Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza Ready to Kick Off for 2024

The Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza is set to kick off Saturday morning.

This year, the fishing competition will get underway at 8 a.m. and will be spread across various lakes in the Brainerd Lakes Area. The contest will utilize the FishDonkey app before culminating with a celebration at Fleet Farm in Baxter.

Although ice depths at nine inches have pushed the extravaganza to a hybrid format, the atmosphere will still feel the same.

“[What] ‘hybrid’ means is that we’re having concierge stations,” explained event co-chair Mike Kuck. “We’re going to be out and about, we’re going to be able to still be there and still have an in-person feel. It’s just not going to be shoulder-to-shoulder this year. But it’s the same excitement. We’re still giving away a truck. We’re still giving away all that, but we’re making sure that we’re doing it in a safe way, that we all can still enjoy this for the 34th year.”

Contestants can park at the Brainerd International Raceway for festivities on Saturday, Feb. 3, where buses will run from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. to shuttle people to various access points across the area. An official fishing map can be found on the Ice Fishing Extravaganza website.