Brainerd Jaycees Given the Green Light to Host Annual Ice Fishing Extravaganza

With 15 inches of ice measured at Hole-in-the-Day Bay on Gull Lake this past Saturday, the Brainerd Jaycees were given the green light to host their 33rd annual Ice Fishing Extravaganza this coming weekend.

For the event to take place this Saturday, the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office conducted an official ice test to make sure there was enough lake ice for the event. Sergeant Brad Thesing measured the ice and gave the go-ahead to drill the hole, and after a few moments, he measured the ice to see what anglers can expect.

“There’s not an exact depth, it all depends on the quality of the ice,” explained Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza chairman Tad Johnson. “If it’s really black, clean ice, you don’t need as much. If it’s really foggy, soupy ice, you need a lot more. So based on our 33 years of history and the sheriff’s department history of the ice, we take all the variables into consideration to determine whether or not the ice is good enough to host the tournament site.”

The contest will take place this Saturday, Jan. 28 from 12-3 p.m. on Gull Lake’s Hole-in-the-Day Bay. More information on this year’s event can be found here.