Brainerd, MN – In spite of the chilly Minnesota weather, more than 9,500 people attended the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake Saturday. The crowd was evidence enough that everyone was ready for the fishing to go on and Tulibees stole the show with 30 of the top 40 fish by weight. Participants from as far away as Australia were on Gull Lake trying to ‘catch the big one’ in hopes of winning $200,000 in prizes.

At 12:06 p.m. the first angler entered the weigh-in tent amongst a crowd of excited onlookers. The winning fish didn’t arrive at the weigh-in tent until approximately 2:30, but Art Karskay from Nisswa, MN, landed it- a walleye weighing 4.73 lbs – caught in 55 feet of water. When asked about his strategy, Art said,” We fished in the same area last year and my son won a prize, so we thought we’d give it a shot again, and I am very excited that it worked.” He will go home with a new Ford or GMC pick-up truck from Mills Automotive Group. Winning the Catch of the Day Extravaganza Give-Away ice fishing package valued at nearly $9,000 was James Bruggeman of Buffalo, MN. His perch weighed in at .58 lbs so he also took home a MarCum LX-3 for 66th place on the leader board. 15-year old Nick Peterson from Brainerd landed the 24th place prize of $2,400 cash with a 1.4 lb tulibee in about 60 feet of water. Fortunately he was fishing with the Special Edition Emerald Shiner Color Lindy Rattlin’ Flyer Spoon, which boosted his prize by $3,000. When asked what he was going to do with the cash, Nick stated, “I’m saving for a truck as I will be getting my license in the next year.” There were 382 fish registered in the three-hour contest.

Hailed as the world’s largest charitable ice fishing contest, there are two notable characteristics about this event, it is completely volunteer run and 100% of the proceeds are donated to charities throughout the Brainerd Lakes Area. The Brainerd Jaycees invest more than 20,000 hours in the planning of the contest. Amongst the 400 volunteers was Matt Castle, the chairman of the tournament this year. He said, “We are thrilled with the great turnout for this year’s contest. The impact on our community is immeasurable, and I am humbled to be a part of it all.”

The largest beneficiary is Confidence Learning Center, an outdoor recreational facility for people with developmental disabilities, but an estimated 50 charities will benefit from the proceeds of the event. The Brainerd Jaycees have donated nearly $3 -million to charities since the first Extravaganza was held in 1991.

All official event information can be found online at www.icefishing.org including a complete winner’s list.

Brainerd, MN—The 24th Annual Brainerd Jaycees $150,000 Ice Fishing Extravaganza officials were formally issued an event permit on Tuesday, January 14, by the Crow Wing County Sherriff’s Department. Sheriff Todd Dahl and Sgt. Adam Kronstedt met the Brainerd Jaycees on Gull Lake’s Hole in the Day Bay to verify the ice conditions, and found 17-19” of clear, consistent ice, sufficient for next Saturday’s event, throughout the contest site.

The Extravaganza is on Saturday, January 25th from 12:00-3:00 p.m. Each year this event is held on Gull Lake located seven miles north of Brainerd, MN. “The weather leading up to this day has been perfect for the upcoming contest, the ticket sales have been great, and we are ready to go,” said Matt Castle, event chairperson.

The volunteer-run Extravaganza draws more than 10,000 anglers annually who compete for more than $150,000 in prizes. There are 150 prizes including a new Ford or GMC 4×4 Pick-up, Arctic Cat ATVS, Ice Castle Fish Houses to a number of other ice fishing related prizes – not one less than $250 in value.

All proceeds are donated to area non-profit organizations with Confidence Learning Center—an outdoor center for persons with developmental disabilities (www.campconfidence.com)—being the primary beneficiary.

It takes three days to set-up the event site which becomes the second largest city in Crow Wing County that Saturday. There are approximately 20,000 holes pre-drilled for the anglers to choose from. Official information, tickets, and current updates can be found at www.icefishing.org.

