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Icefishing challenge......feedback....


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The third annual challenge is complete....estimates say close to three thousand anglers on the ice this past saturday. Any other FM members out there?...How'd you do?
This was my first contest since the Golden Rainbow in Forest Lake 13 years ago....got skunked then, and it was just as cold. Did better on Saturday...luck of the prize list put my small .30 walleye on the board at 66...good for a new Strikemaster Lazer Mag!

Just curious how others did...

Any feedback...how can the Alex group make it better?...(besides warmer weather!)...suggestions? how about the timing...was the date good, or would mid february be better?

Brainerd's Big One is this coming weekend...organizers in Alex aren't looking to get THAT big, but do want to build on their success....

let's hear it...quick review and your suggestions for a better, best event?

thanks...

------------------
Northeast Outfitters
915 Hwy 29 N NE
Alexandria, MN 56308
(320) 763-9598

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I thought the tourney was well run. They could have cut the holes the day of the tourney, but otherwise it was run well. Lots more fish caught this year than last. Our group caught four fish all together including the #10 and #20 prizes! Of course I got skunked though. Lookin' forward to next years tourney!

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This was my first contest. I thought it was very well organized. Just a couple of comments.

1) drill holes day of tourney and bigger holes too!

2) get intercom to work better. couln't here after the contest started

3) I noticed most of the top fish were Northerns. Almost makes the shallow water prime. Maybe there could be prizes for the biggest in each species. We were on the ice by 10:30 and most of the people were shallow. Obvious reasons....

4) Speed up the weigh in process. I talked to one guy that took 45 mins to weigh his small 'eye in. That is 1/3 of the fishing time.

We caught a couple of small perch. Too small to qualify. But we had a blast. Believe it or not we didn't even get that cold.

To the guys that wanted $5 or $10 to borrow their chisle....fu. I walked back to my truck and go get mine. I didn't realize there would be 5+ inches. I then in turn borrowed mine out to 5 others AT NO CHARGE. One of the people actually qualified for a prize. Offered to give me some and I said not a chance. This was a fun contest, no need for such jerks on the ice.

Lastly - what happens to all the fish that get weighed in? If someone had the opportunity I think it would be worth to clean some and give to the Knute Nelson Homes or other senior centers. I'm sure most of the fish did not live if they were in line for over 10 mins!!!

Learned lots and will definitely be back next year!

Jason

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HEY JAY IT SURE WAS NICE TO FINALLY MEET YOU, I WAS IN EARLY SAT. MORNING BOUGHT BAIT, AND PUTTY SOLD ME A NICE LITTLE CRAPPIE JIG. THE JIG DID NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME ON SAT. BUT I GOT FOUR NICE CRAPPIES ON IT LAST NIGHT.
I THOUGHT THE CONTEST TURNED OUT GREAT, OTHER THAN THE WEATHER BUT SINCE THAT IS OUT OF OUR HANDS I GUESS WE'LL TAKE IT. I WAS REALLY SUPPRISED AT HOW THICK THE ICE WAS, I ONLY BROUGHT A SMALL CHISEL, THANKFULLY SOME GUY I JUST MET THERE FELT SORRY FOR ME AND LOANED ME HIS, HE SAID I WAS KILLING HIM JUST WATCHING ME. THERE ARE PLENTY OF NICE PEOPLE OUT THERE!
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I LIKED ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET A RIDE OUT ON THE TRAILER, IT WASN'T THAT FAR OUT BUT IT SURE WAS SLIPPERY!
ONE COMPLAINT THAT I HEARD WAS THE FACT THAT THEY CLOSED THE ROAD DOWN TO GET TO THE LAKE AFTERWARD, MAYBE NEXT YEAR THEY COULD WARN THE PEOPLE OF THIS FACT. I HAD MY WIFE DROP ME OFF AND PICK ME UP, LUCKILY SHE CAME AROUND FROM ROTARY BEACH AND WE DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS.
MY COMPLEMENTS TO THE PEOPLE WHO ORGANIZED AND HELPED RUN THIS EVENT, THEY DID A GREAT JOB!

