Chilly yet successful Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza

It was only his second time in the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza tournament and his first to catch anything, but Zac Padrnos made it count. He took home the grand prize.

Making the win even more astonishing, Padrnos is just 13 years old, meaning it’ll be at least 3 years before he can legally use his prize. That’s because his 9.45 pound winning walleye garnered him a donated Ford pick-up truck.

The Hutchinson middle schooler joined nearly 12,000 other anglers from across the globe to fish in the tournament. Volunteers spent the previous day drilling a record 14,300 holes in the ice to get ready for the Nisswa-area event Saturday. The temperatures hovered around zero under sunny skies for the 33rd annual event.

All proceeds from the tournament go to charity. The bulk of the money benefits Confidence Learning Center, which caters to individuals with developmental or cognitive disabilities.