The Brainerd Jaycees $150,000 Ice Fishing Extravaganza was a big success again, with untold thousands of dollars raised by a community of volunteers for Brainerd-area charities. Here are a few snapshots from Saturday's contest, which attracted about 10,000 entrants.
This is Andy Schultz, who lives near Milwaukee, Wis. He and a group of friends came to Brainerd for the first time to fish in the contest. His 7.18-pound northern was the big winner. The fish was caught in only 11 feet of water, shortly after the tournament began at noon. For his efforts — or luck — Schultz won a new Ford pickup. The Wisconsin group had planned to make it to the Wisconsin Dells by the time the Packers and Bears square off Sunday afternoon. But a celebration was in order, one of the group said, and they retooled their plans, hoping they would at least make it to the Twin Cities from Brainerd by kickoff on Sunday.
A look at the leader board shortly before the top 150 anglers were determined Saturday by contest organizers. Prizes such as an ATV and an ice fishing wheel house were given away, in addition to the new pickup going to the angler catching the biggest fish.
Gov. Mark Dayton was busy greeting anglers young and old at the Brainerd ice fishing extravaganza. He wasn't bothered by the cold — the temperature hovered around zero for most of the contest's three hours. Dayton didn't catch a fish, but seemed comfortable in the surroundings and chatted amiably with other anglers, most of whom also didn't catch fish.