The Brainerd Jaycees are a community and leadership development organization for men and women ages 18-40. Founded in 1939 they have grown to over 130 members in the Brainerd Lakes area. Collectively the members of the Brainerd chapter donate over 20,000 hours and $250,000 to area charities and causes each year. For more information on the Brainerd Jaycees visit www.brainerdjaycees.com.

Brainerd, MN – National Geographic is creating a new reality television series focused on all things ice fishing and will be filming an episode at the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Jan. 25. The show will follow a group of seasoned fisherman who represent the culture of ice fishing in America throughout the series and will air later this year. The film crew will spend nearly one week in the Brainerd lakes area filming many different aspects of ice fishing, the preparation of the Extravaganza on Gull Lake’s Hole in the Day Bay, and the contest itself.

This is the second time in the 24-year history of the Ice Fishing Extravaganza that it will be featured by National Geographic. Almost 22 years ago there was a two-page spread including an aerial photograph of the event in the September 1992 edition of National Geographic The Magazine. “We are thrilled that National Geographic is interested in showcasing our event, ” said Angie Nelson, a representative of the Brainerd Jaycees, “ fishing contests are a very important aspect of ice fishing culture.”

The Extravaganza location was chosen in part because of the uniqueness of the event which boasts more than 10,000 participants annually and its robust prize list of 150 prizes valued at more than $200,000. In addition, it is the world’s largest charitable ice fishing contest organized strictly by volunteers and the proceeds are donated to area charities totaling nearly $3 million in its history.
For more information on the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza visit www.icefishing.org. The Brainerd Jaycees are a leadership development organization for men and women ages 18-40.
Founded in 1939 they have more than 130 members. The Brainerd Jaycees donate more than 30,000 hours and $250,000 to area charities and causes each year. For more information on the Brainerd Jaycees visit www.brainerdjaycees.com.

Brainerd, MN – The Brainerd Jaycees will be holding the 24th Annual $150,000 Ice Fishing Extravaganza Saturday, Jan. 25 on Gull Lake’s Hole in the Day Bay, north of Brainerd, MN. Over 10,000 anglers are expected to compete for one of 150 prizes valued at more than $200,000.

Throughout the history of the event, contestants from as far away as India, Germany, and Hawaii have participated.

Contestants can expect the same great event as in years past with the opportunity to win large prizes at various places on the leader board – 1st place wins a GMC or Ford pick-up truck, 100th place goes home with an Ice Castle fish house, and Arctic Cat 4-wheelers are spread throughout the list. The Lindy Big Fish Bounty is back again this year, where the 24th place winner can earn $3,000 in addition to the $2,400 on the prize list if they catch the winning fish on the special edition Emerald Shiner colored Lindy Rattlin’ Flyer Spoon available exclusively at Mills Fleet Farm stores. Also returning this year after a one year hiatus is the Catch of the Day Extravaganza Give Away, and additional contest within the Extravaganza, giving participants the chance to win a prize package valued at $9,000 for an additional $5. Stamps for this contest can be purchased online and at Mills Fleet Farm in Baxter.

Event organizers are ready for this year’s event, and the cold weather has surely been beneficial for the ice conditions. As of last week, 12-16” of ice was reported throughout the contest area at Hole in the Day Bay. “Although it has been a cold couple of months, we are very excited that the conditions are favorable for the Extravaganza,” said Matt Castle, event organizer with the Brainerd Jaycees, “planning has been smooth and we are looking forward to another successful contest.” Tickets are available for purchase online, at Brainerd area outlets and at all 34 Mills Fleet Farm stores for $45.

The Brainerd Jaycees $150,000 Ice Fishing Extravaganza is completely volunteer run and all event proceeds are donated to area charities. The primary beneficiary is Confidence Learning Center, an outdoor recreational facility and camp for individuals with developmental disabilities. However, more than 50 organizations in the Brainerd Lakes area have received donations in the history of the event, which is likely to exceed $3 million in charitable donations this year. More information and official updates can be found at www.icefishing.org.