“The 2011 Brainerd Jaycee Ice-Fishing Extravaganza (BJIE) was a success,” reported Mary Devine, BJIE marketing coordinator, in a follow-up interview with WaterWideWeb. “Nearly 10,000 tickets were sold and almost 12,000 people were on the ice this year. A grand total of 743 fish were caught,” said Devine.
In a previous article published on 18 January 2011, Devine told WaterWideWeb, “Estimates based on information from the Brainerd Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce indicate that the event fuels $2 million into the local economy.”
Andrew Schultz, a first-time attendee of the BJIE, was the official winner of this year’s competition. Schultz and a group of six friends drove in from a small town close to Milwaukee, WI. They lodged at a local hotel and participated in the competition that took place on 22 January 2011.
Schultz landed a 7.18 lb. Northern Pike fish in 11 feet of water. Unbeknownst to Schultz, he would drive home $150,000 richer than when he traveled to Minnesota the prior evening. Schultz’s lucky catch was reeled in using only a minnow and a tip-up device. “A tip-up device covers the fishing hole so that a fisherman doesn’t have to sit there and attract the fish,” explained Devine.
The BJIE starts at 12 p.m. and contestants typically hit the ice between 9 and 10 a.m to choose their fishing holes. For three hours, contestants fish the lake, competing to catch the biggest fish.
Shelters are not allowed on the ice so all participants have to bundle up and brave the cold weather on the day of the event. This year, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton withstood the cold to participate in the event but didn’t catch anything.
According to Devine, a contestant narrowly missed the 3 p.m. deadline by 12 minutes, thus disqualifying the weigh in. “A contestant came in at 3:12 p.m. to weigh in a larger fish but the event ended at 3 p.m.,” noted Devine.
For the past 5 years, the BJIE has partnered with the non-profit organization Recycle Fish (RF). RF donates people power and bags filled with water for contestants to safely transport their catches from the lake to the weighing station.
The life expectancy of the fish when carried in these bags is longer than if fishermen had to carry their fish to the weighing stations without water. By safely returning more fish to the lake with the help of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the freshwater ecosystem of the lake is minimally compromised by the competition.
RF also collaborates with a program called Pikes for Vets which donates fresh fish to Veteran’s organization so that army vets can enjoy a big fish fry.
Three hundred volunteers helped make the 2011 BJIE a success. Devine estimates that approximately $180-200,000 will be donated to local charities and organizations based on the donations made in previous years by the BJIE.
The BJIE is an event that merges economic development with recreation and good-natured competition for the local community of Brainerd, Minnesota. You don’t have to be an expert with top-notch equipment to win the BJIE, as proved by Schultz. You just have to love ice fishing and not mind the frigid temperatures.
The photo above was provided by the 2010 Brainerd Jaycee Ice-Fishing Competition
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