Over 12,000 Anglers Show Up for 33rd Annual Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza

Despite the chilly weather of -12 degrees, over 12,000 participants showed up for the 33rd annual Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Saturday. The three-hour tournament required more than 25,000 volunteer hours to prep, and it went off without a hitch.

Anglers come from near and far to compete on Gull Lake in Nisswa for each extravaganza. Organizers estimate about half of the contestants are within a two-hour drive of Brainerd, with the other half coming from across the Midwest and the U.S., and even from places like Germany, Norway, and Sweden. One contestant, a foreign exchange student from Rome, Italy, made her ice fishing debut at this year’s event.

13-year-old Zac Padrnos won this year’s contest with a nine-and-a-half-pound walleye. When asked what he would do with his grand prize of either a Ford F-150 or a GMC Canyon, he said he would simply sell it.

The two-square mile fishing venue was filled with food, vendors, and raffle giveaways. It’s a large event that’s only possible with a lot of help.

“Thank you to all the volunteers,” said Tad Johnson, Ice Fishing Extravaganza chairperson. “There’s 350 volunteers that helped put this tournament together, couldn’t do it without all them, and all the proceeds are donated to charity, with our primary beneficiary being Confidence Learning Center, an outdoor facility for disabled adults, and it’s just such an honor to be able to bring funding to good causes.”

The Brainerd Jaycees have donated more than $4 million to more than 75 different charities since the Extravaganza began back in 1991.