The Bash Ice Fishing Derby & Raffle in Bemidji Going Virtual This Year

The annual Bash Ice Fishing Derby & Raffle in Bemidji, scheduled for this Saturday, has made some adjustments due to warm weather conditions.

The ice fishing tournament normally takes place on Lake Bemidji each year. But this year’s ice conditions have forced the tournament to go virtual, where participants will fish on several lakes in Beltrami, Hubbard, and Clearwater counties.

“It was just a way that we decided to make sure that we could still hold the event, still generate some funds and money for the beneficiaries that we decided to put this on for and get people out fishing,” explained tournament chair Aaron Schmitz. “We’ve been fortunate with the Sanford Center working with us and allowing us to do the awards and the raffle ceremony at the Sanford Center.”

The Bash derby will continue using the FishDonkey app for the 2024 event. To register for the tournament, you can visit Northwoods Bait & Tackle to receive a registration ticket for the February 24 event.