A behemoth walleye that tipped the scales at 6.37 pounds was caught by Luke Botzek of Foley, Minn., on Saturday to win the $150,000 Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake.
Botzek drove home a new pickup truck as a reward for his skill, luck -- or both.
His fish was more than 2 pounds heftier than the 3.98-pound northern pike pulled through the ice by Eric McGaffey of Clearwater, Minn., who won second place and a new ATV.
The big contest, which typically attracts about 10,000 anglers, was originally scheduled for Jan. 21 but was held Saturday to ensure that good ice greeted anglers when the three-hour tournament began at noon.
Anglers on Saturday fished through about 20 inches of clear ice.
The largest perch caught by an angler who purchased an additional $5 stamp weighed three-quarters of a pound, winning Bradley Cox of Monticello, Minn., a new boat.
First held in 1991, the contest has been postponed once before, in 2002, and was moved to a different lake in 2006. It's believed to be the world's largest charitable ice fishing tournament, with donations to Brainerd-area charities topping $3 million.
