Ice fishing tournament

eurolarva

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jun 24, 2003
Messages
4,182
I went to this ice fishing tournament in Brainard Minnesota. The newspaper claims it was the biggest fishing tournament in the world. 11,862 people fished it and top prize was a 4x4 pickup. Second prize was 10K dollars. I fished it and didnt even get a bite, but it was fun. Sorry the picture is so bad but it is from a newspaper clipping and I tried to reduce the size as much as possible.
20041186762640476840969.jpg
 

NOSLEEP

Commander
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
2,442
Re: Ice fishing tournament

Good gravey... Thats enough to make me run away.<br />Waaayyyy too many people.
 

neumanns

Lieutenant Commander
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Mar 1, 2003
Messages
1,926
Re: Ice fishing tournament

To bad ya didn't get a bite!! I was certinaly routing for ya. Was sure decent weather for it. got a bit cold imediatly after it. looking forward to June.
 

gonfishn

Commander
Joined
May 16, 2002
Messages
2,390
Re: Ice fishing tournament

At least you can say you were there...With 11,000 lines in the water, navigation for the fish would be like shopping at Walmart on their busiest day of the year..June is around the corner...
 

mellowyellow

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jun 8, 2002
Messages
5,327
Re: Ice fishing tournament

glad the ice held up under all that stress!<br />11,000 holes drilled plus 11,000 people... :eek:
 

NOSLEEP

Commander
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
2,442
Re: Ice fishing tournament

So if you have 11000 people... 2 lines apiece<br />thats a lot of fish'n holes. How many lines are<br />you allowed?
 

gonfishn

Commander
Joined
May 16, 2002
Messages
2,390
Re: Ice fishing tournament

One Line per person NoSleep and strictly enforced by DNR..That why Northern Minn. has such great fishn...Ice fishing might be different but I know you have to be a resident to spear fish..<br /><br />Remember the pic I showed moving the house across the lake on ice MellowYellow..Sometimes the ice can get 36 plus inches thick..Remember minus 20 below up north is a mild day in the winter..
 

FLATHEAD

Captain
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Dec 29, 2002
Messages
3,182
Re: Ice fishing tournament

I have to ask what it cost to enter? Somebody made a ton of money
 

neumanns

Lieutenant Commander
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Mar 1, 2003
Messages
1,926
Re: Ice fishing tournament

One line per person on this contest, two lines otherwise in minnesota ice fishing. <br /><br />20,000 holes 11,000+ participants.<br /><br />$35-40 per ticket<br /><br />$150,000 worth of prizes<br /><br />$220,000+ raised by the jaycees for a local charity.<br /><br />Claims to be the largest ice fishing contest, It is really something to see as it all comes off just about 15 miles south of me.
 

eurolarva

Rear Admiral
Joined
Jun 24, 2003
Messages
4,182
Re: Ice fishing tournament

As neumanns said it was 35 bucks if paid before Jan 1 and 40 after. No shelters allowed and the only way you can fish two holes is if you pay twice. I was watching the 100 or so people around me and only one small perch maybe 5 inches long was caught in my area. My fish finder was reading fish but couldnt get them to bite. Total count of people was 11,862. Weather was 27 above but by the end of the tournament the winds gusted up to 45mph. The winning fish was a 4.5lb walleye caught 3 minutes after the contest started. 64 year old guy from Brainard won catching the walleye with a minnow and bobber.
 
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