Month: January 2015

Warm Weather Brought Thousands to the 2015 Extravaganza

Brainerd, MN – Unseasonably warm winter weather brought more than 11,000 people to the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake Saturday. After the past couple years of wind and cold, this is exactly what was needed. The crowd was evidence enough that everyone was ready for the fishing to go on. Participants from as far away as Poland were on Gull Lake trying to ‘catch the big one’ in hopes of winning $200,000 in prizes.

At 12:02 p.m. the first angler entered the weigh-in tent carrying a perch. The winning fish didn’t arrive until approximately 2:45, but Steven Baumgartner from Owatonna, MN, landed it- a northern pike weighing 6.73 lbs – caught with a shiner in just 15 feet of water. When asked about his strategy, Steven said,” I wasn’t having luck at 26 feet, so I thought I’d give it a try in shallow water, and that sure worked.” Baumgartner chose the new 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 Rome Anding of Lake City, MN. His perch weighed in at .65 lbs so he also took home a StrikeMaster Ice Auger for 141st place on the leader board. Anding has been attending the contest for 10 years and was more than happy to hook up a new Ice Castle to his truck for the ride back home. There were a record 1,240 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 Sarah Stenerson, the chairperson of the tournament this year. She said, “This was a great day for us, for our contestants, and for the entire community. The 25th anniversary of the Extravaganza was a phenomenal success!”

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.

World’s Largest Charitable Ice Fishing Contest is Set for January 24

Brainerd, MN— The 25th Annual Brainerd Jaycees $150,000 Ice Fishing Extravaganza officials were formally issued an event permit on Wednesday, January 14th, by the Crow Wing County Sherriff’s Department. Sheriff Todd Dahl and Sgt. Adam Kronstedt met representatives from the Brainerd Jaycees on Gull Lake’s Hole in the Day Bay to verify the ice conditions, and found clear, consistent ice, sufficient for next Saturday’s event, throughout the contest site.

Officials and event organizers want to encourage those attending to use the free shuttles available at Brainerd International Raceway and at the old Nisswa Flea Market on Highway 371 North. Shuttles begin at 8:00 am and run until the last contestants are off the ice.

The Extravaganza is on Saturday, January 24th from 12:00-3:00 p.m. Each year this event is held on Gull Lake located seven miles north of Brainerd, MN. “The early ice was a blessing for us this year. We are very excited to celebrate the 25th Anniversary next Saturday,” said Sarah Stenerson, event chairperson. “Also make sure to get your tickets for the “official” 25th Anniversary Party to be held Saturday evening at 8:00 pm,
featuring 80’s rock from Arch Allies. It’s going to be a day and night to remember!”

The volunteer-run Extravaganza draws approximately 10,000 anglers annually who compete for nearly $200,000 in prizes. There are 150 contest prizes including a new Ford or GMC 4×4 Pick-up, Arctic Cat ATVS, Ice Castle Fish Houses, and 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 150 members in the Brainerd Lakes area. Collectively the members of the Brainerd chapter donate over 20,000 hours and $200,000 to area charities and causes each year. For more information on the Brainerd Jaycees visit www.brainerdjaycees.com.