A. GILL

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Didn't fish this year, but fished last year. I think they could find a better place on the lake to hold the tournament, especially if the plan is to keep it under 4,000 anglers. I'm not real familiar with the lake, but the few times I've fished out there, I've never seen a lot of pressure on that spot. That leads me to believe it's not a real high producer. The current location makes it a contest to catch the biggest northern for the first few prizes and then watch small perch/panfish take the majority of the rest. It's my guess that the only reason they pick that spot is because of the public access and relative availability of parking, and not because it's a prime fishing spot.

I've never fished in the Brainerd or Forest Lake tourney's, but in talking to a guy from work that's made every Brainerd tourney, he said he was surprised at how few fish are caught in Alex and the relatively small size of the winners.

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Got skunked this year, but it was the first time I ventured out to the deep water we were in 48 feet. My friend from montana had never seen anything like that before and he had a blast, will be back here for next years event..
SouthernMinnyRookie.
Were you the guy I talked to on the trailer ride back to get the chisel? I was the guy who jumped on the moving trailer and almost lost it.. I borrowed my chisel to about 4 different guys and we also helped others get their holes open, was a good way to stay warm.

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Danny - that was me! You dang near landed on your a$$.

I couldn't believe they were serious about me paying them to borrow a chisle. I can see if I asked them to chip my hole for me.

Contest was a blast though. We will be back. I couldn't believe the amount of workers out there. That was incredible! Nice job to eveyone!

Jason Alstead

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walleyeman...congratulations! prize number 20 was offered by us here at Northeast Outfitters!....talked to someone from you group...that was a good day for you guys!

A.gill...good to see you too!...thanks for stopping! I really appreciate the business....glad you had a good time....hat's off to those who share their chisels!...I got out there by about 10 after noon, and was hoping to find an open hole!...(ha ha...no such luck!)...a good 5-7 inches to chip through...broke a sweat!

As to the area of the contest....the parking and convenient acces is a big factor....and when over two hundred fish were weighed in the first hour...it seemed productive enough...even a few walleyes caught. I do agree, though...a separate pool for biggest of a species would be fun to see...

I remember one golden rainbow contest in Forest Lake, when the big fish prize was won by a five pound carp!...

what about the date....any thoughts to how this event would go in mid february, like last year?

what do you think?

------------------
Northeast Outfitters
915 Hwy 29 N NE
Alexandria, MN 56308
(320) 763-9598

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This is the 2nd year I have drove down from the Iron Range for the ice fishing challenge, I think it is very well run and the parking is well organized. My only suggestion is to maybe drill the holes early in the morning and with bigger holes. As far as the people asking for money for the use of there ice chisel, we don't need people like that out there, #$%* them. I definatley will be back for next event. It is a good time.

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5 or 10 $ to use a chisel for 2 minutes? What a J***off. Hopefully the dude has vehicle trouble sometime................

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My son and I fished the contest. We had read in the information about bringing a chisel and were prepared. Another fisherman close by did offer his so we could get our holes open quicker. We stayed warm and had some fun even though our small perch did not get us into the prizes. The weigh-in process had kept my son away a bit too long so he did miss close to 1/2 hour fishing time. We liked the location and after dropping my son off with the gear I went out to park the truck. A bus was right there to take me back to the site. The trailers were a nice touch eliminating the need to walk to the contest area. Sanding the main tent area was a nice touch also. I had forgotten my grippers and was walking very carefully. When the contest was over we headed over to see the leader board and check our raffle tickets. No luck. Getting back to the access was easy and I was quickly back on a bus to retrieve the truck. Everything went very smooth. We will be back next year.
Dino

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I brought a light chisel with me thinking there wouldn't be much ice like last year, I had to go back to my truck to get the heavier one to break through faster. I saw a couple of guys with those scoops with the chisel on the handle, and those didn't do much for opening up the hole.

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