-inch 5.27-pound bass and Johnathan Sheehan picked up third place and $102 for a 19-inch, 4.04-pound bass, according to the official results on the Ippi’s Facebook page.Plus, Ippolito said the cold weather will return, hopefully in time for Valentine’s Day when the derby heads to Sluice Pond on Feb. 16.There will be four categories of winners in that event, as prizes will be awarded for the biggest bass, pickerel, trout and salmon.And anglers might have better luck hauling in a catch. Ippolito explained that Sluice Pond is stocked with fish.